Tottenham Stadium White Hart Lane. White Hart Lane - one of the oldest football stadiums in the world White Hart Lane is located in the Tottenham area, which is not considered one of the best in London

White Hart Lane - stadium, which is the home ground of Tottenham Hotspur. It was built at the end of the nineteenth century and is located in the northern part of the British capital. Currently, the arena seats just over 36 thousand spectators. It should be noted that this is one of the oldest active football grounds in the world.

History of appearance

Like many others famous in the world, White Hart Lane was founded at the end of the nineteenth century. And it all started quite simply. Then the owner of one of the London breweries, being a big football fan, decided to earn more money with his favorite game. To do this, he built a small football stadium on his own plot of land. This happened in 1899. After the building work was completed, the tycoon persuaded Tottenham to move here from Northumberland Park.

First matches

The debut match on the new one, which was 100 x 67 meters, was held by the London football club in 1899. Then the Notts County team came to visit Tottenham for a friendly match. The game, which ended with a score of 4-1 in favor of the hosts, was attended by about five thousand fans. Despite the friendly status of the match, the owner of the stadium then earned 115 pounds from ticket sales, which was quite an impressive amount. The first official game played here as part of the Southern League, the Spurs also won with a score of 1-0. Their opponent then became the Queens Park Rangers team. This time about 11 thousand spectators came to watch the match.

Redemption of the stadium

Subsequently, the popularity of Tottenham grew rapidly, and therefore soon the stadium could no longer accommodate all the fans who wanted to watch their favorite team play. Over the course of five years, the arena was expanded to accommodate 12,000 standing and 500 seated seats. Thus, its total capacity increased to 32 thousand spectators. Due to the growing number of fans and rapid development, in 1905 the football club managed to raise the required amount of funds and buy all rights to the land where the field was located from its owner. Combined with the team’s promotion to the English First Division, this gave new impetus to the further development of White Hart Lane.

Reconstructions

After the arena became the property of the club, a decision was made to expand the facility. Then work began on the construction of stands. To make their plans a reality, Tottenham's management invited the famous architect Archibald Leitch. It was according to his design that the stadium became rectangular. Moreover, the Eastern and Central stands appeared here. Thus, as of 1909, the arena could already accommodate 50 thousand fans. The team won trophies and became more and more popular. In this regard, the club continued to invest in the White Hart Lane stadium. Its capacity after reconstruction in 1934 reached 80 thousand people. Moreover, more than half of them were located under the roof.

Over time, safety regulations prohibited standing places in such arenas. In this regard, the owners of Tottenham, in order to be able to take part in competitions at the highest level, were forced to significantly reduce capacity. As a result, currently the four stands at White Hart Lane can only accommodate 36,240 people.

Over the years of its existence, the arena has undergone more than one modernization. In particular, in the middle of the last century, lighting masts appeared here, which were replaced with more reliable structures. In 1952, high-quality turf was laid on the field, which the players responded very positively to. A few years later, after the construction of the south stand was completed, a huge screen from Sony was installed above it. Three years later, another large display appeared in the arena.

General characteristics today

Currently, "" is considered one of the most comfortable stadiums in Britain. There are no running tracks, so spectators are in close proximity to the players during matches. The size of the field, as of today, is 110 x 73 meters, and there is no heated lawn.

Work has now begun on the reconstruction of the arena, which at the first stage is being carried out without closing it. That is why Tottenham now play their home matches in international competitions at Wembley. The team plans to move here next season. The Spurs' new arena is scheduled to open in 2018. According to the project, the stadium's capacity will be 61,461 spectators, and its cost will be about 400 million pounds.

And the story of White Hart Lane began like this... The owner of a brewery, which was located in the capital of Foggy Albion, decided to slightly increase his income by building a football stadium on his land. At his suggestion and mutual agreement with the management, his favorite club, Tottenham, which previously played its matches in Northumberland Park, moved here. This is how one of the oldest stadiums in England appeared - White Hart Lane, built at the end of the 19th century in the northern district of London - Haringey. In its original form, only 5,000 spectators could watch Spurs football matches on the new sports ground.

The popularity of Tottenham increased every year. The team's fans became more and more numerous. For this reason, in 1905, the club’s management, having collected the necessary financial resources, bought the right to the land and decided to expand the building. From then on, the construction of stands began. The famous architect Archibald Leitch was invited to implement the ambitious plans of the Spurs. According to his plan, the Central and Eastern stands appeared first. This resulted in the stadium taking on its rectangular shape and increasing its capacity to 50,000 seats.

White Hart Lane continued to develop further in the early 1920s. In 1921, there was already enough money from the income to build a roof. At the same time, two new covered terraces were built at both ends.

In 1934, the East Stand received further development and expansion, increasing the stadium's capacity to almost 80,000.

The record crowd at White Hart Lane was recorded in 1938, when a total of 75,038 spectators attended the match between Tottenham and Sunderland. Over the next few decades the stadium remained virtually unchanged.

1952 brought new joy for Tottenham players and their fans - a magnificent lawn was created. Just one year later, another achievement - the first lighting was done. Work continued and a couple of years later a new South Stand appeared.

For a long time, until 1972, there were no advertising sides at the stadium. On the Western Stand there is a cockerel cast from copper. This is the symbol of Tottenham, which was installed back in 1923.

Despite the fact that the stadium's capacity had decreased to 33,000 spectators, the number of Tottenham fans was growing, and there were not enough seats. Then, in 1998, the Paxton Road Grandstand appeared with an upper tier, on which a Jumbotron television was immediately built.

Today, White Hart Lane accommodates 36,310 fans in its stands. The structure consists of four stands. The largest and most spacious is the East Stand, which can accommodate 10,691 people. The North Stand can accommodate not much less - 10,086 fans. The South Stand is the third largest in terms of capacity. Its capacity is 8573 spectators. The smallest is the West Stand, which can seat 6,890 people.

White Hart Lane's capacity remains relatively limited. Although Spurs have considered various options from expanding White Hart Lane to building a new stadium, and even the possibility of moving to the Olympic Stadium in London.

Tottenham are currently pursuing plans that were first revealed to the public in 2008 to build a new 56,250-seat arena in the area north of White Hart Lane. Now the club's management is trying to secure funding for the project.


Club bosses feel that White Hart Lane is unable to accommodate all the fans today, but there is nothing they can do. So for now, Tottenham are performing in front of their fans at their home historical arena in White Hart Lane.

How to get to White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane is located in north London, approximately 7 kilometers from the center of the capital of England.

The stadium is located on Tottenham High Road, which is easily accessible from the A406. The A406 connects to the M11 to the east and the A10 slightly to the west (which in turn connects to the M25 to the north). Exit A406 towards Tottenham/Edmonton/A1010 and take A1010 south. After a mile the stadium will be visible on the left.


If you use public transport to get to the stadium, it is easier to do it by train. White Hart Lane is a short walk from the train station. The stadium can be reached from Liverpool Street Station. The journey takes about 20 minutes. You can also take metro route seven (on the Victoria Line).

Where to stay near White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane is located in Tottenham, which is not considered one of the best in London.

There are no hotels in the area around the stadium. It is possible to book a hotel in the Liverpool Street Station area, but this is not the cheapest area. There are more affordable options near the train station, such as Kings Cross St Pancras.

White Hart Lane Stadium Tours

Tottenham offer different types of stadium tours, with the classic tour being the most common. The tour includes visits to the players' tunnel, locker rooms, underground premises and the club office. The tour lasts from 90 to 120 minutes.

Tours typically operate Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., on Saturdays every hour between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and on Sundays every hour from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. There are no tours on match days.

Tottenham's new arena will be equipped with a unique retractable pitch, making it possible to host NFL matches at the stadium. The field extension process will take only 25 minutes. The new stadium will open in 2018.

The field for classic football is retractable, and under it there will be an artificial surface for American football. NFL games will be played here.

The Independent also talks about a glass tunnel that will be installed around the corridor leading to the field. Special class spectator seats will be adjacent to this tunnel. Ticket holders for these seats will be able to watch everything that happens in the main corridor of the stadium before the match, during half-time and after the end of the game. It is assumed that a lot of interesting things are happening there, and it is not a pity to pay extra money for it.

In order not to irritate the football players, the glass covering of the tunnel will be made transparent only in one direction - that is, those inside the tunnel will not be able to see those who are staring at them from the outside (interrogation rooms in police stations are equipped according to the same principle - the principle is familiar to us from many films ).

Tottenham head coach Muricio Pochettino comments on the innovation with a laugh: “It’s dangerous, dangerous! There's so much going on in this tunnel!" The areas surrounding the tunnel are allocated into a separate complex, which will be called the Tunnel Club. For the pleasure of gawking at the unprecedented, visitors to this “club” will have to pay 339 pounds for each game, not counting membership fees.

Season tickets will cost £9,500, but as they will only be sold in pairs, those wishing to secure a seat at the Tunnel Club for the entire season will have to shell out £19,000. But there will be more expensive seats at the new stadium. We are talking about the elite H Club, which will host a restaurant with a Michelin star (that is, a kind of “quality mark” of the restaurant business). There you will be able to watch the progress of the match without looking up from your food and drinks, using huge screens.

Like old White Hart Lane

While working on the project, the architects tried to ensure that its appearance and structure preserved the features of the current, historical Tottenham stadium - White Hart Lane, built back in 1899 and which has undergone several reconstructions.

For example, the first row of spectator seats will be at the same distance of 5-8 meters from the field line as now - this is much closer than in modern football stadiums.

The spirit of the old stadium will continue in that the three tiers will fit tightly together, packaged like parts of a sandwich. At the same time, the southern stand with a capacity of 17,000 will be solid, without tiers - like the famous Kop at Liverpool's Anfield or the "Yellow Wall" at Dortmund's Westfallenstadium. It will become a focal point for Tottenham fans.

The stadium also has its own microbrewery, capable of producing a million pints of craft beer annually.

The idea (and hope) of the architects, writes The Independent, is to create a structure that will combine the historical atmosphere of the club with modern trends in stadium construction. By the way, the new facility will be located adjacent to the old White Hart Lane.

Like in a business center

The Sun adds some details of the internal structure. The new stadium will become something of a business center. On non-match days, the stadium premises can be rented for business or personal use. It will feature the longest bar counter in the UK – 86.8 metres. There will be lounge areas, bars, cafes, and its own bakery.

White Hart Lane Stadium is the home stadium of Tottenham Hotspur. Located in north London. Built in 1899, after numerous reconstructions, the capacity is 36,310 spectators. The size of a football field is 100x67 meters.

The first match at this stadium took place on September 4, 1899. In front of 5,000 fans, Spurs won a friendly match against First Division team Notts County (4:1). The club made £115 in entry fees that day. And the first official match on the new field took place the following Saturday. It was a Southern League game against Queens Park Rangers, which also ended in victory for the hosts (1:0). This time, 11,000 spectators already came to the game.

Gradually the stadium expanded. Within five years, the arena's capacity was 32,000 seats, and in 1906 the stadium could accommodate 40,000 spectators. Tottenham's entry into the first division also contributed to the development of the arena. Architect Archibald Leitch built a new stadium, and by 1909 the arena could accommodate 50,000 fans. The first match in the elite of English football took place on September 11, 1909 against Manchester United.

By the time Spurs began playing in the first division, the stadium finally received its current name, White Hart Lane. Although at first it was called either the “High Road Ground” or the “White Hart Grounds”. The stadium also had an unofficial name - “Gilpin Park”.

Tottenham's FA Cup victory in 1921 and the subsequent investment allowed Archibald Leitch to rebuild the stadium to seat 58,000, with 40,000 of them under roof. He also reconstructed the arena in 1934, after which the newly opened White Hart Lane could accommodate almost 80,000 spectators. The first match after reconstruction took place on September 22, 1934.

On 5 March 1938, an FA Cup match set a stadium attendance record. The game between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland was watched by 75,038 spectators.

In 1953, lighting masts were installed. They were reconstructed in 1957. More advanced playing field lighting systems were installed in 1961 and 1972. Numerous reconstructions and modernizations of the stadium (in 1980, 1982, 1989, 1992 and 1995) significantly changed its appearance and technical equipment. In March 1995, the first giant video screen was installed in the South Stand. The arena's capacity at that time was 33,000 people. The last renovation was completed towards the end of the 1997-98 season. During it, a second giant screen was installed, and the stadium expanded to its current capacity: 36,310 spectators.

On October 30, 2008, Tottenham announced their intention to build a new 60,000-seat stadium.

Nearest train station: White Hart Lane Rail

Official website of the stadium: www.tottenhamhotspur.com

There is a club here, Tottenham Hotspur. The club plays at its own stadium, which is located in the area and is called White Hart Lane.

Directions to White Hart Lane

The metro has not yet been extended to the Tottenham area. If you travel by public transport, then you need to choose a commuter train departing from Liverpool Street station. They go in the right direction every quarter of an hour. 22 minutes of travel - and there will be White Hart Lane station. You need to get out on it, and the stadium will be very close.

White Hart Lane Stadium Tour Costs

The management of the White Hart Lane stadium acted quite traditionally for museums at the stadiums of Premier League clubs. As with other London stadiums, the cost of the tour is set at the standard £20. For teenagers under 16, tickets will cost £9, while family admission to the stadium will cost £47 and a half.

White Hart Lane stadium tours last between one and a half to two hours. During a tour around the entire stadium, visitors are told the history of the club, interesting facts, and anecdotes from the lives of the players.

The tour follows around the playing field. They also show the benches and the coaching area. As usual, the excursion passes through a tunnel leading to the field. You can go to the team locker rooms, the Hall of Fame with Tottenham awards. In addition, tourists are taken to the press rooms and management office.

Stadium tours will run throughout May, June and July 2015 this summer, according to the team's website.

At the same time, minor installation work will take place in the tunnel. They can prevent you from getting into the home team's locker room. Access to all other rooms is not difficult in any way, so tourists will be able to see almost the entire White Hart Lane stadium.

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