Where are the best seats at White Hart Lane?

[scottk964]

Hey all, I'm a Spurs supporter going on my first trip to London (and the Pompey match) in March. I joined the One Hotspur club to get priority on tickets. They're on sale this week for members, but I'm not sure where to sit.
It'll be for me & the wife. I've heard great things about being at the Lane in person. We're looking for atmosphere but my wife is short, so if people are standing the whole time, she won't be able to see the match. I'd like to keep it to 40 pounds/ticket or less. Advice?

[pookspur]

Hey all, I'm a Spurs supporter going on my first trip to London (and the Pompey match) in March. I joined the One Hotspur club to get priority on tickets. They're on sale this week for members, but I'm not sure where to sit.
It'll be for me & the wife. I've heard great things about being at the Lane in person. We're looking for atmosphere but my wife is short, so if people are standing the whole time, she won't be able to see the match. I'd like to keep it to 40 pounds/ticket or less. Advice?

standing won't be a problem anywhere.

the best atmosphere (and cheapest tickets) is in the park lane (south) end*. obviously, some will prefer sideline to endline seats, as they provide better views at both ends. the east stand is good, but there are two big supports that can somewhat restrict certain views. the west stand has the best sightlines, but is the most expensive, and undoubtedly has the least atmosphere. park lane upper is my choice. east stand upper is good, too, so long as you sit in the second or third section from either end. that way, only one support column is in your view, and it's pretty much through midfield - that is, not blocking any goalmouth action. never sat in paxton (north end), but why would you, if you can get park lane? west stand sucks.

don't know if pompey's a 'B' or 'C' match, but either way, but i'm guessing if you want to keep it under 40bps, you'll want park lane or paxton. you can get the prices at the website anytime.


*it also sells out the quickest.

[Colm]

Park Lane and the East stand have the best atmospheres, park lane especially.

[scottk964]

Thanks, I'll go for Park Lane upper. It's a B match, btw.

[pookspur]

Thanks, I'll go for Park Lane upper. It's a B match, btw.

the lane's brilliant. have a great time.

[m4mento7]

I'm looking for tickets for this match, is there a way that I can get them without signing up for the membership. Anybody have any advice?

Thanks for the help

[pookspur]

there's a good chance there'll be tickets available to the general public for pompey, i would think. to maximize your odds, set your alarm for 4:00am (or 4:30, or whenever they open up sales) on the day that tickets will go onsale to non-members. just log on and get your ticket online.

[thfcnyc]

the lane's brilliant. have a great time.

How brilliant is it? It looks majestic on tv. Lacks in atmosphere though at times.

[The Double]

How brilliant is it? It looks majestic on tv. Lacks in atmosphere though at times.

We have one of the better home supports in the league.

[thfcnyc]

We have one of the better home supports in the league.

Way better support than our neighbors from the library.

[pookspur]

How brilliant is it?

plenty.

nothing special from the outside, as is the norm for older english stadia. we (americans) are all accustomed to having them in large, cleared out areas, from which the stadium stands out majestically. in england, though, many (most) of the traditional stadiums were built right in the middle of neighborhoods, and you often have to get right upon them to even recognize one stand. often you see nothing but the lighting standards towering above the neighborhood until you're right upon the grounds. frankly, it's one of the most impressive things about old english stadia, to my thinking. when you go by some of these new places, like pride park or the reebok, standing out on their own, seemingly near no one, it appears oddly sterile - out of a club's proper context, if you will.

prior to entering the old english stadium, the magic comes from the journey (the walk). the crowds building and building until you're there, and what overwhelms you is not some majestic stadium, but the mass of like-minded brethren all with the knowledge that - no matter how dire their team's been of late - today might just hold something special. it's all augmented by a pint with your mates at the pub just outside the grounds (something else that won't find at the new symmetrical stadium outside of town). and it's only when you get inside that the stadium unveils its magic.

and the lane has it in spades. still largely empty (save, perhaps, for the away support) twenty minutes before the match, it fills up quickly, and the singing begins. holding 36k, the lane, oddly, seems both larger and smaller at the same time - both majestic and intimate. then comes the match ...

... and it's all downhill from there.



just kidding about the last part, though back in the not-too-distant 'bad old days' of gross, graham, and hoddle, it played out like that all too often. these days, though, we usually get good football with decent results, and with both, the magic invariably lasts well into the evening.

as for that 'lacking in atmosphere' stuff, i've never seen it. the lane has always been charged when i've been there - usually singing up the lads, otherwise lashing them venomously for their wretchedness. frankly, the ability of a crowd of 36,000 to go from one to the other, in a matter of seconds, is really quite extraordinary. :o

still, occasional grumpiness aside, the yiddos do a better job than all but a very few sets of home fans.

[sko16]

How brilliant is it? It looks majestic on tv. Lacks in atmosphere though at times.

This was sarcastic right? You can never tell online...

[thfcnyc]

This was sarcastic right? You can never tell online...

Naturally :p

That's a good way to sum up the whole gameday at the Lane experience for us WHL-deprived, pook. And WHL is such a unique-looking ground from the inside, it's breathtaking to see on TV, and must be even more spectacular in person.

About the atmosphere, it's very intense during important games, like the 5-1 thrashing last month. That was probably the best atmosphere I've witnessed at WHL in my short time as a Spurs fan. And who can forget 30 mins of Martin Jol's Blue and White Army vs Sevilla last season? You never see that at the Emirates :D

I liken that experience to Americans kids visiting a baseball stadium for the first time, stepping out of the tunnel and seeing that beautiful, fine-cut green grass and expansive playing field for the first time. It's such a sight to behold, you know. There's really nothing quite like being at a sporting event.

And on Hoddle, he also played on those legendary cup winning sides of the 80s. He's a true yid, right up there with Bill Nick and Danny Blanch, and I would love to meet him someday.

[Skizz]

Best seats at WHL? In the away end. :p

And to ^^ yes, you're right. You wouldn't get Arsenal fans singing "Martin Jol's Blue and White Army" for half an hour at the Emirates. That's a given, duhhh. And with regards to

Way better support than our neighbors from the library.

I didn't realise you sat analysing the support of Spurs and Arsenal by the decibel. Do you have a day job? :confused: And to top that, I've probably been to more games at WHL than you have so the tee-vee isn't really basis for comparison fella.

[The Double]

I didn't realise you sat analysing the support of Spurs and Arsenal by the decibel. Do you have a day job? :confused: And to top that, I've probably been to more games at WHL than you have so the tee-vee isn't really basis for comparison fella.

And he doesn't deny it. Atta boy, skizz. :D

[pookspur]

And he doesn't deny it. Atta boy, skizz. :D

there is, admittedly a far stronger case against the claimant than there is against the claim.

;)

[thfcnyc]

Best seats at WHL? In the away end. :p

And to ^^ yes, you're right. You wouldn't get Arsenal fans singing "Martin Jol's Blue and White Army" for half an hour at the Emirates. That's a given, duhhh. And with regards to



I didn't realise you sat analysing the support of Spurs and Arsenal by the decibel. Do you have a day job? :confused: And to top that, I've probably been to more games at WHL than you have so the tee-vee isn't really basis for comparison fella.


Hey, your own fans admitted to the old Highbury being a graveyard on matchday :)

[sendorange]

I didn't realise you sat analysing the support of Spurs and Arsenal by the decibel. Do you have a day job? :confused: And to top that, I've probably been to more games at WHL than you have so the tee-vee isn't really basis for comparison fella.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26102007/58/premier-league-sunderland-top-noise-table.html

There's the proof. Not that we needed it, anyone that has been to the games knows full well our fans are far louder and A*rse fans are some of the quietest and most boring around. Even people who have only seen the games on TV will be able to tell the difference.

[pookspur]

to be fair, arsenal ranks a bit higher on that table than i would have suspected. to be up with brum isn't awful, and to have been louder than pompey is a bit of a shock. that said, given the differences in capacity, they certainly should be louder than both.

[Skizz]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26102007/58/premier-league-sunderland-top-noise-table.html

There's the proof. Not that we needed it, anyone that has been to the games knows full well our fans are far louder and A*rse fans are some of the quietest and most boring around. Even people who have only seen the games on TV will be able to tell the difference.
Yawn. If you like. Statistics say nothing, there are a lot of questionable things there...Manchester City, really? They fill their ground against Man Yoo and that's it, and you're seriously giving the benefit of the doubt to a survey that ranks them as the second loudest fans? Give me a break.

I like the way you say "the games" as well. So you judge it simply on games between Arsenal and Spurs? Right OK, didn't realise it was a two game season. Hmm.