All the feels: Inside the new White Hart Lane

For those of you who haven’t set foot inside the place yet, believe the hype – it’s everything you’ve read on social media and more. It’s no exaggeration. And as well as all the mod cons, the spirit of White Hart Lane lives on.

Upon entering the East Stand, where the American football tunnel is situated, I could hardly hide my smile. Other fans lucky enough to attend this exclusive screening of the Super Bowl on Sunday 3 February felt the same as some began filming their first few steps inside. Our American fans may who love Soccer Betting In USA will surely appreciate this stadium.

Through the doors, the spotless concourse feels like a shopping centre, as with most of the new grounds today, and entering the bar was something special. The event was held in the East Stand’s NFL Tunnel Club, the first of its kind in the UK. On game days, fans here will be able to see players move between the locker room and field via a glass wall, adding another dimension to the experience.

The Tunnel Club is split across two levels with plenty of seating provided on both. There are multiple flat screens throughout and the toilets even have them meaning fans won’t miss a minute of the action. The space stretches what it feels like is the full length of the pitch and neon motivational phrases such as ‘Greatness is Earned’, ‘The Time is Now’ and ‘Any Given Sunday’ appear on the walls.

Finally getting to see the pints that pour from the bottom up was as satisfying as expected but the real treat was about to come. Stepping out into the stadium bowl at the centre line was incredible. I was speechless with a beaming smile. When the moment comes for you, it’ll be something you’ll never forget. You’ll be proud, happy, excited… totally emotional. It makes all the delays and negativity over the past few months irrelevant. All is forgiven.

I stood trying to absorb it all. The four stands are imposing and feel as if they tower over you and it’ll be an intimidating place to come for any opponent due to the intimacy and atmosphere that’ll be created. I’d imagine it’s the same overpowering feeling wherever you are in the bottom of the bowl, which is what we all wanted when it came to the stadium’s design.

My season ticket is located in Block 123, so I eventually made my way towards the South Stand where the view is amazing. I began imagining all the action, drama, highs and lows we’re in for, not to mention the Park Lane-Shelf Side song when Ben Foster starts time wasting. I couldn’t stop taking photos and videos while standing above my seat and it’ll be a similar case at the two test events when more fans get to enjoy similar precious moments.

While my long-awaited visit was as affecting as hoped, finally getting back to N17 for a match in the company of the wider fanbase will be on another level. The two test events will offer glimpses of what’s to come and give fans a chance to get used to it all but nothing can compare to a Premier League match under the lights. Even more so considering the disappointing run we’ve been on lately. It’s going to be something to savour, especially if we win.

Wednesday 3 April is fast approaching and if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket for the game against Crystal Palace, prepare yourself for a momentous night. There will be an opening ceremony so make sure you’re early and on the way, spare a thought for how far we’ve come to get to this point. No more traipsing to Wembley after a long day at work and no more leaving games early to avoid the gauntlet that is Wembley Way. We all deserve a medal.

There’s no doubt it’s been a long road, but it makes us who we are – one of the most committed and loyal fanbases in world football. There have been hard times with mundane and sterile moments in Brent, but in the grand scheme of things we’ve weathered the storm well. There’ve been a lot of decent results at the national stadium despite all the hardship and the players should be commended for the consistency they’ve shown throughout.

The media haven’t exactly glossed over the fact we’ve been homeless either and journalists along with rival fans have made it work to their own agendas. In truth, we’ve been spoken about in title race conversations without having home advantage for the past two years and when the dust settles, everyone knows deep down we continue to defy the odds.

It’s time to repay the players (and ourselves) by picking up where we left off for the final game at the old Lane by creating the best atmosphere possible against Palace. The foundations have been laid with the imminent opening of the best stadium in world football so let’s give it the welcome it deserves. We are Tottenham, from the Lane, and we’re finally going home.