What is happening at Spurs? It has all become a bit of a joke!

The Lane: the official history of the World famous home of the Spurs by Martin Cloake, Adam Powley & Dough Cheeseman

This book came out - in the Spurs shop - before Christmas 2016. It is a great look back at our great club in words and pictures (in beautiful colour & black & white). The book is a joy to read and possess. I have been going to White Hart Lane since the 1960s and have seen some great players, great matches and historical nights and days (along with the downs). Memories that is embedded into my mind. The book came out five months before the final home match (where we beat United 2-1 on the 14th May 17).

The book looks at how the ground and formation came into existence. Our club was created in 1899. The ground was built on a disused nursery, owned by Charringtons' Brewery chain.  The first game on this historic ground saw us beat Notts County 4-1. This drew 5,000 supporters. 

In the early 20th Century the ground was redeveloped. The famous Archibald Leitch designed a square stadium seating 15,300, which incorporating a standing padlock for another 700 fans. This wasn't the end of it; in the 1910s a wooden eastern stand was replaced with an enlarged concrete stadium. This increased the size to over 50,000. In 1925, thanks to the FA Cup win in 1921, both the Paxton Road stand and Park Lane Stand were enlarged and covered.

In 1938 Tottenham achieved their highest ever attendance. This was 75,038 and it was against Sunderland in the FA Cup (even though that record at White Hart Lane will never be broken, Spurs "home" record was broken at Wembley Stadium, which Spurs are currently residing in). 

Nineteen-fifty-three was a year that saw White Hart Lane introduce floodlights. In the early 1980s the West Stand was replaced. Then in the 90s we saw the completion of the South Stand and the introduction of the first Jumbotron video screen. It was not long before we saw the renovation of the members' stand.

One hundred and one years pass and we move swiftly into the 21st Century. Many things have happened off and on the pitch, including in the boardroom where directors come and go, battles over the running of the club, debt and so on. Out of those sparks, a new board emerges and after a few years, the Spurs chairman decides that if Spurs are to progress into a new era then they must start thinking about a new stadium (but that is for the future). This excellent book is about the past, its history and those glory nights and days. The writers' of this book have done an excellent job. This book is something to treasure. I highly recommend it.