Olympic Stadium chit chat with Spurs and West Ham fans
Monday, January 10, 2011 at 9:19PM You might have seen one or two people interviewed over the FA Cup weekend, at the Lane and in the depths of the East End. Question posed; Stratford, yes or no? Here's a short preview montage of opinions. As you might (quite obviously) expect both sets of fans are pretty much of the same fragmented opinions we've argued about plenty of times here and on practically every other discussion board and blog that has asked the same question. Some like the idea, some don't. And some really don't.
No big shock here. Would be interested to know whether West Ham fans want to move there as much as some of us don't. Equally so the fans that do want a move. Curious that one of the West Ham fans thought they could fill the OS and one Spurs fan thought we've got the money to just go ahead with the Northumberland Project.
Referendum anyone?
For the full videos for both sets of fans, Spurs and West Ham - click below:
Be sure to visit We are N17 for your anti-Stratford fix and latest news. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.
Previous Stratford/N17 articles:
N17: Home is where the heart is
A nail in the coffin of Stratford?
For some, it's a brutal interrogation...
If Stratford Hotspur happens...it ends there (guest blog tehTrunk)
And as an alternative form of petition against moving out of North London and into East London...click and follow: FC Hotspur of Tottenham.
Reader Comments (69)
On another note - club has called a press conference for 6pm
Walkerboy...
Is this when they announce the end of Tottenham and the birth of the Stratford club? Hopefully not.
There’s nothing embarrassing in having an old traditional ground once it is capable of encouraging fans to create such an amazing atmosphere during football matches. I always hope that realizing this would be sufficient factor for many fans to give up ridiculous idea of moving anywhere. Stratford? What are we looking for over there? More comfortable seats to watch football? These days with our demands we seem to behave more as mere clients than actual fans.
Jan 11, 2011 at 2:31 PM | TMWNN
It would appear so!
Fuck this is a good debate though...I cant really be arsed arguing my points for or against because they've already been made.
One thing is for sure though if we move to Stratford I'll still support the team...with a heavy heart and a tear in my eye.
I have also been watching the Stratford developments with interest and sadly it appears almost certain that the board’s preference is for move to East London and if the club is announced as the preferred bidder we will be moving to Stratford - if we don’t raise significant opposition now
I like many on here would find it very difficult to support the club post-relocation. Stratford may be 6 miles away but in London that is almost another city. I am from North London and the club represents an area and that means something to me (not that you have to be from the area to support the club or oppose any move).
My passion for Tottenham Hotspur is bigger than my love for premier league football. Even before reading this blog I was adamant that IF it unfortunately proves necessary I would help re-found a rebel club in Tottenham.
In some ways the proposed move simply represents a logical conclusion of the rampant commercialisation of the game which has been draining my passion for a number of years, which privileges business related interests above the traditions of clubs and the concerns of ordinary supporters who form their backbone. However, there appears to be a growing backlash against this and I think the opposition to Stratford is simply the next link in this movement.
Now I’m only thinking aloud (and don’t get me wrong I hope this wont be necessary) but HYPOTHETICALLY - if a rebel club is to be founded post-relocation then the projects of AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester are the obvious examples to follow. Fan orientated clubs where supporters are involved in every aspect of the organisation of the club through trusts or co-operatives. The example of fan participation at FC St. Pauli in Germany is also interesting in this regard.
Now following from some of Spooky’s comments - some possible considerations:
Name: I like FC Hotspur of Tottenham but I am open to other ideas if the FA would block this. The options could be put to a vote as happened with FC Manchester of United.
Crest: I like the Spur crest suggested but I’d also recommend the inclusion of something like the Bruce Castle and Seven Sisters motifs from the old THFC crest – links to Tottenham and all that.
Ground: – I don’t know if they would be amenable to hosting games but there is another ground actually on White Hart Lane itself! – Haringey Borough FC’s Coles Park ground.
Anyway just a couple of musings…lets hope we stay at WHL!
Beautifully put Desktop.
We are far removed from MK Dons and Stratford is a lot nearer but it might as well be East of Java as far as I'm concerned. MK Dons used to be Wimbledon FC but what is the connection now ? Can any of us relate the team from Milton Keynes to Dave Bassett and Crazy Gang ?
I am appalled by the number of supposedly Spurs fans who support the move away but I even more disgusted that Levy is even considering it.
The only consistent elements to a football club are the location and the fans. I well remember walking to the ground with my Dad, who was born within a mile of WHL and now as an old fart I still get a lump in my throat every time I'm in the area.
We must fight this
Ed, I know the ground on WHL well, it would be perfect. Bring it on.
do you really want an"east end derby " with the spammers.or give up the manor we,ve played in for 100+years
on top of that a name change as well..sorry but it would be like being asked to follow a whole new club and we would be the laughing stock of london football for years,and rightly so
what a great debate. I live in bristol, do not go to nearly enough games (mostly away games, infact). But, i do not want spurs to move to stratford and could not imagine supporting a team not called tottenham hotspurs. However, i would.
Now, for arguments sake. All of you who say your support stops at N17, and this is purely hypothetical and an impossible scenario.
If spurs moved to the olympic stadiam and west ham moved to white hart lane who would you support? ouch!
There's over 30,000 on the season ticket waiting list.
If Spurs moved to Stratford and do not our change name would YOU stop supporting our team?
For the vast majority I think not. But if you do then there's plenty waiting to take your place.
thats the whole point though isnt it. to some people (myself included) it would not be "our team" anymore.it dosent matter if its 5 miles or 500 from tottenham at the end of the day it would become a franchise just like any other.if you want be the mk dons of london then please be my guest,im just not ready or willing to rip the heart out of the club that i.ve supported since a boy and if someone wants to take my place their more then welcome.
It gets worse,
'Spurs' architect and club vice-president David Keirle Keirle said: "I was heavily involved in the Man City project. Nobody wanted to leave Maine Road. A few years down the line, nobody would ever go back. I've been looking at the chatrooms and there have been some quite emotive comments: 'I'll never go there'.
"But if Spurs plays a very big part in your life and they produce this wonderful stadium and they're winning then I would suspect those people would reconsider that down the line.''
If you're reading this 'chatroom', David, you're wrong. I will never set foot in the Stratford ground, and I would 'suspect' that many others won't either simply because if it isn't in Tottenham, it isn't, can't and never will be Tottenham Hotspur.
Sure, there are many other fans to take our place, so you and your ilk probably don't care. But will those fans create the same noise or stick with the club through thick and thin?
What a kick in the face for fans who have invested years of emotion, time and their hard earned money supporting Tottenham Hotspur.
That's pretty fucking unbelievable. Who does David support?
It just keeps on getting worse this , it s like that kind of a nightmare that keeps on haunting you. In your mind you know it doesnt make sense and it s just a bad dream , you know that what you fear does not make sense. In the end you have the choice to accept or deny the new reality and face your fears.
"and they,re winning"
oh thats all right then coz i thought this debate was about the future of this club regarding its history and place in the community....silly me
Make your opinion known in a Guardian poll at LINK
I don't want to move but in all honesty for everyone banging the "I'll not support them if they move" drum while taking digs at the wantaways I want to know just ONE thing. What the hell are we supposed to do instead?
You don't want to move....ok that's fine like I said neither do I but what does that leave us? Northumberland Park Project? Yup great apart from the fact that the local council find constant hoops for the club to jump through and empty it's pockets over while they sit on their fat arses and don't pony up a penny to help. Don't forget it's the shitty attitude of the council that is pushing us down the OS route in the first place, if they had helped like local government did for the scum or for Wembley then we probably wouldn't even be having this debate.
Scrap all plans and stay as we are? Ok a top flight club pushing for regular CL football and possible league challenges......all from a ground where twice as many fans as each home gate can't visit because it's too small. As a result less revenue comes into the club, meaning less wages, less transfer funding.
So again, simple question what the hell are the club supposed to do? Be a council bitch, stagnate or piss off some fans by moving?
I understand the passion and wanting to stay traditional at least to the club's roots but foaming at the mouth while offering no alternative that is viable is POINTLESS. I don't want a divide among us Yids but the club's funds aren't limitless and aiming hate at Spurs for a problem the council has created is hardly fair. If the faithful showed half the passion towards Tottenham Council being awkward as is being directed at Spurs for even entertaining the idea of moving then we'd be sitting pretty on finalized plans for a new stadium backed with government funding on the current site of WHL
"So again, simple question what the hell are the club supposed to do? Be a council bitch, stagnate or piss off some fans by moving? "
Build a cheaper alternative to the original NDP. Moving is only an option if you want to support another club.
David Keirle mistakenly uses Manchester City as a precedent, neglecting the fact that we aren't called London Hotspur. Would those fans in Manchester he talks about have accepted the move had the team been called Moss Side United?
Comments closed (bit messy having two steams of discussion).
Please continue discussion here:
http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2011/1/8/if-stratford-hotspur-happens-it-ends-there.html