Kia ora folks! Matty Flatt here again – now counting down the days until I have a trip to Sydney.
That’s right, Cartilage Free Captain is going to be covering next week’s Tottenham Hotspur preseason matches in the flesh!
This is pretty special for me, as it’s my first time seeing the club play in person. I’ve been following Spurs closely for about 15 years now, and as most of you know, I’m based in New Zealand – which makes watching (and now covering and writing about) matches a special kind of commitment.
I’ve never visited London, so don’t quite have the same grassroots connection to the club as a Tottenham local; there is something organic and special about how these clubs originated as community initiatives and grew into cultural touchstones, despite the very cynical capitalist behemoths these organizations have become. They’re not franchises; they’re reflections of the people of the area (apologies for the GPT-esque phrasing there).
Football’s in the blood. But that doesn’t make any of us not from North London any less of a fan; the fandom just looks different.
As a Kiwi, I make a different kind of sacrifice to follow my club. Often the matches are scheduled somewhere between 1 and 4 am my time; European matches are often around 8 am, right when I’m starting work. It’s tough being a fan here, and I rarely miss a match (though at times it is tempting to throw in the towel). A good friend of mine who emigrated from London (and is a Spurs fan) who I met at a previous job often joke about the horror of a Monday at work on between four to five hours sleep following a dour 1-0 loss to the likes of Nottingham Forest. It’s not a fun time.
But that’s why we love football: the low lows, and the high highs.
So as an international fan I hoped someday I would get to see the club play in person. Sure, an international tour is not quite the same as standing amongst the North London faithful, but it’s something. And it’s something I am ecstatic that I get to experience in a few short days (and against another Premier League club, Chelsea no less)!
I just wish Spurs had announced the New Zealand fixture in Auckland before I booked my flights to Sydney… might have saved me some money. A trip overseas (by myself, without kids) is a bit of a luxury though – so I am not going to complain!
Have you seen Tottenham Hotspur in person? When? How was the experience?
Matty Flatt’s track of the day: Never Tear Us Apart, by INXS
And now for your links:
Eden Park News: Spurs expected to draw record crowd in Auckland friendly
Andy Robertson’s first interview as a Spurs player, via the official Youtube channel
The Athletic ($$$) on each Premier League team’s representation at the World Cup (spoiler: Spurs good)
Here’s a round-up of today’s transfer gossip, courtesy of the BBC
