Tuesday 28 April 2020 07:36, UK
At a time when football grounds have closed their doors, we've asked Martin Tyler to share some of his favourite facts and memories of the homes of clubs around the world.
This week, Sky Sports' Voice of Football is looking at some grounds which closed their doors many years ago and takes us on a virtual visit to Tottenham's former ground, White Hart Lane.
Keep an eye on The Football Show on Sky Sports News and @SkySportsPL for some special Tyler's Teasers from Martin.
By car. Because of its location (also the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), White Hart Lane was never blessed with great public transport links. It always seemed that a lot of fans came by car which meant an early arrival and a late departure was the norm. On one Sunday evening my daughter Jennifer was acting in a school production in the West End and I left on the final whistle on the back of taxi motor bike. Best way ever for a quick exit from White Hart Lane!
It was one of my favourites. A high position but very close to the pitch. It was perfect to see the shape of the play. You reached it via a door in the back of the East Stand and then an old spiral staircase with the odd cobweb.
The ground was built on the site of an old nursery. When the pitch was drastically in need of better drainage in 1952 it was dug up, exposing the foundations of the original greenhouses of the previous century.
Rather like with my article about Highbury and one to follow with Upton Park it is impossible to ignore the significance of the final match.
Sky Sports was there to capture the match and the ceremonies afterwards live. The hopes then were of only a one-year hiatus at Wembley. The backdrop was the increasingly large building site which would eventually complete the upgrade on White Hart Lane.
The visitors were Manchester United, the continuation of a rivalry going back many decades, particularly to Tottenham's Glory Glory days of the 1960s. Goals from Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane built a platform for a memorable closing fixture, that not even a Wayne Rooney reply could spoil.
It was a 14th consecutive home league win and it meant that the club had gone the whole league campaign undefeated on their own ground. That had not happened since 1964-65. Statistically a great send-off.
It was a stylish farewell too for a much-cherished stadium and a quick one as well. The developers got the keys the very next day. But after the match there was still time for the presentation to the crowd of Tottenham legends, players and managers, for a collective goodbye to "The Lane."
The onset of rain could not dampen proceedings, even creating a rainbow which spanned the old and new grounds. The Spurs were marching on!
A couple of weeks later the club asked for my match notes to put into a time capsule in the foundations of the new stadium which overlaps part of the old site. I really appreciated that.
It was slightly ironic because in more than 40 years of broadcasting I have only arrived at one commentary assignment without my prep - and it was at White Hart Lane. It was February 2004, Tottenham against Leicester City.
Thankfully we were in the age of the fax machine and with some hastily acquired co-operation between my family at home and the Tottenham office staff the notes arrived in time. The match finished 4-4 so I hardly needed them in the end!
I only watched their feats on black-and-white television as a teenager but the Spurs double team of 1960-61 were sensational for fans of all age groups. Tottenham have not won the league since but the desire for success with style is very much part of club's DNA.
I witnessed many tremendous games at White Hart Lane, not always to Tottenham's benefit - it was no fun interviewing Glenn Hoddle after 3-0 turned to 3-5 against Manchester United - but from a football point of view you rarely left disappointed.
On Wednesday: Martin brings us his guide to West Ham's former ground, Upton Park
