East Upper, Block H, seat 147.
I can’t tell you the row number because, in however many years it was, I only once looked — on the first match after we moved from the South Stand.
That seat saw me through the highs (and, perhaps more importantly, the lows) of my life. And, like the rest of the Lane, it is no more. Like, I imagine, most Tottenham Hotspur fans, I have mixed feelings about the end of the Lane — the great temple in London N17. Yes, there’s the sheer excitement, and anticipation, over our new stadium, which looks as if it really is going to be worth the wait. But you cannot escape the sadness that the Lane is no more, and the memories of so many Spurs’ glory days (and, yes, disasters) are now no more than that — memories.
Martin Lipton’s history of White Hart Lane is a pacey romp through 118 years of history. As a fan, he has a deft feeling for what has always meant — and will continue to mean — so much to us. The pre-war and immediate post-war years of Push and Run we’d hear about from our dads; and then from the Bill Nicholson years and the Double team right through to the current generation.
By Martin Lipton is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £20