Alfred Leader first saw Spurs play in 1932 when they were languishing in football’s second tier.
Ninety years on, he is still a regular at games, although now with a season ticket and up to eight family members alongside him.
On Sunday, he celebrated his 100th birthday by watching his beloved team beat Newcastle 5-1. Making the day extra special, he was presented with a personalised shirt by club legend Gary Mabbutt.
He told the JC that when he first started going to games with a friend, it was Spurs one week and Arsenal the next. “I didn’t support anyone in particular.
“Suddenly he said to me, ‘I’m going to support Arsenal’. So I said alright, I’m going to support Spurs.”
After league and cup triumphs, a brief drop back into Division Two in the 1970s and thousands of games, he doesn’t regret his decision.
“I’m happy with it, the good and bad years.”
“I think they did me a lot of good. It’s an interest I had all my life.”
Witnessing the club’s league and cup double in 1961 had been “marvellous”. But Mr Leader's happiest memory was seeing Jimmy Greaves scoring goals, "one after the other."
“He was just above everyone else; a blooming good player.”
Glenn Hoddle comes a close second in Mr Leader's affections with Harry Kane also among his favourites.
A season ticket-holder for much of the last decade, he is now accompanied by four generations of family members.
“We’ve got a big family and we’re all Spurs fans, except for one of us who’s a Man United supporter. He’s very quiet now.”
Married for 70 years, he and his wife June live in a Jewish Blind and Disabled property in Bushey. She has only attended one game with him – and that was to mark his 95th birthday.
She told the JC that she vowed afterwards: “That’s it, I’m not going again.”
Mr Leader, meanwhile, says he is a fan of Spurs’ “gorgeous” £1 billion stadium and is hopeful for the future under manager Antonio Conte.
“At the moment they’re doing well. They were awful in the last couple of months.”
100-year-old Spurs supporter honoured by club after attending games for 90 years
Alfred Leader has been going to Tottenham games since 1932
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