FOREST AWAY: Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday 22nd March – Fan Guide

The general consensus on the streets and in the bars of Herning was that we could do it. I certainly felt we could, but there was an obvious realism to whether we would.

Five minutes in and I was pretty damn certain it was happening. There was just a bit of magic in the air, mainly conjured up by 700+ Forest fans who seemed absolutely determined to inspire their team. Maybe there was a bit of last stand defiance, but it felt more like an attempt to throw everything behind the Reds and continue this European expedition we have come to adore.

‘We’re gonna do this’, I remember uttering into an ear next to me at some point early on in the game. Naivety in most Forest games, but not this one.

At 1-0 up the away end continued with the noise throughout half-time. Almost like we were keeping the momentum and urging the players back onto the grass to carry on the fight. Not long later, Ryan Yates held his arms aloft in front of us having put us ahead in the tie, and the whole thing went up a notch or twelve. It felt raw, emotional and on the verge of anarchy. VITOR’S! VITOR’S! VITOR’S! was the baseline of the evening; a whirling, deep jackhammer that boomed through the away section like a war cry.

Their goal calmed it a little; nerves jangled and the noise, although sustained, fell off a bit. At the end of the ninety, I suspect most felt we were in a position we would have taken at kick-off, and the intensity returned as the search for a winner resumed. VITOR’S!

Penalties brought a brief moment of serenity to the evening’s events. The home fans, much to our bewilderment, began to leave when they missed their second. Neco expertly converted our third and the whole thing was now boiling over again in front of our eyes. I cannot describe the need I had for this occasion; to witness us do something like this in Europe. For me to experience it; to live it.

I’m not sure I even considered the possibility of their guy scoring that third penalty. I just stood and waited for it to be done. There are moments that will live forever in my head, and here was another. Just the sight of it and the feeling of it. Wild, wild joy. The European quest, almost dismissed and derided by some as an ugly companion to Premier League survival, wasn’t over and we would return for another go, another adventure overseas. Letting this go? Passing these times up because we must? Not on your fucking nelly. I would challenge anyone to stand in that away end after that shoot-out and tell me that anything could possibly mean any more.

I don’t follow Forest for the logic of it, I follow them for the magic of it. And right there, as I watched Vitor conduct the away end and pump his fists with a happy little smile I felt it. Spine chillingly beautiful. But somewhere, in the flickering embers of that evening, was truly what we are searching for. A connection, a togetherness and something to rally behind.

Whether you were there in Demark or not, we need to grab hold of it and take it to Spurs and beyond.

VITOR’S!

 

AWAY DAY NO.23 – Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday 22^nd March, 2:15pm KO

Last Visit: An impressive 2-1 win with early goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood which secured a first ever victory at Spurs’ new ground. I seem to remember us singing sacked in the morning to their manager which definitely came back to bite us!

Famous Visit: It can only really be last season’s based on our previous results at the new stadium.

Away End: We will once again be based in the lower corner. It’s a really good away end, the views are good all over and the concourse is particularly impressive compared to many others across the division. A recommendation if just wanting foot to head to the upper deck as the queues are usually less and there is a bit more room.

Sunglasses / Hat Requirement: I’m going pretty high for this one, 7/10.

TRAVEL

RAIL: The first direct train out of Nottingham isn’t until 08:21, arriving into St Pancras at 10:19. There is a further service at 09:27 (arriving 11:23) and 10:15 (arriving 12:07).

There are return services at 35 minutes past the hour through until 21:35 and then a final service at 22:32 back to Nottingham.

The cost of a standard return fare on Trainline.com is £66.50.

There are also plenty of services on the East Coast Line via Grantham / Peterborough although gone are the days when the route offered a cheaper fare. A standard fare is a fair but more; just consider that there are sometimes the group saver options on the first leg of this route if travelling in groups of 3 or 4.

There is significant disruption on overground train services around the stadium on the day of the game, and it’s recommended that supporters use the underground services. The key line affected is the Weaver Line between Liverpool Street and Cheshunt, this includes stops at White Hart Lane and Seven Sisters, although the latter can still be reached on the Victoria underground line.

The best route to the stadium from Kings Cross / St Pancras is to use the Victoria to Tottenham Hale (one stop past Seven Sisters) which is a 10/15-minute walk to the ground.

After the game Tottenham Hale has a queue system in place and it can take a little while to make it through onto the platform.

ROAD: My suggestion is to park at Cheshunt which is a 10-minute drive off the M25. It’s got a sizeable car park, isn’t horrendously expensive to park and is a simple and quick journey using the Greater Anglia services. It’s often around 10-15-minutes to Northumberland Park which is a 10-15-minute walk to the ground.

After the game, there is a queue system in place. You’ll need to use the right hand side for trains north but it’s not usually more than 15-20 minutes wait and can be quicker if you get a move on after full time.

Cheshunt is also on the Weaver line which runs through to Liverpool Street so just be careful with timings as there will likely be more passengers looking to travel on the Greater Anglia services due to the other line being out of action. Arriving a little earlier than normal might be wise, and plan your journey in advance.

There are services direct to Northumberland Park at the following times:

10:55 (takes 15 minutes)

11:22 (takes 9 minutes)

11:41 (takes 7 minutes)

11:52 (takes 9 minutes)

12:11 (takes 7 minutes)

12:22 (takes 9 minutes)

12:41 (takes 7 minutes)

12:52 (takes 9 minutes)

13:11 (takes 9 minutes)

One alternative for parking is usually Cockfosters at the top of the Piccadilly line but I believe this line is closed on Sunday.

Further out alternatives are to use Stanmore / Edgware at Jct 4 of the M1. Both link into Kings Cross / St Pancras but are a much longer journey to the stadium. Likewise, Luton Parkway can cut down on the driving at Jct10 of the M1 but you’ll be paying more to get into London and spend more times on trains / tubes.

PUBS

If following the advice to park at Cheshunt a few of us drank at Malsters a couple of minutes’ walk from the station last season for the Monday night game. It was decent enough and then we jumped on a train down to Northumberland Park.

Following on from guidance in last season’s Spurs guide there isn’t an official away pub now in close proximity to the stadium. However, the Antwerp Arms and the Elmhurst will often admit away supporters.

Usually there will be a few Forest fans drinking at Liverpool Street but this may not be the case this time due to the closure of the line.

There is always the option to jump on a tube at Tottenham Hale and drink a couple of stops down the Victoria Line at Finsbury Park or Highbury & Islington, although a fair few pubs won’t open until noon. This is also a decent idea if travelling across from Kings Cross / St Pancras.

 

Safe travels.

Up the Reds.

Matt

 

Footnote: I had some really nice comments about the previous guide for Midtjylland which I am grateful for. While waiting for our flight to take off on Wednesday I smiled when I saw someone in front of me reading it. A short while later, his wife announced she had been choked up when she read it, and I know others felt it captured why these European games remain important. Aswell as explaining how to get to Billund Airport to Herning, which was perhaps the main attraction!

I lacked the confidence to thrust my head over the seats and explain that I was the writer, but it was a nice little moment that I thoroughly appreciated.

Planning for the Porto issue will begin soon.