Premium Seat Experience at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: Spurs vs Liverpool Carabao Cup Semi Final
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London boasts the highest seat capacity in the city with 62,850 seats available for budding fans to enjoy (or not enjoy) the team’s oscillating performances.
Unlike that of West Ham’s London Stadium, Spurs’ ground was built with football fans in mind, meaning you are never that far away from the action. Distances from the front row to the touchline range from just 4.9 metres to 7.9 metres. I was fortunate enough to be in the fourth row and can certainly vouch for their efforts to put you right on the edge of action.
Where is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
Located in North London, with the full address: Lilywhite House, 782 High Road, Tottenham, London, N17 0BX, the stadium is extremely accessible no matter what form of transport you are looking to take.
For more information on the best travel routes to the stadium, click here.
The Carabao Cup Semi-Final
Despite a turbulent season for the North London club, they have found themselves in the semi-final of a major cup competition. This is particularly significant as they last won a major honour in 2008, which was the competition they currently find themselves in the latter stages of.
They were taking on a well-set Liverpool side who, at the time of writing, are placed at the top of the Premier League. This is the first leg of the semi-final which will see Spurs travel to Anfield in the return fixture.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Premium Seating
As I travelled to the innovatively built stadium, I was excited for the opportunity to experience two of England’s biggest teams take centre stage from a premium position. As mentioned earlier in this article, my seats were in the fourth row on the East side of the stadium.
I was also travelling up early to ensure I made use of the pre-match experiences and had the time to take a good look around the stadium. With this being the real hallmark of Tottenham’s recent history, I was intrigued to see the level of detail and quality which had gone in to enhance the experience of fans.
Premium Seat Matchday Experience.
According to the official club website, this is everything entailed with the Premium Seat package:
Premium Seats give you a chance to watch football in stunning surroundings on matchday. Spend the pre- and post-match period relaxing in the comfort of our exclusive premium bars and lounges whilst taking in all of the action from some of the best seats in the house.
Luxury, padded match seat/s in a prime location on the East touchline
• Access to our West/East Quarter premium bars and lounges for up to three hours pre- and up to two hours post-match (one hour for evening games)
• Light hand-held food included pre-match
• Complimentary drink at half-time
• Drinks available to purchase from our Premium bars
• Complimentary digital programme
Matchday Experience
I would highly recommend anyone who is visiting the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in premium seating to head to the ground earlier. Not only to experience the pre-match additions, but also to avoid the masses of fans heading to the stadium via public transport.
Arriving into White Hart Lane station meant I could make my way around the ground to the East Side where my seat was located. This was a fantastic opportunity to walk around the perimeter and get a taste of the atmosphere.
Following my walk around the perimeter, I then made my way through door 15 and into a spacious and sleek foyer area. Within moments, a member of staff was on hand to support and let me know where to go.
With the premium seating, I had the option to go straight through into Lower East Side section where my seat was but instead opted to go one level up into the lounge.
Once again, this was a large spacious room which consisted of bars, tables, and food service areas which seemed to go on for the entire east side of the stadium. It was busy enough to create an atmosphere, but not too crowded to the point where it feels claustrophobic.
On the beverage side, there were plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. However, Tottenham’s partnership with Beavertown Brewery means the ground has its very own microbrewery – a world first for any football stadium – meaning fans can enjoy the local brewery’s exciting range of craft beers, as well as a collaboration beer. It also means that the prices are far more reasonable than what you could expect in a north-London pub.
After enjoying a refreshment, it was time for hand-held food. These are free small plates of food which you are able to enjoy before going back for seconds (or even thirds if you have the time). I imagine the menu changes depending on the match day, but they catered for all pallets and dietary requirements.
On this occasion they were serving mini hotdogs with crispy potato croquettes, fresh salmon and herb wrap, and a lentil curry with onion bhaji and pickled vegetables. These were all a welcome addition to the pre-match experience.
Stepping out onto into the stadium, it was impossible to not be impressed by its architecture and design. The stadium arches are anchored by two big screens and the standout feature for me was the 17,500-seat single-tier south stand which is 34 meters high.
When settling in our fourth-row seats it was strange to be at a low level, but the earlier-mentioned proximity to the pitch meant you felt as if you were part of the action. Hearing everything from players shouting at one and other, to the kick of the ball and the quality with which the players execute their skills. Time for kick-off!
This video gives a great perspective of my seats and the atmosphere of the stadium.
At halftime I was welcomed into the lounge by complimentary soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and water contained in recyclable cardboard boxes. These little elements help to enhance your experience and create the perfect atmosphere to analyse the first half antics before heading back to the seats.
Despite this fixture taking place between two heavyweights, the first leg nature of this matchup caused for a cagey affair. This seemed to eventually be broken by Spurs forward Dominic Solanke after a ball over the top of Liverpool’s high line. A line which had been diligently commanded by captain Virgil Van Dijk. The initial call from the linesman was onside, however following a VAR referral Solanke was tightly adjudged to be offside.
It looked as if the game was heading towards a goalless stalemate until some great centre forward work from Solanke gave him the opportunity to set future-prospect Lucas Bergvall up with a finish. He took the opportunity with conviction and gave the home team a 1-0 lead, which they were able to see out until the full-time whistle.
With our Premium Seating we were able to enjoy the lounge post-match. Again, there was a bubbling atmosphere but not too busy, and staff were on hand to support and have a friendly chat.
A complimentary sticky chocolate brownie/flapjack was also waiting for us when we came back into the lounge, a delightful way to end the experience.
The stadium began to close, and I made my way back out towards the station, where the busy paths had now dissipated.
It was an opportunity to turn and see the stadium for a final time. Complex architecture mixed with innovative display graphics and screens.
A Rounded Premium Experience
My expectations of the stadium and its experience were high leading up to this fixture. Although the match itself was lacking in premium quality and entertainment; the whole experience itself did not disappoint.
It is clear that the match-day premium experience, and the stadium itself, has been designed in a way to favour fans. I would highly recommend that readers try it for themselves, whether it be at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium or at any other ground up and down the country.
Speaking to this, if you are inspired to book your own premium football experience, then feel free to get in touch with the Blend Group team by clicking here.
Blend Group also offer a wide range of sports and entertainment experiences and packages. To find out more, head to the Ticketed Events section of the website.
