We’ve been very fortunate at Behind Every Kick that some fantastic organisations have opened their doors to our beneficiaries. But it was clear from the looks of wonderment on the faces of the young people who joined us for an all-access tour of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during half-term that they were making memories that will inspire them for a lifetime.
Deji and Ali from Spurs In The Community hosted our programme participants as they discovered hidden jobs within professional sport. While drying off from some filthy North London weather, the young people were first presented with a list of roles and asked to weed out which were legit and which were made up. Remarkably, it transpires that yes, there really are football sleep consultants, and, yes, Nike do have a position called an ‘ekin’ (Nike spelt backwards) whose job it is to wear prototype products and share stories about the brand with the people they meet.
Once those who’d scored highest in this exercise received some very stylish Spurs swag as their prize, which even the Chelsea fan in the group was delighted with, it was time to take the tour. Passing through airport-style security to enter the stadium’s West Stand, the young people first saw the control room, where a wall of screens monitored every part of the ground. Next door was the first room to elicit an audible ‘woah’ from the group. On an elevated stage set before a bank of plush seats (apparently made by Rolls-Royce) sat the desk from which Roberto De Zerbi gives his post-game press conference. The young people learned about the press officer and media team’s role in facilitating the work of journalists who cover the Premier League. An impromptu interview broke out as the group took turns posing the killer questions about Spurs’ start to the season.
Weaving through corridors decorated with huge photos of Tottenham triumphs from across the decades, the young people were led into the inner sanctum of the stadium’s dressing rooms. Hackney Marshes, this ain’t! Working here aren’t just the players and coaching staff, but data analysts, medics, physios, masseurs, psychologists, kit men and caterers. It also became clear that architects and interior designers had played their part too. The home dressing room was constructed to give an unobstructed view between all the players and the manager during team talks. Air from outside is piped in to acclimatise the starting XI to on-pitch conditions. Nothing is left to chance. Having sat beneath the shirts of Spurs’ current squad (Pedro Porro’s spot was the most coveted), it was time to take the walk out of the tunnel. 48 hours after the last home match against Coventry, the pitch is still a hive of activity. Lines are being repainted beneath vast fluorescent lights – wheeled in to aid the turf’s recovery. In the stands, members of the events team meticulously sweep out and shine up ahead of Arsenal women’s weekend visit.
Before the North London Derby, however, the young people learned that hundreds of visitors will come to the stadium’s South Stand for an entirely different sport. Two years ago, Spurs became the home of F1 Drive – London. The team of mechanics, track technicians and customer service reps bring the electric go-karting experience to life.
Next on the tour, the group saw how hospitality at Tottenham is a big business. Each matchday the stadium employs almost 2,000 catering staff. Some serve fans their beloved pie and pint, while in The H Club chefs produce Michelin-calibre cuisine. Inside the biggest club shop in Europe, the young people heard about retail opportunities at the club, while gaining an insight into the procurement manager’s power to set terrace trends with a click of a mouse.
After two fantastic hours, it was time for the group to head for the exits. A vast glass lift, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style, arrived, offering a panoramic view of N17. Deji, who’d plied the young people with all manner of fascinating facts about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, took the chance to share one final pearler. Apparently, when the lift’s giant counterweights (so large they are visible from the high road) were first delivered from Germany, Spurs executives were aghast to discover they were red. This would not do at all. They were immediately returned to sender. A new custom-made pair soon arrived, coated in a much more appropriate yellow.
The lift opened onto the spectacular atrium, which revealed one final area of work: content creation. On the giant horizontal screen running the entire length of the space, a display marked the first eleven players of colour to represent Tottenham Hotspur as the club marked black history month.
Back in the debrief room before wrapping up the day, Deji and Ali delivered the exciting news to the group that Spurs in the Community has a 6-week Content Creators Lab open to them, a Youth Advisory Forum they can join to help shape what the charity arm of the club offers to young people and the Kiosk Programme, which offers them a guaranteed interview for paid work at the stadium.
Come On You Spurs!
