Away at Tottenham

Blacky

March 21, 2026

Another trip to London was on the agenda, so I headed to Heathrow on Tuesday full of confidence. A journey with Deutsche Bahn always holds surprises—and this time was no different: I just barely caught my early-booked train, which eventually arrived in Frankfurt with a one-hour delay. There was just enough time for the security checks and a quick “cold one” before jumping on the plane.

Arriving in London on time with the best possible weather, I checked into the hotel quickly and set off to pick up the tickets. I already ran into the first familiar Atleti there (well, you get recognized these days as a frequent traveler of the German fan club 😊). With ticket and wristband in hand, I took the Tube two stops to the world’s first Hard Rock Café (est. 1971) in Green Park Lane. After a good meal and a few pints, I walked back to the hotel.

The next morning started relaxed with breakfast (traditional English Breakfast with Black Pudding). All of this in the “semi-dawn” around 11:00 AM local time. Then it was time for some sightseeing: off to Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Victoria Memorial, and the Royal Gallery. After that, back to the hotel to grab my flag and scarf, and one more stop at the Shakespeare Pub near Victoria Station.

It was finally time to head towards Tottenham. At “Seven Sisters” station, a cozy bunch of Atleti had already gathered, carrying their usual “men’s handbags” (beers). I had arranged to meet Micha (Michael Tschall), who only arrived in London on match day. I hopped on a bus to the stadium since I didn’t feel like a 30-minute walk, and went straight into a pub right by the ground. Since I wasn’t wearing any visible Atleti gear, I got my pint without any trouble and could enjoy the atmosphere around the stadium in peace. I was really impressed by the murals of Spurs players (Kane, Son).

Getting into the stadium was easy (we’re used to different treatment). Once inside, I quickly inspected the food stalls. The grub was good, the “London Pride” pint was good too—though you were only allowed to drink it in the concourse. Then, into Block 118 with my flag and scarf… and the first person to run into me was Dorin from the Belgian fan club 😊 “BLACKY… come on, let’s take a picture!” Then the Peña Caledonia and several people from the Polish fan club arrived, people you run into often. Finally, Michael arrived too. We were ready to go in a packed away end with plenty of singing.

The game itself is a short story: we got lost in fancy play too often and allowed Spurs to get their crowd behind them. But the away end stood firm and carried our boys. Unfortunately, we had to accept a 3-2 defeat, but because we advanced to the quarterfinals, there was no holding back in the fan block. We voluntarily stayed in the stands for over half an hour to savor the moment with the team. Afterwards, we walked back to the Tube, relaxed and alongside Spurs fans without any stress or trouble. Micha had to leave me at Euston (hope he had fun at his basketball games), so I headed to Wetherspoon at Victoria Station for a nightcap. Some Spurs fans there gave us proper congratulations on advancing—they even paid for the pint.

Early the next morning, after another traditional English Breakfast, it was back on the plane to Leipzig. All in all, another brilliant away tour, even if only two from our Peña were visibly there. But we were recognized enough and warmly greeted.

Small footnote: At breakfast on Thursday, many from Peña Polonia were there and one said: “Atleti away without the German fan club isn’t Atleti…”

Red and White greetings, Your Blacky

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