11am 3 November 2012
Under 21 Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur U21 6 Newcastle United U21 0 (att 150)
The Under 21 Premier League has replaced reserve team football for Premier League clubs. Apparently it'll help bridge the gap between under 18 academy sides and first teams playing in the Premier League proper.
So to prepare for the rigours of playing front of tens of thousands of fans inside stadiums, and millions more watching on TV, the best thing is to play at the training ground on a Saturday morning in front of a few dozen people.
To be fair, a number of Under 21 league games are played in the clubs' main stadiums, and Spurs, unlike some, are at least allowing spectators in to watch those played at their expansive (and, by the look of it, expensive) training centre in Enfield.
They've certainly got a team worth watching. They beat Newcastle with ease, and might have scored more goals. Most eye-catching for Spurs was Andros Townsend, who has played first team football, and Alex Pritchard also impressed. Newcastle's best player was their keeper, Jak Alnwick, but it might just have been that he was very busy.
Spurs new training ground opened this summer. It's huge, with a vast indoor centre and countless immaculate pitches. At least two are fully fenced off, one staged this game and the other hosted Spurs v Newcastle at under 18 level. Teamsheets were available for both matches.
Under 21 Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur U21 6 Newcastle United U21 0 (att 150)
The Under 21 Premier League has replaced reserve team football for Premier League clubs. Apparently it'll help bridge the gap between under 18 academy sides and first teams playing in the Premier League proper.
So to prepare for the rigours of playing front of tens of thousands of fans inside stadiums, and millions more watching on TV, the best thing is to play at the training ground on a Saturday morning in front of a few dozen people.
To be fair, a number of Under 21 league games are played in the clubs' main stadiums, and Spurs, unlike some, are at least allowing spectators in to watch those played at their expansive (and, by the look of it, expensive) training centre in Enfield.
They've certainly got a team worth watching. They beat Newcastle with ease, and might have scored more goals. Most eye-catching for Spurs was Andros Townsend, who has played first team football, and Alex Pritchard also impressed. Newcastle's best player was their keeper, Jak Alnwick, but it might just have been that he was very busy.
Spurs new training ground opened this summer. It's huge, with a vast indoor centre and countless immaculate pitches. At least two are fully fenced off, one staged this game and the other hosted Spurs v Newcastle at under 18 level. Teamsheets were available for both matches.
I was at the same game following Newcastle which was my 292nd ground watching them
ReplyDeleteI have a blog called www.geordietimes.com and did a match report as well---although a six-nil thrashing wasn't what I or the other three Newcastle fans who travelled down from Tyneside, wanted! (One actually watched our U18 game on another pitch!)
That's an impressively long journey to watch your under 21 side! I enjoyed reading your blog, and despite the thrashing it at least turned out more successful than your attempt to see Newcastle's reserves at Fulham.
ReplyDelete