Limerick's Hot-Spurs! Six local children enjoy day to remember at Tottenham Hotspur!
Youngsters go behind the scenes on a matchday at top English soccer club
SIX youngsters from across Limerick had a day to remember as they graced the hallowed turf at the world famous home of English soccer team Tottenham Hotspur!
Hennah Leahy, Jessica McMahon, sisters Hannah and Laura Neville plus best pals Kyle Sheppard and Harry Yelverton jetted over from Limerick to London.
And they were lucky enough to be the flag bearers at Tottenham Hotspur’s home game against AFC Bournemouth earlier this month.
It meant they went behind the scenes on a matchday at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and then stood just metres from their footballing heroes as they warmed up for the game.
And although Tottenham - or Spurs - were not able to win on the day, coming from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw late on, it did not affect the enjoyment of the Limerick contingent.
“It was amazing, it was magnificent,” grinned 11-year-old Harry Yelverton.
The Castletroy lad travelled over to the game with his father Gavin.
“I was shouting at Son (Heung-min) and (James) Maddison, and they laughed when they looked after at me as I called their names. And I got a high-five from Ange Postecoglou and a thumbs up and a wink from Dom Solanke,” he added.
His friend Kyle added: “It was excellent. The best bit of the day was getting a smile from Solanke! He gave me a thumbs up as well!”.
The experience the young fans enjoyed came thanks to the hard work of the Limerick Spurs Supporters Club, led by Ballingarry man Paddy Hartnett.
He paid tribute to the Premier League side, in particular Stacy and Ross, who work with supporters’ clubs, and “try to help whenever they can”.
“The juniors are not only the heart of the club, but they are also the heart of our supporters’ club. They are the ones who will run it when I am retired and enjoying Spurs from the comfort of my own home,” he laughed.
For Paddy, it’s vital the fans enjoy their first experience visiting the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which has a capacity of more than 62,000.
For Harry, it was his first visit to the huge arena.
He said he became a Tottenham fan because of England captain, his namesake Harry Kane, who of course has strong Limerick connections.
Above: There was a Treaty takeover of the Spurs programme, with members from Limerick taking up a half a page
She said: “It was exciting! I don’t really know how to describe it! The best bit of all was just being out on the pitch and watching the team warm up. The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing.”
Monaleen man Pat McMahon’s daughter Jessica, who is 11, also lined out pitchside at the match.
They travelled over as a family, Jessica’s elder sister Aoibhin, 17, joining Pat and his wife Tara.
It was the first time their elder brother Leon had not travelled - and Pat said he made sure his younger sister was aware of how lucky she was to go onto the pitch!
“My son Leon has been coming over to games with me since he was seven. He even said to me that he never had that experience. He was saying to Jessica, how lucky she is, to get so close to the players, to get to see the dressing room and even to get a couple of high-fives from the players. To sit in the dug out - that was special. I don’t think she properly realises it as it’s only their first or second time going over,” he said.
It was Aoibhin and Pat’s wife Tara’s first time over, and he loved seeing their reaction to the £1bn stadium when they arrived.
“It was nice to see their reaction to the stadium and the whole experience. It was like reliving it again for the first time when you see their reactions - when they see the pitch, the players, the buzz,” Pat added.
His youngest daughter Pat admitted was not really a soccer fan before they headed to see a match last year.
Since then, he said: “She is Tottenham crazy!”
“She knows all the players, she is following them on Instagram, she sits down and watches the matches with me now.”
Pat is a founder member of the Limerick Spurs Supporters Club, which has 170 members, mainly on Shannonside, but also some around the world with Treaty connections.
He acknowledged the club can punch above its weight at times.
“I know some of the other supporters’ clubs might be envious enough. To get the flag bearers and on the programme, they probably wonder how we are managing all of this. But we have a really good working relationship with Tottenham Hotspur. Paddy has done an awful lot of work behind the scenes to build this relationship, and it's very important for us as a club to maintain this,” he said.
Paddy acknowledged too that there will be very few Limerick children who would have the opportunity to stand on the pitch alongside their favourite team.
But it’s a real labour of love.
“It makes my day when I get a text off a parent which says, thanks very much,” he concluded.