Ange Postecoglou, the man all 150,000 people in attendance around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and down the Tottenham High Road were waiting to hear from, was ushered up to the front of the podium to address his flock.
As he did two nights before at the immediate post-match celebrations at Hotel Carlton in Bilbao, Postecoglou took a moment to let the crowd settle before raising his hand. A lone fan shouted, “Go on, gaffer”, while others chanted his name to the tune of Seven Nation Army.
Every sentence was greeted with a cheer by the supporters. In crediting the players, including “the legend Son Heung-min” and Guglielmo Vicario — delivered in an exuberant Italian accent — he reiterated that everything they had achieved at San Mames Stadium was in service of the fans and the club because they “deserve it”.
If the first part of his short speech was off the cuff and impassioned, the way Postecoglou ended it suggests he had given more thought to how he’d close.
“I’ll leave you with this,” he said. “(In) all the best television series, season three is better than season two.”
“There’s your mic drop moment,” a fan nearby said, referencing Brennan Johnson’s comment on the pitch after the final whistle as Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. His clear indication that he is still committed to the project received the most deafening roar of the day.
While it may have been the loudest, it was far from the first.
Four hours before the 17:30 scheduled start time for the parade, the festivities were already under way outside the stadium, which may have been the last time fans could get a signal on their mobile phones.
Fans travelling via the Victoria Line on London’s Underground network were advised not to do the typical matchday switch to the Overground to travel up to White Hart Lane station, such was the size of the crowd even hours before the parade was due to start. Tottenham High Road was heaving with supporters dressed in Tottenham colours. At The Bite Box, a small takeaway en route from Seven Sisters station to the stadium, staff stood outside with menus showing special combo deals to mark the event.
Across the road, a Tottenham-branded flag flew from a lamppost outside the High Cross Pub. A group of fans, who may or may not have spent most of their day inside, sang a slurred rendition of “Johnson Again, Ole Ole”. A mother and daughter, who were visiting the stadium for the first time, remarked on how you could see the stadium from more than a mile away. Like nearly everyone in view, they were dressed in club colours, helping to turn the area into a sea of white as more fans filtered in.
Over the 30-minute walk to the stadium, it became clear it was not just a celebration of the now but of everyone who has contributed along the way since Tottenham last lifted a major trophy in 2008. Harry Kane, who is among Tottenham’s greatest-ever players but fell short of his ambition to bring silverware to his corner of north London, was recognised as one of their own. Mauricio Pochettino, who guided Spurs to second place in the Premier League and the 2019 Champions League final, also got his moment.
Perhaps the most touching tribute of all was for Dele Alli, a player who tried as hard as anyone to bring glory back to White Hart Lane during his seven-year spell at the club. It was a day for everyone who Spurs hold in their hearts.
As the clock ticked closer towards 17:30, the picture on the mega-sized television screens that lined the streets locked in on the two open-top buses. Hoots went up for the usual suspects as they appeared on screen, but Spurs fans celebrated everyone.
Academy graduate Alfie Whiteman posted an Instagram story of him celebrating at Wembley as a child when Spurs won the League Cup in 2008, followed by an image of him holding the trophy and wearing the gold medal on the pitch in Bilbao. He is potentially the club’s fifth-choice goalkeeper and is out of contract at the end of the season, but the loud cheer as his face appeared on the screen reflected the importance of having relatable people — he is a DJ in his spare time and avidly logs arthouse films on Letterboxd — mixed in with the swarm of international stars.
Fans scaled poles and climbed on buildings and bus stops all around the stadium’s vicinity to put themselves in position to have the best view when the players came past. Next to the No 8 pub, situated just across the street from the stadium, fans stood atop a brick building outhouse. Across the street, lines of men, women and children climbed on top of the Murugan cash and carry and Brown Eagle restaurant, with some even managing to scale up to the roof of the homes just behind.
Fans with flare-stained T-shirts tried every route to get closer to the stadium, but the streets were gridlocked. They tracked the bus on the screens, but there was some agitation as it became more crowded and uncomfortable. If there were any fears the parade would be over too soon, the driver’s commitment to not pass walking pace ensured the party would exceed its proposed 60-90 minute duration.
However, when the bus did pass, the wait was more than worth it.
There they were. Micky van de Ven, whose goal-line overhead kick clearance had already made it onto the phone wallpaper of at least two fans at the parade. Dominic Solanke, whose tireless running at the point of the attack set the tone from the front. Postecoglou and assistant coaches Ryan Mason and Matt Wells, the latter of whom emulated his grandfather Cliff Jones, who won the league and FA Cup double with Spurs in 1961 and paraded through north London’s streets.
While the bus went back through the route and around to the stage, fans broke through the street barriers in a rush to get closer. Above the stage, Spurs players from the past stood on the balcony and interacted with the supporters. Brazilian midfielder Sandro, who made 81 league appearances for Tottenham between 2010 and 2014 and had earlier led a rendition of Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur on the stage with his acoustic guitar, danced along to Sweet Caroline. Even the usually stoic Ledley King bopped along to the Neil Diamond hit as he sported a wide grin and recorded the events on his phone.
As the players made their way onto the stage, one fan shook his head in disbelief. James Maddison followed Postecoglou, but the supporters’ songs drowned out his attempts to answer the interviewer’s questions. He soon got on board, leading a ‘Campeones Ole, Ole, Ole’ chant. Johnson, who turned 24 on Friday, was next in line to feel the supporters’ adulation.
His story is remarkable, from deactivating his social media accounts last September due to online abuse to scoring the winning goal in Bilbao. Postecoglou spoke to the players about making moments to adorn the walls at the stadium and training ground, and Johnson’s near-post flick in front of the Spurs supporters will now be immortalised forever. Like Tottenham’s previous European final goalscorers — Jimmy Greaves, Martin Chivers and Graham Roberts among them — Johnson, who captioned a picture of the parade with “I love Tottenham Hotspur” on Instagram, is written in club history.
As fans filtered away, swaying side to side to Angels by Robbie Williams, the camera zoomed in on Postecoglou. He was still on the stage, with staff members queuing up to take a picture with him.
Despite the Premier League season and his uncertain job status, Postecoglou was undoubtedly the star of the show. Perhaps the insecurity added to it, with fans relishing what could be their final opportunity to see him again as Spurs head coach.
Whether he is given that third season or not, the Tottenham family showed him, and players past and present, that those who bring joy to N17 are not easily forgotten.
(Top photo: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)