Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur U21 (H)
Our fourth pre-season clash in 11 days sees Tottenham Hotspur Under-21’s visit Meadow Park on Tuesday evening.
The Wood have had a fruitful start to the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Sky Bet Championship side Watford, before emphasising our attacking credentials with an 8-2 thumping of Real Bedford.
Following a 1-1 draw with Arsenal U21’s on Friday, we now gear up to face their North London rivals as preparations for the forthcoming campaign continue.
While Spurs’ first team struggled in the lower echelons of the Premier League table for much of the season, their youth side enjoyed a successful campaign. They finished in eighth place in Premier League 2 and only eight points off table-topping Chelsea, ending the season in a strong vein of form with one defeat in five.
One to watch
Impressing on loan at Sky Bet League One side Mansfield Town last term, Oliver Irow can play across the front line and will pose a real threat if the Wood fail to keep him quiet. The versatile forward has scored 23 goals and registered four assists in 42 starts for Tottenham’s youth side and made 18 appearances during his temporary stint with the Stags last season.
On the touchline
Ex-Leyton Orient youth midfielder Wayne Burnett is the man tasked with producing the next exciting crop of young talent.
The 54-year-old had a 15-year playing career, during which he plied his trade for several Football League outfits, including Plymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town. Burnett turned to management after concluding his career at Peterborough United, taking the reins at Fisher Athletic in 2004.
A stint at Dulwich Hamlet and a return to Fisher followed before catching the eye of then National League side Grays Athletic who he joined ahead of the 2008/09 campaign.
Following a brief spell at former club Leyton Orient as youth team manager, Burnett’s strong relationship with John Still saw him become his assistant at Dagenham & Redbridge and then caretaker boss at Luton Town.
He came back to the Chigwell Construction Stadium to manage Dagenham for two seasons prior to being appointed as Spurs’ U21’s boss nine years ago.
Previous meetings
Spurs young guns made the trip to WD6 last summer in preparation for the season as the spoils were shared in a 2-2 draw in an eventful second-half.
Charles Clayden opened the scoring two minutes after the break and he doubled our lead soon after. However, Tottenham staged a late fight-back as Reiss Elliott-Parris rose highest to flick the ball home to restore parity before Callum Olusesi equalised.
Match details
The game kicks off at 19:30 and is unsegregated.
The Glass House will open from 17:00 and will be accessible via turnstiles 3 to 6, whilst the Fan Zone in the South-East corner of the stadium will be in operation from 18:30 which is when the stadium opens.
A variety of quality food options will also be available from our stadium catering partners, with outlets conveniently located adjacent to The Glass House and in the middle of the South Terrace. Toilet facilities are situated throughout the Stadium and are easily accessible from all areas.
Ticket information
Adult – £15.00
OAP – £15.00
Under 18 – £10.00
Under 14* – £5.00
Under 5* – FREE
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
*Must be accompanied by a paying adult or OAP.
