A few weeks ago when Tottenham Hotspur unveiled ambitious plans to rebuild its White Hart Lane stadium, little attention — if any — was given to the fate of the old red Victorian house at the corner of Bill Nicholson Way and High Road, the house that is the physical address of the club at 748 High Road. Unfortunately, according to the latest stadium plans, The Red House — Tottenham’s historical home, in many ways — will be demolished.
Built around the mid 1850’s, The Red House is probably most famous for Tottenham fans as being the place for the cockerel on top of the clock on High Road. Sadly, the cockerel was removed in 2008. But the image of the cockerel is pictured above (and was snapped during the EPL Talk Tour of White Hart Lane from 2006).
When I took that photograph, I had no idea about the history of the Red House. But thanks to campaign organized by Save The Red House, all can be revealed.
Tottenham’s history with The Red House began when they bought the house after they won the 1921 FA Cup. The distinctive cockerel and ball on top of the clock was added in 1934. By 1974 or earlier, the red brick building housed Bill Nicholson’s offices as well as the Tottenham board room, in addition to trophy cabinets.
When the rebuilding of the West Stand was completed by Tottenham in 1982, The Red House was abandoned until, in the early 1990s, the building was used as a ticket collection point.
Today, the building is used by the Tottenham community officer while the stadium manager, security and health and safety departments also are housed in the building.
The Red House, 1974
This is a building with too much history and architecture to demolish to make way for the new Tottenham stadium to replace White Hart Lane. I’m sure, if pushed, the architects and stadium developers could find a way to keep this historic building standing and find a way to make better use of it.
To learn more about the Save The Red House campaign, visit the website. And if you’re interested in joining the campaign by sending letters to Daniel Levy, the English Heritage Foundation and other organizations, go here.
If you’re a Tottenham supporter or if you’ve visited White Hart Lane, share your feedback by clicking the comments link below and let us know if you’re aware of The Red House and whether you care about it’s possible demise.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
If it means we cant have the new stadium then I say knock it down and make new history for our club. It’s people like you that hold our great club back!
I agree, if it means we cant achieve a new development which is essential for Spurs future then knock it down. You can only retain history for so long before it becomes an inconvenience. Retain it in another way like a statue or something. Again, its selfish time wasters like you who put delay on projects. I do architecture myself and its problems like this that put 10 year delay on plans which makes our jobs frustrating. Do something better with your life than start scenarios like this.
I agree knock it down, build a new stadium and lets move forward as a new and improved club that can challenge the top 4
we need a future at this great club which means a new stadium, not an old house get a life
although we do have a great history as a top club, i for one am fed up with living in the past, lets move on and progress and make this club one of the best in the world, history is just that history were building for the future
“This is a building with too much history and architecture to demolish” no it isn’t, terrace housing like this is ten a penny in the UK. Give me the keys to the bulldozer I’d gladly drive through it.
This is apart of our History and worth fighting to keep.This was Billy Nic’s office.
We have a Glorious past and should be kept.
No one said you can’t have both a new stadium and a part of our history. It’s what make Spurs the only true north London team. Not travellers like the Woolwich nomads.
And if you know your history.
Its a red house. A RED house!
Knock it down and build a blue and white one that holds 60000 people.
The architects for the new stadium would not of over-looked this. There will be ways round this with the new development. Leave it to the professionals and the council to apply the recommended action, rather than d**k-heads like you interferring. Do you honestly think spurs will get totally rid of history………err NO!!!. They are not that heartless. They probably have a nominated new area for historical interest!
I can remember standing under that clock on many occasions as a boy, and I accept the point that you are trying to make. If it were a question of heroitage, then I would rather save the current stadium which is a far more historic building. I know that we can’t have both an old and new stadium, and that a new stadium is our best hope of a CL spot. I am not a Philistine, but I am sorry to say that for me, the Red House is not significant enough to Spurs history to justify saving. It’s just too peripheral to the history of the Club.
Can’t we just keep the clock and put it somewhere nice on display…that is a piece of history…knock the building down for the sake of the new stadium
Spurs with a red house as their history? No wonder they lied down for united to bulldoze through them
but from a neutral s point of view.. i say scrap the house and build a new stadium…
How strange that a dozen negative comments fly in within minutes of this article being posted, all saying the same thing using the same expresions?
Even if you are actually are twelve separate people (which I doubt) SHAME ON YOU ALL!
Listen to yourselves. Demolish it, scrap it – and then what? Spend the next 100 years looking back at pictures and getting all nostalgic? Spurs history is what makes this Club great and the Red House is a genuine link to that history. Arsenal weren’t so heartless or so stupid as to lose the East & West Stands at Highbury. They not only recognised their emotional and historic value, they recognised they were also an asset.
The Red House too could be an asset for the Club, as much a centrepiece and fiocal point for the ground as the Munich Clock is at Old Trafford or the Shankley gates are at Anfield.
If ignorant philistines like the ‘12′ previous posters were left to get on with things, Tottenhams new ground would be as iconic as Stoke or Hull’s – a couple of statues, a road named after a player and of no value to English football whatsoever.