RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 29: Mathys Tel of Tottenham Hotspur competes with Wataru Kamijo of Sydney during the Sydney Super Cup match between Sydney FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Allianz Stadium on July 29, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to Part 2 (Electric Boogaloo) of my journey to and through the Sydney Super Cup, talking through what the tournament and trip was like from a fan perspective… but also from having access a fan might not usually have. Part travel blog, part human-interest piece, part fan boy experience; here’s what it felt like as a fan walking into the press box and seeing Spurs play for the first time. Hopefully you enjoy.
Check out Part 1 here , if you haven’t already.
Sydney FC vs. Tottenham Hotspur
So there I was: in the press box ahead of Tottenham Hotspur kicking off against Sydney in what would be my first live Tottenham Hotspur experience. Worth It had taken a 17-11 lead into the second leg against Not Worth It. I admired the view and sneakily took the photo you saw in the previous piece; I felt like a total fish out of water, and taking photos like a tourist would have cemented that status. In front of me were sitting a number of journalists and club media staff.
I stood awkwardly behind all of them, as my understanding was that each spot (there are rows of desks in the press box, with plug points and cabling slots for individuals like myself to set up) was set aside for a specific person; but I also noted that there weren’t any names on any of the chairs or desks, and so I just kind of milled around until I picked up the courage to ask a friendly Australian whether or not the seats were reserved. I probably looked like a stalker. They were not reserved, so I needn’t have worried.
I took a seat and realized two things: one, I was seated behind a handful of very well-known Spurs and Chelsea football journalists from the likes of BBC, The Athletic, and Football London; and two, I was extremely hungry.
You see, the press rooms are catered, and I left very early to make sure I got there on time – just in case there were issues (I’m extremely glad I did that). The problem is that by the time I got into the press room, most of the food was gone. 0-1 to Not Worth It as my stomach rumbled.
As I prepared for the match, getting logged in to the backend of the site and starting to get engaged in the comments, updating the lineups, etc, I gave a smile and nod to a couple of the journalists. They all were chatting amongst themselves, with no club loyalties getting in the way of friendships. I’m quite introverted and am aware of the reputation that certain fan-run sites and/or aggregators have amongst actual journalists so was reticent to introduce myself properly, outside of a couple of interjections here and there. One journalist referenced the match back in Auckland, saying it was a record crowd for a football match in New Zealand; I corrected him, saying it was a record crowd for a men’s football match in New Zealand (several matches in the 2023 Women’s World Cup had a higher attendance). Let’s call that a cheeky tap-in for Worth It to even up the scores.
What was fascinating though was the amount of discussion around football news: transfers, injuries, and the like. I overheard breaking news before it was even official: Danny Welbeck to Chelsea was confirmed; it was mentioned that Dejan Kulusevski was back in training. Little tidbits and morsels flew past me like I was in a food fight. Oh, that’s right. Food. I shift awkwardly in my seat to try hide my stomach rumbling. The joy of my surroundings is quickly offset by the pangs, and it’s now two apiece.
The players are out now training on the pitch. There’re some questions around the midfield shape and structure, before I see Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray standing in the center of the pitch together, pinging long passes to the corners. That must be the starting double pivot. It’s my first time seeing the players in the flesh and I’m still trying to mentally process it; Mathys Tel is rather a large human being, and he stands next to Manor Solomon who looks tiny in comparison. The players return to the sheds.
Soon enough, though, it’s time for the prematch proceedings. Duel of the Fates rings out around the ground which is a nice touch and really helps the reality start to sink in as the players walk out. There’s a countdown, and the referee blows for kick-off as the crowd roars. Worth It has gone up 5-2, as my fandom scores a quickfire hat-trick.
I won’t rehash the entire match report; you’ve already gone to the trouble of not reading that. Nobody does, after all. There’s a couple of things about watching in the press box, though. Firstly, you’re not really supposed to be cheering for a team. You are there to work, and it’s a little unprofessional if you are cheering, chanting, etc. Secondly, the Allianz press box has slidable windows at the front, so despite this, you can’t really help being caught up in the atmosphere around the ground – which is electric. What is disappointing, however, is that the stadium is probably only 3/4 full (if that), and there is a very parochial home crowd in attendance. That support I saw out in public earlier in the day hadn’t really materialized.
I didn’t have time to be disappointed by this, though, as Mathys Tel lined up a free kick. He couldn’t, could he?
He could.
My first Spurs goal, and it’s an incredible direct free kick, right into the top corner.
I do my best to not scream as that’s two knocked in by Worth It. There is absolutely an exclamation through the press box though, as all are stunned by the quality of the strike. Wows and gasps and claps and headshakes are all present as I once more try to process what is going on before me.
It’s hard to describe how surreal this is; it’s kind of like going to the Grand Canyon, for those who have had that experience. You step out and see it for the first time,...
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