Corner Pin closing

yiddo59

Last orders for Spurs pub

nlnews@archant.co.uk
27 May 2010

A FAVOURITE match day boozer for Tottenham Hotspur fans is to be closed down BY THE CLUB - to make way for a ticket office.

Devastated regulars at The Corner Pin, yards from White Hart Lane stadium in High Road Tottenham, have accused club bosses of running roughshod over small businesses and "destroying" a treasured landmark.

The pub is being cleared out on Monday to make way for a short-term ticket office, which is thought will remain until the club's proposed new 60,000-seater stadium is built.

Spurs bought the pub in February 2008 as part of its plans for the stadium regeneration project.

In a letter to the Journal, pub regulars said: "We realise THFC [Tottenham Hotspur Football Club] thinks it is going to help the area but it seems to be destroying all our heritage buildings.

"Every building which is for sale they buy and turn it into something for the club.

"We live in the area, they don't, but it's about money and they don't seem to care about residents. Park Lane is not Park Lane without The Corner Pin."

Spurs said they will carry out some "internal structural works" to the pub when they move in on Tuesday, but are unlikely to change the historic facade - adding that they do not know how long the ticket office will remain there.

Football fans will now be hard pushed to find a replacement for the pub, as many other local boozers have closed in recent years.

Bernie Kingsley, chairman of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, said: "I think there is a wider issue to be worried about. There have been an awful lot of pubs that have closed down in the area in recent years - so there are less and less places for supporters to go for a drink.

"This decision to close the pub won't affect ticket sales, it just makes it difficult for fans to have a drink before and after the match."

The Corner Pin's landlord, who was given just four weeks' notice to move out, will serve last orders on Bank Holiday Monday with regulars set to wish it a fond farewell with an informal knees-up on Sunday.

Manager Peter Buzec said: "As far as we know they want to turn it into a ticket office and we were only told after the Burnley game [on Sunday, May 9]. I know the regulars are going to find it really tough because they're always in here when a game's on."

The club said a regeneration project of this size "inevitably requires a degree of change in the area", adding that the existing ticket office in Paxton Road is being closed in preparation for building work.

A club spokesman said: "This will be a short-term change for long-term gain for both supporters and people in the local community.

"The proposed new development will include new bars and cafes in addition to the reintroduction of a traditional pub open all week rather than just on matchdays.

Hatch99

Not to worry, there is a pub next door, not too much of an inconvenience, although i do see the historic and emotional side of it.

tippspur

As long as I'm going over to Spurs games I was never in the Corner Pin,although when I was over at the Blackburn game last season I took a photo of the front of it so I have a bit of history.

RichMc70

"Devastated regulars at The Corner Pin"

Other than match days you'd be lucky to find more than 6 people drinking in this pub.If it wasn't for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club being in the location that it is, then there would hardly be a single pub within a one mile radius of the stadium. There are pubs shutting down all over the UK and especially in London.

There's a good few reasons for this including recession, smoking bans and the high rise in immigration from non-drinking cultures and the disbursement of locals traditionally from the working class drinking culture. If it wasn't for Spurs then Tottenham High Road would become a ghost town.A Mayo man I know who owns a local pub to the stadium freely admits that without the football revenue, he would have "chucked it in years ago".

The Corner Pin would be one of the smallest pubs in the area, so come match days it wouldn't be one of the easiest pubs to get in before a game anyway.

Sad as it is, it's just another Pub that will be shutting it's doors and I'm sorry to say it's just a sign of the times.

davemac24

did the job on match day

dooshbag1970

The Corner Pin has gone downhill in recent years with the 'funky' purple and chrome interior (nasty). Loved the portrait of Teddy.Sheringham, that was over-painted with Klinsmans' face when he went to United:D

Gamesnash.ie: Pat

If it wasn't next door to WHL as such it's not the best place for a pint - always came across as a kind of Phoenix Nights type place.

yiddo59

dooshbag1970 wrote: »

The Corner Pin has gone downhill in recent years with the 'funky' purple and chrome interior (nasty). Loved the portrait of Teddy.Sheringham, that was over-painted with Klinsmans' face when he went to United:D

Had many good days in there over the years especially afer the 99 league cup final win but it went downhill after Lou and Maureen left. Havent been in there in over 3 years.