Our writer Finley Chung reflects on his time watching Spurs, from regional football to the FA Cup Final

The 29th April 2018, a day that I had no idea would be the start of a fantastic journey watching Tottenham Hotspur Women, or Spurs Ladies back then as they were known.

With the club then playing their home matches at Cheshunt Football Club, which is a convenient ten minute walk from my house, I thought to myself one day, why not go over! 

It was a thrilling game, Spurs went 3 up inside the first seven minutes thanks to goals from Wendy Martin and a Bianca Baptise double. Despite being pegged back to three each by Durham, Sarah Wiltshire, Ronnell Humes and Lucia Leon eventually sewed up a 6-3 win for Karen Hills’ side.

That was my only experience of the girls in person, until the then record North London Derby in 2019 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, I left the ground that day, despite a 2-0 loss hell bent on going to more games, then Coronavirus happened and that was the end of that. 

Before I knew it, Euro 2021 was around the corner and excitement gripped the nation. I had always kept an eye out for the Lionesses scores, but never actively searched out places, or people to watch games with… until Georgia Stanway’s right foot changed all of that against Spain. 

For that goal, I screamed so loudly that I woke up my neighbours kids, which tells you enough about the emotion I felt. 

Of course, England went on to win the Euro’s on that magical day under the Wembley arch, but that catapulted my interest into wanting to watch and cover the women’s game in greater detail.

2021/2022 was Spurs’ best in the WSL, finishing fifth and taking league points off Arsenal and Manchester United for the first time in the clubs short professional history at that stage, the future looked really bright for Rehanne Skinner’s side, but as I grew further into covering the WSL in 2022/2023, that bright future certainly was not what it seemed earlier on. 

The run that ultimately decided Skinners fate was a nine game winless run between game weeks six and fifteen, when Vicky Jepson took interim charge of the side. Thanks in huge part to Bethany England, Spurs stayed up at the expense of Reading and beat the Royals 4-1, my most memorable press box experience at that time, thanks in no small part to an England double, secured the club’s WSL status. 

I, much like many other Spurs fans at the end of last season, wondered where we might be without Bethany England and I do believe, the answer is in the Championship and not in an FA Cup final, however, over the summer, a period of change happened in N17, a period which has catapulted the club to heights it has never seen.

Appointing the loveable Swede, Robert Vilahamn was the clubs seeming first step into putting right the wrongs of the previous campaign, and Spurs haven’t looked back since. 

In the summer, Vilahamn strengthened hugely, with Martha Thomas, Olga Ahitnen, Luana Buhler, Barbora Votikova and most notably, Grace Clinton joined the Lilywhite revolution. 

Following an opening day defeat to Chelsea in the WSL, the club went on a six game unbeaten run in the league which truly set the tone for the rest of the term. 

I covered Vilahamn’s first competitive game, the loss at Stamford Bridge and it gave me the first opportunity to see ‘Bobby Ball’ as its now heralded by the clubs fans in full force.

I had zero idea what to expect, but from the first interviews Vilahamn did with Spurs’ in house media team, it was clear he matched the key ethos, play exciting football that wants the fans combing back for more, embodying in full force the club’s Latin Moto, “Audere est Facere’, meaning ‘To Dare is To Do’ in English.

Spurs lost 2-1 on that brisk September evening, but had it not been Martha Thomas’ first game for the club, she could’ve so easily had one or two more to the consolation goal she got in SW6.

Thus season has been full of highs and historic moments, with the Cup Semi-Final, and the historic North London Derby Win over Arsenal two games that give any Spurs fan goosebumps. 

Martha Thomas was the name at the centre of both of those moments. She sent the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a frenzy when finishing off a lightning quick counter attack to seal a 1-0, first ever win over Arsenal in the last game before Christmas, with the Scott writing more headlines in the Cup Semi-Final a few weeks back when Spurs overhauled a one goal deficit, to clinch their place in their first ever FA Cup Final courtesy of Thomas’ 118th minute extra time winner against Leicester City. 

Being at both these games felt like a genuine full circle moment for me watching this side, who have grown from Regional Football, to compete and beat some of the very best in Women’s Football in this country. 

On the morning of Wednesday April 24th, I secured my tickets for the FA Cup final, with Spurs selling out the allocation of over 11,800 within three days. The journey for Spurs to get here has been sort of similar to my own personal journey, which I documented for On Her Side  just under a year ago now. 

The feeling of pure elation when Martha Thomas’ header looped over Leicester keeper, Lize Kop and nestled into that net infront of the South Stand of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was simply put, magical. 

As the days tick closer and the weather gets warmer, whatever happens on Sunday, is going to be a special day for Tottenham Hotspur Women.