Spurs say goodbye White Hart Lane with a triumphant win
Tottenham beat Man United to secure second spot as legends turn out for the final game at the club's old ground
Spurs bade farewell to White Hart Lane on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Manchester United that secured the runners-up spot in the Premier League, their highest result since 1963.
Despite missing out on the title, Tottenham rose to the occasion one last time at their old ground as goals from Victor Wanyma and, fittingly, local boy Harry Kane secured the points.
But history will recall that the final goal at White Hart Lane was scored by Wayne Rooney, who pulled one back for the visitors with 20 minutes remaining.
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Tottenham's 17th home victory of the season confirmed an unbeaten league campaign on their own turf.
After the final whistle - and once fans had been cleared following a pitch invasion - there was a celebration of the old stadium featuring a parade of Spurs legends and some famous moments from the club's history.
"Fully 117 years, eight months and ten days after the Lane was opened, Spurs left their atmospheric old home in style with a win, with an emotional homage to the past and a thrilling reminder of their bright future," says Henry Winter of The Times.
It was the 2,533rd game at the old ground and by beating United, "Mauricio Pochettino's team confirmed what Tottenham are really all about: less girders and concrete than silk and steel", says Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph.
"The whole point in coming to these places is to watch fine footballers. That was always the Spurs religion, and moving to a colossal new arena a few dozen yards away will not change that faith.
"With a flimsy, 'Spurs-y' team, it would have been so much nostalgia. But Pochettino's side have 80 points with two games left - enough to guarantee the runners up spot. This is the side of Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Eric Dier: a fine blend of English and foreign talent. The beauty of the parade - from Ossie Ardiles to Edgar Davids and Peter Crouch - was that new notables have emerged to renew this story of appealing football."
Even the weather, which forced the Spurs legends to shelter under umbrellas, was on Tottenham's side.
"Almost providentially, the rain stopped and the most vivid of rainbows arched up over the stadium, as Mauricio Pochettino and his current squad joined the party for a lap of honour," says David Hytner of The Guardian.
"It was impossible to imagine a more perfect scene."
As befits the end of an era, there were mixed emotions as Spurs contemplated a new beginning.
"It was a strange old feeling," says Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail.
"This place will be missed. It will be so much harder to capture the essence of Jimmy Greaves, Dave Mackay and Danny Blanchflower when the frame of the Lane is bulldozed and replaced with a beautifully-designed but essentially different new home.
"Goodbye Lane after 118 years. Hello Wembley. Hello Chinese investment and naming rights. Hello NFL London franchise."
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