For Tottenham, a big win worth more than just 3 points

TO HAVE a better appreciation of the immense global allure of the English Premier League (EPL), it is perhaps best that one attends any of the league’s 380 matches that are spread out over 9 months of a season that begins every August and ends in May.

This was evident on Sunday (May 1) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London, one of the most impressive of the league’s 20 venues, where 59,482 people witnessed Tottenham defeat Leicester City in a fast-paced game that featured a goal-of-the-season contender scored by the extremely popular South Korean forward Son Heung-min. 

A full 2 hours before the kick-off, fans from all over the world began streaming in to soak in the atmosphere. The light drizzle did not seem to faze anyone, and there was the familiar waft of burgers, hot dogs and ice-cold beer in the air.

There were the very vocal supporters from South Korea, who regularly attend Spurs’ home games and even the pre-match training sessions, mainly to watch their beloved Son in action. 

There was a small contingent of spectators from Denmark milling outside the stadium knocking back a few beers. Just past the security gantry, a French-speaking couple - the man was sporting a jersey with Tottenham’s French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ name across the back - was busy snapping photos before heading to their seats.

At half-time, the announcer mentioned that fans from Tottenham’s 346 official supporters’ clubs were in attendance, among them from Switzerland, Canada, the US and the Netherlands.

The Premier League has often been described as an international product that is watched in 188 of the world’s 193 countries recognised by the United Nations. So it is no surprise that football fans travel from all corners of the globe to savour the live match experience.

The diversity extends to the teams too. While the EPL is England’s top football division, it speaks volumes for the fact that only 4 of the 22 Tottenham and Leicester players who started the match, actually hold a British passport. On the pitch on Sunday were players from 16 other nationalities, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Belgium, Ghana, Spain and even Zambia.

The 2 managers on the touchline were Tottenham’s Antonio Conte, who is from the Italian city of Lecce, while his Leicester counterpart Brendan Rodgers hails from County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

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Inside the stadium, there were 4 scrolling LED displays that constantly flashed the names of Tottenham’s numerous corporate partners. The most prominent was AIA, the pan-Asian life insurer that has been Spurs’ global principal partner since 2013, and whose logo is emblazoned across the front of Tottenham’s jerseys.

The club has everything from a kit partner (Nike), banking partner (HSBC), beer partner (Heineken) and timing partner (IWC Schaffhausen), to a snack partner (Cadbury) and betting partners (William Hill, Funway and Bet88) for 3 different regions in the world, among many other sponsors.

Eyes on a bigger prize

While Tottenham naturally play the bulk of their matches in England, everyone at the club has their sights set on a much bigger competition - the Champions League. Only the top 4 teams in the EPL each season qualify for what is the most prestigious club competition in European football, and Spurs are currently fifth in the standings after their 3-1 victory over Leicester. 

With the fixtures fast running out - there are just 3 more games to play, with Liverpool and Arsenal up next - any more dropped points could see the Lilywhites (Spurs’ nickname) fall out of the race.

From the first whistle, Conte’s men were in no mood to cede any ground, and they sent their supporters home happy, courtesy of a header by Harry Kane from a corner by Son, and a double from the Chuncheon native that included a breathtaking curler from outside the box for his 19th goal of the season.

This is the 29-year-old Son’s most prolific season for Spurs - he has overtaken Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the top scorers’ list and is just 3 behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the quest for this season’s Golden Boot award.

Son received a standing ovation from the crowd as he was substituted soon after that wonder goal, and he shared a long embrace with Conte on the touchlines. Son later revealed that his manager had signalled to him just a few minutes before that he would be taken off.

Speaking to The Business Times after the match, Son said: “He told me that I had 3 more minutes and I would be coming off, and for me to give it everything I have. And then I scored that goal and we shared a laugh together. My relationship with the manager is really good and I’m very happy working under him.”

More than just a win

The win was more than just 3 priceless points for Tottenham. Just for this game against Leicester, the Spurs players donned special-edition jerseys with “AIA Better Lives Fund in support of Community Chest Singapore” printed on the front. 

Last week, Tottenham and AIA Singapore announced the launch of Grant A Wish with AIA Better Lives Fund, with this charity shirt initiative aimed at raising funds for good causes in Singapore as well as the club’s foundation. The fund was established to support AIA Singapore’s charity partners, Children’s Wishing Well and the Viva Foundation.

The match-worn jerseys will be autographed by Tottenham’s players and put up for online auction soon. There will also be a separate Facebook livestream auction hosted by some Singapore celebrities on May 12 where more Spurs memorabilia and other items will go on sale.