'Never thought I'd see Spurs': Tottenham fans make Eden Park home turf

For four decades, one supporter had waited for this moment.

"I've been a Tottenham supporter for more than 40 years, so this the nearest I'm going to get for a few years to come," he laughed, standing outside Eden Park in a sea of white shirts and navy scarves.

And on a cold, wet Auckland afternoon, he wasn't alone.

Long before kick-off between English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and A-League champions Auckland FC, thousands of football fans had descended on New Zealand's national stadium. Families, lifelong supporters and curious first-timers streamed through the gates, eager to catch a glimpse of one of world football's biggest clubs.

"We're Premier League fans, so for us, seeing anyone is really good to see," one supporter said.

Another could barely contain his excitement after spotting former Liverpool defender Andy Robertson during the warm-up.

"I never thought I'd see Andy Robertson live in my life. That's crazy to me. I just saw him warm up. That's crazy."

Others admitted they weren't seasoned football followers at all.

"I haven't seen a football match," one woman said. "It's all pretty new to me."

Despite Auckland FC playing on home soil, Tottenham supporters appeared to outnumber almost everyone else, turning Eden Park into something resembling a home fixture for the north London club.

Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said that was exactly what made the occasion so special.

"This is a historic day at Eden Park. To have a top-tier EPL team coming to New Zealand, it's something really special and we should be celebrating."

The match also made history before a ball was kicked.

More than 37,000 tickets had already been sold before kick-off, putting the fixture on track to become the biggest-attended men's football match ever played at Eden Park. By full time, 40,112 had made it into the stands.

Persistent rain couldn't keep supporters away.

"I took a photo earlier - there was a couple of people in the crowd, both holding two buckets of chips each. Pouring rain, but they were loving it," Sautner said.

The club had spent the past weekend embracing its brief New Zealand visit, taking part in coaching clinics, an open training session, a pōwhiri and meeting supporters who had followed Spurs from the other side of the world.

He recalled speaking with one English supporter who had recently moved to Aotearoa and described seeing Tottenham play at Eden Park as one of the highlights of life in his new home.

The record crowd for a men's match was another milestone in Eden Park's push to attract more global sporting events, following concerts, next year's State of Origin and Chelsea Women's upcoming visit.

Sautner said the stadium wanted to continue competing with Australia's east coast for marquee international events.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said there could be more football giants on the horizon.

"I'm already talking to Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires who want to come," he said after the match.

"That would be cool as well."

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