Stuart targets Watford repeat in FA Youth Cup... 20 years later!
Wed 12 February 2025, 22:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
As he prepares to take his young charges to Watford in the FA Youth Cup on Thursday night, Under-18s Coach Stuart Lewis still has happy memories of playing in the equivalent fixture almost 20 years ago.
It was back in March, 2005, that we went to Vicarage Road in the quarter-finals of the prestigious youth competition, with a 5,000-strong crowd watching on as we battled to a 2-0 victory.
A teenage Stuart lined up in central midfield that night – coincidentally also on a Thursday – alongside Jamie O’Hara, with the likes of Phil Ifil, Charlie Daniels, Mark Wright and Andy Barcham also in the team.
The connections don’t end there, though. Current Academy Coaches Chris Riley and Troy Archibald-Henville were among our substitutes, while Al Bangura – whose son Samal currently plays for Stuart in the Under-18s – started for the hosts.
Now, two decades later and with a number of successful years as a coach under his belt, 37-year-old Stuart wants our present-day youngsters to take the game to Watford and create some new memories under the lights in our high-profile fifth-round tie.
“It was a brilliant evening at Vicarage Road, 20 years ago now... I feel old!” he smiled. “It was in the quarter-finals on that occasion rather than the fifth round but it was a really tough game and it will be the same on Thursday.
“For this group of players, it’s another really exciting evening in a first team stadium under the lights. We’ll prepare for it as we always do as we know it’ll be a tough test.
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“I’m looking for the players to go and showcase what they can do as individuals but also as a team. I think that the experiences you encounter in the FA Youth Cup, like I did as a player and now as a coach, create brilliant memories and moments that can stay with you forever.
“I can vividly remember that evening in March, 20 years ago, and I hope that the players can create their own memories on Thursday evening.”
Tickets for the game, priced at £5 for adults and £1 for under-18s, are available from https://tickets.watfordfc.com/
Supporters will also be able to watch the game live and in full on SPURSPLAY. Find out more about SPURSPLAY and sign up here.
