Spurs stories | Viddal Riley - one of our own chasing boxing glory on Saturday

Viddal Riley will live the dream on Saturday - a Spurs fan and boxer from Tottenham challenging for a British title at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - on the undercard of one of the biggest domestic fights in recent history.

In his latest ‘In That Number’ feature in our Official Matchday Programme, Andy Greeves caught up with Viddal, who will challenge Cheavon Clarke for the British cruiserweight title at the stadium as part of the fight card for the Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn ‘Fatal Fury’ contest.

First of all, can we ask how you became a Spurs supporter?

Viddal: "I moved to Tottenham when I was around eight years of age. I can remember going out with my mum one day when it was a matchday and I couldn’t get over how many people there were. My mum explained ‘that’s our local football club, Tottenham Hotspur... this is where they play’. I remember thinking ‘okay, if I live here and the stadium’s right there, then this is my team’."

What was the first game you attended and what was that experience like?

Viddal: "I only got to my first Spurs game in the stadium a few years ago. It was a game against Fulham. I never went to a game as a youngster because I didn’t think I had the attention span to sit and watch a match for 90 minutes! But I’ve been to quite a few matches over the last few seasons and I always really enjoy the experience."

Having attended Premier League Kicks sessions run by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation when you were a pupil at Northumberland Park Community School (now Duke’s Aldridge Academy), how incredible was it to host a shadowboxing session as part of the same programme earlier in the year?

Viddal: "It was crazy. It was a full circle moment for me because I had attended Premier League Kicks sessions run by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation when I was a kid like you say. So, to be invited to a session as a special guest... that was very special. It was such an honour to be asked and I jumped at the opportunity. It is incredible that Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is still running these Premier League Kicks sessions 14 or 15 years on from when I attended them as a kid. The work the Foundation does as a whole for the local community is vital. The longevity of both the Foundation and Premier League Kicks shows how well received they both are. These programmes need to continue because they give kids in particular the opportunity to get together, to meet people they might not meet otherwise and to have fun."

What was it like meeting Ledley King at that Premier League Kicks session?

Viddal: "Ledley’s obviously a legend of the club, but he’s so down to earth and genuine. I’ve managed to see him a few times since and we’ve spoken on Instagram a bit. I went to the Legends game recently and it was great to see him back out on the pitch."

What have been your favourite moments supporting Spurs over the years?

Viddal: "I loved the team that won our last trophy - the League Cup back in 2008. Aaron Lennon, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Ledley, of course. What a team that was. So that final against Chelsea is a happy memory for me, winning the trophy with Jonathan Woodgate’s header. I was 11 at the time and what made it particularly memorable was seeing the reaction to winning the trophy in the local area. Everyone’s spirits were high. It was the same with that incredible win over Ajax in the Champions League semi-final (second leg) in 2019. I watched that game at my friend’s house in Tottenham, right by the stadium, and I was so hyped at what happened. Lucas Moura scored once and then you’re like ‘he’s scored again’ and then, with seconds left, he gets the winner. That was one of the all-time highs being a Spurs supporter. I can remember the scenes of celebration on the High Road after we’d won. You can’t beat that feeling. Being a boxer, you’re an individual but winning as a team... there’s nothing like it."

Who have been your favourite Spurs players over the years and why? 

Viddal: "Jermain Defoe is definitely up there for me and so is Gareth Bale, especially for the season when he burst onto the scene in the Champions League (in 2010/11) and said ‘I’m going to be the guy’. Around the same time, we had Luka Modrić and Rafael van der Vaart, who were very special players too. Ledley is someone I’ve got huge admiration for. During his playing career, it was incredible how he wouldn’t be able to train during the week but then would produce the level of performance he did in a match on a Saturday. He was one of the best defenders around at that time and you just think ‘how could he do that without training?’ It’s incredible! As I mentioned earlier, the League Cup winning team of 2008 is a special one for me and it was great to see so many of them play in the Spurs Legends game recently. Berbatov, Keane, Lennon etc."

Who are your current favourite Spurs players and why?

Viddal: "I’m a big Wilson Odobert fan. He’s such an exciting player on the ball and with time, he has the potential to be a top, top player. Pedro Porro is fantastic... what a goal he scored against Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg by the way! What I like about Odobert and Porro is they always put their best foot forward. I also have to mention (Heung-Min) Son, who has been an incredible player for the club."

What are your hopes for Spurs for the remainder of the season?

Viddal: "I’m speaking to you before the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt. Obviously, every Spurs fan will be hoping we get through because I think we have a decent chance of winning the competition if we do. We all know our league campaign has been disappointing. We also know that we’ve got the ability in the squad to be much higher up the league. Injuries have been a nightmare for us this season."

How are preparations for your fight against Cheavon Clark at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this coming Saturday going?

Viddal: "The preparations are going very well. There have been tough times too. There was a period of time where the preparations felt never ending. But here we are. To have this fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium… it couldn’t be any more perfect for me. And Cheavon Clark is an Arsenal fan funnily enough, so this is a proper north London derby! The stars have aligned for the fight to be where it is and I can’t wait."

And in terms of the main bill - Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn... what a fight that promises to be?

Viddal: "It’s going to be an incredible night of boxing. The brilliance of the way our stadium has been designed is that it really holds in the atmosphere. It’s going to be electric on Saturday with a fight of this magnitude."