The final match at White Hart Lane – home of Tottenham Hotspur, before the ground is demolished to make way for a new stadium in 2018 –  saw victory for Spurs in front of the stadium crowd and a broadcast audience of 13m. ‘The closing ceremony proved a triumph,’ said Andrew Zweck of Sensible Events who helped produce the ceremony.

‘We brought in rock-and-roll companies, because this had to be fast and be really classy,’ says season ticket holder Zweck. ‘Phil Mercer at Unipix provided an additional big screen up on Stageco towers, and all audio came from Britannia Row.’

‘The fact is it needs a lot of care and attention to detail,’ says Brit Row Project Manager, Tom Brown. ‘This is 2017, and audio has to be perfect – not just within the stadium, it has to be perfect to broadcast as well. We were not allowed to place anything around the pitch before the game had ended, apart from a small amp station placed well behind each goal and fully padded just in case. We had barely 20 minutes after the match ended to have everything on the field and ready to go live to broadcast.’

The system comprised 11 stacks of L-Acoustics Kara including SB28 Subs around the pitch perimeter, two Yamaha CL5 for live mixing and IEMs, and a Profile to manage Pro Tools tracks. ‘We had ambient mics to track a 30-piece marching band and 30-voice choir,’ Brown says. ‘That’s a big deal in itself. Then there was a close-miked tenor Wynne Evans a world-class opera singer and all were performing live in a torrential downpour. Plus, we had VT of Spurs Legends narrated by Sir Kenneth Brannagh. That all had to be perfect.’

‘There is no blueprint for something like this,’ Zweck reflects. ‘It has to evolve. Spurs management knew they wanted their fans to feel involved, to have the fans singing and be part of it. Tom Brown and the guys from Brit Row did a great job making it seem simple. It couldn’t have gone better. They have people with vision at Spurs.’