Coach Larry – The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tour guide with a 50-year NFL connection
Is there a particular book or movie that left a lasting impression on you as a child? That was certainly the case for a young boy from Hackney, who became obsessed with American football in the late 1960s.
A book by Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton sparked a 50-year connection with the NFL for Larry, known as Coach Larry, who is a tour guide at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Larry, who spent his youth going back and forth to the US due to his father’s work, has been there every step of the way as his unique passion has become one of the most followed sports in the United Kingdom.
As we look ahead to the 13th regular season NFL game to take place in N17 between the Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, 4th October, we highlight Larry’s fascinating story.
Paper Lion, Plimpton’s book released in 1966, detailed how he, a journalist, spent an offseason behind the scenes with the Detroit Lions pretending to be a backup quarterback.
In what he describes as a golden period for the sport, Larry became fascinated with the intricacies and details of everything that happened on a day-to-day basis of an NFL franchise and recalls listening to games with his brother on the American Forces Radio.
Larry’s father was lucky to meet Plimpton, whose book was turned into a motion picture starring Alan Alda from US military sitcom M*A*S*H, something that inspired the youngster to write to the Lions to ask how he could become an NFL coach.
“I understood the game quite quickly and readily, and my dad coached a little as well, so I kind of knew the mechanics, and believe it or not, the Lions embraced my endeavour,
“I finally turned up for an internship at their stadium at the time, the Silverdome, in 1975,” he recounts.
“They then gave me a prospectus and said that I'm far too young to be a coach, but I could go to college and learn about the rules of the sport and specialise in maybe a sports science degree of that ilk. Back then it wasn't as advanced.”
He continued his journey by going to the University of Florida, where he recalls impressing his peers by excelling at a strategy computer game of American football.
“That had a knock-on effect and kept me in Florida for a few years,” he says.
When the NFL came to Europe for the first time for the Global Cup, an exhibition match between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings in 1983, Larry put himself forward to help behind the scenes at Wembley Stadium and has been right there for every key milestone as the sport has exploded here in the UK.
He has fond memories of interactions with players who played in the event that, then called the American Bowl, became a yearly tradition from 1986-1993. He was keen to share his passion with his heroes and further his knowledge.
Gary Kubiak is a particular individual who encouraged Larry to further his passion.
“I met some famous players during those years. I met Gary, who was backup quarterback to the legendary John Elway with the Denver Broncos,” he says, reliving his impactful chat with Kubiak, who went on to win Super Bowl 50 as head coach of the same franchise in 2016.
“I had these interactions with players, like Karl Mecklenburg and Gary, who became a fantastic coach. They encouraged me to develop my understanding and knowledge of how to coach,” he says.
“Going forward to the early '90s, and the introduction of the World League, London had its own team, the London Monarchs, and I was on the staff. They were based in Bushey, just north of London, at the American school.
“I had a junior coaching badge of sorts, and I did everything from carrying a bucket to marking the teamsheet. It gave me a chance to be taken a little more seriously, let's say, in understanding the environment.”
It was with the Monarchs, who won the first World League in 1991, a summer league that allowed second-string NFL players to build a resume, where he would encounter Spurs legend, Clive Allen.
Two years after retiring from professional football in 1995, Allen emerged as a kicker for the team that played its matches at a variety of venues, including White Hart Lane.
“We had a lot of fun,” Larry adds, explaining that they reminisce about their time working together when Clive is asked to do a Legends Tour at the stadium.
“Clive was a great personality, and now, when we're working on Legends Tours together for maybe a corporate group from America, or students from a university, he speaks knowingly and freely about his experiences as an American football kicker.
“He does it with great affection, and a little bit of comedy thrown in too. Those moments are priceless.”
After the World League, which became NFL Europe in 1995 and was disbanded three years later, the thirst for the NFL in the UK never went away, but it needed the stars playing in a competitive game to make a mark on the average sports fan in this country.
In 2007, the league changed its strategy for international growth, deciding to play its first-ever regular season game outside of North America between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.
19 years and 42 regular season games later, the decision has been a major success.
Larry became a tour guide at Wembley Stadium after the introduction of yearly regular season games in London and was recruited to work at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when it opened in 2019.
“I was drafted to come to Tottenham as a voice to make it clear to guides, staff, guests, and supporters that the NFL have a relationship with the Club now that is fantastically successful on all sides. This is a hub for the International Games.
“The information exchange on the tours has helped Spurs supporters to understand the significance of how this is internationally globalising Tottenham Hotspur, as a brand, as a club, and as a team to potential new supporters.
“Being a Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tour guide is a dream job, really, and being the NFL resident expert has helped me express what I have a passion for.
“I speak to some lifelong passionate Spurs fans on my tours, and I feel the same way about my sport as they do about their club. Plying that message to people who may be unaware of it is magnificent. They are transformed in a moment,” he says.
Larry is a brilliant ambassador to showcase the special relationship between Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the NFL.
His ‘Coach Larry’ persona has proved popular among guests on our stadium tours, describing himself as Ted Lasso in reverse.
“I think my natural energy and passion for it is evident, so I don't need to push that, but I think being in the persona of Coach Larry to educate an audience gives a much better platform for them to walk away with a better understanding of the sport.
“Passion doesn't get you across the line alone. You need technical know-how, detail, and deep knowledge to be a tour guide. It’s about the impact you make on a person or fan, and how it can shape their understanding of a game that may be totally unfamiliar to them,” he says.
“As a man who's been involved with the NFL for so long, when we get to host the games here, it warms the heart to see all the different jerseys on the Tottenham High Road.
“It's a family-oriented experience, and the vibe is constant. It never fails to excite me.”
Make sure to look out for Larry at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the two games there this month!