 No Longer Tottering Hotspurs
This time they are back. After a number of false dawns Spurs are knocking at the door. Now it’s for real.
So why is this resurgence different from all other resurgences? They have themselves a top coach. Ramos is quality; he handles himself well; he assesses situations well and he does not shout the odds or make extravagant claims. Spurs are a revival waiting to happen. It goes like this in football.
Imagine how bad it has been for their supporters in recent years. We have been getting the praise, winning the Cups, playing beautiful football and they have floundered and faltered and stumbled and staggered. Remember the names – Francis, Ardiles, Hoddle, Shreeves, Gross, Santini and Jol. Occasional bright spots – Venables and our George but very few. But now we need to acknowledge that the signs are there. The League Cup itself is not the thing but the growing confidence and the feeling that now is the time for them to mount a challenge. People often ask what my greatest moment has been as an Arsenal fan? White Hart Lane on 3 May 1971. Kennedy’s late goal was actually a worry as we reckoned it would trigger a final five minute siege. Would they nick a goal? Would our dream of winning the Championship for the first time in eighteen years be denied? Thankfully, we held on, although I always reckoned that Kevin Howley blew his whistle two minutes early! We were the Champions and we did it at White Hart Lane where so often during the 1950’s and 1960’s we had come off second best. The day we came back after years in the wilderness was a League Cup Semi-final Second Leg in 1968. We were one up after the first leg at Highbury thanks to a last minute John Radford toe-stretch from a clearance by Bob Wilson. The game at Spurs was hard – Mike England and Alan Gilzean were determined to stop us, but we came out on top and then went on to lose to Swindon Town. The pain is still there from that one. My point is this, and I am going to lose some friends on this one, but I do not hate THFC. I reserve the word “hate” for real hate – racists and bullies but a Club that gave us White, Mackay and Greaves set standards of football excellence that every one has aspired to ever since. Make no mistake I always want to beat Tottenham because they are our rivals. Every time we must come out on top. It’s life but hate – sorry no way. Scum? Again no way. I respect them for their football tradition and Ramos will follow it. It is a challenge for us and we must win it by playing our best football. So when the chant goes up ‘Stand Up If You Hate Tottenham’ you can be sure that one person at least will be rooted to his seat.
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Posted 29th Feb 2008
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