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Mark Of Esteem

Discussion in 'Spurscommunity Front Page News' started by mawspurs, Dec 19, 2006.

  • by mawspurs, Dec 19, 2006 at 10:20 PM

  • mawspurs Moderator

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    SPURS NEWS:

    Ledley King admits that Mark Gower was a player he used to admire when the pair were trying to make a name for themselves in our Academy some 10 years ago.

    Source: Official Site

    Although a few years apart as they went through our youth set-up, our current club captain featured in the same youth team as Gower, who is now an integral part of Southend United, our Carling Cup quarter-final opponents on Wednesday night.

    Their fortunes have differed somewhat since those days in the mid-90s, with Ledley going onto play for his country and over 200 times for us while Mark played just twice in our colours before moving to first Barnet and then Southend. But Ledley recalls a player who had bags of potential but suffered the misfortune of injury at a key time in his career.

    “I remember Mark, he was about three years ahead of me and someone that Tottenham had real hopes for,” said our skipper. “He was a big prospect at a young age and a player I looked up to when I was a lad in the youth team. I played alongside him quite a few times and know him quite well, but he had a few injuries that hampered his career, which was a real shame for him.”

    Another of the Southend team, Kevin Maher, was already a professional with us when Ledley was still in the Academy, although he never played a first team game for us. But our England international knows that both Gower and Maher will be keen to put on a performance at the Lane.

    “Kevin was quite a bit older than me, but I remember him being here,” he reveals. “Both of them have done well at Southend, Kevin’s the captain now and they have been there quite a while.

    “Obviously they will both be looking forward to the game, it’s a big match for them and for all of Southend and it will be very special for Mark and Kevin to come back to the club where it all began.”
    mawspurs, Dec 19, 2006
    #1
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Comments

Discussion in 'Spurscommunity Front Page News' started by mawspurs, Dec 19, 2006.

  1. Laudrup
    Imagine how players like Gower and Maher (and hundreds and hundreds) must feel just a bit aggrivated about not reaching their big potential, due to injuries or just not being at the right place at the right time...

    They can look back now (and the coming 20 years) and wonder what went wrong - watching Englands games on the tele, they can say: " You know, son - that could have been me!".

    And it maybe could (and should) have...:-|
    Laudrup, Dec 20, 2006
    #2
  2. Green Samot
    I went to school with Mark Gower.

    He was alright...
    Green Samot, Dec 20, 2006
    #3
  3. BringBack_leGin
    i remember when i was but a lad my dad used to tell me to watch out for Mark Gower as he was gonna be the nextbig passing genius in our midfield... and now that's what I say to my little cousings about Jamie O'Hara. Lets hope they have different fortunes!
    BringBack_leGin, Dec 20, 2006
    #4
  4. paxton_soul
    our academy does seem to do a good job of churning out decent pros without finding superstars very often. And seems to specialise in defenders (scummer, Ledders, Carr).

    Paul McVeigh and Peter Crouch are two examples of strikers that left us and grafted for some years before finding their feet. Recently the likes of the Bowditches, Jacksons and Marneys look set to be decent journeymen.

    Would love us to turf up a super attacker at some point - a real homegrown North London hero up front would be something
    paxton_soul, Dec 20, 2006
    #5
  5. tomo
    Looks like the game stands a good chance of being called off with all this fog.
    Can anyone on here living in Tottenham give us a weather update? :razz:
    tomo, Dec 20, 2006
    #6
  6. tomo
    I think players for the most part always find their natural level (the exception being Steffen Freund who was inexplicably playing in top flight German and English football all his career :shifty:).
    If I was Gower I would be happy playing for Southend...........life could be a lot worse I suppose, he could have a proper job!
    tomo, Dec 20, 2006
    #7
  7. TheChosenOne
    According to the paper Eastwood earns 2k a week
    also..
    according to the paper he has a Freddy Junior (5) & a Chardonnay (2) nice
    TheChosenOne, Dec 20, 2006
    #8
  8. davidmatzdorf
    I'm not sure. They're realising the primary ambition they must have had as boys, which was to be a professional footballer. For every Southend playmaker, there are 2,000 bank clerks, builders, butchers and burglars who started with the same ambition (plus the occasional internationally-famous foul-mouthed chef...).

    I doubt that many players who are at League 1 or League 2 clubs feel like failures. And they're probably making a hell of a lot more money than they would have made as a bank clerk, a builder...
    davidmatzdorf, Dec 20, 2006
    #9
  9. infamousyiddo

    no fog mate, the game will go ahead, but its bloody FREEZING!!!!
    infamousyiddo, Dec 20, 2006
    #10
  10. sloth
    It's been beautifully clear all day in North London, a bit cold mind!!
    sloth, Dec 20, 2006
    #11
  11. tomo
    Good to hear about the weather fellas.
    We've got a few out tonight though. Jol has to play his strongest possible 11 and then hopefully when the games going our way he can take a few of them off.
    Can't take any risks for this one IMO
    tomo, Dec 20, 2006
    #12
  12. GetSpurredOn
    Not that sure they were unlucky. If they were really good enough then they would go to a lower club, shine at that level be picked up by someone else - Peter Crouch - struggled at spurs, was sold to QPR for peanuts and forced his way back up via Portsmouth, Villa, Norwich and Southampton to Liverpool.
    GetSpurredOn, Dec 20, 2006
    #13

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