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One Hotspur

Stelladrinker

Mauricio Taricco
Feb 1, 2005
2,516
152
How long have you been a Spurs fan?

I was chatting to a lad recently who didn’t even know who Mickey Hazard was. Meanwhile it’s a little known fact that our old friend BOF is actually 136 years old and has been following since we looked like Blackburn, first time round, he has the original replica shirt from all that time ago, I’ve seen the pictures.

Me, I’ve been hard at it for a good twenty years give or take, seen some damn good players, teams, managers come and go, seen some awful ones too, (I meant to mention one here that stands out but where do I start…?) but whatever your personal memories, there are certain things that are common to us all, the hatred of Arsenal, the betrayal of Sol Campbell, the intense nerves you feel when we’re two or three nil up because you know full well no one can throw a lead away like we can here at Spurs, and lastly, and most annoyingly, the collective fickleness.

We all do it, we’re all as guilty as each other, we watch our boys with such devotion, we talk about them with such expectation, we raise our hopes so high because we know what we’re capable of, the famous quote goes that “we have set our sights so high that even failure will have in it an echo of glory”. But that’s just not the case is it? We feel no glory in our failure. We’ve all felt it in the pit of our stomachs, every time we seem to be on the verge of something great we slip up, we bottle it, we let ourselves down and there is no one quicker to point it out than the loyal fan himself, sick of seeing another home defeat by Newcastle or Middlesbrough just when we had been on such a good run and would have leapt into the top four with a win, sick of another semi-final defeat to a team we should beat just when we were all getting our Wembley/Cardiff plans together.

It’s a natural emotion to feel upset, angry, let down. But what you do about it is up to you, you can screw your face up, you can scream “same old Spurs” you can slag off the first player that comes to mind who hasn’t had the game of his life, or you can do something else, you can still sing at the top of your voice, you can roar the boys home till your hoarse, even when we lose at the Reebok, even when we only manage a draw away at Wigan, even when we’re 1-0 at home to Derby!

This season the club urges us to be part of “One Hotspur”, this isn’t just a gimmick, Liverpool have reached two champions league finals in three seasons even though they have been found wanting in the league, Jamie Carragher credits it to an overwhelming team spirit, he’s wrong, on European nights they have an overwhelming club spirit. An atmosphere that carries them through - 1-0 down at home to Olympiakos at half time, they needed three goals to qualify, they’re fans stood up to be counted and by god they got them, they won the Champions League final just a few short months later in the face of even stronger adversity, and they did it together, as a club.

We can create something similar at Spurs; we can back our team, our players, our manager to the end. People across the footballing world are tipping us for a push, a proper push this time, on the big four and wouldn’t it be just so Spurs like to stumble under the weight of pressure, for Darren Bent not to score in his first fifteen games, for Ledley King and Dimitar Berbatov to pick up worrying injuries, for us to be beaten by Sunderland on the opening day and wouldn’t it also be so Spurs like for everyone of you who is tipping us for the top right now to stumble too and start in on the endless player slagging, the pessimism, the “same old Tottenham” but we don’t have to, this season is shit or bust. The management know it, the players know it, the fans know it.

If we don’t make the champions league this season the team will start to crumble, Berbatov and Chimbonda will go; they’ll be followed by others, it’s no coincidence there’s been such a massive investment on the team the last few weeks.

Lets hope to god this article is all epidemic when push comes to shove and we actually do stand tall and proud and finally claim our rightful place among the big boys, but in case it’s not and we don’t get off to a flyer, lets be patient, rally round and remember that this time we’re in it together, one chance, one season, one Hotspur.
 

Rufio

Member
May 3, 2007
350
0
Nice post, yes this is our most critical year. Our best players' heads will be turned significantly if we don't win a trophy of some sort (at least) or (/and) make champs league (4th place or above).

I think our squad is in the top 5, maybe top 4, but have we got that mentality, do we believe we can do it.

One's thing for sure, with the talent we have all over the squad, I for one believe we can.
 

BringBack_leGin

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2004
27,719
54,929
i've only had half your tenure, having got my season ticket when i was not even 12 in the summer of 1997, though i had been plenty before that, but despite the accusations of fickleness and whatnot, i've never been less than delighted with the way our team has been supported.

Yes, we've had our negative moments, all fans do. But through a hell of a long time of crap we have also been loyal in our thousands home and away without fail, wiht our average attendances only ever dropping during redevelopment times.

We have amazing fans and I fully trust that they will all, myself included, embrace the sentiments you have laid out in your post, because we always do. After all, we are Tottenham, we are Tottenham, super Tottenham, from the Lane!

On a slightly different note, watch this.... it recalss some 90's players and moments and got me a touch choked up, especially in the bits involving Gin, Mabs and Klins!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8p-dQxaw74
 

Kingstheman

No longer BSoDL
Mar 13, 2006
5,831
2,991
I have supported Tottenham Hotspur since about 1987 - when I was six. The first season I really remember is the 1990/1 season in which we won the f.a. cup.
 

JuanRebelde

Member
Apr 10, 2006
978
2
There are two things in the article that I disagree with.

Firstly that the Liverpool fans are a model we should work towards. Not unreasonably have they been named the worst fans in Europe by UEFA due to the disturbances they cause - even amongst themselves. Too often they get away with trouble that other clubs would face bans for or worse we all pay for what they did eg the 80's ban.

In my experience, a typical Liverpool fan can be characterised by being born in the 1970's / 80's when they were winning everything and so they jumped on the band wagon from then on.

Most (in my experience) have never been to the ground let alone seen them play and only get the cracks papered over the reality that this once great team is no longer great. Fortune favored them to get in to a CL Final. e.g. the terrible decision made against Chavski in the semi-final second leg at Anfield the first time around amongst other things.

Frankly we should not be looking at the scousers for inspiration but I will say that although his name escapes me, a certain well known high profile spanish football personality discribed what I beleive to be the essence of a Liverpool fan when he said, " if you put a sh*t on a stick and wave it infront of the liverpool fans they'll chear it".

The comment was a snipe at the club as it was saying that Liverpool fans have a reputation for chearing anything including the boring, negative, turgid stuff served up by Benitez. Many other fans would have infact demanded more from their players and managers. The word bland comes to mind when I listen to Liverpool fans talking football.

To that end other fans do deserve credit for sticking with it and indeed making the difference. Pompey could certainly claim credit for this as they have a very passionate and vocal bunch backing them and they do travel. This is a club that is used to struggles but still they come. Other clubs may also claim this but I am just using Pompey as an example.

The other issue I have with the article is that in business (and Spurs are just that) do you think that millions of pounds of investment would be made over a number of years to reach a given target; So that if at first it was not reached when ALL the pieces of the strategy were in place they'd dismantle everything and give up? It doesn't happen.

If we don't get into the CL next season then it will be for the following season etc. The aim is to make Spurs competitive LONG-TERM and not as the laughingly bad press would have it that the whole thing would fall apart if it didn't work this season. That is what Leeds did, we have built more prudently than any of our closest rivals and are clearly not over-spending. We are also building a long-term club not a one off team.

I certainly wouldn't use the word dynasty but I some times get the impression that at spurs the strategy is very much to build on the park firstly to get the top youngsters joining as now is the case. When this happens you become a long-term power.

As such your comments are wrong but I believe the influence of the press has resulted in this incorrect assumption.

PS the first game I saw was Portsmouth v Spurs at fratton park in a pre-season friendly in 1971/72.
 

eddiev14

SC Supporter
Jan 18, 2005
7,173
19,679
There are two things in the article that I disagree with.

Firstly that the Liverpool fans are a model we should work towards. Not unreasonably have they been named the worst fans in Europe by UEFA due to the disturbances they cause - even amongst themselves. Too often they get away with trouble that other clubs would face bans for or worse we all pay for what they did eg the 80's ban.

In my experience, a typical Liverpool fan can be characterised by being born in the 1970's / 80's when they were winning everything and so they jumped on the band wagon from then on.

Most (in my experience) have never been to the ground let alone seen them play and only get the cracks papered over the reality that this once great team is no longer great. Fortune favored them to get in to a CL Final. e.g. the terrible decision made against Chavski in the semi-final second leg at Anfield the first time around amongst other things.

Frankly we should not be looking at the scousers for inspiration but I will say that although his name escapes me, a certain well known high profile spanish football personality discribed what I beleive to be the essence of a Liverpool fan when he said, " if you put a sh*t on a stick and wave it infront of the liverpool fans they'll chear it".

The comment was a snipe at the club as it was saying that Liverpool fans have a reputation for chearing anything including the boring, negative, turgid stuff served up by Benitez. Many other fans would have infact demanded more from their players and managers. The word bland comes to mind when I listen to Liverpool fans talking football.

To that end other fans do deserve credit for sticking with it and indeed making the difference. Pompey could certainly claim credit for this as they have a very passionate and vocal bunch backing them and they do travel. This is a club that is used to struggles but still they come. Other clubs may also claim this but I am just using Pompey as an example.

The other issue I have with the article is that in business (and Spurs are just that) do you think that millions of pounds of investment would be made over a number of years to reach a given target; So that if at first it was not reached when ALL the pieces of the strategy were in place they'd dismantle everything and give up? It doesn't happen.

If we don't get into the CL next season then it will be for the following season etc. The aim is to make Spurs competitive LONG-TERM and not as the laughingly bad press would have it that the whole thing would fall apart if it didn't work this season. That is what Leeds did, we have built more prudently than any of our closest rivals and are clearly not over-spending. We are also building a long-term club not a one off team.

I certainly wouldn't use the word dynasty but I some times get the impression that at spurs the strategy is very much to build on the park firstly to get the top youngsters joining as now is the case. When this happens you become a long-term power.

As such your comments are wrong but I believe the influence of the press has resulted in this incorrect assumption.

Yes sir. Nail on the head.
 

camaj

Posting too much
Aug 10, 2004
8,195
883
Why talk about Liverpool but not our fans after half time in the Seville game? Bloody amazing.

I will criticise our players next season if they deserve it. The difference will be that I won't write our season off after a few dodgy results like a lot of people have done.
 

kernowspur

Member
Nov 1, 2004
896
278
Like BOF I am old enough to have watched the 61 double team. Also remember being knocked out of the European Cup by Benfica and a dodgy referee in Portugal.
I've been waiting for a long time to get back in the top Eurpean competion and think we have a chance this season.

:)
 

Rufusman

Member
Jun 19, 2005
56
15
I suppose I was an early glory hunter, my dad tried to make me a West Ham supporter but my first glimpse of a certain James P. Greaves in 1964 got me hooked and been with the Spurs ever since.
 

PantherX

Active Member
Feb 2, 2004
557
39
24 years here. Spurs toured Trinidad in '83 and I went to both games. I hung around after the second match and got autographs from Hoddle, Archibald, Crooks and Parks who actually stopped and chatted for a while.

While I was thrilled was great to meet the other players Parks left the biggest impression. He was such a nice guy Ithe encounter cemented me as a yiddo for life.

As for the other point I don't concern myself with what other clubs' fans do. What we DO need to do is to be patient when things go wrong and not get too down when things go wrong.

Just as a win against Chelsea doesn't make us title contenders a loss to Newcastle or Reading isn't cause for us to start calling for players to be transferred and the manager removed.

If you believe that the team management has us going in the right direction don't lose faith when it gets tough.
 

Edgarsglasses

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2005
708
964
I was born & bread in Liverpool & was brought up as a kid in the early eighties when Liverpool FC won everything in sight.I was given a Liverpool kit by my dad & whisked off to Anfield to be groomed as a red.I turned 10 & saw this guy Hoddle glide around the pitch with such style & grace & thought this guy is class who's he play for? i then saw 81 cup final & i was hooked on Tottenham & have been ever since.Everyone used to tell my dad "oh he's just going through a phase he'll grow out of it!" he's still waiting!!!
 

Gladrags

New Member
Apr 23, 2006
3
0
26 years for me.

Despite being pulled to Fratton park by parents on a regular basis, being born just outside Pompey, Spurs were always number 1.

First time I saw them live, a milk cup tie at Fratton park. 0-0 I believe. Mark Falco was up front. Spurs lost the replay I think?
 

macspurs

Member
Aug 6, 2005
316
7
I too was thrust into a West Ham strip at an early age, most Romford lads were. Then my insane uncle bought me a Chelsea strip and I was forced to wear that for a while.
I too saw the light when Mr. Hoddle played, and vowed I would follow that man to whatever football club he went to. Needless to say I didn't start supporting Monaco.
A mighty 29 years so far.
 

Pillbug

Active Member
Jul 26, 2006
953
48
I was a travel-baby and hence, did not grow up with the constant exposure to english league on television as some of you did, but 17-18 years in tow for me, when I was 13 or so. It was Gazza w/ Lineker. My pops had been a part-time supporter for years but never really adhered to me until 1989-90.
 
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