- Feb 1, 2005
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Ages ago now (About a year IIRC) we arranged a Q&A with Spurs legend Steve Perryman. Initially, we chose 10 questions submitted by SC'ers and passed them along, for one reason or another, we never did get all 10 answers back, so, here's the three we did get. A real SC exclusive!
1: (Asked by NeverRed) What's your own personal view on the club's situation, the way we operate and the direction we are taking. How lilly white is the future? Would love to know!
I look at THFC at the moment and see a club that is obviously financially secure. From afar, they seem to have a plan and a purpose with a direction that must be for the good of its long term future.
Again, from only the outside, without any inside knowledge, I can sense leadership that is vital to any club expecting success and this should be evident not only from the boardroom but also from the managers office and ten reflected on the pitch.
Some recent league results have not quite lived up to the expectancy which had been raised by the solid league results of last season but it appears that martin Jol has brought a stability to the playing side of the club. This now needs to be taken up to the next level with the buying policy seemingly more successful when buying from the English clubs, who have found hard times ie West Ham, Leeds, Nottingham Forest etc, than the foreign buys, apart from the wonderful Berbatov (?)
Hopefully, lessons have been learned from previous relationship problems between Team Manager and Director of Football, as egos can be a massive negative when really we should expect everyone, players, directors, staff, sponsors and crowd all pulling in the same direction.
From a personal point of view, I would welcome more style or class in some of the actions of our great club similar to the way the Bill Nicholson Memorial Service was handled but, I feel is somewhat lacking in certain areas. Does the club give value for money? I think that’s better answered by yourselves than me but without doubt, if a club is judged by the passion, numbers both at home and away games, of the supporters THFC is certainly alive, kicking and healthy.
2: (asked by Stuyid) What was the best team you played in?
The early 70's Uefa Cup winning side or maybe even the
F.A Cup wins in the early 80's with Ossie, Ricky and Hod
I have to be biased and say the team of the early 80s. Not because of the quality of players or anything like that. Far from it. The reason is that I personally had much more influence on the latter team because of my close working relationship with Keith Burkinshaw. We shared the common bond of being main players in the relegation of the club in the 70s and therefore a strong desire not only to redress the balance but to give everything in a bid to bring new success to the club and create “new history”
In the early 70s when I broke into the team as a 17 year old, my chance evolved because we had too many chiefs (full of internationals) and not enough Indians. So I put my war paint on and got about my job, basically, being led by Bill Nick or the senior players in the side which suited me fine as the new boy.
Of course I was not shy with my own opinion but my influence grew and grew as I became more experienced as both a person and a player. I thrived on the responsibility of the captaincy and so during the 80s it all came together for me aided by self confidence which I hopefully passed on to the younger members of the 80s group.
The game has changed so much that it is difficult to compare the likes of Peters, Chivers, Gilzean, Mullery, Knowles, England, Jennings etc against the likes of Clemence, Galvin, Ardiles, Hoddle, Villa, Archibald etc etc. So I am not going to try!
Suffice to say I was privileged to play in two wonderful eras of Tottenham football history and with so many remarkable teamates but the 80s team carries a part of part of Perryman trade mark on it amongst others whereas I felt a bit part player in the terrific 70s team.
I said my answer was biased!
3: (Asked by Bill_Oddie) Do you think if you were the same player again in the Premier League, your career would have followed a similar path? e.g. given a chance so young, stayed at one club, made so many appearances, etc?
I have to believe that I would have made it in the modern era because without self belief you are never going to achieve anything. There is an old adage that “if you are good enough you are old enough” so, yes, I believe that I would have got into the Tottenham team of today as my main attributes, mentally strong, a leader in both play and action and an inner drive not to be beaten, are aspects that are much sought after especially in todays game.
Consistency, borne out of understanding and knowledge of my own game and a sturdiness of body would surely help my ability to stay the course of career in length terms. Probably better pitches, diet and rotation systems may contribute to an extra quality more than quantity which is not such a bad thing.
As to loyalty to one club that’s an interesting question, because most Spurs supporters have a connection with me because of my 19 years spent at the club and an opinion that I did not chase the pound note during my career.
I will let you into a secret. Either by luck or judgement I matched perfectly with the ethics of the club and its Manager and therefore it suited me to stay as long as I did. I really loved the place, and, who I was working with and for. We all had a belief that if you deserved it, Bill Nick would look after and reward you.
I believe in the saying that “I’ll be as honest with you as you are with me”. So if I had realised that these people were not worth working for, then I would have been off like a shot.
You may not like this, but I fully understand Sol Campbells departure (but not to them) because if I had played in that era, I would not have stayed 19 months let alone 19 years. So despite being disappointed that things did not work out for Ossie and myself in the 90s, I can not say that I was particularly distraught to get out when I was asked to leave.
So, to sum up. Yes, I would get in young if there was a gap to get into the team as there was in my day. I think I would have played as many games if not more because of the current conditions. Would I have been so loyal, who knows? If I had been signed by a bent manager led by a wonky agent and at a team controlled by an arsehole of a suit (leading certain clubs these days), probably not, but I am glad I signed for the right club for me at that time. We matched up and were good for each other.
Remember: These answers were written approximately a year,i'd forgotten about it until today.
1: (Asked by NeverRed) What's your own personal view on the club's situation, the way we operate and the direction we are taking. How lilly white is the future? Would love to know!
I look at THFC at the moment and see a club that is obviously financially secure. From afar, they seem to have a plan and a purpose with a direction that must be for the good of its long term future.
Again, from only the outside, without any inside knowledge, I can sense leadership that is vital to any club expecting success and this should be evident not only from the boardroom but also from the managers office and ten reflected on the pitch.
Some recent league results have not quite lived up to the expectancy which had been raised by the solid league results of last season but it appears that martin Jol has brought a stability to the playing side of the club. This now needs to be taken up to the next level with the buying policy seemingly more successful when buying from the English clubs, who have found hard times ie West Ham, Leeds, Nottingham Forest etc, than the foreign buys, apart from the wonderful Berbatov (?)
Hopefully, lessons have been learned from previous relationship problems between Team Manager and Director of Football, as egos can be a massive negative when really we should expect everyone, players, directors, staff, sponsors and crowd all pulling in the same direction.
From a personal point of view, I would welcome more style or class in some of the actions of our great club similar to the way the Bill Nicholson Memorial Service was handled but, I feel is somewhat lacking in certain areas. Does the club give value for money? I think that’s better answered by yourselves than me but without doubt, if a club is judged by the passion, numbers both at home and away games, of the supporters THFC is certainly alive, kicking and healthy.
2: (asked by Stuyid) What was the best team you played in?
The early 70's Uefa Cup winning side or maybe even the
F.A Cup wins in the early 80's with Ossie, Ricky and Hod
I have to be biased and say the team of the early 80s. Not because of the quality of players or anything like that. Far from it. The reason is that I personally had much more influence on the latter team because of my close working relationship with Keith Burkinshaw. We shared the common bond of being main players in the relegation of the club in the 70s and therefore a strong desire not only to redress the balance but to give everything in a bid to bring new success to the club and create “new history”
In the early 70s when I broke into the team as a 17 year old, my chance evolved because we had too many chiefs (full of internationals) and not enough Indians. So I put my war paint on and got about my job, basically, being led by Bill Nick or the senior players in the side which suited me fine as the new boy.
Of course I was not shy with my own opinion but my influence grew and grew as I became more experienced as both a person and a player. I thrived on the responsibility of the captaincy and so during the 80s it all came together for me aided by self confidence which I hopefully passed on to the younger members of the 80s group.
The game has changed so much that it is difficult to compare the likes of Peters, Chivers, Gilzean, Mullery, Knowles, England, Jennings etc against the likes of Clemence, Galvin, Ardiles, Hoddle, Villa, Archibald etc etc. So I am not going to try!
Suffice to say I was privileged to play in two wonderful eras of Tottenham football history and with so many remarkable teamates but the 80s team carries a part of part of Perryman trade mark on it amongst others whereas I felt a bit part player in the terrific 70s team.
I said my answer was biased!
3: (Asked by Bill_Oddie) Do you think if you were the same player again in the Premier League, your career would have followed a similar path? e.g. given a chance so young, stayed at one club, made so many appearances, etc?
I have to believe that I would have made it in the modern era because without self belief you are never going to achieve anything. There is an old adage that “if you are good enough you are old enough” so, yes, I believe that I would have got into the Tottenham team of today as my main attributes, mentally strong, a leader in both play and action and an inner drive not to be beaten, are aspects that are much sought after especially in todays game.
Consistency, borne out of understanding and knowledge of my own game and a sturdiness of body would surely help my ability to stay the course of career in length terms. Probably better pitches, diet and rotation systems may contribute to an extra quality more than quantity which is not such a bad thing.
As to loyalty to one club that’s an interesting question, because most Spurs supporters have a connection with me because of my 19 years spent at the club and an opinion that I did not chase the pound note during my career.
I will let you into a secret. Either by luck or judgement I matched perfectly with the ethics of the club and its Manager and therefore it suited me to stay as long as I did. I really loved the place, and, who I was working with and for. We all had a belief that if you deserved it, Bill Nick would look after and reward you.
I believe in the saying that “I’ll be as honest with you as you are with me”. So if I had realised that these people were not worth working for, then I would have been off like a shot.
You may not like this, but I fully understand Sol Campbells departure (but not to them) because if I had played in that era, I would not have stayed 19 months let alone 19 years. So despite being disappointed that things did not work out for Ossie and myself in the 90s, I can not say that I was particularly distraught to get out when I was asked to leave.
So, to sum up. Yes, I would get in young if there was a gap to get into the team as there was in my day. I think I would have played as many games if not more because of the current conditions. Would I have been so loyal, who knows? If I had been signed by a bent manager led by a wonky agent and at a team controlled by an arsehole of a suit (leading certain clubs these days), probably not, but I am glad I signed for the right club for me at that time. We matched up and were good for each other.
Remember: These answers were written approximately a year,i'd forgotten about it until today.
