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The GLENN HODDLE thread

Archibald&Crooks

Aegina Expat
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Feb 1, 2005
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Glenn Hoddle, widely regarded as the finest post-war Spurs player, joined the club as a schoolboy apprentice in April 1974 following the recommendation of another Tottenham legend, Martin Chivers.

He successfully overcame knee problems in his early teens and collected England Youth caps prior to making his first-team debut as a 17 year old substitute against Norwich City in August 1975. Spurs drew 2-2.

Hoddle was forced to wait until February 1976 to start a First Division match and immediately announced his arrival with a spectacular strike past Stoke City and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. [ar]
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The talented playmaker flourished under the management of Keith Burkinshaw and despite the club's relegation to the Second Division in 1976/77 after 27 seasons of First Division football, a Hoddle inspired Spurs side won promotion to the top flight at the first attempt. As Tottenham's transitional phase continued, Hoddle's enigmatic and often controversial international career began in December 1976 against Wales in an Under-21 fixture. He would collect another seven caps at that level and play twice for the England 'B' team prior to scoring on his full international debut against Bulgaria in November 1979.

The 1979/80 campaign heralded the emergence of Hoddle as a top-class player, the 22 year old midfielder scored 19 goals in 41 league appearances and was deservedly awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

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[/al]Critics of Hoddle questioned his stamina and willingness to defend but his natural attacking skills were simply breathtaking and often at odds with the ingrained British football philosophy of tireless running and a strong work ethic. His sublime balance and close control, unrivalled passing and vision and extraordinary shooting ability, both from open play and set pieces, made Hoddle the most gifted English player of his generation.

In 1981, he starred as Spurs won the FA Cup for the sixth time, defeating Manchester City in a memorable replay and the following season Tottenham retained the FA Cup (Hoddle scored in both the Final and Final replay) and finished the League campaign in fourth place, the club's best league position since 1971.
Hoddle performed as the midfield fulcrum in many of these successes and also contributed magnificently as the team reached the final of the League Cup, losing 3-1 to Liverpool, and the semi-final stage of the European Cup Winners Cup. During the summer of 1982, Hoddle played in two of England's matches in the opening group phase of the FIFA World Cup, starting against Kuwait after a substitute appearance in a 2-0 victory over Czechoslovakia.

Unfortunately for Tottenham Hotspur and their star player, Hoddle's involvement in the following three seasons was limited by a number of niggling injury problems (he started only 76 of a possible 126 league matches) but nevertheless, Hoddle proved to be the architect behind the team's 1984 UEFA Cup triumph despite missing the Final due to fitness concerns. In October 1983, he dazzled the White Hart Lane crowd with a phenomenal second-round display as Spurs won 6-2 on aggregate against a Feyenoord Rotterdam side containing the legendary Johan Cruyff. Such was the quality of his perfomance in both matches, the Dutch legend entered the Tottenham dressing room and offered Hoddle his shirt as a sign of respect. [ar]
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Spurs came close to further honours in the next three seasons, reaching third place in the First Division and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1984/85 and another FA Cup Final in 1987, losing 3-2 to Coventry City, the only time the North London club has experienced defeat in the final of the famous knock-out competition.

The unexpected loss to the Midlands side was Hoddle's last match for Spurs as newly-appointed AS Monaco manager Arsene Wenger brought him to the principality for a fee of £750,000. Between 1975 and 1987, the gifted playmaker scored 110 goals in 490 first-team matches in all competitions, only four players (Steve Perryman, Pat Jennings, Gary Mabbutt and Cyril Knowles) have made more appearances in a Spurs shirt. At international level, Hoddle won 44 caps for England during his Tottenham career, an inadequate return for such a skilful and charismatic footballer.

A video of Glenn Hoddle goals can be viewed here :bowdown:

One of the greatest ever players to play for Spurs, I remember watching him score that volley against Man Utd (See video clip) from the shelf and what sticks in my mind was the buzz going around the ground as the game restarted. His best ever goal? My vote goes to the Watford turn and chip (Again see video clip) but there were just so many to choose from.

What would he be worth today?
 

spud

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2003
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There are many words that I could use to describe Glenn Hoddle the footballer. I think that this nicely sums it up:

Glenn Hoddle was a bona fide fucking genius.
 

TheChosenOne

A dislike or neg rep = fat fingers
Dec 13, 2005
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Great to have watched nearly all his games, thrilled to the core every week.

Skill and vision on a different level.
Tact not best personal skill however I put this down to him being a working class boy done good.

Thanks for the memories Glenda

Didn't half hurt when he managed Chelsea at the time though
 

Davey-O

is your hero
Mar 16, 2005
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Thats shimmy that leaves the 3 defenders for dead at the half way line is amazing...
 

Sanj

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2003
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Quite simple the most talented English player in my living memory.
LEGEND.
 

Sanj

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2003
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and as for greatest goals, 3 really stick out in my memory:
The crufy turn and chip from inside the area against watford.
The shimmy, run from halfway, dummy on the keeper against Oxford.
A freekick in a 2-0 win against Wimbledon in a cup competition. 25-30 yards out and absolutely hammered into the top corner.
There were so many more fantastic goals, but those are teh 3 for me.
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
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There have been some great partnerships in football and especially at WHL but the Hoddle-Waddle combination was superb.
 

chinaman

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2003
17,974
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Just how many of Clive Allen's goals happened like: someone wins the ball, gave it to Hoddle who hit a 60 yard pass down the wing with Waddle chasing it down just before the by-line and crossed first-time for Allen to score.

Before Waddle came to Spurs, he was just a dribbler running into blind corners all the time. But Hoddle was smart enough not to let him have time to settle on the ball and muck around with it. Hence all those diagonal long passes out well in front of Waddle, but always landed right for Waddle to cross first time. What a magnificent player. Never one like him before and there'll be none like him after.
 

DC_Boy

New Member
May 20, 2005
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My fave ever spurs player - he played in an era where the ball didn't move like it did today - where the tackles were much cruder, the pitches much muddier and yet still he delivered works of art on a regular basis
 

The_Blue_Rooster

New Member
Nov 28, 2006
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I don't think words can say how great he was, his football did all the speaking for him. Favourite goal for me was v Notts Forrest, superb volley on the edge of the box. It won ITV's goal of the season. Although I did enjoy a header v Coventry, his only one I believe.
 

stakesishigh

Active Member
Apr 11, 2005
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the last goal on that comp maks me chuckle every time...

makes the goalie and the three defenders on the halfway line look very stupid.
 

rigg the yid

New Member
Jan 25, 2007
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I hear he's still handy on the training ground, d'ya reckon he'd fancy polling on the shirt again
 

Chuba

SC founder member gone bad, i love u all
Sep 21, 2003
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A Legend to none, Hoddle the KING of WHL certainly did dazzle us, i am amongst the lucky ones being able to have watched this magician work his spells on opposition midfields and defences alike, a player that could make a pass from one side of the field to the other without having to look, a player that could turn a game on its head, a player of intelligence which is rare in todays football of athletes.

I enjoyed so much watching him week in and week out that when it came for him to leave spurs (the famous Oxford game goal) i actually cryed my eyes out at WHL with half of the other supporters aswell.

My last siteing of Hoddle as a player was the final of the "coupe de france" at the Parc des Princes in Paris, a certain Marseille v Monaco.

A French spurs fan friend and myself were standing in the middle of like 4000 Marseille supporters Eek (wouldn't do that today) singing "Hoddle, Hoddle, born is the king of WHL" (i was well pissed that day too), the match finished 4-3 to Marseille but it was fantastic to have seen him play again.

A Legend in his own right, and the only Spurs player to be crowned KING of WHL.

Thanks Hod the God... sniff im gonna cry.
 

jondesouza

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2004
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I always distinctly remember a game in the 86/87 where a corner came into the Spurs box, Hoddle chested it up and volleyed a pass 60 yards directly into the path of Nico Claesen. It didn't lead to a goal, but I'll never forget that piece of skill.
 

DC_Boy

New Member
May 20, 2005
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Hi Chuba :) I went to Monaco to see Hod clinch the championship by beating Nice - c'etait formidable :)

then I went next year to try to get in to see that final - apparently usually it was fairly easy to get tickets but because Marseilles were playing - I just couldn't get one - saw the game on TV - t'was a great game - wrong result though ;-(
 

2bearis2do

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2006
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2,317
Genius pure genius.
Video clip was well worht a visit!

That volley against Man U...genius.

Great days and what a great team, puts the current team to shame. Roberts, Archibald, Crooks, Ardiles, Villa, Hoddle, Waddle, Perryman
Who can we neam in the same breath now? And we moan about the Sheff Utd pitch.

Waddle was simply class too, when he went to Marseille, he became an absolute legend. There is a video compilation of his time at Marseille where he became arguably the best player in Europe for a couple of seasons. He became less of a dribbler and more of a Hoddlesque type player, taking all the freekicks and nailing them in the back of the net. Well worth checking out the video if you are a Waddle fan.
 
Feb 12, 2007
91
2
I'll tell you a side of Glenn that only a few of us witnessed first hand.

It was the day we lost to Everton in the FA Cup in 1983 after winning the Cup 2 years on the trot. We took about 10.000 fans up to Goodison and lost for the first time in 3 years. On the way back, we stopped at a service station for something to eat. There was about 20 of us.

As we got back on our minibus, the Spurs Team Coach pulled in and Glenn Hoddle and the rest got off. One of our mates brother, who was 16 and a little retarded ran over to Glenn and started hugging him. Glenn, turned to us and said through all his dissapointment if he could take our mates' brother on the Team bus and we could collect him at WHL.

The sight of seing this young lad on the bus sitting next to Glenn and hugging him still as the Team bus pulled away will always remain with me. Glenn proved that night, what a great he was.
 
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