We need a miracle

[Bobbins]

history says different mate:

1997 Premier League 6th (59 points from 38 games)
1998 Premier League 4th (63 points from 38 games)
1999 Premier League 3rd (75 points from 38 games)

and FA Cup wins in 96/97 & 99/00 if memory serves

it gives me no pleasure to highlight this, but it's not just oil money is it?

Matthew Harding invested £27m in 1994 (an insane amount of money at the time) and began the process of Chelsea becoming a powerhouse before his death, with the purchase of the likes of:

Hoddle as manager

Duberry
Gullit
Hughes
Leboeuf
Petrescu
Di Matteo
Vialli
Zola
Poyet
Flo
Le Saux

...and many others over the years you mention.

Abramovich just made a money-fuelled club even more powerful, and cleared the enormous debt they'd built up buying these players which famously very nearly made them go into administration with almost no prospect of getting out again.

It was (of course), one of the biggest strokes of luck in the history of English football that on his way to buy us, Roman looked out of the window of his helicopter as they flew over Stamford Bridge and asked his adviser who played there. Promptly landed and bought the lucky fuckers.

 

[mrlilywhite]

Matthew Harding invested £27m in 1994 (an insane amount of money at the time) and began the process of Chelsea becoming a powerhouse before his death, with the purchase of the likes of:

Hoddle as manager

Duberry
Gullit
Hughes
Leboeuf
Petrescu
Di Matteo
Vialli
Zola
Poyet
Flo
Le Saux

...and many others over the years you mention.

Abramovich just made a money-fuelled club even more powerful, and cleared the enormous debt they'd built up buying these players which famously very nearly made them go into administration with almost no prospect of getting out again.

It was (of course), one of the biggest strokes of luck in the history of English football that on his way to buy us, Roman looked out of the window of his helicopter as they flew over Stamford Bridge and asked his adviser who played there. Promptly landed and bought the lucky fuckers.

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but it did not happen like that, just to emphasise the real reason why Roman did not buy us.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2421675/Levy-breaks-his-silence-on-Abramovich-link.html

Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, has for the first time confirmed that he had a meeting with Roman Abramovich months before the Russian bought Chelsea.

Since Abramovich acquired Chelsea there has been much speculation as to whether he could instead have been Tottenham's Santa Claus.

There have been conflicting stories about whether an offer was made for the north London club.

The Russian did come to White Hart Lane to meet Levy, probably around April when he was in this country for the Champions League quarter-final match between Manchester United and Real Madrid at Old Trafford. It was at this second-leg tie that the Israeli agent, Pini Zahavi, introduced Abramovich to Peter Kenyon, United's chief executive who moved to Chelsea in the same capacity last week.

Levy, whose company ENIC own 29.9 per cent of Tottenham and who is presently on honeymoon, told The Daily Telegraph: "Yes, we did have a meeting at his request because he wanted ENIC's perspective on the European football market. It is important to note however, that at no time did we discuss, either then or subsequently, his desire to acquire a Premiership club."

Then, just before Abramovich emerged as Chelsea's saviour, Levy received a phone call from Zahavi asking whether Tottenham were for sale. Levy, unable to believe a man he regarded as a football agent could be acting as an investment banker trying to buy a public company, told him Tottenham were not for sale. He quoted a silly price to get him off the phone.

Other sources have claimed Levy also spoke to Abramovich's investment bankers, although Levy denies this.

Levy told me: "For the record, I can also confirm that we have had no proposals from any party to acquire any or all of the share capital in Tottenham Hotspur."

I understand the price Levy quoted Zahavi was around £50 million for ENIC's shares. This would have valued the club at more than £150 million at a time when the share price of Tottenham on the London Stock Exchange was 18p, valuing the club at £20 million.

Abramovich, when allegedly told about Levy's response, clearly thought it was a ridiculous price and bought Chelsea instead. Although Chelsea cost him £60 million, paying off the club's debts pushed the overall figure up to £150 million. But for that he also got a stadium which had been developed as well as two hotels, more than he would have got at Tottenham.

One reason, apart from getting Zahavi off the phone, which could have prompted Levy to quote such a high price was a clause in the agreement which took ENIC into private ownership in March this year.

This clause, concerning any future sale of Tottenham, promised shareholders that should in the next two years Tottenham be sold at a higher price then the money would be shared between all those who had been shareholders of ENIC at the date of privatisation.

One source said: "If Abramovich really did consider Tottenham then it came two years too soon for Levy."

Apart from the brush-off Levy gave Zahavi, Abramovich may also have been deterred from making a formal bid by the fact that Alan Sugar, the former Tottenham chairman, owns 13.2 per cent and would have driven a hard bargain. Chelsea, with large debts, were an easier club to buy.

Levy's meeting with Abramovich was not discussed by the Tottenham board as Levy clearly felt that there was no offer and therefore there was nothing to report.

Levy may be right in insisting that there was no formal approach. With a first-class degree from Cambridge University, Levy is clearly a clever man but he has not always shown himself to be a good deal-maker. He originally wanted to buy Tottenham from Sugar in the autumn of 1998. As he was negotiating, it emerged that Sky were bidding for Manchester United, Sugar asked for more money and it was March 2001 before Levy was able to buy Tottenham.

He did end up paying less, 80p instead of £1 per share, but also bought the club just as the football bubble was about to burst.

Since then two other decisions of his have cost the club money and left them looking for a future home as well as a training centre. Earlier this year Tottenham's planning application to develop an academy and training facility at Abridge was rejected by Epping District Council and, as a consequence, £1.2 million of costs had to be written off.

Levy also ditched the plan he had inherited to develop White Hart Lane, writing off another £500,000 in professional costs, but has so far failed to come up with an alternative.

 

[Skye Sauces]

League Cup Semi 1992
FA Cup Semi 1993
FA Cup Semi 1995
FA Cup Semi 2001
League Cup Final 2002
League Cup Semi 2007
League Cup Final 2009
FA Cup Semi 2010
FA Cup Semi 2012

and when you've been to every one of them - it hurts!

 

[Reece]

League Cup Semi 1992
FA Cup Semi 1993
FA Cup Semi 1995
FA Cup Semi 2001
League Cup Final 2002
League Cup Semi 2007
League Cup Final 2009
FA Cup Semi 2010
FA Cup Semi 2012

and when you've been to every one of them - it hurts!

Have you considered sitting one out?

 

[Skye Sauces]

..... and miss a night where we hit 5 against the chels or arse! Never.

 

[Montasura]

What saddens me is that there are now Spurs fans, no doubt some on this very forum, who ( one league cup with Ramos aside) have never experienced the joy of Spurs winning a trophy.

 

[XSuicideBunnyX]

What saddens me is that there are now Spurs fans, no doubt some on this very forum, who ( one league cup with Ramos aside) have never experienced the joy of Spurs winning a trophy.

One right here. Highlights while I've supported Spurs include runners up in the Cup, winning it, playing in the Champions league and all the times we've trolled Arsenal during games. Could support much worse clubs though - at least I know Spurs will (most likely) win another trophy in my lifetime.

 

[Syn_13]

What saddens me is that there are now Spurs fans, no doubt some on this very forum, who ( one league cup with Ramos aside) have never experienced the joy of Spurs winning a trophy.

Thank fuck I was brought up supporting Juve too.

Seriously though, Spurs have always been number 1 for me, since I was brought up in England. My dad's the other way round of course. I was too young to really remember the FA Cup win, so Worthington and League Cup it is for me. How exciting.

 

[Hitch]

Shouldn't have read this thread. Depressed now.

 

[lillywhites61]

The scums win today in part due to us not really bothering at scumsville earlier in the season. We didn't even bother making any substitutions....

Good point, a poor season and they really had the last laugh, their drought wouldn't last forever

 

[SpurSince57]

Take a look at the list of winners since 1991. The Sky Four (now the Sky Five) monopolise it just like they've dominated the league. Our final against Forest was the last in which none of the cartel took part, and since then only Everton, Pompey and Wigan have bucked the odds.

The League Cup has been less of a closed shop, mainly because the Sky Five take it less seriously. All the same, over the same period they've won it on 13 occasions.

Being one of the elite really does give you a greatly increased chance of cup glory, sad to say.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

I would really love to see this club win a cup or two again. I don't care if it is the league cup which 'the sky 4' turn their noses up at. A cup is a cup. Success breeds success. It reminds players and fans about what the point of it all is.

I think, as fans, we would all be far more contented with the club if we got the 4th place monkey off our backs and realised that 4th place isn't actually winning anything. Unless you think qualification for another cup is winning something. Sure, the champs league is exciting to be part of, but so is actually winning a trophy. Which is where the focus should be, otherwise, what's the point?!

No prizes for those who know who said the following:-

"If you don't win anything, you have had a bad season."

 

[SpurSince57]

We're into a Catch-22, though, aren't we?

 

[jonnyp]

Which is why I can't for the life of me understand this snobbery towards the Europa League.

Why is it snobbery? I think it's snobby to only care about winning trophies. Isn't that what gloryhunting is? If you just want your team to win trophies then why are you a THFC supporter? Makes no sense to me at all.

I want what's best for Tottenham as a club, and getting into the CL is more important than winning a League Cup or FA Cup - screw my bragging rights about winning some trophy. CL will provide more money to be competive and make us more attractive to better players as well, so anyone who thinks an FA Cup trophy is more important than securing 4th spot and CL need to see a doctor.

Granted, next season and onwards there will finally be an incentive to win the Europa league so depending on our league form/placing I wouldn't be against us going for the Europa League title.

 

[Misfit]

Which is why I can't for the life of me understand this snobbery towards the Europa League.

Bingo bango bongo. I'd love to be a cup side again and the squads we've had for a number of yrs have been more than capable of really challenging for them. I get it, financially the CL is mahoosive but the only genuine way we'll make the next step in the league is a new stadium. Anything else is short-term at best. All the yrs wasted in the meantime... Ultimate failure of a top 4 most yrs and lost, and sometimes deliberately thrown away, opportunities in the cups.

 

[SpurSince57]

Bingo bango bongo. I'd love to be a cup side again and the squads we've had for a number of yrs have been more than capable of really challenging for them. I get it, financially the CL is mahoosive but the only genuine way we'll make the next step in the league is a new stadium. Anything else is short-term at best. All the yrs wasted in the meantime... Ultimate failure of a top 4 most yrs and lost, and sometimes deliberately thrown away, opportunities in the cups.

In the League Cup, we always have a chance, but only because the Sky Five take it less seriously. The fact that we've won it twice and been losing finalists twice more in the last 20 years proves that. Even so, in the last 10 years the cartel has been starting to monopolise the League Cup too, just like they've monopolised the FA Cup. Since Boro won in 2004, only we, Birmingham and Swansea have succeeded in muscling in; United have won it three times, Chelsea twice, and City and Liverpool once each; more worrying, at least one of the Sky Five has figured in every final bar 2013, which was a bit of a freak. You could argue that, since we've figured in two finals since 2004, it'a become a Top Six monopoly.

 

[Shea]

history says different mate:

1997 Premier League 6th (59 points from 38 games)
1998 Premier League 4th (63 points from 38 games)
1999 Premier League 3rd (75 points from 38 games)

and FA Cup wins in 96/97 & 99/00 if memory serves

it gives me no pleasure to highlight this, but it's not just oil money is it?

Although to be fair their pre oil money success was bought by spending Leed's style beyond their means and would have resulted in their bankrucpy had they not been saved by the Russian Mob

So even then they were cheating in terms of FFP

 

[TheChosenOne]

League Cup Semi 1992
FA Cup Semi 1993
FA Cup Semi 1995
FA Cup Semi 2001
League Cup Final 2002
League Cup Semi 2007
League Cup Final 2009
FA Cup Semi 2010
FA Cup Semi 2012

and when you've been to every one of them - it hurts!

add in the 1999 and the 2008 LC finals. One hurt the other didn't. Mind you I didn't go to all those.

 

[riggi]

Could be worse, could be west ham.

 

[double0]

I just want to see Tottenham winning trophies...the best attainable manager out there for this is Rafa Benitez