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The Bill Nicholson QUOTES thread

Archibald&Crooks

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Feb 1, 2005
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A selection of quotes attributed to the great Bill Nicholson.:bowdown:

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."


"There's no use being satisfied when things are done wrongly. I want perfection."


"It's magnificent to be in Europe, and this club - a club like Tottenham Hotspur - if we're not in Europe.... we're nothing. we're nothing."


"It's no use just winning, we've got to win well."


"It's been my life, Tottenham Hotspur,and I love the club."


"...intelligence doesn't make you a good footballer. Oxford and Cambridge would have the best sides if that were true. It's a football brain that matters and that doesn't usually go with an academic brain. In fact I prefer it when it doesn't. I prefer players not to be too good or clever at other things. It means they concentrate on football."


"We must always consider our supporters, for without them there would be no professional football. It would be better to have more fans watching football the way they like it played, rather than have a few fans watching football the way we would like it played."


"The public can't be kidded. They know what they want to see, what is good and what is bad and what is just average. At least I believe they do."


"If you don't have to drag yourself off the field exhausted after 90 minutes, you can't claim to have done your best."


"Any player coming to Spurs whether he's a big signing or just a ground staff boy must be dedicated to the game and to the club. He must be prepared to work at his game. He must never be satisfied with his last performance, and he must hate losing."


"Naturally I'm a Tottenham man. So far as football is concerned, it means almost everything, doesn't it really? Because I can reflect back to being a player with, and manager of some of the finest players that have ever been in the game."


"When it is played at its best football remains the greatest game of all. And Tottenham, so close to my heart, is still to me the greatest club."


"I always said that it was an honour to serve Tottenham Hotspur and I feel the same every time I walk back into the stadium."


"Spurs have got to be the best in the land, not the second best."


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

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"It's magnificent to be in Europe, and this club - a club like Tottenham Hotspur - if we're not in Europe.... we're nothing. we're nothing."

Some of the Jol doubters should read this. He's put the pride back into Tottenham Hotspur and put us back where we belong.
 

mabolsa_ritchey

aka Hugh G Rection
Oct 23, 2005
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"When it is played at its best football remains the greatest game of all. And Tottenham, so close to my heart, is still to me the greatest club."
This hits home so hard its unreal.
Whenever I read about the great man, whether its his achievements or his quotes, it always sends a shiver down my spine.
It saddens me to think of the way the club turned thier back on him a few years back before appointing him club president.
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
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You don't often see photos of Bill in his playing days - this photo is from 1953, around the time my dad started taking me to matches although I don't remember seeing him play.



He was a serious man, Yorkshire dour perhaps, but always had time for a quick hello and I feel privileged to have met him on a few occasions. I last spoke to him (and gave him a hug) at Cliff Jones's 60th birthday party some years back. Also knew his duaghters, Linda and Jean, back then who are roughly the same age as I am.
 

ChRiStOpHe

It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake
Dec 14, 2004
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http://www.thfc1961.fsnet.co.uk/home.htm

That is an awesome site, devoted to the great man.

I would give so much to have seen the legendary team under Bill play with my very own eyes. Hopefully, there will be kids in so many years time envious of us having seen the great side of our generation, lead by Martin Jol.
 

mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
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http://www.thfc1961.fsnet.co.uk/home.htm

That is an awesome site, devoted to the great man.

I would give so much to have seen the legendary team under Bill play with my very own eyes. Hopefully, there will be kids in so many years time envious of us having seen the great side of our generation, lead by Martin Jol.

Fantastic site. Great find ChRiStOpHe.

Reading some of those pages and the quotes brings a tear to the eye. We support a special club and Bill was probably the main person who made it that way.
 

shelfmonkey

Weird is different, different is interesting.
Mar 21, 2007
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"Any player coming to Spurs whether he's a big signing or just a ground staff boy must be dedicated to the game and to the club. He must be prepared to work at his game. He must never be satisfied with his last performance, and he must hate losing."


To me this is the most poignant quote considering the amount of money sloshing around the prem players bank accounts these days, I think too many players have lost sight of what football is all about. It's not the money that should matter and motivate it should be the glory, seeing your name in annuls of history as a great player, in a great team that did great things. Not enough players in today's game aspire this, such a shame, but the great Sir Billy Nic new and understood and tried to, obviously successfully, drill this in to his players, he was honest and dignified , truly, a great 'football' man, something I don't think Ferguson will or could ever be.


Sir Bill :bowdown:
 

sidtheyidbuck

Member
May 11, 2005
207
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bill nicholson to one of our players after a good game ;he said to the player"well played ;but remember a pat on the back is only 18 inches from a kick up the arce"
 

WhiteStripe

Get out of my club you cretin!
Aug 23, 2006
14,190
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Lets just remember the legend on a day like today. The most poigniant quotes for tonight I would say are...

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

and

"It's magnificent to be in Europe, and this club - a club like Tottenham Hotspur - if we're not in Europe.... we're nothing. we're nothing."

If Arsenal had taken the first quote on board last night they may well have found themselves moving onward and upwards in the CL, instead they bowed out with a whimper.

COYS. Do it for Sir Bill.
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
22,383
Lets just remember the legend on a day like today. The most poigniant quotes for tonight I would say are...

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

and

"It's magnificent to be in Europe, and this club - a club like Tottenham Hotspur - if we're not in Europe.... we're nothing. we're nothing."

If Arsenal had taken the first quote on board last night they may well have found themselves moving onward and upwards in the CL, instead they bowed out with a whimper.

COYS. Do it for Sir Bill.


Unlike Arse'ole Wanker, Bill always saw it and he always said it exactly like it was.

Privileged to have met the man and he is still much missed. Football will never see the like again.
 

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
Bump.

After the trials and tribulations (pun intended!) of this week, let's hope Bill Nick's ghost will be Spurring the lads on for the rest of the season!

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
 

sebcole

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2009
1,102
879
As posted in initially the wrong thread due to time constraints upon me, I serve a reminder to pay homage to the great man on the anniversary of the end of a truly glorious era.

On 29th Aug 1974 After a poor start to the season, manager Bill Nicholson sadly resigned.

:oldman:
 
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