Money talk understandably dominates most discussions about Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Certain clubs have recurring themes, be it West Bromwich with the whole “Boing Boing” shtick due to their constant promotion relegation cycle, or Chelsea for their notable services to racism.
I would go as far as saying that most fans understand that football in the 21st century is no worse than any other professional sport, and people that enjoy Formula One don’t tend to moan about the telephone numbers spent on the cars and drivers.
Horse racing aficionados are almost never overheard bemoaning the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by the Grade A nags. So professional sports fans, generally speaking, don’t tend to be heavily infiltrated by Marxists, wishing that their whole sport were nationalized.
Yet when it comes to Tottenham, it has to be said, a good number of fans remain hesitant about spending money on players and player salaries, for fear of profligacy creeping in. The phrase “do a Leeds” did not enter the footballing parlance by accident. Of course, this particular idiom is all the more intriguing, because nobody else has truly done a Leeds. The odds of anyone ever repeating the stupidity of that model must be tiny. There’s a reason humans gave up trying to eat raw chicken meat, folks!
In fact, in the international bestseller, “Soccernomics” (Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski – Harper and Collins, 2009) chapter 4 is actually entitled, Safer Than The Bank of England: Why Football Clubs virtually Never Disappear.
This week, Football Insider have claimed that Spurs are about to release their latest financials, which will only serve to underline what a sensational moneymaker THFC is for ENIC.
On the pitch, Tottenham have been the perennial bridesmaids. Challenging, or “competing” as Mauricio Pochettino referred to it, whilst an inherently positive pursuit, can be fatiguing for all concerned in a professional sport where winning is the metric. No better evidence was the sorry form from Spurs after losing the Champions League final, after 5 and half years at the helm, results suggested that the Argentine had finally run out of steam.
Suddenly, Daniel Levy broke from an established pattern of appointing up-and-coming coaches and installed a box office gaffer in the form of José Mourinho. This master of dark arts would cost the club TWICE as much as the handsomely remunerated Poch.
Now, even Mourinho is struggling. Admittedly, not quite to the same extent that his predecessor was, but the current Tottenham squad clearly lacks balance. José’s lament over strikers a tad disingenuous, and is perhaps a semi-subliminal cry for a broader help. Eric Dier hasn’t worked out. Tanguy Ndombele appears to be losing the battle to stay fit, Premier League fit.
In professional sports, money buys the best players. Money buys the best horses. Money buys the best race cars. ENIC money has bought bricks and mortar. Commercially advantageous bricks and mortar, but bricks and mortar nevertheless.
ENIC have made an indisputable choice thus far, one that has been against risking money on player investment, over a choice that champions investment on the club’s infrastructure.
So riddle me this dear reader. Are ENIC …and glory on the tufty old green stuff, mutually exclusive things? Kindly bear in mind that we are fast approaching these owners’ 20th year in post and Spurs have won just one domestic trophy.
Just how long is one supposed to wait? Because I know the length of a piece of string. It’s twice the length of one end to its middle. Knowing how long a Spurs fan is supposed to hang on, is far less obvious.
Dear reader, make your case.
