Once upon a time, maybe 60 years or so ago, European football was somewhat of an exotic experience for British football fans. To drop some perspective into the mix, it wasn’t until 1966 that an Englishman called Freddie Laker started an airline company that was aimed at ordinary people.
Affordable travel within Europe (and via transatlantic routes) was essentially a complete novelty, and suddenly a new generation of regular folk could not just holiday abroad, but also begin to indulge in short haul flights for such fripperies as ‘football matches’. The Internet wasn’t the first thing to make the world a smaller place.
Bill Nicholson didn’t just manage Spurs from 1958 to 1974, the man quite rightly also managed to achieve quite shamanic levels of respect from the club’s supporters that still exists this very day. Bill had won the double in 1960/61, but he’d seen that notable success eclipsed by the end of that decade. The season before that, Bill’s side had finished 3rd in the old First Division to Manchester United, and by the 1967/68 season, Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1to go from being recent champions of England to the champions of Europe.
By the 1971/72 season, Bill had won the UEFA cup, which at least kept Tottenham in the European footbal frame. Where cynics might argue, we’ve been ever since.
“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.”
Bill Nicholson.
Spurs won the UEFA in the 1983/84 season under Keith Burkinshaw, but since then Tottenham have fundamentally failed to pass muster in Europe. Apologists for ENIC will cite the 2018/19 Champions League final appearance against Liverpool as if it were of substantial value, but football is a professional sport, and winning is the metric. Hence, no Spurs fan retweets clips of that game – just the Ajax one that took us to the final.
Fast forward to this current season and Spurs are looking like favourites to end up back in the very competition that Bill used to make Spurs relevant again.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust published a report of their latest THST board to THFC board meeting today and this particular line stood out for me: “Funds were ring-fenced for the summer however not qualifying for Champions League would have an impact all round.”
The rebuild of this existing Spurs’ squad will be slow and in certain respects, a little painful. But it could be better than the current living death that is “competing”.
José Mourinho ought to be asked politely by ENIC’s representatives on Earth, to pursue the Europa League next season. It would be an achievable compromise between the Champions League – for which Spurs are patently unfit to compete meaningfully in tight now – and seeking to win a domestic trophy, which would be of negligible value to our owners.
Mourinho isn’t too many additions this summer from stabilizing what is still a dysfunctional squad. Breaking the business model chains that currently binds us isn’t going to happen anytime soon. And so what I am suggesting here is precisely what it looks like – a plausible if unpalatable compromise.
Everyone in the 21st century takes European football for granted. Maybe it’s time as fans we cut our cloth according to the provision of said fabric by our masters, and lowered our sights a little?
I used to live close to the Hale, yes loads of buildings gone up. I’m not sure what that means apart from lining the pockets of private equity groups but then, perhaps that’s just me?
I’m all for people making a few quid, and certainly up for the area benefiting from it. I just see this as rebuilding the whole area and replacement of buildings and people rather than putting investment into what’s already there. Knock it down and start again…
Yes I’m a cynic, nothing wrong with that and I hope I’m wrong.
I’m just discussing stuff, I’m not here for bickering or accusations. That’s for others…
Isn’t the Love Lane estate going?
I just think things can be regenerated and keep a lot more of the fabric than it looks like they’re doing in that area.
We all know most of those 60’s estates were built by people who’d never be living in them themselves. Idealistic nonsense, there’s a good documentary about Basildon, I mean you can’t knock a whole town over and start again. That place is the same so yeah, a lot of these places need to go but the older stuff?
I know the place has needed a serious lift for probably going on 40 years. Just not comfortable with all of it, from what I can see. A lot of these ‘regeneration’ areas are soulless and this isn’t the docklands. Pubs like The British Queen, almost lost the Antwerp. I know pubs are struggling all over but regeneration isn’t all about facking bulldozers…
😆 of course man… History tends to repeat itself too.. Expect more wingers on the way this summer.
The stepping stones lead to madrid. Gold and glory awaits. Can’t blame them. Nearly everyone would do the same. Not many shearers and le tissiers left in the game.
Redknapp usually rolled with four strikers mate.. He often played two but one would drop deep in a ten role.. 2009 he had defoe crouchy pavalova gudjohnson and the next year he got van der vaart who played as a number ten or false nine….. Our defense was shaky back then though… And with gomez in goal or cudicini… Grandad friedel stepped in later but until we had lloris our keeps werent great… Redknapp had it better but alex neilson and an ageing louis saha who hadnt scored for 2 years was a warning sign.
Can I just ask (I’m not bickering) what’s the difference between a wood yard (ive spent a good few quid in there) having to move coz of money. and all the lovely houses in the countryside coz of money? (Train tracks) isn’t everyone trying to just keep up and progr€$$
250 odd flats about to be knocked down here on the B W farm. nearly all of them empty. I don’t know one person moved out the borough that didn’t want to move. Remember. This is Tottenham and not hackney. If liberties do begin to be taken im sure you’ll hear about it. If you ain’t had a doctor in Haringey within the last 10 years you may have a problem. OLD Tottenham people (that have witnessed 2 generations of suffering have nothing to worry about. Its all good. Love lane we’ve got your back. That goes for all Tottenham estates. Tottenham deserves to be handled sensitively. I’m on the ground here mate. I know more than most.
Ok
Levy has the power to demolish TOTTENHAM now? How powerful do you think this man is. Haringey council and money runs this. I’ve been instructed to not bicker with you. I’m not gonna get banned because of someone like you. STOP.
Yeah, it’s ok to demolish the local community hubs like small businesses that have been there for years etc. you won’t recognize the place because there’ll be no locals left!
The wood yard too, Moore’s is it? Been there generations, DW Timber going up north of there too. It’s er… called regeneration but it involves destruction and only ever ends up with the locals leaving. Just watch, look at Hackney, not saying it’s wrong but it’s the way it happens, every time.
Presumably Levy doing a bit of PR hoping the locals don’t kick up a fuss about him demolishing half of North Tottenham. Once the building development is finished you won’t see him for dust. I bet he ain’t been in since the new place was built either…
No misunderstanding angry bird my point was quite the opposite he said that that long ago and yet has been continued to degrade the corpse he has created
Yeah but buying an attacker when you need defense Is like using a sponge to plug a pipe it just slows the flow until saturated, then Carry’s on regardless.
I think we all get their point by now .
Arry had Pav here too who he disliked and couldn’t manage, even though he was our best goalscorer , but preferred his buddies who didn’t score for a season and refused to drop. I wonder how many newbies can name those in the pic above then ?
Darren bent was so underrated man his shots to goals conversion stats were up there beating the very best like nistelrooy. Yet he played for rubbish teams like charlton sunderland villa.
It’s a weird one.. I would prefer no ropey because we dont have a big enough squad to cope. We could have a season focusing on the prem. Leicester, man city and the chavs all won it in recent times with no europe or midweek games to worry about.. We dont have the players or squad to win anything really.. Champs league is bound to attract top players, but not our club with levy micro managing. The last four or five years we have been in champs league and he hasnt bought anyone world class… All those players you mentioned there would help us so much right now.
I think it’s evident throughout their tenure it’s always been about profit
Your point ?
They took over in 2001 clearly, however long ago the statement was made, it’s clear as has been evident throughout their tenure that it is about profit not football.
Are you a Levyapologist ? You won’t lady in here if you are.
They were lucky to have us. Players won’t be stepping stoning us in the future. but if some decide to we’ll do all we can do. Earn out of them🌚
Bale and modders were like kane though.. Irreplaceable.. They are the very best at what they do. To replace ballon dor quality is never happening. We were lucky to have those two.
The ropey league is a tough one. We have more chance of winning that than champs league, but those extra games and thursday midweek games are tough when you have prem fixtures on saturdays. We would need a bigger squad to cope/rotate/rest players… Redschnapps used to play the kids or B team to get around it… Maybe no europe at all could be a blessing in disguise and we could just concentrate on the league.. Whatever happens now the most important and fundamental priorities should be the players and squad. We need drastic changes and improvements. Players in, players out, we are in transition and judging by the last 2 or 3 windows it will be slow and painful. I am struggling to see us win or compete at all at this rate.
N15 TOTTENHAM saying “fk u lot! Yeah well what money do you lot bring in? We’ve got the daddy business. Now shut up and behave yourself🌚 west green rd. Good plans for you though. Seven sisters. Good luck😂😂
If you’re ever coming to a game via TOTTENHAM Hale have a walk around there for a quick minute. Unbelievable. You can smell the money coming. Lovely views lovely everything round there. TOTTENHAM Hale village. I’d buy a flat up high there.
All the business opposite (mems and the wood yard and that. All going soon. The lot CPO’d. (All gooners in there anyway) restaurant man is safe. If you’ve got chimney pots you got a chance 🌚 all that gonna be lovely round there. heritage money for the Georgian buildings. Tottenham rising and nothing can be done about it. You won’t recognise the place soon.
Nothing spurs on the walls. Away fans eat too.
Went out for a not bad bit a grub last night with my lady. That old Italian place on the corner near Bruce grove station (EST 1972) anyway I’m in there with my spurs pin on and the head chef son of the owner instantly clocked it. (Everything sweet🌚) chatting TOTTENHAM with him obviously (misses is used to it) said “do any of the spurs boys pop in? Very rarely any players but Daniel levy does. He always brings a few with him and always pays for the lot in cash. I said “does he tip well? We’ll enough he said with a smile. They’re nice in there. Family thing. Weren’t many empty tables. Laughter noises. Best sound track for food. £60 two people with soft drinks.
Oh happy days it was. They fak’d up a 13 point lead but it was like the roaring 20’s. How blessed we were to witness it. Modric’s corker against Blackburn away, a delight. Modric and bale have never been replaced. Today’s midfield misfits neither have the balls or the creativity.
Ah yes fantastic business that although Berbatov had started sulking by then so he can be given that one lol
Levy is there to do all the pretense, to assume the character of an efficient but frugal chairman fighting tooth and nail for the club he loves.
In reality he’s no more emotionally invested in it than Joe, back in Barbados.
If you were into football you just wouldn’t do things in this way, even with a tiny net spend. You’d get creative with it, keep the squad fresh et, do everything you can to help the manager. Levy is the front man for an investment company.
That’s why he does very few interviews, that way he never gets a real cross examination. He did a sanitized one after he sacked Poch (possibly in The Standard), it offered no explanation of anything.
The summer the year before, he got Donna to trot out some drivel about the academy and not needing to sign players.
At least the Glaziers are honest, they don’t care and they don’t pretend to. Levy thinks we’re all 10 years old, he probably thinks fans are just thickos. Unfortunately a number of them are, which is a big part of why he gets away with it.
A few skilled press officers, a slick PR company and the bleating Levy lemmings within the fan base keep this $hit show afloat…
Jose said the squad was ‘amazing’… did he mean amazingly under funded? 😂
Yes but that was at WHL, I thought unless you had s 60k stadium you couldn’t compete?! 😂
Redknapp had it easy – we had three first team strikers, good fullbacks, Modric pulling the strings, and searing pace down each side.
No worries, the diminutive bald one can just schedule some rock concerts, prize fights, or NFL game on Wed/Thu nights at the *Naming Rights For Sale LLC, a subsidiary of ENIC” Stadium.
What is your possible reaction to not even getting to the Ropey League next season, selling Kane, Son, big offers for Lo Celso and failing to attract better footballers? Do we go back to Carrick, Sheringham, Gazza, Berba , Keane, Bale, Modric days as our business model?
If there is money in Crufts point Enic in their direction.
There’s still more blood to be squeezed from the stone. Think current financials show us making the greatest increase in profits.
You’ve caused me to relive that nightmare! Only Gregor Rasiak tops it.
JM praised the squad so he must have had his eyes open. Who in football doesn’t understand ENIC?
That was after Jol JH, you’re right Jol did want a couple of defensive players and was promptly sacked for doing very little wrong.
In came Ramos who lifted the League Cup and then Levy ordered the sale of our best two players that summer, Keane and Berbatov.
😂
Fraudulent barstewards. These clowns who say Levy is a ‘fan’ are funnier than real clowns…
But there needn’t be I went to watch wolves and as was my first match in long time I decided not to care about result and just wanted to see us score and play I did both and felt no pain in result.
For this season I am simply setting the goal of watching our games and not being upset for the result.
It’s a shame it has come to this but the anger isnt worth it at the moment, although come September I’ll expect and hope again
One has never existed…
That was a defining moment in our assessment of what ENIC are all about. For me though it was a bit earlier, firstly Carrick for Zokora and then when we won the League Cup, sold Berba and Keane and bought Bent and Pav as replacements.
Swapping quality for second rate bargain bin specials…
What it is? There is nothing but anger and pain….
Tom Bower is a respected investigate journalist. If this comment by Levy is true, it reveals everything about Enic and the lack of ambition with Levy as their despised front man. I hope this statement is released to the mainstream media so that we can all realise without equivocation that these people are only in it for the money and that the football club and their long suffering supporters are the victims of being exploited, lied to and taken for idiots. If any supporter has any shred of self esteem , he should realise that we have been conned.
He will Eddie. Who can blame him?
It’s become as shite and devalued as Eurovision bollox.
So that was said prior to 2003 (thankyou google)
I’m sure when we signed bent jol had asked for a CB and a cdm. Cant remember the last manager that got what they asked for at spurs
Quote is from Broken Dreams by Tom Bower
I give up and so will Mourinho.What a joke.
When Rednapp got Saha & Nelson instead of … someone good. That was the beginning of the end for me, couldn’t believe it then. Still watching it play out now.
It’s all over now, baby blue…
European football has been cheapened by UEFA via their expansion of both competitions. The Champions League now consists of very few ‘champions’ at all.
That makes the Europa League, something even more devalued. Yes in Bill’s day Europe was blue chip, now it’s full of minnow clubs from Europe and beyond’s furthest backwaters.
Can you name the winners of the Georgian league? Thought not…
Maybe look into therapy….
And the fact we signed none of them
The thing that kills me is the summer every year linked with a possible solution dybala, grealish,bruno and instead of just buying them we offer low drag it out and cost a preseason
Or as Frank Spencer said – “Betty, we’re having some difficulties”
As Michael Jackson once said..”this is it”…or Harry Rednapps version “as good as it gets”….both make good movie names, both describe Spurs under ENIC..
“Why are we the only club in the known universe to only have 1 striker?”…Levy “we have attacking players”….says the man the makes all the transfer decisions…I want to slit my wrist..
Is this statement true? Levy has always pretended to be a fan.
Look how Liverpool responded to the CL final and look at us. They’ve gone up a level we’ve gone down 4
I agree, but it’s difficult..you end of losing the passion, and that makes me sad….its not enjoyable seeing what happens every year when we get so close and yet there is never that desire from the board to get us over the line. Its the hope that kills you and every year you still hope (even I thought this year would be it if we had a good summer transfer) but its clear they just want to run it as a business so at some point you have to resign yourself to what it really is…..I think I need therapy 🤨
I saw this quote on another blog. Tells you all you need to know if you thought ENIC were in it for glory
“There is no passion here, said Levy admitting that neither Lewis nor himself was particularly keen on football. This is purely financial.”
“We chose football, Levy explained, because it’s the most popular sport on the earth and the biggest money spinner”
I’ve decided to stop judging and stop whinging (not a dig at anyone) and just enjoy what it is makes it less painful
Still trying to work out what “Spurs are unique”, and “we do it differently” actually means…..be lucky to get Europa next season which means no money Jose…happy days indeed…
Here’s hoping they sell out to big money and soon.
I watched it for a while and realised City were doing a great impersonation of Spurs and switched off.
Good memories of being present as the silverware was lifted by legends. The team of 81 would of hammered the liverpool team in that CL final last year. Fast forward to today. The clubs record signing is a snowflake extraordinaire.
The Kerry blue looking good doing good. Luuuuvly dog.
Cruffs is on. Bring on the working dogs
I read some extracts from Levy’s statements to the THST which reeked of his truisms, excuses and lack of football ambition. In other words, it was the same old cr*p, stable business model, financial stability, great achievements over the years in building the stadium and training facilities, a brief explanation of the transfer strategy which admitted that he made all the final decisions on new players and that he had sufficiently broad shoulders to face down any criticism. The man has no sense of shame or culpability, he is just a money manager for the vampire squid that owns us. Nothing will ever change with these people. For those of you optimists that believe that Maureen will turn us into serial winners, you will be sorely disappointed.
Proud to be TOTTENHAM they are. Can see it in all their faces.