Who/what is YOUR Tottenham?

[greatwhitenorf]

That's lovely, Dubai.

While you were suffering in 'rural Ontario' watching the Milan victory, I was sitting in a jam-packed Scallywags bar watching it on a huge screen. Place went mental at the end. Hugs, high fives, glasses clinking and spilling. Didn't feel the cold for a second when I left, skipping down the salt-crunchy St. Clair Ave. sidewalk to the subway.

Doesn't matter where we are. Spurs are a state of mind.

 

[DubaiSpur]

That's lovely, Dubai.

While you were suffering in 'rural Ontario' watching the Milan victory, I was sitting in a jam-packed Scallywags bar watching it on a huge screen. Place went mental at the end. Hugs, high fives, glasses clinking and spilling. Didn't feel the cold for a second when I left, skipping down the salt-crunchy St. Clair Ave. sidewalk to the subway.

Doesn't matter where we are. Spurs are a state of mind.

I hadn't really budgeted for us being in the CL by that point, so I'd agreed a trip to the Menzel Provincial Nature Reserve to take a look at some legal kerfuffle, if I remember correctly. Couldn't back out of it when we did get to the knock-out round, but the guy who asked me to trudge all the way over there said he had a buddy who lived in a trailer outside Greater Napanee who had the CL on his telly. Hence, I ended up outside a snowy trailer while you, undoubtedly having planned with more intelligence, were able to comfortably roar the lads on downtown.

You're absolutely right, though: Spurs are a state of mind. The question is, are they a necessarily healthy state of mind? I doubt any of us care if they are or aren't, but it would be interesting to see if all the trials and tribulations that come with being a Spurs supporter have conditioned us to think a certain way, or do certain things when confronted with what seems like 'Spurs-y' news. For example, I'm pumped that TFC have signed Defoe, Gilberto and Bradley, but I know that it will all blow up horribly come the summer when Bradley suffers some horrific knee injury, Gilberto does a Frings and Defoe loses his pace, leaving Toronto with another disappointing season. Again. It's just the way Spurs have shaped my thinking on these issues. However, despite all that cynicism, somewhere ,a part of me still thinks we can make it, get into the play-offs, become a force to be reckoned with, be the North American Tottenham in a good way. That spark of hope is still alive in me, and I feel like that's also a part of being of a Spurs mindset: you prepare for the worst, but somehow, you always dream about the best.

 

[greatwhitenorf]

You must be strong to be a Spurs fan.

I'm an optimist. Each and every day. Don't believe in foregone conclusions.

There's a lot of players on Spurs right now that have no real clue about what's gone on before. All that matters is what happens now. Tim Sherwood has won the Premier League title. As fans, the best we can do to help them is not dwell on past misfortunes. Things are moving the right way with Spurs and we need to stay positive and celebrate what we have, not focus on what others are doing or thinking or saying.

 

[thfcsteff]

Dubai…fantastic post mate…as for Crouchy's header…yeah…I went, and at the end of the match I refused to discuss the future as I wanted to scream and sing and jump and dance (and drink!) about the 'now'…one of my favorite nights for too many years…I genuinely believe it is why, to this day, I miss Crouchy!!!!

 

[Robspur12]

Steff, I love these nostalgic, sentimental, fluffy threads. Really sum up being a fan. Have been in love with Tottenham since 1980 (7 years old) actually fell in love with Glenn I used to copy the shirt over the front of the shorts and would be trying to make the Hollywood pass when in the school team. Sadly I didn't have even a fraction of that man's talent. He broke my heart twice when he left in 87 then when he couldn't make it as our manager. Favourite memory surprisingly been a few. Roberts scoring the equaliser against Andelect then the Tony parks saves. But believe it or not one of my favourite moments was Stalteri scoring that last minute goal against Wham. Never have I laughed so much in smug satisfaction

 

[Gutter Boy]

It's pretty sad that fans under 30/35 can only watch grainy videos of the glory glory days (and nights).

It would be nice if one day we had our own stories to tell.

 

[DubaiSpur]

You must be strong to be a Spurs fan.

I'm an optimist. Each and every day. Don't believe in foregone conclusions.

There's a lot of players on Spurs right now that have no real clue about what's gone on before. All that matters is what happens now. Tim Sherwood has won the Premier League title. As fans, the best we can do to help them is not dwell on past misfortunes. Things are moving the right way with Spurs and we need to stay positive and celebrate what we have, not focus on what others are doing or thinking or saying.

I hope that the world turns, and that the football gods are finally sent packing with their sticks of ill fate rammed firmly up their arses as we confidently step up and take what we've been yearning for all these years. But you're right: if we are to truly get there soon, we'll need to start believing that we can indeed get there, outside opinions be damned.

Thank you for that bit of optimism. Keep on carrying that in you, and you'll have lived a good life.

@Steff: Honestly ,that May night was one of the few nights in my life where nothing mattered but the moment itself: not the past, not the future, not the worries of forward planning or the sepia-tinged memories of the past, not gnawing doubt, tired cynicism,non-committal wariness.....nothing but the seconds themselves as they passed by, with the barmaid watching in astonishment across the smoke-filled wooden counter, me signing at the top of my voice, a bunch of hoary fans trying (and failing) to do Irish jigs on the bar table, beer merrily sloshing all over everyone's clothes and shoes and belongings, and everywhere, the knowledge that good old Crouchy had given us one night where we didn't have to worry about good old Tottenham, and the knowledge that he had given us one night where the future was limitless in its potential and the past a finally closed book.

I'll never forget Crouchy, but then again, I'll never forget that game, so it's less to do with Crouchy himself and more to do with everything that went on in it: Bale's cross, Crouchie's miss, Fulop's saves, Kaboul's skip past Bellamy, his cross, and the header itself. As for remembering Crouchy personally, his goal against Milan was the one that truly did it for me.

 

[lurker of old]

Some wonderful posts here, thanks.
For me one word summarises our fantasy about Spurs, the fantasy which nourishes us when the reality is something less: the word is FLAIR.

At its best, when Spurs really are Spurs, we play with a zest, a style, a brilliance, with individual skill, which dazzles, entertains and amazes. And under Rednapp - and to lesser extend, AVB last season - we were back there again sometimes.
Only Spurs could buy 7 new players, from other leagues, and expect an inexperienced manager to accommodate them instantly!!!!! Hey ho, given the upheaval involved, AVB may have done a really good job....but boring 1-0s is not the Spurs way.
We all hope (probably even Gutter Boy) that the new manager's winning streak holds, and we see more glory-glory days and nights this season. Those days when fans in the crowd are yelling "Yiddo" OUTSIDE the ground, before we have even entered the stadium, when the atmosphere is total, fierce, passionate and the crowd are cheering the team to victory, when White Hart Lane comes alive like no other stadium.
It doesn't happen that often, but when Spurs really are Spurs, at White Hart Lane, the old Spurs DNA is perpetuated and everyone in that ancient, run-down stadium is transformed. We are no longer individuals with separate lives, we are one tribe, white and blue, following the dream of football glory.

 

[billyiddo]

Tottenham for me is folklore : we used to be great, we used to have Hoddle, we used to take the North Bank High-bur-y...

someone previously mentioned that growing up in the 90s (30 this year) following Spurs was a hard task - well for me it was slightly different, my old man is as Spurs as they come, regular at whl since 1970 clocking up over 100 grounds watching us play all over the world - through his never wavering love of the club i grew up KNOWING that we were the best club in England, if not the world! Stories of the greats of the past, the trips to Wembeley - watching us take on the best from the continent ... It all masked the mediocrity of the now - i used to walk around school looking down on anyone who dare not support the mighty Lilywhites - even managed to convert a few lost souls along the way - i was taken along to games - standing in The Whitehall Tavern / The Northumberland Arms / The Milford Tavern / THE COOLBURY CLUB - where i saw the otherside of football - the togetherness of the fans, the atmosphere, the drinking, the smoking, the swearing - hearing a rather different kind of folklore : Chelsea in 75, Brussels in 84, blood spilled punches thrown - all exciting/dangerous stuff for a 13 year old to be overhearing which only served to draw me in to the club even further. At the game standing on the East stand terrace, no chance of actually seeing any of the game but feeling every kick of the ball with every roar of the crowd - it was like living in a documentary, i was hooked

So Who/what is my Tottenham? That'd be my old man - the bastard that got me in to this sorry mess in the first place

 

[Grays_1890]

This is tough as there are numerous reasons but I think more than anything its:

Hoddle
Roberts
Perryman
Burkinshaw
Mabbutt
King


And all those before them who bleed for a club, I was fascinated with their loyalty and utter love for the club and as someone who loved them as players it just transmitted down through me. People often accuse us of living in the past and talking about history but I honestly believe its up there with the best and more about the feel about the place than trophies. You look and read the way in which Roberts and Lineker talk about the club now, the fondness and love, when Gazza talks about the club. I just love it.

And on top of that I saw some of the worlds greatest players play for the team, Hoddle and Gazza, Ardiles and Ginola, Lineker and Klinsmann....beautiful times..

 

[AuroRaman]

I started following Tottenham in the late 80's/beginning of 90's. Most of my mates were Scum fans, there was just something I couldn't feel right about supporting them (I know that feeling now!), plus, Lineker was my favourite player at the time. That feeling of following Tottenham became an incredibly unhealthy obsession in the FA Cup winning season. Gazza, quite simply the greatest player I have ever seen live, led us to the final.

I will NEVER forget beating the scum 3-1 at Wembley ('he is you know....OOOOOHHHH I SAAAAAY!' - just gave me goosebumps writing that) and Lineker schooling that top drawer Woolwich defence. I knew it was a never-ending relationship when, in the final, Gazza stretchered off and Psycho burying the free-kick, I burst into uncontrollable tears. I did the same each time we/Des Walker scored, but this time from pure joy and relief. I lost my **** when Gary lifted the cup. Brings tears now.

Of course after that we went through a dark period. But there has always been one thing that has bonded us together and made this incredible journey through the 90/00's bearable. HOPE. Hope that one particular event would be the kickstart to former glories. Early European forays, League Cup wins, Klinsmann, Rebrov, Ginola, Sheringham, Modders, The King becoming the finest defender in the land, Ossie and Hoddle's ill-fated return, bringing in promising English youth, Gareth Bale, Edgar the Pitbull, T'riffic moments in the CL, our first wins at the Scum and Old Trafford, City away in 2010, many FA Cup semis, Peace Cup ( ), many, many more Glory Glory memories that have shaped our club in the modern era.

Of course there have been more disappointments than highs. But when you strip everything down to the bare bones (copyright 'Arry), one thing that will never change is:

We are Tottenham, Super Tottenham, from The Lane

COYS

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

My Tottenham are like any true football fans club, an essential part of my life. They have the ability to raise my spirits to amazing heights or throw me in to extreme sadness. It has been a gateway to travel around this country and the opportunity to make new friends. When I first went with my dad it was a magical experience and was for many year, unfortunately the magic is not there for me anymore. The modern world and it's "entitled to mentality" have made a generation of supports I abhor. The complete lack of respect for opponents and cheating are spoiling the game and it is not something I like to see at Tottenham, but it is there.

 

[thfcsteff]

Steff, I love these nostalgic, sentimental, fluffy threads. Really sum up being a fan. Have been in love with Tottenham since 1980 (7 years old) actually fell in love with Glenn I used to copy the shirt over the front of the shorts and would be trying to make the Hollywood pass when in the school team. Sadly I didn't have even a fraction of that man's talent. He broke my heart twice when he left in 87 then when he couldn't make it as our manager. Favourite memory surprisingly been a few. Roberts scoring the equaliser against Andelect then the Tony parks saves. But believe it or not one of my favourite moments was Stalteri scoring that last minute goal against Wham. Never have I laughed so much in smug satisfaction

Superb…agreed…and as for Glenn, yes. I have expressed the same sentiment. I suspect my friend there are a lot of us who felt that way; twice!

 

[milo]

It's pretty sad that fans under 30/35 can only watch grainy videos of the glory glory days (and nights).

It would be nice if one day we had our own stories to tell.

That Champions League run will live long in the memory

 

[markysimmo]

Best thread ever on GG !!!!

 

[paxtonwolf]

I've been thinking about this for a while now…


I loved the sexiness of AVB, the promise, the intelligence (and he IS a smart smart man), the ideaology behind possession-football, the proposed 'program', the DOF, all of it…but when I look back, NWND might've reached a place far more abruptly, and in a different fashion, that I can empathize with.

I support all our managers until they give me a reason not, either by being disengenuous, dishonest or simply not trying anymore. I even held fire over GGG, even though I hated him. But the manager in my lifetime who captured everything about this beautiful, wonderful club, was Burkinshaw. I was spoilt. We played with flair and style, we shipped some awful games but won some beautiful ones. We were the Cup Kings. Wembley literally became a second home I was there that much. Everything, from that first Le Coq Sportif kit to the players, to the stands, it was beautiful. Even the terraces! WE were the anti-racist club, WE had the best away support, WE had joy we had fun…Maxi was a goal/mistake in the making every game, but it didn't matter because we SCORED MORE! We were swashbucklers. We were entertainers. Alfie Conn was an early early indulgence, and then came Glenn…

I have been on a roller-coaster these past few years, but more these past few months. I believed in AVB, I wanted to believe in him…I wanted to feel that it was going to be a platform for titles and CL domination in years to come…

In the last month I have found myself enjoying (despite my reservations) the vibe at the club. Who knows if the likes of Soldado are happy (I hope he can get a tune from this great striker) but seeing Bentaleb has really got me excited. A local. Townsend to come back. Some other ressies coming in on the bench. Seeing us be a little looser for sure but entertaining. Less control at times? Perhaps. But goals. And some entertainment.

I have come to the conclusion that I actually don't know if I care about 'competing' in that sense with the multi-billionaires who can go and buy whoever and fill their shiney new soulless ****holes with plastic ****ers. I don't know if I care about adapting what we are, what the DNA of this club is to achieve that. Now, if we can achieve that OUR WAY then FANTASTIC!!!! But Van Gaal? Does not excite me. I can only see more turbulence, more aggro, more ripping apart to re-assemble and confuse everyone.

MY Tottenham are swashbucklers. In my deep heart I know that, but my nature is not to complain unless I see disengenuous/dishonest behavior from the top. It's why I was NEVER angry at Ramos (just did not work for a couple of reasons) and will never be angry at AVB (the man worked his ******** off but ultimately it didn't work again for a couple of reasons)…

One place where Sherwood has really earned my respect is that he has not shirked from the duties of establishing what he thinks is right. He is doing some stuff which is unpopular, but he is his own man. He is obviously working hard. And I like that. The dedication.

I feel that as a supporter of over 40 years, right now, my Tottenham has returned. The unpredictable yet entertaining yet frustrating yet sometimes glorious Tottenham has returned. Right now, I am at peace and enjoying it all. Right now…and frankly? Having been very intrigued by Hudd's post earlier in the week, and revisiting the somewhat loud and aggressive but passionate thoughts of NWND, I find myself in a place where I want us on the one hand to fight with every sinew against becoming a 'mega-corp' a la City and United and Chelski, but hoping upon hope that we can be THE ONE who breaks their dominance the right way. We got so close under one manager, who for reasons debated to utter death here, didn't get it done. Perhaps, just perhaps, we're going to get close again.

But if it's oligarch, oil barron or nothing…give me nothing!

I don't want Burkys words to come true.

Great post Steff. Sounds like I am touch older than yourself, but agree with your comments regarding the Burkinshaw days, think it must have been 7 matches at Wembley in 15 months with the replays, Milk Cup final and Charity shields. Looking back now I'm gutted I wasnt a few years older and been able to afford/drive down to Tottenham at that time.
That season in 1982 we came so close to winning the lot.

Loved most of the Jol years, WHL was bouncing and we really had a feel-good factor going on, and you certainly got to see goals.

Wasnt overly-keen on the Sherwood appointment, but so far he appears to have given us our Tottenham back and as you say its great to see him showing faith in young, local talent. Travelling down to the Lane was starting to lose its 'buzz' for me and the wife for those last few months of the AVB reign, but now TS has breathed new life into the trips, and long may it continue

 

[paxtonwolf]

I hope that the world turns, and that the football gods are finally sent packing with their sticks of ill fate rammed firmly up their arses as we confidently step up and take what we've been yearning for all these years. But you're right: if we are to truly get there soon, we'll need to start believing that we can indeed get there, outside opinions be damned.

Thank you for that bit of optimism. Keep on carrying that in you, and you'll have lived a good life.

@Steff: Honestly ,that May night was one of the few nights in my life where nothing mattered but the moment itself: not the past, not the future, not the worries of forward planning or the sepia-tinged memories of the past, not gnawing doubt, tired cynicism,non-committal wariness.....nothing but the seconds themselves as they passed by, with the barmaid watching in astonishment across the smoke-filled wooden counter, me signing at the top of my voice, a bunch of hoary fans trying (and failing) to do Irish jigs on the bar table, beer merrily sloshing all over everyone's clothes and shoes and belongings, and everywhere, the knowledge that good old Crouchy had given us one night where we didn't have to worry about good old Tottenham, and the knowledge that he had given us one night where the future was limitless in its potential and the past a finally closed book.

I'll never forget Crouchy, but then again, I'll never forget that game, so it's less to do with Crouchy himself and more to do with everything that went on in it: Bale's cross, Crouchie's miss, Fulop's saves, Kaboul's skip past Bellamy, his cross, and the header itself. As for remembering Crouchy personally, his goal against Milan was the one that truly did it for me.

This totally.

Will be remembered forever. Drove almost straight from work, picked the wife up along the way, she had got my a sandwich and a drink to have along the way. I was such a bag of nerves I couldnt eat or drink.
The first 80 minutes or so I was a mess, heart was pounding, we were on the next to back row about 6 seats from the City fans, after Crouchie scored they were the longest 10 mins of my whole life so far.
I can watch the goal on Youtube over and over again, not for Crouchies finish, but just seeing him run to the fans behind the goal and watching them celebrate. What a night...in the end

 

[paxtonwolf]

White shirts
Navy shorts
Cup side
Glory
Bill Nicholson
UEFA Cup
Chas N Dave
Bottle job defeats
Glorious wins
Great football
Great goals
Wacky keepers
Never 0-0
Golden c0ckrels
Navy and white bar scarves with a little bit of yellow
Hummel
One gem of a player every five years
Hate Arsenal
Crap transport on match days
Crap refreshments on match days
Horse crap on match days
Paul Coyte on match daysHolsten
Red line of death
"....what a fantastic run..."
"....he is you know..."

That's MY Tottenham!

=D> Quality. Cracks me up when he reads out the HT scores, and if Arsenal or Chelsea are losing, the way he leans into the camera to the say the score

 

[AuroRaman]

Ladettes and lads. Steff has mentioned it in either this thread or another. We really should have a get together. Ideally on a match day but if that proves difficult, perhaps we can arrange a venue and time suitable for the majority?

I'm happy to take the lead with this if people are up for it?

I would love to see you ****s in the flesh!

 

[milo]

Ladettes and lads. Steff has mentioned it in either this thread or another. We really should have a get together. Ideally on a match day but if that proves difficult, perhaps we can arrange a venue and time suitable for the majority?

I'm happy to take the lead with this if people are up for it?

I would love to see you ****s in the flesh!

We could arrange a meet up in a central London pub sometime. It would be best if everyone came dressed as their avatar so that we can spot each other easily.

We had a GG kick around in Hyde Park donkey's year back.