Lady Luck!

Man Utd and Spurs, the premier leagues so called crisis clubs met this afternoon at old trafford.

Pre match Alex Ferguson claimed that his utd team would win!

Well a minute into the match he had his first scare, Malbrangue and Berbatov combined well to set up Robbie keane who hit the bar with a curling shot. Spurs continued to dominate proceedings for the first twenty minutes, after which utd came into the game without causing us to many problems.

The second half started well for spurs and we threatened the utd goal on a number of occasions. A Bale free kick was met by the head of Ricardo Rocha, who really should have scored from six yards.

We continue to press and twice Berbatov came close in the space of a few minutes, first he slipped the ball past the keeper only for Rio Ferdinand to clear off the line. Then another effort strikes Wes Brown on the arm only for the ref Howard Web to wave away our penalty appeals. Ironic really as it was at the same end two years ago that Pedro Mendes clear cut goal was denied by equally blind officials.

To rub salt in the wounds Nani fires a shot from 20 yards and gets a fortunate deflection to beat robinson for uniteds winning goal.

Spurs still pressed on and united held on to the three points. The team played very well and Martin Jol and everyone connected with the club can see we are not far off being very good once we have a full squad to pick from.

What can i say about our travelling support, they were magnificent! The 3.000 spurs fans totally out sung their united counterparts, as Martin Jol so rightly says "the best fans in England".

The media have done their very best to unsettle us this week, BMJ lost the dressing room, fickle fans, berbatov's on his way. The whole country witnessed the complete opposite this afternoon, if only we could have a little of what the top four teams seem to get a lot off, Lady Luck.!

Full match reporthere

Martin Jol

tottenham till i die

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What Do Spurs Fans Think Of Martin Jol

Spurs in Germany V Bayer Leverkusen EUFA CUP!

White Hart Pain!

Martin Jol seems to have got himself a stay of execution after his clear the air meeting with Levy and the board today.

But what has to be one of the biggest public relations disasters in recent football history. The clubs clumsy handling of the whole Jaunde Ramos affair, has put spurs in a very poor light indeed.

BMJ is called in to meet the board like a naughty schoolboy and is told in no uncertain terms that the board expect nothing less than a top 4 finish or else!. What the hell does Levy think BMJ has been working towards these past two years.

Whatever report you read on this whole sorry saga its a different story being told. Spurs cooled on the idea of Ramos after being caught out in the Spanish hotel meeting. Ramos commits himself to seeing out the year left on his Seville contract. Or did Ramos play spurs to get himself an improved deal at Seville.

Whatever the truth is, if spurs weren't in a crisis a week ago, we are now!.

I can't believe how the board have acted in such an amature way, and shown so much disrespect to a much loved manager.

Sundays game in Manchester will see the spurs fans voice their wrath at the board of that i have no dought. The board are so out of touch with the feelings of their own fans.

Our next 3 games away to Man Utd, Fulham and home to Arsenal will now be make or break for Martin Jol and the club.

I love Martin Jol, Martin Jol loves me!

Supporting Tottenham Hotspur!

The Week That Was!

As spurs fans we have experienced all kinds of emotions this week. Last Saturday we felt untold confidence and optimism as we kicked off against Sunderland, only to get a kick in the teeth in the dying seconds of the game.

Tuesday nights game with everton was the match we would put things right we hoped. But when kaboul limped off injured i knew we would get very little from the game, and that was indeed the case.

All week the media have been having a field day, stating that spurs are in crisis and Martin Jol would lose his job!. He even had urgent talks with our chairman Mr Levy so the papers said. The fact that he has weekly talks with the chairman seems not to be reported. I guess you can't let the truth get in the way of a good story now can you.

On to todays game, it was a must win game of course it was. We needed to give our season a kick start and today we did. Two goals from Malbranque inside 6 minutes eased the pressure on Martin Jol and us fans alike.

Jenas scorced a wonderful solo effort on 14 minutes after stealing the ball from Derby's Andy Todd and sliding it past the helpless keeper.

Wayne Routledge had the ball in the net on 32 minutes but the linesman wrongly flagged for offside.

Derby managed there first and only shot on target on the 70 minute mark, Gary Teale saw his shot saved by robbinson.

On 79 minutes Darren bent scored his first goal for spurs, McEveley's back header brought a good save out of the Derby keeper and bent raced in to nod it home.

So it finished 4-0 to spurs and in truth it was one way traffic, the return of Young-pyo lee at left back gave the back four a more solid look to it. Routledge playing on the right gave us the width we have been craving, therefore keeping their left back very busy all the game. Huddlestone's distribution was great, playing a variety of passes that was a joy to see. And jenas upped a gear after his recent poor performances.

The team had a more balanced look to it today, we still have a very long injury list but they will slowly come back and then we can push on. Tonight I'm very pleased we are above Man Utd and Arsenal. Wenger for the sack anyone!

Full match report here

Tottenham V Derby

Tottenham take on Premier League newcomers Derby, looking for their first points after successive defeats away to Sunderland and home to Everton.
Under pressure manager Martin Jol will want a victory here with an away trip to Manchester United scheduled after this and immediately before two London derbies, away to Fulham and home to near neighbours Arsenal.
Tottenham have never lost the first three matches of a Premier League season, and have only been defeated in the first two on two occasions. The first was in 1997, when they won their third match, ironically home to Derby.

The Rams have never recorded a Premier League victory at White Hart Lane.
They too have tough fixtures ahead; following a Midlands derby home to Birmingham, they must go to Liverpool, entertain Newcastle and visit Arsenal.

Club Form

1. One of five clubs still searching for their first premier League point, and one of three clubs to have lost both opening fixtures in this division; Middlesbrough and Bolton are the others.
2. Only had one point after three games in 1995-96, however on the two occasions when both opening Premier League fixtures were lost in 1997 and 1998, the third match was won.
3. Won one of the first six last season, losing four of them.
4. Need to score three times to total 4,000 post war league goals.
5. The midweek loss to Everton ended a six-game unbeaten home league run.
6. Managed just one clean sheet in 15 league outings at the Lane; 1-0, against Reading on 1 April.

MALBRANQUE will be making his 200th English league appearance (Fulham and Spurs).
Didier ZOKORA will be making his 50th appearance in a Tottenham shirt.
Tom HUDDLESTONE will be facing the club where he started his professional career. The 20 year old was a trainee at Derby, making 95 appearances for them (88 in the league) between August 2002 and his £750,000 transfer to White Hart Lane in July 2005.

COYS!

Rumour Mill

With our poor start to the season it comes a no surprise that the rumour mill seems to be working overdrive at the moment.

We are being linked with a number of midfielders, namely Rafael Van Der Vart from Hamburg, Guti from Real Madrid and Matt Taylor from Portsmouth. Not forgetting Pederson from Blackburn, that story never seems to leave the papers.

Personally Matty Taylor is exactly the type of player we need to slot in on the left side. He is proven in the Premiership has a fierce shot a great engine and his delivery is very good too. Also he is a spurs fan along with all his family, therefore knows what is required at spurs and should settle in immediately.

The Curtis Davies saga keeps rumbling along, but i can't see anything happening there until the January window, i think we could do with him now due to our incredibly long injury list.

COYS!

And If You Know Your History.....

Spurs Feeling Blue

I arrived in tottenham in good time tonight, and as always for night games i stop to have my dinner. A cafe in tottenham green called the "Titanic" was the venue, but little did i know then, that a few hours later i would have that sinking feeling.

The first home game of the season is eagerly awaited and the heavy rain didn't dampen spirits, with the spurs fans getting behind the team. Darren bent made his home debut, and we were all looking forward to see him get off the mark.

Everton had a script of their own to write and opened the scoring after 3 minutes when Mikel Arteta crossed to find an unmarked Lescott who duly nodded home.

We lost kaboul after 17 minutes and pressed forward for the equaliser, it came on 26 minutes by the head of Anthony Gardner.

Our joy was short lived with goals from Leon Osman(37) and Alan Stubbs (45)

The second half didn't produce any more goals and we came close when Berbatov hit the post and Tim Howard made a fine save from a Defoe drive.

Everton played with relentless industry and were marshalled by Osman and the outstanding Mikel Arteta. Who had drive and tenacity, while never neglecting his defensive responsibilities.

If only our midfield could show the same guile and work rate.

So Martin Jol has alot of work to do before Saturday's visit of Derby. I hope he can sort it out quickly, otherwise he will be under a hell of alot of pressure.

COYS!

match report
here

Tottenham V Everton

Martin Jol will consider changing his striking options after his side drew a blank against Sunderland, with Darren Bent poised to start.

Michael Dawson (ankle) faces a late fitness test, while Gareth Bale, Ledley King, Aaron Lennon, Young-Pyo Lee and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are all still out.

Everton are likely to be unchanged from the win over Wigan.

Leighton Baines (hamstring) stays sidelined along with Tim Cahill, James Vaughan and James McFadden.



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Tottenham (from): Robinson, Cerny, Chimbonda, Stalteri, Rocha, Gardner, Kaboul, Dawson, Jenas, Zokora, Murphy, Boateng, Ghaly, Malbranque, Taarabt, Tainio, Routledge, Huddlestone, Berbatov, Keane, Defoe, Bent.

Everton (from): Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Valente, Arteta, Carsley, Neville, Van der Meyde, Jagielka, Pienaar, Osman, Anichebe, Johnson, Boyle, Ruddy, De Silva

A Season to remember! 06/07

Harry Hotspur!

Bloodshed, kidnap, ransom and even witchcraft and wizardry - Alnwick has been the scene of many a drama, even one that made it to the big screen!Home to more than one famous Harry, Alnwick Castle provided the exterior to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter films. But spells, potions and broomstick-flying antics, pale into insignificance when you take a closer look at the castle's dramatic history.There has been a castle of sorts on this site in Northumberland since the 11th Century. Alnwick began life as a Motte and Bailey castle. The Motte- a large mound of earth, and the surrounding bailey, are features that can still be identified in the castle today.Norman Gilbert Tyson, William the Conqueror's standard-bearer, set up the first residence at Alnwick. An error of judgement on Tyson's part, however, found him on the wrong side of a rebellion in 1095 and consequently he lost possession of Alnwick.The site then fell into the hands of Yvo de Vescy, who erected the first permanent building at Alnwick. Alnwick remained in the Vescy family until 1297 when William de Vescy died leaving no legitimate heir.In 1309, the Bishop of Durham, who had been placed in charge of the castle, sold Alnwick and its estates to Henry Percy - head of one of the most powerful families in England. It was the Percy family, in particular Henry Percy - nicknamed Harry Hotspur for his speed and skill in battle - that put Alnwick castle and his namesake tower, 'Hotspur's Seat', firmly on the map.'Hotspur's Seat' is a bower that sits to the west of the Record Tower at Alnwick. The first Duchess of Alnwick erected the bower in the 18th Century on the site of an old garret.It was the Duchess's love of the gothic tradition and her immense pride in her ancestry that lead her to build the bower and to name it after one of the Percys' more colourful characters.The Percys arrived in England from Normandy with William the Conqueror and were the uncrowned kings of the Northeast. Ever increasing border disputes with the Scottish, who were constantly trying to push into northern England, ensured that the Percys had their hands full.Hotspur was Alnwick's very own home-grown hero. Born in the castle in 1364, he quickly became a legend, helped some say, by dashing good looks and fearlessness in battle. Raised in hostile and violent times, Hotspur first went into battle at the tender age of eight and had been knighted by the time he was eleven.But it was at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388 that Hotspur firmly cemented his infamous reputation, killing the Earl of Douglas, leader of a Scottish army, in hand to hand combat. Once he had despatched the leader, Hotspur went in pursuit of the retreating Scottish army. However, this rash behaviour proved to be his downfall and Hotspur was captured by the Scots, later to be ransomed back. This slight glitch in his career did little to dampen Hotspur's spirits and with one enemy slain, the Percys turned their attention closer to home.Hotspur, along with his father, the Earl of Northumberland, had more than a hand in disposing of King Richard II and bringing Henry the IV to the throne. But arguments over money saw the relationship between the Henry IV and the Percys turn sour and the stage was set for battle.It was at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 that Hotspur finally met his downfall. His attack against the Royalist army failed, and after his death in hand to hand combat, Hotspur's body was beheaded, quartered and displayed across the country. Harry Hotspur lived and died a hero, and, like all good heroes, he gave his life and name to British history.Whilst the 18th Century guard tower at Alnwick is named Hotspur's seat, it was Shakespeare who immortalised the character of Hotspur and the Battle of Shrewsbury in Henry IV Part One.Harry Hotspur has even given his name to the world famous Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, due to the fact the Percy family owned a family seat on Tottenham Marshes. It seems even in death, and over 600 years later, that Hotspurs' popularity, and indeed fighting spirit, lives on.

Come on you spurs!

A Wake Up Call

One game doesn't make a season, but Martin Jol has had an early warning that this season will require lots of hard work to realize his dreams of a top 4 spot.
Spurs went into the game with a long injury list and Dawson pulling out injured pre match didn't help matters one bit.
Gardner came in to replace him and in truth he looks like a player that only gets an outing once every two months.
Younes Kaboul playing his first competitive game in our colours looks a very good signing and was our best player on the day. He looks assured, wins everything in the air and finds his team mates with passes and headers.
As for the rest of the team it was a very low par performance indeed. It seemed to me that there was no link between the midfield and attack, very little movement no width and nothing in the way of drive from midfield.
Tuesday night's game against Everton will see a very different line up i think, and Martin Jol will be under pressure to produce the goods in front of the White Hart Lane faithful.
This result is a wake up call alright, but it remains to be seen if its a blessing in disguise.
COYS!

The Eve Of A New Season

EVERTON TICKETS!

Tottenham ticket office issued a statement on the official site today regarding the Everton tickets, the truth is some spotty spikey haired oik found a sack in the corner containing our tickets. They thought they should post them pronto to avoid the scenes we witnessed outside the ticket office at the Torino game. Wise move otherwise we would have seen a riot. Below is the official statement!


In advance of Tuesday night's (August 14) match against Everton, we have identified a number of bookings that were printed incorrectly and therefore not been despatched.

If you booked tickets for Everton but have yet to receive them in the post, please email evertontickets@tottenhamhotspur.com and put 'Everton Tickets' in the Subject Field.

Following last night's announcement that Royal Mail industrial action has been postponed, we will despatch these tickets via First Class post today to anyone that is able to notify us via email by 3.30pm this afternoon.

If, once you have done this, you are still not in receipt of your tickets by Monday's post, please email again on Monday and place the heading "Everton Duplicate Ticket Request". We will then ensure that duplicate tickets are ready for you to collect direct from White Hart Lane.

Due to the exceptional circumstances in this case we have taken the decision, for this fixture only, to allow supporters to collect duplicate tickets prior to the day of the match. Should your tickets not arrive in Monday's post you will be able to collect duplicate tickets until 5.30pm on Monday or from 9.30 on Tuesday morning.

We'd like to apologise for any inconvenience and unnecessary worry and frustration that this situation has caused and can assure you that the cause of this problem has been identified and resolved for future fixtures.

Thank you for your patience and continued support.

Spurs V Torino goals

Sunderland v Tottenham

The clock is ticking and the new season is nearly upon us, the anticipation amongst spurs fans is very high indeed.

With our new "awesome foursome" upfront will this be our year to gatecrash the top four?

The opening day fixture up at Sunderland is a tough start to the season, the black cats will be keen to make a quick impression on their return to the premier league.

Manager Roy Keane is delighted with his new signing Craig Gordon, who becomes the most expensive goalkeeper in Premier League history.

Tottenham meanwhile are very pleased with the signings they have made this summer. Younes Kaboul is expected to start in place of the injured Ledley King.

But all eyes will be on Martin Jols picks to play upfront, i expect us to start with two up front Berbatov and Bent, with keane joining the attack in the second half. Last seasons away record has to be improved upon for us to realise our dreams of Champions League football.

We have bolstered both defence and attack wisely this term, and i believe our squad is capable of going all the way this term.

My prediction...Sunderland 1 Spurs 3

Come On You Spurs!

Tottenham Ticket Office

Now the season is soon upon us and how do we think the ticket office is coping with the demands made upon it.
Not very well by my experience. I booked 4 tickets for the Torino game on the 4th of july, as i couldn't wait for the season to start like most spurs fans I'm eager to see our new signings in action.
A week before the game im a little worried as my tickets had not arrived yet, but not to worry I'll email the ticket office and find out my status regarding the tickets. No reply from them, OK in the meantime theres the little matter of applying online for the Arsenal game. Well that's a whole post in itself, to cut a long story short i get through after half an hour ,choose my block get allocated my seat enter my credit card details and click to purchase. And then im put in a queue and after an hour and a half I'm timed out. Frustrated i give up.
I book tickets for the Everton and Derby county games on the first day of the onsale dates.
In the meantime i send emails to the ticket office every day but no replies are forthcoming, i phone them also and I'm either cut off or timed out. I manage to get through to the One Hotsur office and I'm told that the Torino tickets have been sent out, i ask what happens if i don't receive them and im told not to worry they can be collected on the day of the match as long as i have my membership card and the credit card i booked with.
Saturday 4th august comes but still no tickets but my Derby ticket arrives! strange as its the last one i booked. We set off for the match and arrive at the lane at 1pm to be confronted with an almighty queue, i join the end of the queue which is on the high road. I miss the start of the game as i get into the lane at 2.40pm.
Now i feel very let down by the club as they say my tickets were posted which is all lies as its now Wednesday and they still haven't arrived, i believe they were never posted at all. I also believe we shall see the same scenes at our first home game v Everton.
I've also seen the clubs poor excuse for an apology, where they blame all and sundry but themselves, i wonder if Mr Levy is being fed a lot of spin by the ticket office as I'm sure he has the best interests of spurs at heart.
I'm one unhappy punter at the moment, the sooner we have the old system back the better.