So the men in suits sitting behind their desks at FIFA have actually gone and done something for once that I applaud. They favour a rule to limit the number of foreign players in teams and have been backed by the Football Association here in the UK.
But many legal experts believe it would be impossible to enforce because EU employment laws would forbid it.
Daniel Levy has long voiced his opinion that Spurs should have a large core of Englishman at the Club. During his time at the helm, we've been one of a few sides with a decent spine of players from England, unlike our North London Gooner rivals.
Last season for example, Michael Dawson, Jonathan Woodgate, Jermaine Jenas, Jamie O'Hara, Ledley King, Paul Robinson, Tom Huddlestone, Darren Bent, Aaron Lennon all
figured in our ranks and would have pretty much kept us within such a regulation had it been in force.
But as Juande Ramos looks set to splash out on more foreign stars than he will Englishmen, and with one of our best stars - ie Robbie Keane - an Irishman, would you welcome such a change to the football standing orders?
Continue reading >>
January 2008 will of course always be remembered for THAT scoreline, but quite apart from that, it was Spurs' busiest month of the season, as we crammed nine games into 31 days. As it turned out, we only managed to win three of those nine matches, not that anyone seemed particularly bothered after the night of Tuesday 22nd January.
Tuesday 1st January
Premier League - Aston Villa 2 Spurs 1
2008 began in inauspicious style for Juande Ramos' merry men. A visit to Villa Park for an 5:15pm kick-off on New Year's Day wouldn't be many teams' first choice for ways to start the season, and so it proved. Having fallen behind to a header from a corner, Jermain Defoe levelled with a spectacular finish, before we fell behind to a header from a corner. Can anyone spot the glaringly obvious problem?
Friday 5th January
Reports suggest Hutton deal dead
Five days into the year, and the January transfer merry-go-round was very much up and running, with rumours aplenty. Reports at this point suggested that Alan Hutton had decided to stay at Rangers, and that the deal had fallen through. As it turned out, all our Alan needed was a little persuading.
Continue reading >>
None of us like prices going up and let's face it, the cost of living is rising sharply these days. But while I'm slightly miffed at the 10 per cent rise in my Paxton Road season ticket for 2008/09, I'm not livid.
I understand that for Spurs to compete with the best of the Premier League and Europe, then they have to raise cash. And if it means paying £3 more per game for the privilege of watching and supporting my team through thick and thin, it's not so bad - is it?
Whether I get value-for-money for that cash though is another matter. I expect in return for my investment to see good football from a bunch of professional players who don't give up easily and let themselves down when things aren't going their way. That happened far too often during the most recent campaign.
I don't expect us to take three points from every match, but I think all us supporters have a right to see those whose wages we fund give 110 per cent in every fixture, win, lose or draw.
Continue reading >>
Traditionally the most hectic month in the footballing calendar, December saw us play eight matches in three competitions, and by the end of 2007, we seemed to have improved beyond all recognition from the team that started the month with defeat at home to Birmingham.
Sunday 2nd December
Premier League - Spurs 2 Birmingham City 3
A thoroughly miserable afternoon, which started badly, briefly seemed to have brightened up, but then sank into full-scale embarrassment, as we were humbled by the less-than-mighty Birmingham City. It's a damning indictment of just how casually we approached our league campaign this season that Spurs were the only side in the Premier League to give up six points to Birmingham. That insult, combined with the injury suffered by Gareth Bale that would eventually rule him out for the season, and the dismissal of Robbie Keane that would put him out of action for three games confirmed that December could only get better from here on in.
Thursday 6th December
UEFA Cup - Anderlecht 1 Spurs 1
A trip to the delightful Belgian capital was next on the agenda, and though Brussels at Christmas time is very much a must-visit, the game that followed in the evening was perhaps not quite so appealing. Scrappy for the most part, but Spurs showed fight and determination to come straight back from going behind. Jermaine Jenas' surge forwards provided a chance for Dimitar Berbatov to level the scores from the penalty spot.
The image that most sticks in my mind though, is that of Didier Zokora with his back turned, waiting for a response from Paul Robinson as to the result of the spot-kick. For all his faults, no one could ever accuse Zokora of not having the requisite passion for the club.
Continue reading >>
Would you believe it - Nick Barmby could be back playing at White Hart Lane next season. Who'd have imagined our former midfielder would return to the Premier League at the ripe age of 34 after spending five years out of the top flight.
Massive congratulations from all at Spurs Pies to Nick, another true professional who has proved that he is a real winner. When he returned to his hometown club of Hull City back in 2004, you could have accused him of looking for an easy life to see out his career in the comfort of the lower leagues.
But not so. His ambition was to steer Hull to glory and he's done that. His diving header in the Championship play-off semi-final helped take the side to Wembley at the weekend where they beat Bristol City 1-0.
That super strike from another journeyman returning home in the shape of Dean Windass has brought Premier League football to the city for the first time in its history. Ok, so they may well end up as next season's Derby County but they are there and will certainly benefit from all the millions of pounds coming their way.
Continue reading >>
Juande Ramos' first full month as Spurs manager saw us go unbeaten in all competitions, and there were clear signs of Ramos stamping his authority on the squad.
Friday November 2nd
Jol criticises Comolli's signings
A week after the Martin Jol saga finally came to a head, Jol spoke out against the transfer policy of his director of football, Damien Comolli. With Jol brought in by Comolli's predecessor Frank Arnesen, it was always likely that Dutchman's relationship with Arnesen's successor would be strained, and so it proved, and as much as anyone tries to deny it, Comolli's record so far is decidedly unimpressive.
Saturday November 3rd
Premier League - Middlesbrough 1 Spurs 1
Ramos' first real test was certainly not passed with flying colours, but the Spaniard wasted no time in exhibiting his willingness to change things briskly when he feels they are not working out.
Choosing to start with Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe rather than Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, within minutes of Luke Young's equaliser for Boro, both Defoe and goalscorer Bent were made abundantly aware that their time was up, with Keane and Berbatov thrown on in search of what proved to be an elusive winner.
Continue reading >>
Our esteemed First Team Coach and former Hotspur Hero Gus Poyet was among the scorers in a charity match on Monday where his celebrity side beat a team made up of MPs.
Gus's squad thrashed the poor Parlimentarians 7-1 with a hattrick from DJ Spoony, and singles from Hollyoaks actor Ricky Whittle, Darren Campbell and Cystic Fibrosis Trust supporter Harold Swanbrough. The sole scorer for the MPs team was Rob Wilson, MP for Reading East.
Blimey, no wonder nothing ever gets done in this country if a bunch of MPs can't even summon up enough to put the ball past the rather portly Neville Southall more than once.
What's worrying is one of their players was Andy Burnham, Labour's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and SPORT!
Congratulations to Gus for taking part in such a worthwhile cause when he should be having a holiday and well done to all for raising more than £20,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Other famous names on show included our own goalkeeping coach Perry Suckling, Luther Blissett, Warren Barton, David Baddiel and Angus Deayton.