Tottenham's Got Talent and the Daniel Levy connection
Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 11:44PM For reasons which will become obvious, I can't reveal my full identity. But let me just say that, I am involved with Tottenham Hotspur and have many years experience within the football industry, at clubs and for sporting agencies. My work involves close liaison with Daniel Levy’s ENIC (that’s the English National Investment Company) and, as a result, I have seen what goes on from the inside and this has left me increasingly uncomfortable about the integrity of Tottenham and particularly the workings of their chairman.
It's long been known that there is quite a degree of "wheeling and dealing" at White Hart Lane (You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5fwFba59lQ ) But press reports on "wheeling and dealing" are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ENIC’s manipulation of, not only potential transfer targets and the fans expectations, but also the media and hopefully, in this email, I can shine some light on the smoke and mirrors trickery of Levy.
Take the last transfer window as an example. Shambolic you’d think? No. It was expertly planned right down to the finest detail, nothing was opportunistic or desperate, everything was staged. Spurs purposely waited until the last hour to bid for Charlie Adam because they knew it would fail but at least the endeavour would gain press coverage, allowing Redknapp to perpetuate a ‘hard nights work’.
In the previous one, they were always going to sign van der Vaart. The player did not become available last second. Levy know a forward would propel Spurs into the top four, so avoided this and signed a midfielder which would generate excitement but also limit the team and confuse tactics.
It's no big secret amongst the fans that Spurs have been looking for a centre forward who could crack the top four push again, particularly in and around the penalty box. At least that’s the illusion Levy has created to appease the hungry Tottenham faithful. The reality is, there were no true targets, just frivolous bidding and political statements where everyone pretended Spurs were busy trailblazing across La Liga bidding for anyone with two legs and an eye for goal when in reality Spanish club presidents gained kudos for rejecting bids for their star players. It was all pre-planned and agreed. A gentleman’s agreement.
So far in the history of Levy and Harry Redknapp, no one has ever signed who has not been a "buy then sell at profit" signing, and it does sadden me that, all those thousands of linked players, lining up via message board ITK threads, often behind a members only error message, are basically wasting their time.
The directors at Spurs are not looking for the talented players, they already have those. The reality is that the producers are hunting out oddities, freaks and, I'm ashamed to say, mentally ill people, to act as amusing fillers on News Now. They are nothing more than made up transfer targets and they don't even qualify for medicals and work permits!
It's quite disgusting and shameful really, how the board and Levy operate. People come from all over the country, often at great personal expense, standing outside the Lodge waiting to see a major signing because they think Tottenham is a talented team missing one or two key signings that would stand them a chance of realising their dreams.
I can tell you from the inside that Spurs is no more a "contender", than I am an astronaut. Nothing is left to chance at Spurs, everything is micro-managed, choreographed, manipulated and planned down to the last detail including, the chaotic deadline day transfer madness and average obvious signings that can sometimes prove disruptive or warrant scratching of the head. Recent South African signings for example are simply there to aid the clubs promotion and awareness in Africa.
The ability to manipulate Sky Sports News opinion is vital if you are to control fees and indeed get the required transfer value for a player and an agreeable donation to the Tottenham Foundation. Levy sees this as essential to the success of the club and are very open about fact; signing and selling players of quality is impossible for an investment company if it purely looks to retain them and not sell them on for profit the moment their value doubles. if it was purely left to the fans, as Harry recently said "They’re idiots". Everything at Spurs is geared towards telling you who you we should be signing with misinformation and planted sound-bites with the media and sports writers, particularly via Harry Redknapp who acts as the protagonist for the chess game Levy is playing. It's an art really, which they have honed to perfection and Spurs are now world leaders at.
The micro-management of Dimitar Berbatov’s transfer was incredible. I was really quite shocked at how the club let him go up to talk to City when he was always going to be picked up at the airport by Utd. From a starting point of wanting Berba sold, Levy had totally screwed Fergie in the process to the tune of £30M. But it looked like it was Utd and Berba controlling the destiny of the Bulgarian. Levy looks like he put up a gallant fight and looks better for it when he lets us know the money the club have received for the player. But what did we get in return? Frazier Campbell. Levy hardly interested in plugging the hole that was left. Money earned, job done.
In the present, as a footballer on the flanks, Gareth Bale has a relatively short shelf-life. Levy knew he was going to have to hit the ground running to maximise Bale’s transfer potential, particularly if they go ahead with a planned sale to La Liga or Italy.
If you think Bale was bad during that run of games when Spurs failed to win with him in the side, you haven't got a clue. With an "anything goes" attitude all morals have long since gone out of the window. There was no allowance for Bale’s age and he was expected to perform before he got injured which he did, rising hopes for his return. When he did, they then strategically played him in games that Spurs would possibly fail to win in order to generate negative hype around the player being jinxed, building up a body of disgruntlement. Then they pretended to offer him out on loan to other clubs, waiting patiently for BAE to get injured and then start Bale, first at left-back then left-wing. They always knew he would be a star, and this way it was rags to riches with an impact that has left the Welshman with a £30M+ valuation. The story its self, worth its weight in gold.
And if he gets exhausted, there's always some other youthful player in the Championship to pluck from a team right under their nose. I've seen it a million times.
Of course, once Bale’s pace goes, it's game-over and he will be commercially redundant for a few years until he re-signs for Spurs as a player in his mid-30s. By the time he gets through that, the world will have moved on and his fan-base will have moved onto the next big thing. Will he make a successful comeback? In my experience I'd say probably not. Because before Bale’s pace goes, he’ll have been sold to Man Utd or City. His return to Spurs will be nothing more than a sham, a player on his last legs earning a few more dollars.
I've also met Luka Modric privately a few times over the past couple of years. He's a really nice bloke with a generous, warm personality and the most wonderfully cute, girlie-giggle. There's nothing to not like about Luka. He's a really sensitive soul and this comes across as him being a bit effeminate. But in a world of thuggish chavs, Luka’s a real breath of fresh air really and a real delight to chat to. Do I think Luka is gay? No, is the short answer to that. Levy and Redknapp have got a lot to answer for in their initial styling and image for Luka
Like many Spurs midfielders, Luka may have issues in coming to terms with sometimes having to play alongside Jermaine Jenas but in a year or so he’ll also be sold to Man Utd. But right now, he's just a great midfielder...a bit different, I admit with the hair and the dainty baby elf type frame ...but a great lad just the same.
I hope Luka and Bale are not damaged by Redknapp’s tactical and formational shuffles geared to keep Spurs from a permanent spot in the top four, fortunately, history warns otherwise...but whatever, the genie is already out of the bottle and come this summer or next, their lives will change forever. Whether it's a good or bad experience being a superb player at Spurs in this day and age, only time will tell. But as an football insider I have serious reservations about what is about to happen at White Hart Lane and I doubt the home fans are ready for what's coming.
Thanks to my friends on Twitter and Facebook for getting this email out. Without you my voice would be silent.
** If you want to help expose the lie which is Tottenham Hotspur FC and ENIC, please feel free to republish this article or post a link to it**
Anon
THFC
Reader Comments (56)
LOL. Tremendous stuff Spooky. You're on form again with a hilariously topical missive.
i especially liked the micro-management and careful planning of the keane re-buy from liverpool.
Brilliant. I think one or two will be confused if they didn't happen by the original piece of work before the legal eagles pulled it down.
I am not ashamed to be a little in the dark here, satire I'm assuming but other comments suggest a back story? Someone mind filling me in? Thanks.
I don't think I watch enough TV to know what the hell this is about...........
http://justpaste.it/c8g
It's gone. But I'm sure someone has it somewhere.
You're in danger of becoming the new Ally Gold; writing crap and having people kiss your arse for it.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/litmanlive/W8Rlr26SKTz92GmVWvJ7408nP2NvSHRcNNAu6eIKHpi4qecDYB6Im1Ra5bDa/c8g-justpasteit.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJFZAE65UYRT34AOQ&Expires=1307058038&Signature=%2BmtARobjt1iD7pAiACRqD%2BtgeuM%3D
Here is the piece that's being parodied
Absolutely brilliant. Bravo.
i call BS all over this article. wont buy and not sell for profit? you mean like resigning crouch, defoe, keane?
buying young players to develop is not only good business sense, its the only option available as our stadium is too small to pay big wages established names want without bankrupting the club.
If bale and modric get sold to united or city maybe i will actually believe this, as harry and levy have told the public were not a selling club !!!
Brilliant Spooky! Some of the best stuff you have done in quite a while.
I am very interested in butterflies, I have heard it said that they just need to flap an idle wing and whole universes can change. Obviously, reading DML is a journey into an alternate universe and as Roy said on Special1TV "All credit to Quantum Mechanics..." but perhaps there is a clue to our future success.
You see, when the current Doctor Who finally dies then perhaps that would be Harry's obvious next move. England Manager is very "Mike Basset" compared to being a time lord. So if Harry gets the key to the Tardis then where would he go for his next signing? Some might suggest the 60's and Greaves, some may even say Waddle and Hoddle but I rather fancy he would head straight for Denmark circa 1908.
You see the father of Quantum Mechanics was Neils Bohr, the most intelligent man in the 20th Century universe alongside Albert. Now Neils loved a game of football whilst he was working out the fundamental nature of the structure of reality through which maths we now have computers and many other toys. However, his brother, Professor Haarold Bohr (mathematics), actually won a cap for Denmark against Germany and he, I believe, is exactly the type of precision striker Spurs need right now. That is why Harry will travel back in time to sign him and with the relative time/space/currency differential, we should be able to pick him up for a song!
Now you might think that this is all as interesting as poisoning a cat in a box but I bet you it has more probability of coming true than what we read in the tabloids at the moment....as for TalkSport....well that's out with the butterflies surely.
Brilliant
The expression "There's many a true word spoken in jest" comes to mind!
If it is satire then brilliant , if not ... colour me confused
Anyone familiar with the work of Bram Stoker will know that this article was based on the mental topography of Renfield. The disturbing thing about the insane though, is there will always be frightening pearls of clarity amongst their ramblings. The Charlie Adams paragraph & choreography reference being the points in case.
imagne if this were possible.........
daniel levy would be in alot bigger job than football..........
hed be an evil bond villian ruling the world.......
nice idea though........
COYS
the Bale plan to create a rags to riches story..what a pile of b-s-.
Avoid fraternising with women in Sweden Spooky.
What it is to live in a world where perception becomes reality without evidence or fact, and yet the lies, bribes and misdirection are so common place that both the cynical and optimistic can be content that 90% of 'the truth' out there is a lie.
A world where even the most machiavellian, deluded, megalomaniac can be voted as head of FIFA, would anything that happens at THFC really be that much of a surprise any more?
In other news, one of the current worst kept secrets is that it is now confirmed that brad friedel has signed. Gomes return to PSV?
Like Friedel, he often used to turn in MOM performances against us over the years.
According to the statement on the club site, Harry says we need all 3 keepers due to the number of games we will play next season..... I fully expect Gomes to move on in the next couple of weeks.
lies, damn lies, and soundbites.
Reading that was like being in an episode of Fringe... loving your work Spooky!
If you value the SpursShow:
www.save.spursshow.net
Really enjoying all the serious comments. If you read this and don't get it, don't comment until you've read the Syco story... otherwise you might look like a bit of a tit!
I can't imagine Luka having a girly giggle, his voice is seriously deep for a little guy.
Found myself getting annoyed reading that, I guess that was the desired effect. Funny stuff!
This article won't be all that funny when we sign Joe Cole for 3million as a replacement for Luka Modric. Liverpool's nightmare is just ending while ours is just beginning. Harry Redknapp was competing with Champions League aspirants QPR and Reading for his signature and it seems he has miraculously managed to win it. Not to forget the starlet that he got us from Aston Villa to replace Gomez. He really is our savior and enyone who doesn't think so is an idiot.
Who next? Kanu for Pavlyuchenko? Brilliant!
Don't worry Ronnie.
Surely you know that there are 2 parallell streams happening in the transfer market. Harry is allowed to sign-up any unpopular choice free/under £3.5mill players while Levy is the one picking out the major big signings that he wants while skilfully unloading the unwanted players at hugely inflated prices.
That way, when we end up with Dad's Army, a squad of 50 and no strikers worthy of the name it will all be Harry's fault and Levy "will have tried".
If that happens, expect Harry to be sacked at half-time in the first Europa League match and whoever happens to be the Southampton manager at the time installed in his place or possibly Neil Warnock after he tells Bernie Ecclestone that all F1 drivers are fairies.
You can't fault Levy for consistency.
http://wesbound.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/britains-got-talent-and-the-ronan-parke-connection/
jack..redknapp as Dr Who fantastic shout.
If only Levy were actually that smart... sigh
Please let the Jo Cole rumour be just that , a rumour because i am really starting to get annoyed by the lack of ambition in our targets
Profile :
English as mothertongue, 30 something and has some experience in the NT or CL but has lost his way in the last few seasons : Welcome to HR's Tottenham
Only a third of the way down and:
So far in the history of Levy and Harry Redknapp, no one has ever signed who has not been a "buy then sell at profit" signing
Crouch??
oh i get it now haha
beautiful stuff haha, also loving the serious comments being left....surely they know how you write by now!!
keep it up spooky.
brilliant you mean boring, god that was dull. lost interst 1/2 way through. through in a few jokes next time
Yer Spooky, we want one-liners!
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/cole-set-for-spurs-switch
Joe fucking geezer innit Cole? I despair! I really fucking despair! Been a pile of shit up there, and now we'll take the shit that wasn't good enough to get in their team when it was shit (nor when it 'got good')
Just the EXACT type of signing we've been crying out for.
A GK who pisses 14 times a night and a little cockbag who was never that good anyway?
Brilliant...
That's from the gossip section WinterWeekend61. TalkSport report we are not interested. I'm hopeful they're correct.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8103/8/exclusive-joe-cole-not-tottenham-shopping-list
Phew! Cheers! actually, talksport? Ah........ I'll hope like you do that they are right (for once) ;o)
If it's true it's going to make an awful lot of Harry-bashers feel extremely stupid....not that they would admit it mind!
DaveK , why would that be ? His favorite transfer targets stay more or less the same , even without Cole.
Welcome back BMJ to england, interesting to see the reception he gets at the Lane.
Will get a fantastic reception I'm sure...Welcome back BMJ
BMJ will get a better reception than Harry gets.
The irony, sadly, is that he's not the better manager.
Why are you so sure about that Spooky ?
BMJ hasn't quite progressed since leaving Spurs and I'm not sure (for all his positives) he can better Harry. Probably match him, although based on performances at Spurs, you can't dispute what HR has achieved in comparison. Not opinion, just fact.