There's glory in it
Friday, March 23, 2012 at 10:35AM by Flav (written just after the 1-1 draw at home to Stoke)
You can’t start writing about White Hart Lane without thinking about what happened to Fabrice Muamba only a few days before. I was at the game and saw it happen. It was grim, and I’ll never forget it. I approached this game against Stoke philosophically. Whatever happened wouldn’t really matter, not really in the grand scheme of things, not when a player’s life is in the balance…but then the whistle went. And I realised, as much as Fabrice was in my mind, there’s was enough left to once again become entangled in 90mins of Tottenham Hotspur. I kind of wish there wasn’t. At points I thought the left side of my skull was going to cave in.
I’d imagine being a Spurs fan is slightly different from being a supporter of other teams. Mostly it’s unrivalled agony and heartbreak. Obviously there are moments of joy and delusion, that maybe we’ve turned the corner, maybe this season, after so many false dawns, will be the one when Tottenham’s quality shows through. We know that it won’t, but we hope and believe none-the-less. This season is different in one way, we kept believing until February, rather than giving up all hope in early September.
The problem that most Spurs fans have is that once we start playing well they fall in love with the idea of being successful. It’s those fans who were gloating when we were 10 points ahead of Woolwich. And it’s those fans that expect victories at home against teams like Stoke, despite being well versed in Tottenham tradition. To be fair, they got what they wanted, except the goals. We hit the bar and post, we created plus twenty chances; Stoke were dull and scored a sh*t goal. But that is what Spurs are about, and really, what Stoke are about.
When Cameron Jerome made it 1-0 on 75mins, a tap in from 3 yards, it was a feeling of inevitability rather than injustice. When Van der Vaart scored a sublime header from Bale’s pitch perfect cross from the left it wasn’t jubilation, it was…what we deserved. The celebration was muted in desperation for a second goal with all but three minutes to grab it. We didn’t, obviously. It ended 1-1, as Woolwich held on to beat Everton at Goodison. They leapfrogged us into third to finally overhaul the ten-point gap we’d lauded over them for so long. I’ve done my best to avoid them, but the digs are coming through, and another droplet of blood forms on my forehead whenever I read a goading tweet or text message.
It could have been different. We could have easily won last night. And to be fair, Stoke deserve credit. As much as Sky Sports would have you believe it, football isn’t all about wild attacking football, and stupendous goals, the large majority of football is organisation and perspiration. Stoke were dogged like no other team I’ve seen at the Lane this season. They harried, and fought, and blocked our one hundred and forty eight shots at goal, and probably, if I was being extremely generous, deserved their point. But bollocks to being a Stoke fan.
As the game ended I began to ruminate. We’ve got Chelsea away next Saturday, and the Scum are at home to Villa. Depressing though it may sound, we could easily be four points behind them and I’m sure we’ll get dog’s abuse if it does happen, but I don’t really care. Being Spurs is more than living your life vicariously through millionaire football players who, despite what they say on twitter, really don’t care about you. It’s about loving the football club, and the cockerel on the breast. Which is why it’s easy to deal with disappointment, the pain, and obnoxious neighbours, because we’re Tottenham Hotspur and we’re built for misery and live for the hope. It’s the way it is.
There’s nine games left. We could win every one and finish above Woolwich, sign Eden Hazard and win the league next season. We could lose them all and sell Bale, Modric and Van der Vaart and return to mid-table mediocrity that was the mainstay of my adolescent years, but that’s what Spurs is all about, and there’s glory in that.
Reader Comments (14)
MR Spooky poopy poo , you will make me cry ...lol
Great read! Great article! Redknapp to confirm England switch, Levy to confirm Ancelloti signing, along with Damao & Remy (Hazard is out of our price range). Modric new contract! Saha to bugger off, Get huddlestone fit again to add a string to our bow! We will beat chelsea and Arse nal with loose, we will be flying again and no one will be worrying. STAY POSITIVE.....COYS
i hate this kind of rubbish. we should be pissed off with our pathetic teams efforts since christmas and not harping on about how great is to be spurs fan and that we can take misery coz its what were used to. there is absalutely NO glory in that.
Harry's head has turned and he has stopped practicing all the good 'man management' skills he had been so good at for three years. He's lost the plot, pure and simple. He wants the England job and there's no other 'primary purpose'. Yes he wants to go out with success being his legacy, but it's not going to be because in his own 'famous' words (spoken about Luca Modric last summer) his head's not right.
As much as I like Spurs(and I do ;-))...it looks like your season has unravelled at a rate of knotts since Postman Pat quit his post and 'Arrys head was turned.I for my part hope you overtake Arsenal but on current form it's not looking likely ,you made the point that Spurs are unlike any other team expectaions constantly being dashed on the rocks of harsh reality type thing.I think you'll find there are a fair few teams with similar storys to you,Everton,The Spammers and the Geordies to name but a few,I think myself your all pretty fortunate in the respect that you can aspire to such loffty dreams and have the money and talent to perhaps see a dream come to fruition one day.
Stoke fans for there part are a hardier bunch,haveing suffered years in the wilderness under countless shit manager.People slag our lack of style on a regular basis...just look at Wigan ffs pretty dainty football for the disearning pie eater.There welcome to it,without substance there doomed.We may not be Brazil but in all honesty I couldn't give a flying one.
A genuine good luck from me as I hate Arsenal as much as any Spurs fan,hope you make it to the CL..;)
CTID B)
Starting to think that Harry could exit on the back of a "2 from 8" run. Spooooooky!
Well written piece Flav, top stuff.
I've just copied and pasted part of this and made it my new status on Facebook. Thanks, Flav for summing up exactly how I feel. I was wondering how success would change Spurs fans. reality has come back and bitten us hard on the arse, but we can take it. We don't just sing when we're winning.
To be honest, I can't stand people who grew up and started supporting Spurs in the mediocre years. They have a totally warped idea about our glorious club. Thank God that Mr Levy's ambition is inexhaustible (far more than they deserve) and that he pays them as little attention as they deserve. If you started supporting Spurs between 1992 and 2009, please spare us your views, your cap-dothing to the Filth makes me want to throw up!
Exactly, Stratty. It's that kind of small minded mentality which is holding the club back. If you believe we're a mediocre club, that's exactly what we'll be.
harry press confrence today saying the players dont care whos in charge and its rubbish blaming that is wrong! i am friends with a couple of the players and i can tell you from my heart that 100% it has rocked the team! and some individuals especially, it has caused alot of uncertanty at the club and we dont take things like this in our stride, as you can tell from the modric saga. rednapp thing needs sorting in the open, 100%
Well written but please god not the 90's again. I loved the 90's for many reasons, none of which were THFC. Now the 80's, there was glory there and even the 70's with the relegation and instant promotion, and the noughties with Jol and the lasagne but NOT the 90's. As far as i'm concerned we take 3rd or 4th. Anything else will result in the best players going and the 90's returning. If that happens I will follow suit and start taking MDMA like a nutter again.
Bloody John Terry.
Under Harry we turned into 'new Spurs' the club that don't let you down. The players fought for everything and usually won playing beautiful.
Now they all know he is off to England and 'old Spurs' is back - you never know what you will get. Some tippy tappy but not enough backbone in the side.
If that twat JT could keep his nasty gob shut we could have got through to the summer all guns blazing. Now the whole thing is a mess.
Harry and England are waiting until the summer but THFC don't have to if they think anyone else can do better. Or they can offer him a new contract and get it signed asap. Steady as she goes don't seem to be working. If we lose tomorrow then it is time for a change before the season gets away from us.
Yes, of course we should be proud of losing 3rd place to our rivals and not winning a game since we got thrashed at the Emirates. Pathetic.