Hacked

More hacks than a Friday 13th movie

You'd think that with Harry Redknapp's departure the tabloid hacks would welcome the amount of free time he now possesses to grace their pages further with insightful gems on how and why Spurs are about to collapse in on themselves and be relegated as a consequence of our chairman's ruthless (not not so ruthless in reality) actions. But alas, their favourite son appears to be imprisoned like Zod in the Phantom Zone, waiting for escape. So until they are distracted with the continuing adventures of Arry they are chugging away at us like a locomotive heading towards a damsel in distress (in this case Levy in drag tied to the railway tracks).

They (the hacks) are basically perpetuating the full collected edition of Harry Redknapp's deflections and fallacies as they build up the strength to pack a punch at the unlucky sod that dare take the job vacated at the Lane against the wishes of the almighty press gang. They're already bitter about Hodgson. Swing and they'll still probably miss. They're already throwing rabbit punches and striking below the belt.

Our players are apparently gutted that Redknapp has gone yet the same players believed him to be on his way during the FA and England debacle last season. Chelsea players scaring off Spurs players? Yeah, because nobody knows what happened in the dressing room at that club with the old guard sabotaging the efforts of the new man who was given the impossible job of changing things and changing them fast. Spurs are a club that have swagger in abundance when confidence is high, what we lacked was tactical astuteness when it mattered most. Balance and shrewd calculated pragmatism as opposed to confusing selections and kick and hope.

This Week published a short article on Spurs fans being split and referenced this excellent article via The Fighting Cock, only to side step the positive write up on AVB and concentrate more on a single comment by a reader that stated appointing AVB would be like the "second coming" of the much-ridiculed Christian Gross*.

The agenda is an obvious one. We'll have to be thick skinned about it.

*They've now amended the original article to reflect the positive article they linked to.

AVB remains the 'favourite' to be appointed although everyone is getting linked with Spurs supposedly approaching half a dozen targets. I still believe Levy had his contingency planned a while back. Probably the moment the esteemed Redknapp turned down a new Spurs contract to opt for the certainty that was the England job. The very same one Levy priced him out of.

Don't mess with bald men.

Elsewhere...

Euros

Bendtner has been fined and handed a one game suspension after he revealed an unauthorised sponsors logo on his pants during match against Portugal. The fine? 100k. Far more serious crime this than being a racist which will only cost your nation between the region of £25k - £30k.

As for England. We're not very good but yet it's quite fun watching us attempt to score one more goal than the opposition. Expect us to get dicked severely soon.

Modric to Madrid (of La Liga) according to Luka's mate Mate Bilic. Such a good mate they named him Mate just to emphasis how in the know Mate is on his mate Luka. Would be no surprise if he was sold, it's what we're expecting. He's in his prime in terms of selling profit margin potential. The stance was made last season with the Chelsea saga and our refusal to let him go, ironic with the seasons finale. Had we made it into the CL there might be reason for him to stay. Although as discussed countless times before, this is more about the money and wages he can earn (and how much his agent can take in said transfer).

Do I believe the 'deal is close'? Do I believe in the validity of a 'swap deal'? Of course not. More likely the agent has had words to drum up a bit of hype, post- Croatia v Spain match. Until the player is gone, he's a Spurs player, so I'd rather wait on official word. Until then he's a bundle of money to be made by the club just in time to bulk up the incoming managers war chest.

But if you did fancy a cheeky bid...

As for Vertonghen, we've been told 'it's practically done' for the past month. So Expect him to sign any day soon. Any day now. Soon. Literally waiting for the ink to dry. Until then you'll have to entertain yourself with such exciting news as 'Nelsen to QPR'. Hedonistic.

Falling out of love with Luka Modric

Another month, more sickness. Shaking and shivering, my back is in absolute agony. Apparently my working day sit-down posture is the reason the viral infection has gone to town on my back muscles. I'm laying down in bed typing this on my i-phone, so hardly ideal. And best to apologise up front for what might (probably) turn out to be a less than perfect article in terms of crafted English. But don't feel sorry for me. I don't want any sympathy (it's actually tiresome how often I've been sick this summer). Keep that sympathy and bundle it up into a ball of hug, then embrace Luka Modric and pat him on his back, perhaps a kiss on each cheek. You know what I'm talking about. You've seen that type of hug on The Sopranos. Not the friendly hug. The other one. The 'goodbye hug because you're going to get whacked' hug. Not that Luka is about to walk into an empty basement with Daniel Levy pointing a gun to the back of his head.

There's no need for such fatalistic dramatics. A sit-down was enough to sort things out yesterday.

First thing I'm going to reference is Sky Sports and other members of the media (such as Shaun Custis). Daniel Levy could have pulled up in his Range Rover (it's a Rover, right?) holding the decapitated head of Modric and clearly stated, "He's never leaving Spurs. We've buried the rest of his body under the centre circle", but our esteemed friends with their relentless agenda would have updated their 'Modric time-line coverage' to tell the world that Luka was so desperate to get away, he decapitated himself and is blindly attempting to run to Stamford Bridge where he'll still be able to play, just not head the ball.

No matter what we do or say, they want to engineer a move way for the Croatian. Probably because it gives them something to write about, and in addition, how dare Levy buck the trend and not roll over.

Newspapers will always add negative spin because that's their agenda. They need to say something that will keep people reading/watching. It's just another form of entertainment.

What do we actually know about yesterday?

Before Luka arrived he's interviewed at an airport saying that he could not rule out a move to Chelsea. Two ways you can take this. He means it. Or he's told to say it so that when he arrives back in England and travels to WHL to meet Levy he can perhaps allow his agent to remain in the room after he leaves to negotiate an improved deal.

Wishful thinking considering he's already in a hefty contract and we have the upper hand.

If he means it, then it's still wishful thinking. He arrives at the Lane, he has his conversation, he leaves. Agent apparently does remain behind a little longer.

We then see SSN video footage of a rather smug Levy tell the reporter that Modric understands he won't be sold.

"We had a very good conversation and, as I've said previously, Luka Modric will not be sold"

Good conversation? One-sided good conversation? Good one-sided in favour of chairman?

"That's the end of it. As I said a few weeks ago, there's no further discussion on it"

So the conversation was simply a face-to-face sit-down reiterating what Levy has told the world via his club statement straight to Luka. You wont' be sold, end of.

"He's been on holiday but we've now had the conversation and he understands our position"

Modric 'understands', which means he accepts it.

"I'm just telling you what the position is - he won't be sold. I'm sure once he's back with his team-mates everything will be fine"

This to me might be an indication that although Modric understands and possibly even accepts the clubs standing, he's not happy with it. Levy ignored the question that attempted to gauge the player's opinion. He dismissed it. Which means he's dismissing any attempt by the player himself to force the club to give into any potential bid.

"It would make no difference. This is not about money. We're not selling our best players"

This is what it's about. 

We have to make a stand and we have to lead from the front in terms of throwing the punches rather than backing up into a corner and being bullied. A derisory bid is hardly going to turn our head. The perpetual bullsh*t from the 'journalists', simply laughable. If we take everything at face value, then Luka understands and will now concentrate on training and playing. He can help himself massively by telling us that he's committed to Tottenham for the season ahead. Get the majority back on his side. End the speculation once and for all. Because the longer it goes on, the more pressure/suggestion that he might pull a Berba and strike. Because that's one way to create disharmony within the club and force the club to sell. Although the big difference here is contract length and the fact that part of me believes Luka to be more honourable that Dimi.

I've just seen that Nikky Vuksan (Modric's agent) has said the player is unlikely to ask for a transfer. He'll honour his contract. Even though you still get the overwhelming feeling he's doing that because he has no choice in the matter. Agent also saying that 'fighting the club' is not something he and the player wish to do. I never believe anything an agent states, but I wouldn't be far wrong to suggest that Levy has asked both Modric and Vuksan to go get their shinebox.

This is where the love is lost for me.

The fact that I thought Luka was different. When in fact he's much more like Carrick. Model professional, committed, but when it was time to move on, he looked to do just that. Once more the stepping stone that is Spurs. Once more players not possessing the patience or loyalty that we would wish for them to have. Pressures of modern career football, pressure of what people want him to do back in Croatia, pressures of agent advice and the harsh reality that moving to a club cemented in CL is less work and far closer to silverware than playing in a side that wants to cement itself in CL.

Levy is pulling a master-stroke because we don't lose from this scenario. Okay, so let's say he goes on strike (highly unlikely post-agent statement) and makes his position untenable to the point where we simply can't hold onto him because it would detrimental to us and his valuation. He still won't be sold for anything less than £40M. If no bid is made, he stays. He will then have no choice to play and play well. A year is a long time in football. Suitors can move on, target wise, if form dips.

But Levy has said what he's said and this is no ploy to gain that £40M 'alleged' asking price. Transfer requests and sulking - on this occasion - will probably be dealt with by handing the player a cushion and a firm pointing to the bench. His international career will suffer. He knows it. More fool him for sigining a long term contract.

If he commits, plays and plays out of his skin - it's win, win again. Valuation remains high and we do well on the pitch. And a year is a long time in football. This time next summer we could be preparing ourselves for a season in the CL. He might be more than content to stay. If he's not, then we've got what we wanted out of him and we can reinvest our money.

If all of this has simply been about a renewed contract and nothing else (Rooneyesque style) then once more we can all shake our heads in unison that players believe themselves to be bigger than the clubs they play for. Or at least more important. Clubs are just vehicles for their progression.

Much like Rooney had to prove himself after his apparent lack of loyalty, Luka has to do the same. He's completely tainted the love I had for him. But I'm glad because it's reminded me that it's a rare occasion these days to find a player that epitomises the essence of the club. It's mostly fantasy unless you're a club that does not know of the struggles to reach and remain in the upper tier of your domestic league. Players will always come and go and we'll always get over it and move onto the next one because we are in love with Tottenham and occasional have one-night stands with the players (not literally, unless you're female and you frequent Faces nightclub).

In this instance, the club is bigger, far bigger than the player. And Luka will have to deal with that decisive fact and put this summer of discontent behind him and prove he's the player worthy not of a £40M price tag but one worthy to be wearing the Lilywhite shirt. The only thing that deserves worship.

Jog on

So just checking in after a Saturday spent off-line and behold the lack of imagination from the press.

Modric is still leaving even after the club stated he would not, under any circumstances, be sold for any price. But still they can't let go, persisting in brokering a deal for him to Chelsea via the back pages. This leads into the 'fact' that Luka's inevitable guaranteed departure means that Gareth Bale will follow him like a rat deserting a sinking ship. 

One season in the bright lights obviously all we're allowed, so dismantle Tottenham they will this summer.

If that isn't enough (and it's obviously not) further fabrication is added to the mix with yet another repeat show (Lennon to Liverpool) and some still persist with the 'rumours' that Sandro will be moved on after a single season at Spurs for a measly £12M.

Patiently waiting for Darren Lewis to share with us another quote from five years ago.

Give it a rest you insufferable *****. Your relentless hard-on for us is an embarrassment.

We are here to stay. Deal with it.

Ain't no pleasing you

guest-blog by Chris King

When is it no longer acceptable to complain? To moan about a service provided, an experience gained or an attitude presented to you?

What makes it unacceptable? Do you have to take in to consideration everything that has gone before – to apply a “mus’n’ grumble” attitude to everything you do – as hey, there is always going to be someone far worse off than you; someone below you – way below you.

When do you hand over your right to complain? As soon as UEFA doles out their 30 pieces of TV silver; or does it go back further than that – to Eastlands last term, to when Harry signed, to when Jason Dozzell went back east?

This is the picture currently being presented to Spurs fans – fans who feel they want to exercise their right to politely point out where the team has gone wrong over the last couple of months. To comment, complain even criticise (lick windows and howl at the moon as some in the media are suggesting us “nutters” do). Yet we are being reliably informed that we are clueless; that we have no right to moan about this past season – as this is the best it has ever been (since circa Sky and all that).

Swallow your penance, shut up and accept your lot.

But what if you are one of those book learning types; you know – those that can read. Can look at a set of results, the names in a squad; understand maths sufficiently well to add up points that could (read: should) have been gained against those clubs below yours. What if you then came to the conclusion that all was not right? That something had gone wrong; horribly wrong – and the slight swagger you presented to the world back in March – was now a hunched shuffle, which had you sloping back in to the pack – to where most believe you truly belong.

City beating us was no great shock last night – eggs, paper bags, and the geek’s even nerdy dad could have Spurs in a rumble right about now. Yet if you read twitter last night, or skimmed through the obituaries – sorry – I mean match reports this morning - you’d think we were just popping off cloud nine for a pint of milk, a decent keeper; and we’ll be back amongst the big boys before next season was but a few weeks old.

It was official – we weren’t allowed to complain. We weren’t allowed to pluck figures like one win in 10 (I appreciate it’s more, I just like round figures) out of the cold, hard facts. We weren’t allowed to comment on the apparent lack of desire at times against West Ham, West Brom or Blackpool. 

We weren’t allowed to question the tactical acumen applied to the team selection in those game, or last night – or the switches made, and the personnel introduced. 

Unbeknown to Spurs fans, a new law was passed across the land placing the penalty of treason on any negative comments directed at the Red Top’s new “King of Hearts”. Harry is lauded as a very good manager who had a bad run with a few dodgy decisions, sendings off, injuries – it was always someone else’s fault.

But what if we want to complain? What’s stopping us?

Well there’s the ever so slightly patronising undertone that we’ve been shockingly bad for so long that, To Dare – is apparently above us. We should be happy with the fact that we’ve beaten AC and Inter Milan – we’ve had a run in the Champions League that no one expected of us, and that we took our beating against Madrid like men.

If there’s a Spurs fan out there that can’t find a positive from the season, then there is a little more than something wrong with them – and in fairness, to those baying for Harry’s head, only Vicente del Bosque would get the sack after some of our European results this term – but there is no disputing that our season was derailed sometime in March – and if we can’t moan, then at least let us ask why it all went so wrong?

I don’t buy in to the notion that the European experience did for us. We’ve been all over clubs at times – West Ham at home, City home and away – and what have we got to show for it? If we can’t criticise Harry, do we point the finger of blame at Dear Mr Levy? – who is so cunning in his transfer bargaining that he left us a striker light, and gave us Pieenar – a player who appears to have left what form he had, back up in Liverpool – no doubt a victim of that gang that targets the prized possessions of their local players.

But we can’t moan – nor question. So what do we do? We do what all Spurs fans do at such times, we argue with each other. If no one is prepared to listen, we find someone to at least shout over the top of on the same subject matter; though for once, we all seem to be shouting the same things.

No Journos will return our tweets, opposition fans only see the folly in our arguments – we’re no longer the darlings – back to being the overly expectant, laughing stock we’ve been since the ‘80s.

If last season delivered the earth, this season promised the moon and the stars as well. There was, daft as it now seems - the faint glimmer that we might even be the club to take the title race in to May. Looking at our last 13 league games, the teams we’ve played and the points we dropped – would it really have been so daft?

Though I guess it is not really our fault. United, Chelsea and Arsenal are where they supposedly belong – City have bought their place at the top table, and Liverpool – well, they’re just the Liverpool of old; same efficiency, same manager, same reliance on the back pass to the keeper. So if it feels like we robbed ourselves of glory; chances are it just wasn’t meant to be.

So if you feel like moaning – ask yourself a few questions: are we better than we were under Francis? Have we enjoyed some fantastic European nights down the lane this term? If the Red Tops want Harry for England, surely he’s still the man for us, right? If we’d have won half of those last 13 games, would we be back in the Champions League next year?

Actually, don’t ask that last question; it’ll only cause you to question, to moan….. To ultimately, be wrong!

Chris King, a regular on the old Shelf and held a season ticket in the Park Lane Upper. He now lives in Leeds, where he spends most Saturdays trying to teach his daughter the words to Spurs’ songs. Writes for In Bed with Maradona and his own blog Northern Writes.

To dare is to just do it

I see there have been plenty of discussion points in my absence from London town since Thursday.

Niko

Gutted he's out for the season (ankle injury thanks to that clown Michael Brown) and played on during the Cup semi-final in agony with said injury. Along with one or two other players, he's battled on through the pain barrier and really shown that we have players in the squad that do give their utmost in the name of Spurs. Huddlestone being one of the others, who I somehow forgot to mention in my NLD match report. So I'm mentioning him now.

And Ledders. Bionic Ledders.

Barry Glendenning / The Guardian

Media in shock 'WE ARE ANTI-SPURS' sensation. One or two bias reports doing the rounds and a podcast that might make you chuckle that has Glendenning suggesting one or two rather silly things. Seems that certain chants are only relevant and disgraceful and thus must be highlighted when sang by the White Hart Lane faithful and must be ignored completely and unequivocally if sang by any other set of fans. Behind closed doors apparently. Peter Andre could possibly write us a new chant that's easier on the ears?

Judas

Can the journalists and reporters who comment on the abuse Campbell gets when he plays us as 'disgraceful' please explain what makes the player so special that he should have be granted special dispensation? Why are football supporters, you know who they are, the one's who watch the game and don't play it (clue: not millionaires, eating bagels in the stands) suddenly being criticised for hurling the verbals towards a player who committed the cardinal sin in a world where most would like to dream that loyalty is a virtue that carries substance?

He lied. He left. He deserves the welcome he receives when he returns. Can't believe it's even a talking point. And yet it continues to be one.

I'm wondering. If Ledley King was white and left Spurs for Arsenal in his prime, would the Daily Mail and other tabloids even get involved? In fact, colour shouldn't be an issue, because Ashley Cole is equally abused on his return to Arsenal's cesspit and the media commentary is of a completely different nature to the one that surrounds Campbell's return or presence for anyone versus Spurs.

It's a conundrum that doesn't need to be solved. We all know it's bullshit. So I'll draw a line under it (again).

Danny Rose goal

It's still wonderfully majestic no matter how many times you watch it and regardless of the 'he should have punched the ball better' counter-arguments from some haters.

  comic by the ever-remarkable Chris Toy...click on the image for more.

Ian Poulter

Another contentious issue is the use of the term 'yid'. It's probably worthy of an article of it's own, but it's been done many times over and I'm pretty sure there was an awareness campaign that THFC did some years ago too. There are directors/fans at Spurs who don't like the term being used and although nothing can be done if 20,000 fans are chanting it - one fan can probably be removed or warned, if someone complains. We all know the history behind the adoption of it (to defuse the word being used in a derogatory fashion by opposing fans). Hence the self-referral. In some ways we have desensitised it. But it's very much a complex issue and it's one that becomes clouded when, let's say, another fan of an opposing team refers to us as 'yids'.

Is he referring to us by the name we choose to use? Or is the connotation a different ilk? It's in the delivery I guess. If a fan across the police divide screams 'You f*cking yids' at us, then there's no arguing the tone. Chelsea have thrown out a few of their fans in their home games for similar types of pleasantries.

But Poulter (he's a gooner and golfer if you didn't happen to know) is only guilty of being stupid enough to calls us 'yids' on Twitter because the media (and anyone who does take offence) will pick up on it. Anti-Semitic taunt, is what it was refereed us. Ho hum, another over-reaction to something that is undeserving of attention.

Self deprecation and acknowledgement of self deprecation anyone? No? Okay then.

Anyways, let's not lose sight of what's important here. We ruined his night. And he's a bit of a twat.

Bale

Bale. Bale. Bale. I have to mention this lad every week now. Mainly because everyone else was mentioning him every week for completely different reasons not so long ago. You know what I'm talking about. 23 games and all that. Where's his new contract?

Chelsea at the Lane

You'll have to forgive me. I'm shattered and have written all the above in one quick swoop before I go to bed and attempt to recover from a night spent in Swansea intoxicated with work colleagues and four Meerkats. Long story. So unless I manage to write something up in the morning, this will have to do for the match report:

Question. Do we have it in us to dig deep again, days after overcoming the enemy?

I reckon as long as we don't believe any unnecessary hype and simply do as we did last time out (To dare is to f*cking do, so just f*cking get on with it and do it) then we have a chance. A fighting chance. I reckon the game will be more open. Less ball watching from us - at least that will be our intention, but the physicality will no doubt be energy zapping and it's quite possible Chelsea might try to get us chasing them, hitting us on the counter. Would prefer the final 10 minutes not to be spent chewing my arm.

Hoping King plays. Suggestion is he will. Unclear on Lennon, even though some quarters are stating he's on the bench. We've got a decent record at home against them recently, so a point would be good. Three would be faint-inducing, but - and brave this one out - if we are left empty-handed it won't be the end. Mainly because of the other fixtures being played, but would prefer our destiny to be guided by our achievements rather than the failings of others. The potential failings. Shocks can disrupt proceedings, as some have recently discovered.

Wilson still banned. Corkula a no-go. Has Danny Rose recovered from his knock? Bare bones, Harry would have you know. All I ask is for the same guile and intelligence, the same heart and desire. And some of that magic and clinical punishment displayed in the NLD. And more of The Gomes Show please.

Another London derby. Another noisy day at the office. This is the life.

COYS.

Stand up if you like a song

In response to a couple of emails I’ve received, let me clarify once more that I do not condone racist or homophobic chanting.

If you and your friends bullied and victimised someone in the street, whether it’s racial slurs or digs related about sexuality it would not be deemed anywhere near socially acceptable. If a complaint was made you’d probably be arrested and prosecuted, and deservedly so.

But where would you draw the line? If you and your mates picked on someone for being fat and sang songs about pie eating or laughed out loud at somebody’s dodgy haircut... is that worthy of police time? Probably. If it was all in jest, it would be ignored or laughed off. But gangs don’t necessarily go around picking on people in quite this way. Can’t remember ever seeing a group of hooded teenagers singing you’re gonna die in a minute to a pensioner crossing the road. Victimisation is quite obviously evident in every walk of life. And a person could complain about whatever to the police about their troublesome neighbour if they suffered a continuous relentless verbal onslaught.

Football is (was – can you feel it change with every passing season?) a different animal altogether. It has a pantomime type quality about itself with deeply religious and tribal undertones. It might be perceived more and more as a family day out, but it’s a working class game. Was. Any many hold onto the past which basked in unbridled passion and loyalty, on and off the pitch. A man could be a man at a football game. Get drunk, mug himself off, sing songs with his mates. Even kiss and hug them if the goal was worthy of it. Absolute unrivalled expression all from watching a ball being kicked about. It’s a beautiful emotional game. And the way you behave in a football ground is nothing like walking down the street or going shopping in Tescos.

The terraces and stands are also full of comedians. Thousands of them. Chants and songs range from the simplistic to the insightful, sharp and brilliant and many of them birthed in the pubs pre-game or in the midst of the game. It’s the code that exists, whether its fans screaming at fans or fans screaming at players. Within those 90 minutes of play you have your fun. Everybody knows that even if it feels like a matter of life and death, it’s only a game (cliché overdose, sorry).

Racism isn’t acceptable. And from personal experience, it’s uncommon. Although there is plenty of casual racism (although it’s debatable its casual, as something is either racist or its not). By casual racism I’m referring to calling Arsenal fans pikeys or making jokes about West Ham being full of Indian takeaways or washing elephants. Its bottom of the barrel stuff and the majority sing far better songs than stooping to this type of boring level. And obviously, there’s the term ‘yid’. Anything stronger than that you’ll likely to be arrested/ejected and banned. Which is fine in my book and probably yours.

As for homophobia, well this is quite obviously a massive issue within football. How many top players have come out? Can’t think of many, if any. Likelihood, statistically, is that there are several homosexuals within the game. And considering the image that football has from a fans perspective, it’s an obvious target by the men on the stands. Again, we can do without a lot of it. The point here is that people, generally heterosexual men, do like a joke about a gay. It’s juvenile. So if you’re going to joke about it in the pub, you’re likely to do the same at a football game – especially with the lads together vibe and the over the top heterosexuality and plastic hooligan vibe some adopt. Brighton fans are probably bored of hearing ‘Does your boyfriend know you're here?’ and yet everyone laughs at that chant. But then, that’s possibly deserving of the casual tag, no? There’s plenty more that leaves a bad taste in the mouth (ooh, oh stop it...is that joke bad taste?).

Ok, so where am I going with all this?

One on one, in the street, if you abuse someone about their sexuality, you’re likely to get done for it much the same if there’s a racist element to the abuse. Any abuse really is unacceptable. But if it’s name calling the police, if called, are more likely to defuse the situation and calm things down. If it’s ongoing it will be investigated.

In a football ground, by virtue of the culture of the game and its fans, some things are acceptable without really being socially acceptable if sang outside the ground on a normal day. Once upon a time, some fairly Neanderthal stuff was sang, but thankfully it’s no longer the 1970s and 1980s. But as noted, it’s rare to ever hear opposing fans hiss or sing songs about Auschwitz. If ever. And as for singing and chanting at players, this is as common as buying a match day programme or taking a sneaky cigarette break in the cubicles.

We take the piss. The players just get on with it. Some of them, their reply is to score and celebrate and slide in front of the away fans in a show of defiance. Others will snare at the opposing fans when the ref isn’t looking, and wind them up.  If you’re earning £50K + per week, then don’t be a pussy about it. You might not like it, but everyone gets it in the neck. And most players are confident and arrogant and simply don’t care, and even love it.

And most of the time it’s tongue-in-cheek. But football is still littered with personal jokes about not being the father of your son or what your wife likes in bed. It’s usually stuff that we all know and we all like to laugh at. Why give them an easy ride? It’s tradition to sing.

When does it over-step the mark?

I guess it becomes embarrassing for many when Munich and Hillsborough are brought into the equation. Or wishing people dead, hanging from a tree or being shot or dying from a brain tumour. I’ve heard some God awful stuff at football games, from home and away fans. Footballs fans are like the Borg Collective with a demented sense of humour, all as one, exerting their power. Be it a verbal one. And in unison. There’s an air of the untouchable about it. But sometimes fans are plucked out of the stands for it. Whether it’s because of a complaint or the police being pro-active, supporting the law and club policy.

I do not condone the Sol Sol song. It’s crude. Have no intention to re-visit the argument as to whether it’s racist or not. The point that’s argued about the remaining content is obvious to all. And why it’s sang is also obvious to most. And it’s a shame that we waste our time singing this to him (be it again a minority).  But it serves its purpose to get back at him and it obviously works because he mostly always struggle to come to terms with the level of noise aimed towards him. It’s relevant to state that before he had his half-time troubles in the Arsenal v West Ham game, the abuse he got was the usual type of abuse a player gets. No ambiguous or obvious undertones other than a disliking for the man.

Then he made it all an issue which saw the start of the Tottenham 16 story. He’s always tried to play the race card. He first did this years ago after (I think) after his first visit to WHL after leaving. Nobody ever took any notice of this pathetic attempt.

I also believe that the reason he pushed for prosecution on the Tottenham 16 was not so much because of what was being sang but the fact that many Spurs fans are so insistent in abusing him (note that he didn’t want anyone charged with calling him a c**nt). He can’t not expect abuse considering he’s a liar and a Judas. Some Spurs fans have moved on. Others want to remind him because he strikes them as a man who still believes he did nothing wrong. Why give him an easy day out? But still – if the police want to set an example and been seen to stamp out homophobic chanting then do so – but don’t do it as part of a witch-hunt.

Anyway, I find him and everything about him tedious. Much like many other players who get similar types of abuse. The difference is, they don’t go crying to the police. Most understand and take it on the chin.

You can get away with a lot when 10,000 people are singing the same song. And 98% of the time, it’s no less offensive than watching a stand-up comedian take the piss out of whatever, whomever.

I’m not saying, cross the line, it’s ok because it’s a football match.  But if someone high up in the police force is going to knee-jerk again just because a footballer with a fragile ego complains about being victimised then best to make sure that it warrants the time and effort of the CPS and the court room and that there is actual evidence of abuse that is way beyond the normality of terrace banter.

'The Glory days are back'

Sky Sports News, you've done it again.

Give it a rest with all the ‘Spurs for the top 4’ nonsense please. Picking out a couple of simpletons and enticing them to talk about ‘the glory days’ just because we’ve won two games on the trot is not a representative of the majority. Prior to the start of the season, most of the media and pundits had as for 6th at best. Fans agreed. Six points later you’re showing a Spurs shirt with ‘Top 4’ printed on the back (did you offer to pay for that?) and interviewing two giddy over excitable supporters who probably have ancestry you can trace all the way back to a Newcastle mental institution. What next? Cameras outside of Harry’s house with four or five Spurs fans gleefully jumping up and down behind a reporter holding up a cupboard cut out Premier League trophy? Daniel Levy to commission a new special release entitled, ‘The Glory Days are Back – 2 games, 1 DVD’? Chas'n'Dave to release a new track with the lyric, 'We're gonna do it again like last week'?

I guess with no repeat performance of last year’s debacle, and thus no Soccer Saturday punditry mock of the week to entertain the SSN viewers, you’re taking the tactic of building us up so that any fall would appear to be bigger than it is so you push Charlie Nicholas in front of a camera to slate all of the deluded Lilywhites who all believed we were Top 4 material after two games. Are you chaps so insecure about the Premier Leagues status as 'the best in the world' that every game and performance has to appear to mean more than it actually does? Wait until we've won 12 on the spin, then you can wet your knickers to your hearts content.

Shame for all the countless clips of fans saying '6th at best' ending up on the edit room floor. Not newsworthy. No potential for a sound-bite there. Realistic fans on SSN? Doesn't fit the narrative does it?

As for the lady who claimed ‘It’s great to see the glory years come back’ who has apparently supported us since 1977, how much acid did you drop you absolute belting melter? Get a grip ffs. And if I see anyone wearing a Spurs shirt with ‘Top 4’ on the back, I’m going to pelt you with frozen monkey shit pellets.

We all know how the media work. Pick out the weak moronic ones, prime them up with questions and force them to say the most sensationalist comment possible, edit it to fuck, and run it every 20 minutes. I guess if some fans want to over-react wearing ridiculous smiles on their faces, it's better than what we had at the start of last season with all the insufferable crying about relegation and the Keystone Kop comparisons. Fans moping around with sickles and hooded cloaks. Depressing stuff. And from one extreme to another. You never fail to let us down.

How about running a story with more substance? It's staggering that nobody has picked up on Chirpy's drinking problem. He's the Amy Winehouse of mascots. A mess who spends most of his time getting shit-faced in Faces Gants Hill, and then staggering around WHL on match-day hugging and harassing people. Can nobody smell the alcoholic stink on his breath?

Anyway, I'm off to have 'Champions League Treble winners, 2011 - 2012 - 2013' tattooed on my back.

GTFI COYS.