What is Tottenham Hotspur?

Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in. This Stratford saga is never ending.

I posted the below over in the thread 'The East End itch Levy can't quite scratch...' at The Fighting Cock forum. I've made some amends to it for this blog. Promised myself I wouldn't got back to discussing this, but then it's one of those subjects that fragments us (an already fragmented fanbase).

Be sure to join in the discussion.

What is Tottenham Hotspur?

Its difficult to talk about this question because you can sit and attempt to quantify what constitutes emotional detachment and what defines a club and what it means in practicality for hours and still not get anywhere when attempting to use said arguments in relation to a potential move away from N17.

So what is Tottenham? Is it the fans? The area? Do you define a club by its traditions and if so, what are traditions? Style of play, memories of games? Players? Celebrations? Infamous away trips? Hatred for other clubs? The Lane? The journey into the Lane? So much goes into constructing the DNA of a supporter and club. I think its all of the above, all mashed together in a sexy gooey kinda way.

Football is emotive, so surely it should be based on emotions?

What? Oh yeah, PLC. I need to remember to get a tattoo of that on my back.

If we moved down the road, say to another part of North London, there would be a transitional period for all of us attempting to move on from the fact we've left WHL. It happens in life when you leave a job, split up with your partner or someone dies. You think its all gone and it wont be the same again, its all changed, but you adapt and you end up embracing the present and look towards the future.

No matter where we play, you could argue, Spurs exist because they exist in our heads and in our minds. If there were no Spurs fans they'd be no club. Now before I drown in deeply philosophical musings that I'm struggling to articulate because I'm sober...what I'm saying is, I do get that history DOES count and everything this club has achieved will not suddenly disappear because we've shifted home.

Or will it? Will people look back on it with some degree of detachment? Will it matter if that happens when I hit the grand old age of 70 and new young football fans don't much care for whatever happened back in the days of HD and 3D tv, what with their 'Watch the game with retina-cam' via your fav player with Holographic TV™.

I wasn't alive in the 1960s yet that side, those players, they feel and belong to me as much as any player or team I have watched in the modern era.

Spurs won the double in 61. Eight FA Cups. Trophies in Europe. I could name 50 flair players off the top of my head that made their mark for our club. These are the things we can't lose because what has happened can never be changed, but the clubs actual physical persona, its character and its appearance will forever morph into something completely different. And why? Because at that (this) moment in time Stratford was more affordable and feasible than N17.

Revenue, 60K + attendances, new supporters, corporate hospitality to die for, transport links made in heaven...all this has nothing to do with what happens on the pitch when Spurs play. I'm talking in the purest sense here. If it takes another 10 years to get the NDP sorted I'd rather wait then spend another 100 years in N17 than to uproot and move to another part of London just because it's a more fiscal do-able option in the short term.

I get its a business. I get shareholders and investment. But that doesn't mean I should conform. Tottenham (like many clubs) have copyrighted everything to do with the club. Brand. Tottenham the brand. You want use the THFC club badge on your blog because you're a fan? Sorry, no chance. Pay Spurs first for the privilege. Or be sued. Why? Because you can't be making money off the Tottenham brand. That's modern football. If I'm in the minority that wish to hold onto the last surviving romantic notions, then so be it.

Why the mad rush and the opportunistic short cut with the OS bid? Football might well implode in the next 10 years, we don't know. The mad rush is because of those shareholders and their demand for it. They invested money. You can't argue against their argument. But again, why should that concern me?

I guess football has moved on and I'm refusing to move with it.

Billionaires are buying up clubs left right and centre and changing the competition and the landscape of competitiveness. Again, I'd rather be this plucky team on the outside punching our way in. And if we get in, and we enjoy a cycle of success and then lose that cycle. So be it. That's football. Not everyone has that honour of silverware. Nobody is at the top forever. We've not quite been at the top for a long long time. I'd welcome it. Would even be acceptable in small doses.

So it all comes back to what you define as heritage and would constitutes an acceptable sacrifice (i.e. leaving North London to settle in East London) to consolidate progression and that competitive spirit in this age of money.

The club would have moved had they won the bid. That's the scary thing. The power of our custodians over the voice of the dispensable fan all too evident.

We are Tottenham, a small club they say, yet we always compete or at least show ambition to and the last 15 years or so (the barren 90s) has been down to bad management on the pitch (and off) in terms of managerial appointments. We still make money, we still splash said money. And look at us now, with the monopoly practically dead, we are always in with a chance. It's exciting. Let's not forget its all the depression that makes the good times good.

We need a bigger ground, not because I'm concerned about the £££ but because we have loyal hardcore fans who want season tickets and they are much needed because 50k will make more noise than 37K. The extra revenue will obviously help to bolster the rich and spoilt millionaires that wear the shirt with a fraction of the loyalty we possess. That's the hit right there.

I probably still haven't got my point across in the best way, but I guess what I want, what I need as a fan is different to how others might perceive things. Some are simply focused on the fact that a bigger stadium will equate to more money that will somehow guarantee success and glory. Might. Might not. It's a risk either way. Would prefer to retain our identity. I do agree we need to be ambitious. But want us to anchor ourselves to some of that emotive stuff that glues as together. That's the identity with all the romantic caveats attached.

You know, from my front door, Stratford is thirty minutes away by tube (and I don't even live in London). But I'd still rather spend 1 hour + getting into that sh*t hole in North London.

That's just me.

In a East End town, a dead end world

So on the one hand you might agree that Levy's legal sniping has pushed West Ham United, the OPLC, UK Athletics and the Government all into a corner with Boris serving up cups of tea in panic discussing issues raised. Issues pertaining to fairness and the running track which concludes with the break down of the Brady bunch owning the OS out right. But there was no panic. More of a swift counter-move on a dirty chess board that needs binning.

Instead they'll (probably) get a 125 lease (as good as owning it), except its not as good as owning it in terms of potential corporate profit you'd make if you did, to name just one reason. The running track is supposedly now cast in stone to remain. Or is it? I'm sure over time it will disappear. They will find a reason (or add it to the small print of the new bid) and validate it and let's be honest, few will care. By that point, the NDP will be in full swing and Levy will be past bothering himself with further court room dramatics. Anyone who moves into the OS and retains its current structure is asking for trouble either way. No atmosphere with running track, no atmosphere without it. Its an athletics stadium, its not purpose built for football. If its leased, what chance of a complete overhaul of its structure? Unlikely.

Not sure anyone has 'won the day'. Look at the money spent in the original bidding process. There has been plenty of manoeuvring and posturing and politics. But little has changed. They always wanted WH to 'win' the OS. They used Tottenham to consolidate the bid but the fallout now means they just have to swagger on in as tenants.

Levy's legal push is now redundant so perhaps they have won after all. They've defused all the bad publicity. They can now agree a new proposal that we (Levy) can hardly object too. It was of course the original process we had issues with. Still, as someone pointed out to me, WH can hardly dump debt as an asset onto a stadium they do not have ownership of. Affordable as tenants, but not in the long term.

At least the media cant be arsed to prolong this tiresome saga by suggesting we might want to pay rent in East London. We'll have to wait to see what all the official statements detail.

The most prominent THFC question, in terms of Machiavellian tactics, is whether Levy still retains any cards to bolster the redevelopment in N17. The concern is, he might still wish to bite back. This is Levy. Shrewd, hard as rock. We still await to see whether the fight for admission on the original process is now dead.

End game in sight, right?

Or perhaps not. Read this article by Martin Cloake. There are still plenty of questions that require answering, relating to accountability.

We can all agree (no matter Lilywhite or Claret and Blue) that this has been an absolute mess.

How exactly does one manage to lose 14-0?

The more I read into this Olympic Stadium debacle the more apparent the screw-job becomes. Or perhaps the screw-job only exists from a THFC perspective. Which would mean you would have to disagree with some of or most of the below when taken into a context. Unless of course THFC always new the most likely outcome would be a West Ham recommendation. But then that would mean knowing that the process was never fair from the start and still persisting with it. 

Why bid? Why be invited to bid?

If the likely outcome was expected then the bid might have simply been made for leverage (in favour of the NDP) that would be birthed at the 'conclusion'...whenever that might be. The theory is, government plays into Levy's hand and 'shuts him up' by giving him what he desires. Any added bonus of suspended OPLC members and laughable statements from Brady and co would be a exactly that...a bonus.

The payment controversy might turn out to be nothing or the evidence inadmissible. Or it could do some heavyweight damage. Perhaps the prospect of such damage is damaging enough to find that amicable conclusion (i.e Levy wins by not actually winning what he set out to win). It's not exactly the type of  headlines everyone involved with the Olympic Games would want to be choking over during breakfast every other morning.

Not that I was in favour of a move away from N17, but regardless of my affiliations, I've collated the various soundbites whilst reading through hefty quantities of articles/threads and discussions on the subject.

Is anyone truly surprised? What government wants, government gets.

Here's the bullety points:

West Ham

- West Ham United, in debt to the tune of £100M (or so)
- Relegation on cards during process of OS bid
- £80M funds required for OS project to also retain stadium as Olympic legacy
- £40M handed to private sector business via a low interest loan from a fiscally poor Newham Council
- West Ham met the OPLC's financial criteria simply based on the loan from Newham Council
- If West Ham ever defaulted on loan, the debt would fall on the taxpayers of Newham
'Catastrophic' relegation achieved
- Championship West Ham United who could not pack out their smaller and current Premier League home will be entrusted to pack out a larger home possibly whilst still languishing in a league that isn't the top tier of English football
- The very same Championship side that have owners apparently paying out of their back pocket to sign Kevin Nolan's services for five-years, on an alleged 50k per week contract
- The very same Premier League rules relating to local territory used by West Ham to argue against Tottenham's proposed geographical shift from the North to the East were completely ignored by side-stepping the potential for Leyton Orient to suffer in terms of their fanbase catchment area*

*Tottenham have no right either, a case of 'who the f**k are Orient?' from everyone involved

The OPLC

- The OPLC clearly state post-decision the running track was an 'essential' element to the OS bid and hence why WH won it even though they encouraged Spurs to bid for the stadium, a bid that included no running track in the clubs plans post-Olympic games
- The OPLC clearly state post-decision that retaining the original stadium was an 'essential' element to the OS bid and hence why WH won it even though they encouraged Spurs to bid when they had made it clear they planned to demolish the original site and build a new purpose built football stadium in it's place
- Tessa Sanderson asked to step down from OPLC due to Newham Council affiliation
- Suggestions that various members of the decision committee had links with Newham Council
- THe OPLC/government never had any intentions of considering the Tottenham bid no matter the financial implications and relevance in terms of club statue and link up with AEG

Tottenham

- Financial secure bid and partnership (with AEG)
- Plans pencilled in for Crystal Palace guaranteeing a viable legacy that will offer only athletics all year round (although CP themselves opposed this for alternative plans of their own)
- Absolutely no ambiguity in terms of the plan for redeveloping the Olympic site
- Absolutely no 'doors closed' by OPLC during the duration of the bidding even though post-bid it has become apparent the details in Spurs plans do not match up with the post-decision clarity given for awarding it to West Ham

The decision and aftermath

- 14-0 in favour of the West Ham bid
- Levy pushes for judicial review of 'unfair process' leading to OS decision
- Judge rejects first hearing, suggests no point in pushing further
- Levy requests oral hearing, as per right to do so
- Allegations of corruption made relating to the OPLC decision and West Ham bid
- Alleged secret payments made to an employee of the OPLC
- A WHU Olympic director alleged arranged payments to be paid to the OPLC's director of Corporate Services
- Two further individuals were allegedly involved in a personal relationship
- West Ham United say payments were for consultancy work
- Vice-chair person Karren Brady fully aware of payments
- WHU Olympic director suspended
- OPLC employee suspended after all this transpired via the Sunday Times article that broke the story
- West Ham release statement, will take legal action
- Suggestion that Spurs tactics in hiring PR's to investigate corruption might be considered 'dirty' (although using dirty tactics to uncover dirty tactics should hardly be reason to turn away and dismiss out of hand)

Conclusions

- Mud-slinging in public in the lead up to the Olympics that the Government could do without
- The OPLC will not over-turn the decision
- The WH bid will not likely collapse regardless of relegation (which was planned as a potentiality)
- The OPLC along with the athletics community all supported the West Ham bid, preferring the idea of an iconic legacy to be used every so often rather than the Crystal Palace alternative
- Government, OPLC: only wanted a Spurs bid to aid towards guaranteeing a legacy and making sure West Ham adhered to all their blueprint
- A Spurs OS recommendation would hurt a bid for the athletics European Championships at the current OS site (rather than what Spurs suggested, Crystal Palace), a bid that needs to be submitted this summer. A bid that could possibly be effected by any continuing legal reviews pushed by Levy i.e. the next hearing
- Levy doesn't expect to get anything out of this other than the one thing he wants. Public funding for the NDP, re: RDF.
- Therefore; this is all to do with leverage
- Levy 'Machiavellian', reactively and otherwise

Obviously there is hearsay, suggestions, perspective and currently unproven allegations to consider but the stuff that's black and white and indisputable just confirms that the decision to award WH was one taken before Spurs even entered 'the race'. Politics, hey?

Will someone please think of the children?

The never ending story does what it says on the tin. Official club statement here.

Twitter reaction:

I think we have all lost track of it now. I guess he wants to be in court same time as 'Arry. Save on cab fares... @SpursSimon

are we really appealling the failed right to appeal? @Studub

Ref: OS appeal - doesn't mean decision will be overturned. Just means #thfc could be awarded compensation for unfair award process @RichSibley

Oh Daniel, you are starting to wind me the f**k up now. Maybe you should concentrate on a live striker instead of a dead duck @Bentleysbird

Rather tenacious our Mr Levy. Reminds me of an annoying Jack Russell, continually yapping & nipping at ankles @Coq_Au_Ginge

#Spurs' attitude to the Olympic Stadium is embarrassing, but not as embarrassing as the idea of W. Ham vs Barnet there in front of 2000 fans @daveeeeeed

#levy. We dont f**king want the stadium. The govt dont want us to have it. Pls just wipe your mouth of it before we dont want YOU #thfc @Rabbicrackers

F*ck the Olympic Stadium Levy! What we need is a statue of Michael Jackson outside White Hart Lane #COYS @aGrime

Join the chat: @Spooky23

Stratford's death still leaves us feeling White Hart Pain

So the High Court has refused our application for permission to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company along with the Mayor of London and Government Ministers for the judicial review re: bid process for the OS.

What a guest list, would have been some party.

We await to see if Levy persists with this in the next few days (club can basically take an option to renew its application of complaint).

Vast majority (controversial?) of Spurs fans are probably more than happy to hear this news (happy and fed up) and hope the club, chairman and board of directors leave it in the past and move on with finding a true solution to the stadium issue. What's done is done. Right?

We've been told a few times by Levy that he can't reveal certain information due to the process at hand and from a business perspective, playing politics with local government can be a game of poker so he's hardly going to show us all of his cards. However, there has to be some transparency and based on the recent meeting between club and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust it still sounds like we're walking through mud.

The NDP remains an expensive proposition, one without public sector funding. Which seems to be the excuse given (someone can remind me but I'm sure there's a fallacy surrounding Arsenal and the money they got for their stadium - i.e. they didn't).

In comparison (Stratford and the NDP) purely from a fiscal perspective (is there another perspective?) the OS was made priority because it would not have cost as much as remaining in N17 and in the long term was a far more achievable financial outgoing compared to the debt that will have accumulated with the NDP.

Business sense and shareholder gleefulness - Stratford was the answer. The other perspective? History of a geographical nature and various emotive arguments regarding identity. For most it was too much to ask and to see the club uproot and move from North London to the East. Progression off the back of increased revenue would secure the club's history even if we left our spiritual home, some said. Others preferred to remain anchored to the past and use that as the driving force to push on, remaining in N17, with an increased capacity.

There are arguments, good arguments for and against. But the one question that looks down at all of the in-fighting asks: Was it ever truly plausible for us to move to East London?

We've been over this a million times, so I wont lose myself in another rant. I will share a couple of thoughts off the back of the latest club statement.

Was the NDP ever viable? The reason I ask is, considering the business acumen of our chairman and the fact that forecasting every conceivable scenario would have been discussed in terms of the potentiality of increasing costs - why present the NDP as a viable project in the first place? Perhaps this is naivety on my part. I can appreciate that the NDP 'on paper' worked until it drowned in various red tape and outgoings once it began it's stuttering journey.

The more Stratford hogged the limelight, the less feasible the NDP became.

Stratford first appeared as a backup plan, then became our first choice (but there were mentions of it long before the NDP - the suggestion being it was always the clubs first choice). All guns blazing we went. Even though there were FA Premier League issues (ignored in the case of Orient post-decision) relating to boundaries and territory. Even if us bidding for it was (amongst the people locally and back in Tottenham) a non-starter - to Levy and from what we are made to believe certain people involved in the OS stadium process of selection and the Mayor - it was very much a competitive bid. One that stood a chance.

On paper, miles and miles ahead of West Ham's and in long term financial gain, utterly no competition when comparing the two clubs. The voting appeared to suggest that Tottenham never stood a chance. Hence the complaints made by club.

The crux of it falls on Daniel Levy. Here's me banging on about Machiavellian strategy and playing people off each other for our own gains, and yet looking back our hard nosed negotiator wore his heart on his sleeve. He was pro-Tottenham the club, the brand...and pro-Stratford to aid with elevating us to the next level of financial clout and stability. The sacrifice (the emotive stuff) worth while.

Did he genuinely believe we had a chance? Or did he expect to be p*ssing in the wind, all part of the game plan? Was the NDP only ever presented to us to appease the masses? Or is it still the ideal solution but one that simply isn't probable any more due to the constraints placed upon it?
 
Wouldn't moving to a different part of North London (or wherever else) equally see us battling against rising costs and political chess? As noted in the dismissal of the Tottenham Hale site.

Can't argue against Levy not wanting the best for the club. But that transparency, that direction...it's hard to know what we are concentrating on if we continue with our OS complaints whilst walking into brick walls that need to be knocked down first.

Perhaps everything that has played out has not been to his surprise. Although I can't quite grasp how any of it acts as a leverage towards the the NDP. But then I'm not a chairman of a football club and managing director of an investment company.

From the meeting with the THST:

“The Club is very busy behind the scenes trying to make the NDP viable”

If the OS never existed, what would our contingency plan be if the NDP went from viable to not being viable? Because that's where we currently stand at the moment.

It was never do or die for Stratford. Yet I can't shake off that feeling that some believe it to be the case.

Chairman's message...redux

You'll have read it here. Would be rude not to respond.

Dear Supporter

I write this today ahead of knowing whether or not we have qualified for European football for next season and ahead of a final day of fixtures that will settle key positions for so many teams - such has been the intense competitiveness of this season's Premier League.

Can not disagree, it has been intense. Although not to the standard of last season which involved far more sustained tenacity from the top tier clubs, including ourselves in what was an epic backs to walls fight to claim a top four position. The Premier League has been competitive from top to bottom, but at times also limp and lacklustre. It seems the sides that dug that little bit deeper got that little bit more out of their season.

Harry and his coaching staff have worked with the squad to deliver performances during the season that fans will remember for years to come.

You can be critical of Harry much like you could pin point weakness in any other top class coach in England but when he's achieved something tangible, it's best not whispered. It's unfair to just highlight what you might persist to be his failings when not balancing them out with the positives. He's not meant to be tactically astute to the point of genius, but on more than one occasion he's out foxed the opposition and the players have stood proud and accomplished at the final whistle. Inter at home (dismantled), Milan away (out-Meelaned). The turnaround at the Emirates (half-time battle cry and shift of tempo - although, sure, why can't we start games like that more often?).

We can on our day (cliché) compete with the best. Inconsistency has been the flaw in games where perhaps expectations were not on the same level of intensity and glamour as those bigger occasions.

This season we experienced our first venture in the Champions League and it was one which saw us reach the Quarter Final stage. We achieved this playing some of the most entertaining and exciting football of the competition - truly memorable performances.

We shall miss and all be disappointed at not qualifying for the Champions League for a subsequent year, but I know that the players will be fully focussed next season on returning us to this elite competition.

Our performances in the Premier League have provided great entertainment for supporters too. This season we scored our 1000th goal in the Premier League - a goal which was also Jermain Defoe's 100th goal for the Club - and we recorded wins away at Arsenal and Liverpool, our first wins there since 1993.

Again, kudos to all involved. Manager and players. We made the type of impact in the Champions League that only Tottenham Hotspur could. From the ridiculous to the sublime, there wasn't a moments pause for normality. As a learning curve it was positively unmissable. We made the group stages sexy. Redknapp and the players, take a bow. Some of those memories are practically iconic already. Don't pretend the hairs on the back of your neck don't stand when you re-watch footage.

It's also good to see the chairman reiterate the clubs ambition (what other direction could we possibly take?) in competing for a return to the CL during the course of next seasons league campaign.

Hoodoos smashed by Redknapp? In the time he's spent at the club our mentality against the bigger sides has never been so good. The nightmare of the the 1990s finally banished into the very dark corners of my mind. Whether he is interim or not, we have to remain and look to better our 'position' from one season to the next allowing for minimal fuss when he does decide to leave. The handover has to be clean and crisp.

We have spent years and hundreds of millions of pounds investing in our First Team squad and in creating a settled team. Having quality players means they automatically attract attention from other clubs - but I can assure you that we have no reason to sell, and every intention of retaining, our key players. We shall simply not entertain any approaches for these players.

Reading between the lines, he'll accept any bids as long as a generous donation is made to the Tottenham Foundation. I jest. Yes, we've spent years and hundreds of millions but those years and those millions have hardly gone into creating a settled team. Our recent stability is a consequence and end result of the mistakes and struggle to find consistency off the pitch as well as on it.

Levy, never someone who claimed to be a footballing man, thought he was doing the right thing with the DoF system and believed in the people who advised him. Sadly, no matter how we attempted to go about our business we had fallen so far behind the Sky Sports Top Four that even when we did get our **** together it was still very difficult to even attempt to break the monopoly. Time and it's degrading powers has helped us catch up, but also the realisation that going back to basics (no DoF) without the in-house politics has settled the team and allowed for the foundation to achieve targets that were beyond us for so long.

The end result was the realisation that the former system was not working.

As for selling our top players? It will send out a defeatist message. We all know how football works and if any one player (any top player we have under contract) decides his future is away from WHL, then I hope Levy takes the buying club to the cleaners in terms of transfer fee. I don't want a player who isn't 100% focused on Tottenham.

We're an attractive proposition and we have to remain one. Levy sees this as good business sense as well as good footballing sense (both of which drive each other forwards). If we add to this team and do so well, we'll be up amongst it again.

We do, however, currently have one of the largest squads in the Premier League and, given the 25 man squad rule, it is no longer practical to retain players who are unlikely to qualify within that limit. We shall, therefore, look to reduce the number of these players during the coming summer transfer window in order to operate both effectively and efficiently.

I referenced this in the last blog. Deadwood has to be sold. Loaned players will play a part in our season next year, drafted back to first team training in time for pre-season. Levy and Redknapp have to have a clear plan of action for the summer in terms of players that need to be sold and players that need to be signed. The latter, preferable already decided on in theory so that they can work through the hit list if their top target(s) are unavailable or not interested.

I'm hoping, without any build up or sound bites in public, we sign players out of the blue leaving the ITK's all confused about the lack of inside information leaked. If we approach the start of the season and we've yet to sell certain first teamers who need to be moved on to make way for the players we need - then fire up your webcam, paint your face and turn emo with poems of despair.

Additionally, this season we saw the growth and development of several younger players who have undoubtedly benefited from the combined system of loaning to ensure match time whilst retaining training sessions back at Spurs Lodge. Several of these players will be valuable additions to our First Team next season.

The two Kyles. Danny Rose. The future is bright. And we have Europa League football which means intelligent rotation will benefit all.

We were delighted to see Tottenham Hotspur Ladies top the South East Combination League this season, winning a well-earned promotion to the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division. We shall have the opportunity to applaud them at half-time today as they parade the trophy and we wish them well for next season.

Congrats, but it's not something I follow.

Off the pitch our players have, as always, given their time generously to support the community projects delivered by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which continues to go from strength to strength. Its added focus is on increasing the employability of individuals of all ages and abilities - a vital role in current times.

Great work again by the club, as you would expect, involved with the local community. I know players are expected to perform such duties but we give a good account of ourselves and hopefully it retains some sense of reality in comparison to their millionaire carefree lifestyle.

We continue to plan for the future growth of the Club. On Friday we took the First Team players and coaching staff to visit the new Training Centre at Enfield. Construction of the main building is well under way and they were able to see the layout and scale of this vast new facility. It is well on course to open in the summer of 2012.

It has taken us six years and three planning applications to achieve and is clear evidence of the determination and ambition of the Club.

We are equally determined and ambitious for a new increased capacity stadium and we shall apply the same energy and vigour in achieving this. We shall look to keep you all updated.

The training centre is a great win for the club. The continued ambiguity and confusion over the OS aftermath and the viability of the NDP is not. At one point this season, it's all we spoke about, dividing fans with pro and anti stances about moving or staying put. Levy cited how he could never comment on some of the politics and movements the club was making during the process due to the nature of the bid and the clubs ambition to build a world class stadium. No doubt this remains protocol whilst we can only guess what Levy's end game is.

The Stratford debate continues whilst the club attempts to push their argument through the courts. I'm not quite grasping the point, but then only Levy knows how best it will help us moving forward.

When the players circle the pitch at the end of the day they will be thanking you for your tremendous support and for the way in which you filled stadia home and away cheering and spurring them on. It has been this combination of team and supporters that has made this season so memorable for us all. Thank you.

I wish you and your families an enjoyable and relaxing summer and look forward to welcoming you back next season.

Yours, Daniel.

I'll relax and enjoy the summer based on criteria concerning decisive transfer window action.

Concluding comment? 

I guess as a  collective we are probably struggling a touch to come to terms with the ambitions that we believe (should) match our progression. Which is why some look at 5th as failure when it's probably more important to see us anchoring ourselves to the top tier of the league.

It's the fact that everyone (Levy, Harry and fans) know that deep down we could have had more this season. We've only got what we've deserved based on the results, and its a shared responsibility for chairman and manager to fix the issues at hand and for us to support the club in doing so. We're in good nick and when you do take into account how brutal modern day football and it's expectations are (Chelsea anyone?) and also our recent history with frequent managerial changes, I'm going to just suck up Harry's personality and say (if nothing interferes) he deserves next season in what most believe to be his last with us regardless.

Simply put, we need to be united (we can actually do with beating them, but you get the meaning).

New leaked image of proposed Spurs Stratford stadium

Exclusive.

I've managed to get hold of an exclusive 'leaked' ITK mock-up of what the Olympic Site redevelopment will look like if Daniel Levy and the club win the bid and progress with their plans. Exclusive. Not sure how much time I have before this blog article will be removed on advisement from my solicitors. Will fight the THFC lawyers and their court injunctions for as long as I can. I've also included the descriptions of the proposed additions to the area surrounding the OS which was included as part of the stolen image pack.

click on image to expand

1  - Chirpy Towers. To dare is to Cock-a-doodle-doo do do do. Visit the state of the art Spurs Shop and enjoy delightful Michelin quality three course meals in Chirpy's slow rotating head allowing you to enjoy the amazing view of Canary Wharf and Newham, including our deadly rivals home ground; Upton Park. The exclusive Chirpy's EyeBalls penthouse dinner rooms can be booked in advance (premium required) where you can watch the whole game whilst sat at your table...if you prefer to avoid the hustle and bustle of the crowds down below.

2  - The World Famous Home of Stratford Hotspur® and Nandos. The Nandos Stadium. Our new sponsor and club badge thanks to a multi-million pound long term deal means you'll never go hungry for football...or chicken! You can find Nandos outlets inside the stadium and be sure to order the 'take it to your seat*' bucket before the game kicks off (*take it to the seat meal deal only includes a medium coke, for large coke, extra £4 charge, fries not inclusive). The controversial inclusion of red in the stadium name and team shirts is nothing to worry about. Remember, we wore red in our badge back in 1882/83 and a red shirt between 1890-1896. Both the replicas of these shirts are soon to be available in the club shop with our new clothing tagline: Hot for Spurs and proud of our heritage.

3  - Stratford Hotspur®. Home is where the Strat® is, and Spurs is stratting it's hot stuff all over North (eastish) London. You voted to move and we've embraced our local community, repaying their hospitality with a gentle nod of approval to our new surroundings. Location? Geography? Booooring. Why tie ourselves down to a place or a name when the Spurs brand is worldwide?

Stratford Hotspur®. Refined and redefining the game of soccer®. To Revenue is to Do®.

4  - Abercrombie & Fitch / Apple Store. Stylise your lifestyle, pre and post match. Sit down, stand up and look sexy doing so by picking up the latest trends in A&F. Or if you're tech savvy or wish to be, visit the Apple Store and download the Spurs application so you can get all the very latest information after you've already seen it on tv and the internet.

5  - Paul Smith. Another one of our exclusive partnered retail shops for essential football clobber and motifs. Use your season ticket 'card' for special discounts on a wonderful range of ties, shirts and shoes so you're always looking dapper whilst taking in the atmosphere.

6  - We are N17 Land. History is important and for those that wish to live in the past, wipe that tear away you melter and rejoice! We are N17 Land brings you the very best of the olde Tottenham High Road including Bill Nicholson's Gates*, the heritage buildings, littered covered and p*ss stained roads and shut down pubs and grubby food establishments. Win a free copy of The Opus here. Honestly, we have hundreds of them to give away so don't miss out!

*Gates open at 10am on Saturday match-days and 5pm for midweek for access to car park.

7  - Starbucks. You can have a coffee and a muffin on the day to calm those pre-match nerves in one of our coffee house outlets. Free wireless included in-store for the disconcerting fan who wishes to get fierce and do battle online via blogs and forums. So don't be forgetting your ipads!

8  - Slug and Lettuce. Pre-match drink? Over-crowding? Struggling to get to the bar? Look no further than the Slug! And to make certain, we have more than just the one for you to enjoy an alcoholic beverage and give you ample time to tweet your thoughts on the team selection. Pub crawling has never been this crisp and clean!

9  - Harry Hotspur statue. Remaining true to our rich heritage, included on the grounds is an amazing tour de force iconic bronze talking statue of seasoned traveller and warrior entrepreneur Harry Hotspur, who looks East towards Upton Park with menace and an ever so subtle hint of marching fearless into battle. Listen to him sing 'Glory Glory Stratford Hotspur' (debit card charge of £5 per chorus) and point towards deepest West Ham territory. The epitome of glory and progression standing the test of time, a true echo to our past that also retains a place in the future much like Hotspur's legacy that has enriched Northumberland, Tottenham and now Stratford.

10 - Replica Town. Be sure to visit the old fashion pre-match traditional walkabout. Get yourself some Caviar to go or a tuna salad at 'Seastar Fish bar'. Enjoy a sit down meal at Pavro Ocakbas Vegetarian Restaurant or if you've already eaten at home just order yourself a cocktail at the Bricklayers Wine Bar.

11 - Monorail. For our exclusive 'Platinum True Fan' members, get to and from the Docklands in the super fast Monorail sponsored by Bloomberg that will take you from your executive box straight back into the hub of the banking world within minutes. All other season ticket holders, club members and tickets purchased via general sale and on the day - please head towards Stratford station with plenty of time to spare to avoid congestion.

12 - Canary Wharf. Majestic, just majestic! The amazing backdrop on the horizon that will light up the sky on those Glory Glory nights making them that extra special.

Footnote:

You'll note all the Chirpy heads that are located around the ground. They crow if we win, and sing 'Can't smile without you' if we lose. Making sure we are pampering the emotive side of your journey into our world class arena experience. Directions to local shopping centres and words from our sponsors are also subliminally whispered from his beak.

Also, to commemorate the move to the new stadium and the soon to be concluded deal that will see AEG purchase the club and a proposed future franchise merger with LA Galaxy, Daniel Levy will present to loyal Spurs supporters a Monolith at the first home game to be played in Stratford as a thank you and a remainder of services rendered.

COYSH!

What's wrong with this picture?

I'd expect a better mock up if the OS is awarded to Spurs, then the designers can go to town much like they did with the now dead in the water Northumberland Development Project (it's dead in the water). At the moment however, we are teased with a rather strange single piece illustration. Not sure what irks me more. The buildings central in the background or the tall red monstrosity looking down at the stadium (never red damn you!). Don't even get me started on the break dancers. I can see it now. Headhunters v the Spurs Yoof. Body popping in Burberry.

Couple of other things in there that hardly appeal to the common football fan, but yes, it's a mock up and if you look closely to some of the design photos of the NDP they actually included a skating rink.

RIP Football, eh?

Levy on TalkSport...listen here.

Click on image to enlarge, if you wish to make your eyes bleed

Once more, I'm placing my hope that Levy is masking his true intentions. Would hardly make sense to tell us there will be a referendum then once more brutally state that there is no option available other than a move to East London. Unless his mind is getting cloudy with the PR soundbites (unlikely).

To further cement the contradictions, note the usage of the word 'current' in his comments on the NDP being dead in the water. Reading too much into it, am I? Then again, if my hope that this is a grand game of poker rings true, what if we are awarded the OS? I guess, either way - Levy will get what he wants. Just no pleasing all of us I'm afraid.

Also - couple of things I saw this morning that made me giggle.

“I don’t think running tracks work, particularly behind the goal. The customers are so far back it doesn’t work" - David Sullivan

Make your minds up.

And from early 2010 just for larfs:

"The bigger dream is for West Ham fans to have a football stadium. He (Coe) can have an athletics track elsewhere. We would offer tickets at £5 a go for some matches. We can bring Premier League football back to the people" - David Sullivan

Prem League football....in the Championship! It's revolutionary! This is the best from the same article from early 2010:

"Karren is a good businesswoman but she doesn't understand football"

Astute.

Yes, yes, Levy has contradicted himself aplenty with the promises and shattered dreams but I'm beginning to wonder whether his greatest weapon is West Ham's inability to fight their corner. Or if you believe in the conspiracy theory, it's possibly the greatest threat to remaining in N17. Mainly because even with all the bad hype about Spurs and the legacy, many involved in the process of seleciton see the Spurs bid as being more viable (hate that word).

But as mentioned already, either way Levy will win.

Anyone for badminton?

Referendum promised

Currently waiting for 'We are N17' to release their statement after their meeting with Daniel Levy. What we do know is that Mr Chairman has promised the fans (members? season ticket holders? dead people living in Florida?) a referendum meaning that if we 'win' the OS bid he'll ask for our vote prior to releasing the non-refundable £20M bond to seal the deal.

It's a fairly common acknowledgement that most supporters don't care either way (this isn't a dig at those who want to move and are vocal about it - I'm talking about the ones who would accept a move to probably anywhere and don't get involved in the debate). Fact is, there are thousands out there that don't bother with membership but would like tickets and know that Stratford would give them that, and asking why remaining in North London won't, is just fluff getting in the way of their seat.

Who get's to vote and how much weight people place on it's importance will...well, let's see if we get there first.

It's diplomatic PR by Levy. It's what we've asked for so nobody should complain. But everyone knows how the vote will go. Which begs the question why we bothered in the first place. It's nothing more than an olive branch which will perhaps weaken those that are currently pro-N17 and smooth the way to acceptance.

I'd once more point towards the NDP no longer being viable and the reasons behind it, along with the required transparency in relation to 'it's Stratford or we look to move outside of N17' (dearly like to know how much time, effort and cost would go into moving outside of N17 in comparison to remaining there) - but I'll no doubt get shot down by one or two who will tell me that Levy knows what he's doing and I shouldn't fret about the details what with me being a commoner and him being the dark overlord of Death Star investment company ENIC.

Cue Imperial March music.

Onwards, again.

'The questions Daniel Levy still needs to answer'. Read Martin Cloake's new article here.

My eyes see no glory

guest blog by Chris King

My eyes are closed.

All I have is darkness. The black of darkness illuminated only by memories; of a time when peace existed in this land. It was a land where fan stood together with fellow fan, each with the same song in voice and heart. Each with a dream they held true.

My eyes are closed.

All I can hear is the noise of unrest; the incessant din of anger and hatred. We are in a battle with ourselves. No longer do we cherish those same dreams. No longer do we sing from the same hymn sheet. We are now heading in different directions, with tears and bitterness the only likely outcome.

My eyes are closed.

Open them he says. Open them and see the majesty of our plans; the glory those plans will bring. Our time here is up. The future is elsewhere. This land is dying. If we stay here, we will also die. He extends his hand. Come with me. Let me lead you to the Promised Land. We will set up home on yonder plains. This is our destiny.

My eyes are open.

But still I cannot see. I cannot see the truth. I cannot see the shared vision. I cannot see the future in exactly the same way others do. Oh eyes, poor misguided eyes. Give me the clarity this issue calls for. Give me the chance to soar high in to the sky – to look upon the dying soil, that very Promised Land and see. See for myself why this is the only option left to us.

My eyes are closed. Only my heart can see.

When it’s hard to be objective, it is always easier to be dramatic. That’s what a lot of people will be accusing Spurs fans of in the coming months; being overly dramatic. Yes we do like a moan and our board does like to install an element of drama in to our lives. But this drama is not ours. This drama need never have started in the first place.

If London hadn’t have won the Olympics, we would not be at this stage in our club’s history. If those who had organised the bid had nailed down a definite plan moving forward, from the point Boris stumbles on stage and drops the Olympic torch at the feet of the delegates from Rio, we would not be at this monumental precipice, which is forcing supporter against supporter; tearing the fabric of our beloved club apart.

I hear and read different views on a near hourly basis at the moment. ‘SAY NO TO STRATFORD’ reverberates around the stadium, outside on the streets, on WebPages and through a multitude of twitter timelines. Those who shout or type with venom and anger, do so with an unwavering passion. They know not what the answer to this mess is. All they know is that the final outcome has to rest with their club, our club, your club still residing in N17. To some this battle is just about a postcode. To others, it is all about the postcode.

Yet their actions don’t hold true with everyone. “It’s all right for them, they have a ticket… they can moan about leaving, but leaving would mean I may also get a ticket.” For the dissenters, history is unbending – we are Tottenham, we have to stay Tottenham. For the, shall we call them free thinkers or liberal minded supporter, a football club is more than just its history – it is its future as well. Mr Levy now claims we have no future in Tottenham. The NPD is dead in the water, as will the club be if we fail to secure the Stratford move.

Clearly this argument can be countered, and has been in this open letter from Martin Cloake.

The sermon appears to have changed and some, not all, are buying in to the new faith. It is a faith that appears to rely on the highest bidder taking some kind of control over the future of the club. A future existence that may rely as much on concert ticket sales as goals scored on the pitch.

My heart has been blinded.

A good friend of mine doesn’t want to move, yet he is far more objective on the subject than I am. His view is that the soil is no longer fertile. That the land is dying. Football is more than just 90 minutes of watching over paid, often underachieving stars. It is as much about what goes on between fellow supporters; before, during and after the game. We are all sold the view that the atmosphere is far better away from the Lane, but it’s surely made worse by the fact that our patch is being eroded, killing the pre- and post- game enjoyment associated with a trip to the match. 

Think of the number of pubs that have come and gone, even since the start of the Premier League.

The Cockerel, The Corner Pin, The White Hart and Northumberland Arms. It’s like a roll call of fallen soldiers. All gone, replaced by expanded merchandise outlets or blocks of flats. A last game ritual for him was to finish the season off with a pub crawl along the High Road; a pint in 12 pubs. That last happened three years ago. Now there are simply not enough pubs. Instead they drink in Liverpool Street and dive in and out, spending just enough time in N17 to watch the match, before heading somewhere else for their fill of beer, stories and football songs.

If that picture mirrors your very own, then what difference does it make where you go to see the game? The pubs around Stratford will be no better, but at least – and this is Mr Levy’s argument, we’ll be able to leave our meeting points later with no fear of getting to the ground.

My heart is closed.

He may have a point, the mate that is – not Mr Levy – but I don’t buy it. I’m blinded by passion, by familiarity, by a need to remain true to our history. Clubs have moved in the past. We all know about Arsenal and nomadic teams like QPR, but that was in a time before I was born; before football was the beast it now is. I can’t think of any club that has proposed such a dramatic move (other than when Wimbledon threatened to go to Dublin), where they’ve adopted the almost American like franchise model. Putting pressure on their local council before moving to another, more welcoming venue – do they even want us in Stratford?

A lot will be said until a final decision has been made by The Olympic Park Legacy Company. Mr Levy will claim, in cloaked daggers aimed at the heart, that those who do not follow the exodus are putting the future of the club in jeopardy. He will wipe the slate clean, go back on every highfaluting statement he ever made about NPD and use us, the fans, as pawns in his battle against the local council and the decision makers.

Some of us will be made out as bad guys in this; accused of fighting an unnecessary fight. They will say that we will bring the honour and heritage of the club down with our protests. They will mock us – as they do Liverpool and Manchester United fans that stand up for their own causes.  They are the very people who wear the same replica shirts, sing the same songs and once shared the same dreams. The club is split and it’s hard to see where the winners will come from in this argument.

But there will be winners. More fans will get access to tickets; more revenue will be made by the club if we fill a 60,000 stadium out. Bigger, better stars may be attracted to the club, bringing bigger riches with them. In 20 or 30 years time, a new legion of fans may wonder what the fuss was all about. Why we even cared that we were leaving our home, when you consider the better home that we may move to. It just doesn’t have to be in Stratford!

Yet all of that, the future, rests with a body of people charged with making a single decision that could throw the club in to turmoil either way. Move to Stratford and Mr Levy alienates a body of supporters that will turn every public outing in to a protest. Lose the Stratford bid and there is nothing. No NPD, no Plan B (Stratford) and apparently no Plan C - and definitely no answers as to why NPD is no longer viable?

This whole internal battle appears to hinge on one thing – are you for the future or stuck in the past? You can’t be for both. We all know we have to move. To move, not just to challenge for the top honours, but to potentially compete just to exist, as money strangles the life further out of the beautiful game. Our argument is not to stay in the current stadium; it is a simple request for clarity and honesty. Something we feel our loyalty as fans at least deserves. Misguided? Very much so!

The battle lines have been drawn – are you with us or are you against us? Say no to Stratford.

Say no to Stratford – but then, do we really have a say?

Chris King was 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 20 month old daughter the words to Spurs’ songs.



Spurs, Stratford and Sasha Grey

Oops. I promised I wouldn't. But don't fret. This is not another epic emotive avalanche war cry of sentiment in favour of N17. Just a response to Daniel Levy's Open Letter. I can hardly ignore Mr Chairman considering the love/hate relationship I have for my favourite bald headed champion of economics. Levy, it's in the blog name. And hypocrisy appears to be all the rage so...

I'm now officially depressed. More so, not because of the apparent confidence in moving to East London displayed in the letter but much thanks to the fact that he has simply echoed the previous statements made. Just far more to the point this time, sharp pencil to the back of your head, tap tap tap. And this only serves to solidify his preference above and beyond the original (alleged) promise. It's been hinted before.

If the Stratford move goes ahead then I'm going to look at changing the whole blogging thing. I'm thinking porn. 'Dear Miss Sasha Grey'. I can then talk about getting screwed without a hint of irony in the rhetoric. Maybe, I don't know. We'll see.

Back to his open letter (I'll keep any discussion about open orifices for future potential chat). The quote that sticks out (ooh) for me:

"Concerns we have about the viability and deliverability of the NDP"

Concerns that would not exist if Stratford wasn't an option.
Concerns that might well exist in a couple of weeks time if West Ham win the bid.
Concerns that will need to be dealt with meaning they can be dealt with otherwise the push and hype for the NDP would never have existed in the first place.

"I've made up my mind and we're off".

So basically, it's all reactive, on-the-go decision making rather than any of it retaining a basis in that old dinosaur called football (the emotive stuff many have now parked under the bed in a shoe box).

The AEG partnership, the OS bid. That had to take some planning. The intention was always there, always more favourable. Like I said. Hinted.

In and amongst all the coverage in the press against Spurs winning the bid, there is still something sinister and ominous about it all. Even Pele suddenly has got in on the act. Did we nearly sign him or something?

So thanks for the letter Mr Chairman. More side-footing. Hardly any transparency.

If he was up front with it all, didn't patronise oh so cleverly, most of us anti-Stratford mob would probably stop our ranting and just support the club no matter what, swallowing hard, and accepting the only avenue of progression with black arm-band. But alas, no.

So Tottenham fans who remain irked by it all, back in your box. We go.

PLC. Does what it says on the tin. With a supporting case of numpties from local government.

If we have a plan A and a plan B comes along then take the plan B with its sacrifices and lack of sentimentality and make that your plan A. Just don't say it out loud.

lol

What Levy does say out loud is that he is ever conscious of the feelings of our fans - on all fronts. States the one choice we have is between standing still or moving forward. Then claims his stance is backed up because of the emails he's received. It's progress and nobody can argue with that. But once more, that's not the point is it? If you've been following, you'll know. If you just scoff and look the other way you'll once more throw it back in my face.

Transparency.

Also, any confirmation on the amount of emails you've got there Daniel? Because outside of your inbox, the ones that are vocal are passionately split down the middle. The ones that care will always speak out, for or against. They are the ones who should matter.

Sadly, you know, you know very very well that the majority - the silent ones, the ones too scared or hardly bothered - along with the new generation of 'East London' supporters who will blossom if we move - these fans won't give a hoot other than getting tickets for concerts and Premier League football.

We are not supporters. We are consumers. And you, you pesky you, know this above all else.

The letter, in many ways, is actually the same ilk of emotive sh*t I've been accused of drowning in recently in my defence of remaining in North London.

Something else to cite is the quote: A new stadium is critical to our continued success.

True.

Which brings me onto this:

If you look at the stadium capacities of the top 20 clubs in Europe, they all exceed ours. The new Financial Fair Play rules will mean that we shall only be able to outlay income generated through the activities of the Club – increased match day revenues play a major role in a club’s finances and we need to ensure that we are in a position to thrive and to continue to compete at the highest level.

Fine. But let us know the contingency if we don't get the OS. Because we're still gonna need a new stadium, right?

So I hope, I honestly hand on heart hope, that without the power of hindsight and a flux capacitor, that whatever happens is the right thing and turns out to be the right decision and the people who might disagree with it grow to understand and appreciate it. I do sincerely hope that. Regardless of my opinion. But it will be easier for some to live with than others who will feel betrayed. And some of us will just...sigh...let's not go there.

I guess then we fall into the murky world of what defines hard support. Do you follow the team no matter what no matter where or do you stick by your principles and love the club from afar?

Again. I'm praying we do not fragment. Tottenham till we die, right? Audere est facere. Hey, maybe Levy can organise a N17 legacy for us. A five-a-side pitch where once WHL stood.

Modern football. It's only about Champions League and the winning. It's getting stuck in my throat that, difficult to swallow. Where's Sasha Grey when you need her?

So what if - if we're not awarded the OS site? Athletics gets it's legacy. Yeah, remember? There's another sport involved in all this drama.

As for me, if it's not awarded to us, I plan to sit back with a Cuban cigar in mouth with two high class escort girls either side of me and I won't be taking my eyes off the spin coming out of Spurs HQ that will no doubt make me as dizzy as the twin entertainment paid for by platinum card.

In debt. But manageable. And well worth it.

'North London is ours'

Three protests yesterday. One outside the gates, 'We are N17' with petitions outside the Bell and Hare pub and at half-time, a lady by the name of Helen inspiring one or two to sing a song. A girl after my own heart.

Didn't make the tv (that last one) but point made. She was ejected, expected, but not banned - which would not have made good PR had the club gone down that particular route.

If anyone has any more vids or photos, please share.