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Carabao Cup Final: sad Spurs reach 0.04 expected goals as Manchester City win

Spurs achieved an expected goal tally of 0.04 goals over 93 minutes of Carabao Cup final action. Manchester City, who won the match 1-0, reached 3.5 expected goals. Given that sides start the match on zero, Spurs were only marginally more likely to score than they were to boil an egg on the half-way line or for Harry Kane to raise his tail and lay one.

To think that just last week, Spurs were part of a European Super League.

Posted: 25th, April 2021 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment


The European Super League is a FTSE for Football – bring it on!

On the telly, the latest Tory housing minister and a Labour MP whose name escapes everyone are lamenting the new European Super League, a new tournament featuring most of the continent’s richest football clubs. The politicians harp on about “grass roots football”, the fans being the game’s true lifeblood and the joy of a less fancied side doing well.

You might roll your eyes. Governments support a made-for-TV Premier League, open football to foreign owners, suck up to repressive regimes, tell fans to sit down and shut up, big up globalisation and then are aghast and outraged that the game develops into a European Super League – a FTSE for football. From bubble matches, to all-seater stadia and the policing of language, governments have tried and tested new methods of control on football supporters.

Football fans are portrayed as race rioters-in-waiting. You can kick racism and sectarianism out of football, wear your rainbow laces and elevate the women’s game, but show me a black editor on a national newspaper title, a border down the Irish Sea and the figures on domestic violence and we’ll see who really matters.

Lead image: Sheffield F.C. (here pictured in 1857, the year of its foundation) is the oldest surviving association football club in the world.

Posted: 19th, April 2021 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Key Posts, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


The European Super League is so rubbish that Spurs are in it

On the same day that the greedy, venal elite of European football outlined plans for a made-for-TV European Super League, a lone Wycombe Wanderers fan dressed in the team’s colours was thrown out of his club’s Championship match at Swansea City’s Liberty Stadium. Four thousand fans were at Wembley to see Leicester City beat Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final – but one fan in Swansea is one fan too many in these interesting times. But we like him, don’t we, this supporter of an unglamorous club who just wanted to see the match.

Here’s the plan, then: let the so-called big clubs leave the Premier League – and oddly Spurs are amongst that group; a club that has won the English league title less often than Everton, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Huddersfield, Wolves, Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End – and as often (twice) as Burnley, Portsmouth and Derby. And let’s call the top flight the First Division and never mention the greedy feckers who left again. Let’s be more Wycombe.

Posted: 18th, April 2021 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs Balls: Manchester United’s Paul Pogba rattles Jose Mourinho

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho says he “couldn’t care less” about what Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says about him. Mourinho cares so little about it that he’s told the media how little he cares.

Mourinho managed Pogba a t United before he was sacked in 2018. Pogba opined that current United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer “wouldn’t go against the players” like former manager Jose Mourinho.

“I would like to say that I couldn’t care less with what he says,” says Mourinho. “I am not interested at all.”

As George Carlin put it: No comment is still a comment.”

Posted: 17th, April 2021 | In: manchester united, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs fans joy at watching paint dry – the Dulux years

Spurs fans have been watching paint dry for years. And now the club has – get this – an official paint partner. It’s Dulux, the paint brand with the shaggy dog on the cans. No, not the Labrador. That’s the toilet paper. But give it time and Spurs will move to secure that vital signing, too. The Dulux deal was announced on social media. First the apology:

Proud to see your paints on the walls of the Spurs trophy room and bogs:

Spurs Dulux

Spurs last won the League in 1961 – which is even longer ago in dog years.

Posted: 16th, April 2021 | In: Sports, Spurs, The Consumer | Comment


Pregnant women, children and cancer patients banned from Caraboa Cup Final

The Caraboa Cup final between Spurs and Manchester City will be watched at Wembley by 4,000 paying fans – half each for each club. But you can only apply for a ticket if you’re over 18, not pregnant and not a cancer patient or ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’. Fans who do get a ticket must take a lateral flow coronavirus test at a designated site in the 24 hours before the game on April 25. And they must bring proof of a negative result, either a text or an email. But if you need to be clear of Covid-19 to attend, why is anyone else banned?

The arbitrariness of this ban on some people attending a football match is plain. And what if a teenager, pregnant woman or someone with MS wants to watch the game and does get a ticket? Will they be arrested? A fine? Do you need to prove you are not pregnant, or the state prove that you are? How about carrying an ID card to attend the game, one with your date of birth and medical history on?

Big Brother Watch reported in February that police have issued around 70,000 fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) since March 2020 for alleged lockdown breaches. What was once free and taken for granted is now something we need to ask permission to do. And as with many forms of control, football fans will be the testing ground.

Posted: 13th, April 2021 | In: Manchester City, News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Specialist in failure Jose Mourinho bleeds Spurs dry

Spurs were abject in their defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League. But do not blame the coach Jose Mourinho. He is after all (it says here) a born winner and not a “specialist in failure”, a bitchy comment he aimed at former Arsenal great Arsene Wenger

“To say that I feel sad is not enough, because what I feel goes further than sadness,” he said. “I feel sorry that one team that is not my team won the game based on attitude. I believe that for every Tottenham fan at home, every match matters. I can only apologise to Tottenham’s supporters and I hope the players feel the same way I do. Football is not about players who think they have more quality than others. The basis of football is attitude and they beat us on that. At half-time I told them the risk of playing the way they were playing.”

And players who would run through walls for Mauricio Pochettino, the man Mourinho replaced, didn’t respond.

Posted: 19th, March 2021 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment


Arsenal balls: Sanchez, Spurs and penalty to Robana

Arsenal beat Spurs 2-1 in the Premier League, the visitor’s goal coming from a lush piece of skill by Eric Lemala. In the blink of an eye, he received the ball and scored the best rabona goal since the even better once he scored seven years ago against Asteras Tripolis. The way he snaked his left foot behind his right heel and then clipped the ball so it travelled flat and hard across the turf, a daisy-cutter into the bottom corner, was sublime. Before that magic and after it, Spurs were outplayed. The winning goal came from the penalty spot. And that’s what gives the media a chance to blather, mitigate and rule to deadline. Was it a penalty?

Spurs manger Jose Mourinho said it was defo no pen. He stood by the pitch and wagged his finger – a move that never fails to impress the adult its aimed at and make them rethink and change their mind. He then moaned some more after the match. On Match of the Day, former Spurs player Jemaine Jenas, was outraged that a penalty had been awarded.

Writing in the Guardian, Barney Ronay spotted a foul:

Perhaps José Mourinho will continue to dispute the award of that match-winning penalty just after the hour, with the score 1-1, as Davinson Sánchez came storming back to intercept a long pass to Alex Lacazette. Lacazette missed his shot at goal. Sánchez came barrelling right through his man all the same.

Yes, it didn’t actually affect the game. But this was a foul in any sport you care to name – ice hockey, karate, Shrove Tuesday midden-ball.

In the Times, Henry Winter delivers a report in police log fashion:

After 64 minutes, Nicolas Pépé, who had replaced Saka at the break, really came to life, sending Alexandre Lacazette through on goal. Before the stretching Davinson Sánchez could challenge, Lacazette completely sliced his shot, the ball squirting left, away from goal. But Sánchez’s momentum took him into Lacazette, knocking him over. Michael Oliver pointed to the spot, VAR confirmed his judgment and Lacazette calmly sent Hugo Lloris the wrong way.

Maybe the clubs’ respective websites can clear it up? Arsenal’s tells us:

Nicolas Pepe was introduced for Bukayo Saka at the break, and the Ivorian’s wonderful pass to Lacazette inside the box resulted in a penalty. Lacazette failed to make good contact with his shot, but was cleaned out by Davinson Sanchez. Referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot and Lacazette himself dispatched.

And Spurs?

Sanchez was penalised for a challenge on Lacazette in the area despite the Arsenal player having already sliced his shot wide, and it was Lacazette who stepped up to send Hugo Lloris the wrong way from 12 yards.

So here it is, the foul (which it was):

PS: No foul given below. And in unrelated news: Harry Kane is the England captain:

Posted: 15th, March 2021 | In: Arsenal, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Specialist in failure: Spurs ‘will pay’ £34m to sack Mourinho

Why did Spurs hire Jose Mourinho? At Real Madrid, his second stint at Chelsea and Manchester United, his three most recent posts before Spurs came calling, Mourinho left under a cloud, key players lost and the club weary of his tireless self-promotion. He’s won plenty, of course, something he’d never tired of stating. And wherever his name appears, the English media loves to trot out the much repeated lines that he is ‘Special One’ and a “serial winner”.

Mourinho is the man who wins. With him you get neither philosophy nor building for the future; you simply get to win now. So the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss ended up at Spurs who wanted a winner to replace Mauricio Pochettino, a man as likeable as Mourinho is petulant, and whose only offence was to have lost the Champion’s League final. Now the talk is of Spurs firing Mourinho, something that would cost the club about £34.8m, according to A Bola.

To date the specialist in failure has reportedly raked in £63.5 from being sacked. If the latest figures are correct, the bill for clubs desperate to get shot of Moutinho would reach £100m. Little wonder he pops up on the telly to advertise gambling to willing mugs. Whichever way the chips fall, Mourinho always hits the jackpot.

Posted: 17th, February 2021 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment


Robbie Savage, gambling on Spurs and the Mirror’s journalism of attachment

After Spurs easily saw off Arsenal with a 2-0 win, BBC radio DJ and Daily Mirror columnist Robbie Savage told his Twitter followers: “I went early on Spurs winning the league 🤷‍♂️💙⚽️ 08085909693 ,,, tell me why the won’t ? Tom the arsenal fans said arsenal would win the league this year ,, 😂🤦🏻‍♂️ 08085909693 #bbc606.”

Tom the Arsenal fans is clearly delusional, unable to see that club manager Mikel Arteta is learning on the job and the Gunners squad is populated by many players who’d struggle to get a game for Fulham. But what of Savage and his to-deadline opinions? You can find out more of what Savage thinks at the Daily Mirror:

Robbie Savage Spurs

In order, this is how Savage predicted the Premier League table, from first to last: Liverpool; Manchester United; Chelsea; Manchester City; ARSENAL; Wolves; Spurs… So that’s Spurs in 7th place, two behind Arsenal.

This guesswork is brought to readers in association with the Mirror’s latest betting partner. It might be that Savage didn’t write the thing, just saw his name added to to the top to give it a bit of omph and authenticity. After all he’s an ex-pro who works for the State broadcaster. You can trust him. Savage might know a thing or two. So place your bets!

Given the damaging impact gambling can have on people’s lives and that the Mirror pitching Savage’s words in an article which encourages betting – the prediction piece ends with a large button stating “BET HERE” – might it be useful to tell readers that Savage’s views are liable to change with the wind?

A radio phone-in is a bit of fun, a distraction from the important things in life. Losing your money and health because those same opinions encouraged you to gamble is far more serious.

Posted: 7th, December 2020 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Key Posts, Money, Sports, Spurs, Tabloids | Comment


Talking Balls: Lamela the Spurs hero as Manchester United are robbed

Manchester United 1 – Spurs 6. To reuse a quote by former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, one he used to dismiss the potency and threat of his side’s opposition: “Lads, it’s Spurs.” In this post, we’ll take a look at reporting on the match. With United trailing 2-1, United’s Anthony Martial was sent off in the 29th minute after an off-the-ball incident involving Erik Lamela.

The Manchester Evening Post says the incident “saw the Spurs player drop to the deck despite having instigated the altercation himself”. The altercation says Lemala aim an elbow at Martial, who responded with a tetchy brush of Lemala’s next. Lemala went down in stages. He then got up and sank to the floor again. To many observers it was an egregious act of playacting.

The Spurs website reports the mater thus:

Then came the sending-off incident in the 28th minute, Martial raising his hands into the face of Lamela and the referee awarded a straight red card to the United man.

No word on any altercation, of what went before.

Posted: 5th, October 2020 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs Balls: Eric Dier gets man managed through a poo

When Eric Died dashed from the pitch during Spurs Carabao Cup match with Chelsea, his manger, Jose Mourinho, was in hot pursuit. Dier needed the toilet.

The Standard’s James Olley was at the press conference:

Mourinho on Dier: “With Eric you can imagine what happened. I knew it, I was just pushing him to come back as soon as possible because [we had] no more changes and one player less. It was the consequence of something not human that he did [playing dehydrated & tired].”

Imagine getting man managed whilst taking a dump? From Special One to Number 2.

Posted: 30th, September 2020 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs sign Gareth Bale for £13m but Dele Alli ruins Mourinho’s jigsaw

Spurs Bale

“Gareth Bale completed his emotional return to Tottenham on Wednesday night in a move that was driven by Jose Mourinho.” So declares the Daily Mail in a story that in the Express is reduced to the status of strong rumour.

The Express says Bale joining Spurs for £20m (the Mail says the loan fee from Real Madrid is £13m) completes the “jigsaw” and makes Spurs complete. The Star agrees that Bale is the “final piece” in the jigsaw. There’s Bale just slotting in below Spurs and England player Deli Alli – the player the Mail says is to leave the club.

And in the Guardian, there’s Bale looking up as Alli departs, doubtless wondering how Jose Mourinho will react to discover someone has removed a big bit of his jigsaw:

Such are the facts.

Posted: 17th, September 2020 | In: Back pages, Sports, Spurs, Tabloids | Comment


Transfer balls: Bale to Spurs because Jose Mourinho failed to get him at Manchester United and Real Madrid

bale manchester united

Who made the call that 31-year-old Gareth Bale should go back and play for Spurs? His agent, Jonathan Barnett, who tells the BBC: “Gareth is closer to leaving Madrid than at any time in last seven years”? Was it Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, who now presides over a club £1bn in debt for a stadium emptied of fans; a team that looked bereft of direction in an opening day defeat to Everton; a transfer policy that failed to buy Jack Grealish from Aston Villa; and who could be blinded by the sun glinting off the trophies won by local rivals Arsenal? Or how about Jose Mourinho, the manager who is at pains to make himself the centre of the story of Bale to Spurs? Get a load of this self-aggrandising guff when Mourinho was asked about signing Bale:

“He is a Real Madrid player and I don’t comment on players from other clubs. I have to respect that. It’s better not to speak.”

Better, yes. But not what Mourinho chooses to do:

“I tried to sign him for Real Madrid, which was not possible to do during my time there. But the president followed my instinct and my knowledge and the season I left he brought Gareth to the club. It’s not a secret, even Gareth knows that. A squad is a puzzle and when a new signing completes the puzzle it’s great for the team.”

Only Jose Mourinho can save you from Jose Mourinho. Remember when he was using his influence to et Bale to play for Manchester United?

bale manchester united

Such are the facts.

Posted: 16th, September 2020 | In: Back pages, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Transfer balls: When Spurs signed Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish has signed a new five-year contract to remain at Aston Villa. That should come as something of a shock to Spurs fans who get there news from the Bleacher Report:

We read:

…the club is set to make a bid the Villans will be unable to turn down, according to the Mirror’s James Nursey.

And according to Nursey: “Tottenham have won the race for Jack Grealish.” And according to an expert the Standard considers in the know, Grealish to Spurs is still on – it’s his “only” option:

Grealish spurs

Spurs bid £25m for Grealish, says the Mail. Although some reports suggest the opening bid was £3m, rising to £6m before Spurs pulled it back to £4m at the 11th hour. Villa wanted closer to £40m. Whatever the value the Spurs bid was or wasn’t, Villa rejected it.

“It was really close,” Grealish told the BBC at Bodymoor Heath in 2019. “I thought the Hull City game was going to be my last game [for Villa] but one thing led to another and I didn’t end up going.”

So much for Spurs having “won the race” for Grealish.

Posted: 15th, September 2020 | In: Back pages, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Transfer Balls: Gareth Bale back to Spurs (not Manchester United) and Gabriel to Arsenal (soon)

Arsenal are “closer than ever” to agreeing a deal with Lille’s Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes, 22, says the BBC. The source for this story is L’Equipe. The website offers no source for its information, stating only that the “southpaw and the Gunners have never been so close to an agreement, which is due in the coming hours.’ How may hours is unspecified. and that’s just as well for the Sun which is playing both sides of the story.

August 19: the deal is agreed at £27m.
August 20: No deal is agreed for the player rated at “£22m”.

On the blue bit of North London, Spurs are looking to re-sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, says the BBC.

Or as the Manchester Evening News put it on March 8 2019:

Gareth Bale has reportedly bought a house in Manchester and agreed personal terms with Manchester United ahead of a potential transfer this summer.

And in May 2018 the Daily Express told us of a bold “claim” – presented as an SEO-friendly fact:

And as the sun out it in January 2020:

Bale has not agree to rejoin Spurs. He also hasn’t agreed to join Manchester United, Liverpool or Yeovil. Yet.

Posted: 20th, August 2020 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, manchester united, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Liverpool finish first but don’t win Premier League title; Leicester, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United qualify for Champions League; Wolves, Sheffield United and Arsenal get Europa League

The Dutch have cancelled their domestic football season. And it’s bad news for Liverpool and very good news for Norwich and other teams facing relegation from the Premier League. There will no champion of the Eredivisie, the Netherlands’ top league. There will be no relegations. One option was to take an average of points scored so far and add them to games still to play. But that would have made no difference to the teams qualifying for the Champions League and Europa league, respectively. In the Premier League, it would – and it means Arsenal (currently in 9th spot) qualifying for the Europa League ahead of Spurs (8th).

Manchester City’s (2nd) ban from the European competition means Manchester United (5th) take their place in the Champions League, where they will be in the mix with Leicester City (3rd) and Chelsea (4th).

It is the most likely scenario. Already all football in England below the three divisions that make up the National League has ended and all results expunged.

It’s time for the upper tiers to follow suit and present a clear path ahead. The Dutch have set the agenda – and it’s the right one.

Posted: 24th, April 2020 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs relinquish title of world’s greediest football club

Tottenham will not be milking the State, taking advantage of the government’s furlough scheme for some non-playing staff during the coronavirus crisis. Following Liverpool’s belated relation that a corporation, sorry, football club, owned by a billionaire that makes millions in profits should not be seen to be so greedy, Spurs have seen the light. Says the Spurs chairman (pay: £7m a year):

“We regret any concern caused during an anxious time and hope the work our supporters will see us doing in the coming weeks, as our stadium takes on a whole new purpose, will make them proud of their club.”

More marketing guff dressed up as sport every day….

As for what the new Spurs stadium will be without football, how about a toilet paper silo?

Posted: 13th, April 2020 | In: Money, News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Liverpool back down leaving Spurs to win title of world’s greediest football club

Liverpool have listened to the fans and media who decried their decision to place some non-playing staff on temporary leave and take advantage of the Government’s furlough scheme to let the taxpayer pay 80% of their wages. Liverpool – owned by a billionaire and posting profits last season of £43m – will muddle along some how. Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Norwich City are sticking with their plans to furlough some non-playing staff. Bournemouth and Norwich are not big clubs. Newcastle are a basket case. But Spurs with that swanky new stadium and billionaire owner can afford it, surely? With Liverpool no longer doing the wrong thing, Spurs might be the world’s greediest football club. Finally, they win something.

Posted: 7th, April 2020 | In: Liverpool, Money, News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs and Liverpool compete to be world’s greediest football clubs

Who decides on your pay cut to help the struggle against the coronavirus? Your employer? You? If you’re a professional footballer should it be up to The Professional Footballers’ Union, the players’ trade body led by the absurdly well-paid chief executive Gordon Taylor? The Premier League wants elite players to take 30 per cent reduction in wages. For the same reason that politicians call footballers role models, health secretary Matt Hancock wants top footballers to “take a cut and play their part”. Why? And why them and not, say, firefighters, teachers at private schools or Matt Hancock?

The PFA says:

“The proposed 30 per cent salary deduction over a 12-month period equates to over £500m in wage reductions and a loss in tax contributions of over £200m to the government. What effect does this loss of earning to the government mean for the NHS? Was this considered in the Premier League proposal and did the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock factor this in when asking players to take a salary cut?”

Clubs like Norwich, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Spurs and Liverpool have applied to use the UK government’s furlough scheme to fund the wages of non-playing staff, without having first agreed cuts with their high-earning footballers.

David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, is not impressed. “The public rightly expect highly paid footballers at top clubs to be asked to shoulder the burden of football clubs’ financial losses over the coming months, ” he says, “rather than those on modest salaries in cleaning, catering or security having to be supported by the taxpayer.”

Spurs and Liverpool are owned by billionaires. The Spurs owner is, as the Sun bills him, “the billionaire Spurs owner that lives on a boat worth £112m, gave The Nolans their first ever gig and counts Tiger Woods and Sean Connery as mates.” He needs your help to pay the bills. Liverpool owner John W. Henry is also a billionaire.

Meanwhile… Her Majesty the Queen (worth: lots) says we’re all in it together. Maybe her grandson, Prince William, chairman of the FA, can chip in to the football clubs’ fighting fund?

Posted: 5th, April 2020 | In: Liverpool, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Arsenal boss Arteta survives Coronavirus virus and has a Partey for £45m; Chelsea and Spurs resume Willian fight

Good news for Arsenal fans. Firstly, the Premier League looks like being cancelled. Having grossly underachieved this season under the likeable but hapless Unai Emery. Secondly, new manager Mikel Arteta says he’s “feeling better already” after contracting Coronavirus. And lastly, Arsenal are preparing to invest £45m for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, 26. The Gunners will also try to nab Chelsea forward Willian. Spurs also want him. In 2013, the Brazilian looked set for Spurs until Chslea hijacked the deal. This is hiw the Guarfdian repor6ted gthe move:

José Mourinho made little attempt to hide his delight at hijacking Tottenham Hotspur’s move for Willian as the north London club raged behind the scenes about Chelsea’s £32m capture of the Anzhi Makhachkala forward representing a vendetta against them…

Mourinho’s gloating will have done little to soothe Tottenham’s anger. Rather than apologise for disrupting their plans, he revelled in snatching Willian from under their noses. He was initially vague, simply saying that he believed that the player had made his decision but when he was asked if that meant that Willian had chosen Chelsea, he made no effort to keep up the pretence. Instead he laughed and nodded…

“The best thing you can do is do the medical in secret” [said Mourinho].

The former Real Madrid manager was unable to resist one last dig at Tottenham. Asked whether he expected the deal to be completed without any complications, a mischievous grin spread across his face. “We have to do a medical,” he said.

Jose Mourinho is now manager at Spurs.

Posted: 13th, March 2020 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Chelsea, Sports, Spurs | Comment


The (Non) Fighting Cock: Eric Dier launches one man stands invasion at Spurs

Eric Dier crowd

Not long after Spurs lost at home to Norwich in the FA Cup, Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier dashed into the stands to confront a member of the self-described ‘Yid Army’ who he felt had “insulted” him. (No – he’s wasn’t going to fetch the ball after teammate Erik Lamela’s missed penalty.) Aside from the obvious point that few Spurs fans knew the big lummox could act with such pace and passion, what happened next was every bit as forgettable as a Dier performance on the pitch. A few videos of the moment appeared over Twitter. But aside from Dier moving forwards and fans moving sidewards to get a closer look, nothing occurred. Cantona’s kung-fu kick at Crystal Palace reminds the unsullied benchmark of ad-libbed pro-fan interaction.

Spurs’ thin-skinned manager Jose Mourinho was moved to tell media: “I think Eric did what we professionals cannot do but probably every one of us would do.”

Minds turn to Mourinho’s snide poke in the eye of an opposing coach when boss at Real Madrid match and being menaced by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Mourinho’s fighting prowess is pretty much on a par with players and fans of his latest club:

For those of who missed Eric’s moment of nothingness, here it is:

And for those of you want to see another Eric at it, here that is.

The Football Association and Tottenham are investigating the incident. Others are working out of Cantona (85) is still faster than Eric Dier (8).

Posted: 5th, March 2020 | In: News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Spurs balls: OEDS recasts Gooners and all Jewish football fans as ‘Yids’

kids spurs

A ‘Yid’ is a “supporter or player for Tottenham Hotspur” says the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). That’s tough luck on Jews who support other clubs or don’t support football at all. We’re all ‘Yids’ now.

Spurs fans can call themselves what they like. They can sing what they want to. But for the rest of us Jews, it’s a bit odd, especially for us nice yiddisher Gooners. “Fee, fi, fo fun,” oozed the Chelsea fans in my ear once upon a time, “I smell Yiddish scum.” Now I understand the OED afficianado thought I was a Spurs fan – yeah, at the Chelsea v Arsenal game. What are the odds?

The OED, says ‘Yid’ or ‘Yiddo’ can refer to “a supporter of or player for Tottenham Hotspur football club (traditionally associated with the Jewish community in north and east London).” The words are “originally and frequently derogatory and offensive, though also often as a self-designation.”

kids spurs

Spurs, aka ‘The Yids’, tell the Guardian: “As a club we have never accommodated the use of the Y-word on any club channels or in club stores and have always been clear that our fans (both Jewish and gentile) have never used the term with any intent to cause offence. We find the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of the word misleading given it fails to distinguish context, and welcome their clarification.”

Gooners regret the error. Non Spurs-supporting Jews await the hail, ‘Oi, Yid!’ – followed by the soon-be-routine explainer, ‘Sorry mate, thought you were a Spurs fan.”

Posted: 13th, February 2020 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, News, Sports, Spurs | Comment


Transfer Balls: Edinson Cavani agree Atletico and Inter Milan deals but wants Manchester City amid Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United interest

cavani

Manchester United and Spurs fans excited by news that injury-prone, 33-year-old Edinson Cavani is thinking go leaving Paris St Germain before his contract runs out in the summer can know that he’s already signed for any number of clubs over the past few seasons. According to media, the striker has agreed to join or has been linked with the following:

Atletico Madrid – Cavani agree three-year deal – Daily Mail, December 2019 (also Daily Star, 90 Minutes)

Inter Milan – Cavani agrees three-year-deal – Sports Mole, August 2019

Chelsea – “Edinson Cavani to Chelsea latest” – Football London, January 19, 2020

Arsenal & Manchester United – “Arsenal and Man Utd submit offers to sign Edinson Cavani” – The Metro, January 2020

Barcelona – “Barcelona are looking at the free agent market with PSG’s Edinson Cavani joining Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham players on their transfer radar” – Daily Express, December 2019

Juventus – “GLASS OF CAVA Cavani lined up for stunning Juventus free” – The Sun, October 2019

Manchester City – “PSG star Edinson Cavani wants to join Manchester City” – Daily Mail, October 2017

Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid – “Edinson Cavani may join Manchester United, Juventus or Real Madrid as PSG give up on him” – Daily Mail, February 2016

Such are the facts…

Posted: 17th, January 2020 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports, Spurs, Tabloids | Comment


Watch VAR cheat Norwich against Spurs

Norwich v Spurs. Norwich score a good goal. But a man in a van miles away from the action says it’s offside. And that’s how TV, advertising and the lust for money finally killed the game we love. How long before they show us an advert while we await confirmation for every goal?

Posted: 28th, December 2019 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment