Article by Philip RowlandsClick here to follow e-Spurs on Twitter!
It’s a question I’m often asked. After all there are far more successful premiership sides I could be ‘supporting’. Besides I live in the Welsh Valleys so why would I!
When I was a kid waiting for those early episodes of Dr Who (YES – the William Hartnell ones!) to appear on TV I had to first endure watching the football results being tapped out on the old teleprinter. There was one name that regularly caught my eye – Tottenham Hotspur. It evoked images of castles, knights and distressed maidens waiting for Roger Moore, cunningly disguised as Sir Lancelot, to rescue them on his trusty white charger. At least that’s what us innocent kids of the late 50’s believed he did. There was romanticism about the name that fired my imagination and I was not to be disappointed.
Tommy Harmer was my first hero. A wizard of an inside forward who proved skill outdid muscle every time. Then over the season the side changed and evolved. Spurs didn’t sign Roger Moore but the names that became synonymous with the club could have sat quite comfortably around King Arthur’s Round Table. Blanchflower, Mackay, White, Jones, Smith and company swash buckled their way around the land vanquishing all who stood in their way and in so doing passed into footballing folklore.
I’ve since discovered more substantial local links to Tottenham. England international Jimmy Seed played on the pitch at the end of my street for our local team Tonypandy. From there he was transferred to Spurs. They actually played a match against Tonypandy on that very same field. Sadly it’s little more than overgrown marshland now and ripe for the plucking by Barretts.
Years later, just up the valley, a young Mel Hopkins was spotted by a Spurs scout playing for his local boys club. If Mel hadn’t got his nose smashed in a clash with Ian St John the magnificent Ron Henry might never had got into the double winning side. Mel was that good. Spurs also played a couple of games on the Gelligalled pitch where Mel had been spotted playing for Ystrad Rhondda.
I keep bumping into people who were once on Spurs books. One told me that he had been coached by Tommy Harmer himself. Tommy asked him how far he could kick a ball. Ken pointed to a spot in the distance. Tommy shook his head. “No,” he said, ”how far can you kick it and be sure it reaches where you want it to go.” Ken pointed to a spot considerably nearer. “Well that’s as far as you kick it.” Tommy explained. Ken didn’t argue. That encapsulated the Spurs philosophy that football was a simple game of passing and movement, simple to explain but not so easy to execute. Danny’s team did it too perfection.
Gary was another local boy who ended up on Spurs books. He was a more than promising goalkeeper but like George and Gazza drink finally got the better of him and he never realised his considerable potential. He died well before his time.
During the war a young lad from London was evacuated to the Rhondda. His mother was from Cydach Vale so he stayed with relatives just one of the hundreds of children from the East End and Birmingham who found a welcome and a temporary home in our valley. The local football club now boast the Terry Venables Lounge and Terry has always maintained his links with the club that my seven year old grandson plays for.
Last season I managed just one home game (Stoke) and one away game (Swansea) but the camaraderie with Spurs supporters, young and old, is always special. Some of us look back at the Glory Glory Days like Camelot lost among the blue remembered hills hoping one day for the return of the king. Like I said you’ve got to be a bit of a romantic, some would say dreamer, to be a Spurs supporter. Maybe Pochettino is the man who will restore the glory days. Maybe we should change our motto to “Hope springs eternal.” For us Spurs supporters it always will.
COYS
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I'm an exNorth Londoner now living in Hampshire and like you get asked Why Spurs...my first game was October 1958 and beating Everton 10-4, my father sggested that this was a one off and wont be repeated but with double just round the corner it was and bettered...., Ive supported the Spurs for 56 years and will never change. My 2 sons are also regular vistors to WHL. Once a Spur always a Spur. COYS. Mike
ReplyDeleteMore often than not Tottenham have had a player who is above the norm. I played for 30 years (at a much lower level) but it was always pack the midfield, play the ball over the top and let the fast men run onto it. I don't want to watch the kind of football that I played (albeit with much more quality and at a faster pace) I want to watch Hoddle, Waddle, Gascoigne and Ginolas, players who could do things with a football that I couldn't, plus I was born 10 minutes walk from the ground, and as a kid used to get in a few minutes after half-time when they opened the gates, 60,000 people in the ground and they would open the gates after half-time and let in a few hundred kids, my support was/is there for life. Health and safety and corporate greed would not allow this now.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, Phillip, I share your early enthusiasm for Tommy ....... the most amazing sparrow of a player with skills quite beyond most modern players ...... and in turn replaced by the great, and sadly soon lost, John White.
ReplyDeletewhen I first started working, briefly in London, in the 70s, our concierge told me that Tommy Harmer was a some sort of office courier/postman and delivered stuff regularly. To my life long annoyance, I never met him before I moved on.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit younger, my gods of WHL were Hoddle, Archibald, Ossie etc. I live in Hampshire now surrounded by Chelsea and Arsenal fans. despite the money in the game spoiling anyone but the super-riches chances of winning anything decent I still love every blade of the turf. Last game was Ledders testimonial a few weeks back - simply magnificent!
ReplyDeleteevery ex player had style, skill and was a decent human being who loves spurs, even Berbatov looked like a player making up for the yrs of being away from us HE ACTUALLY RAN FOR THE BALL!
I started supporting Spurs in the double season, when I was 7. Despite living on Merseyside all my life I've stuck with them ever since. It would be good to give Liverpool some stick next season!
ReplyDeleteI think Tommy Harmer had retired before Dr Who started! Never mind. I've supported them for 55 years because of Danny Blanchflower at the start, and others who've tried to follow in his footsteps. I've sworn a lot in that time but there's only ever one club. Cheer or sulk, you just remain faithful.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Seed (my grandad) played for Mid Rhondda FC, who's ground was in Tonypandy. I think Mid Rhondda FC closed for business in 1928. They were at one time on the brink of breaking in to the big time.
ReplyDelete