White Hot Lines

  Spurs have been taken over by ENIC today as they confirmed the purchase of 29.9% of the club's shares and they appointed David Buchler as the new executive vice-chairman with a portfolio encompassing the overall strategy and the day to day running of the club.  Buchler has a business background, as a chartered accountant working in insolvency and specialising in football clubs with Barnet and Hull City among many he has dealt with.  He also is a Spurs season ticket holder.  Until the European transfer situation is resolved it is unlikely that a lot of money will be spent on players, as there is a plan to get Spurs back among the top clubs in Europe, which involves structured purchases that will lead to success.  Daniel Levy has become the non-executive chairman pending the appointment of a new chairman to take over form Sir Alan Sugar.  ENIC did back George Graham as manager and said that they would do all they can to get Sol Campbell to stay at White hart lane.

  Sol played the whole game for England tonight in the 3-0 friendly win over Spain.
  Gary Doherty's hopes of playing for the Republic of Ireland were dashed when the match against Denmark in Dublin was postponed tonight because of frozen terracing.

  Les Ferdinand, despite missing out on England duty, said on "The Last Word with Jimmy Hill" that he would want to finish his career with Spurs and hopes that a new contract would be able to be sorted out for a couple of years.  For an interview with him on Sky Sports web site, click here.

  TeamTalk are linking Spurs with a move for former striker Teddy Sheringham.  The Manchester United man has not agreed a new deal with the Old Trafford outfit and rumours that Chelsea and Spurs are keen to bring him back to London has lead to speculation that a Sugar-free Tottenham might tempt him back to White Hart Lane as a free agent.  The 34 year old is looking for a two year contract, but at present United are only offering a one year extension.
  Darren Anderton has said that at the moment England is the last thing on his mind.  Having suffered an Achilles injury, the Spurs midfielder has undergone a week's rest and is starting his rehabilitation, but is not sure when he will be playing again.  He said that having suffered the same injury before, he did not want to rush back too soon, but is frustrated that it happened just as Sven Goran Eriksson announced his first squad.  He turned his attention to what ENIC would have to do to get Spurs back amongst the big boys though, by saying that they must spend a fair amount of money to try and catch up with Manchester United and Arsenal.
  Tommy Smith, the England Under-21 and Watford striker, has turned down an offer of a contract extension at the Vicarage Road club.  The young forward has been linked with a move to Spurs and they will no doubt receive this information with interest and watch the situation unfold.

  Onefootball.com reports that Spurs are set to splash £100,000 to sign Scarborough centre half Ashly Lyth, who is a much sought after defender and another centre half for GG's collection.  It is thought that he will arrive before transfer deadline day.
  Spurs keeper Gavin Kelly is to seek talks with George Graham on his return to the club after a three month loan spell with Kingstonian.  The goalie has impressed in the non-league side's progress to the FA Cup Fourth Round and he will be looking for an indication as to whether he has a future at the club with Walker and Sullivan installed in the top two goalkeeping positions at Tottenham.

  Former Spurs keeper, Erik Thorstvedt, has advised Norwegian goalkeepers that they should not ply their trade abroad as it inevitably leads to them not getting first team football.  He said that the pressure to perform means that they will usually end up on the bench and that is not the best thing for their international career.
  Darlington are trying to tempt Chris Waddle out of non-league football to try his hand at helping them avoid relegation.  The former Spurs winger is happy at Worksop at the moment and is keen to help them to go further in the FA Trophy.

27.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Allegedly, Sky Andrew, Sol Campbell's agent has had talks with Bayern Munich about a move to Germany at the end of his contract when he will be a free agent.  Meanwhile, David Beckham has been announced as England's captain for the friendly against Spain tomorrow night at Villa Park.

  Newcastle United have taken young Leyton Orient defender Simon Downer on trial.  Downer was one player who Spurs had watched for a while last season and were quoted as being ready to bid for.  Spurs are still interested in the 19 year old and an asking price of more than £1 million is expected.

  Luke Young, Alton Thelwell and Ledley King all started as substitutes for the England Under-21 friendly against Spain in the 0-4 defeat at St. Andrews tonight.  King and Thelwell came of the bench to play a part in the second half.

  17 year old Stockport County centre half Robert Clare is a target for a number of clubs, including Spurs, but it appears that Everton are favourites to take him from Edgeley Park.

  Tottenham are reportedly interested in 28-year-old Polish midfielder Piotr Swierczewski of French club Bastia. Both Ipswich Town and Celtic are following the situation of the man capped 60 times by his country and available on a free transfer at the end of the season.
  West Ham United have asked Viking Stavanger to extend Hannu Tininen's loan spell at the club to take in the 6th round FA Cup tie against Spurs. 

26.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Alton Thelwell is due to sign a two year extension to his current contract, while team mate Ledley King will add two years to his deal this week. 

  Suffering from the cold that affected his performance and saw him substituted on Saturday, Simon Davies has pulled out of the Wales Under-21 squad and has been advised to rest.

  David Pleat revealed in Saturday's programme that Swedish youngster Jon Jonsson would soon be back at Tottenham to give it another go at the club.  He has originally been allowed to go home as he was suffering from homesickness.

  Steve Perryman is hoping for a return to management in Japan, despite asking about the vacant manager's job at Queens Park Rangers.  The former Spurs skipper said he would welcome a return to Asia, because he had such a good record there, he hoped to be asked back to take charge of another club.
  The club's official web site has announced that Les Medley, winger in the 1950-51 First Division championship winning side and with the club from 1938 to 1953, died last week.

25.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  It is thought that the new owners of Spurs will appoint a new chairman this Wednesday after the takeover is complete.  Outgoing chairman Sir Alan Sugar said that he was proud to have been associated with the club during this time of development within the game and that the stadium and training facilities would stand as a landmark to his time at Tottenham.  When asked about his on field achievements, he said that there were not too many high points.

  Having watched the recent round of games in Argentinian football, River Plate's Javier Saviola looks a very good player.  Linking in the forward line with Martin Cardetti, he is fed from midfield by Ariel Ortega, the Argentine international and former Parma midfielder (most remembered for head-butting Edwin van der Saar in the 1998 World Cup quarter-final in Marseille).  Not just a goal scorer, but a goal maker too, he looks skillful and mobile.  Would certainly fit into the forward line alongside Rebrov whose movement would complement that of the young striker.  He has scored 21 goals in 37 games for River Plate since making his scoring debut as a 17 year old.

24.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs lost today 1-2 against Leeds United at White Hart Lane.  Spurs goal came from Les Ferdinand.  For a match report click here.  For reaction, click here.

  GG admitted that Leeds were the better team today and that Tottenham were a "bit below the tempo of the game".

  Stephen Carr has been forced to pull out of the Republic of Ireland squad through injury.  He is still troubled by the groin injury that has kept him out of the Tottenham team (apart from a brief appearance at Manchester City) since Christmas.
  Sir Alan Sugar attended his last Spurs match as Chairman and said that leaving the post was a weight off his shoulders.  He said he was also retiring as a director, but would still come back as a fan.

23.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Sol Campbell is the sole Spurs representative in the full England squad for the friendly against Spain next week.

  However, in the Under-21's three Spurs youngsters have been included - Luke Young, Alton Thelwell and Ledley King.

  Spurs may have Steffen Iversen on the bench for tomorrow's visit by Leeds United.  Despite suffering a throat infection, the Norwegian striker could sit waiting to come on as Spurs are still seven players light, despite other reports  that he is definitely out of the match.  Andy Booth may join him there if Les Ferdinand is chosen to lead the line.  There could be a place in the starting line-up for Simon Davies after his impressive introduction to last week's FA Cup tie.

  Meanwhile, Leeds United have to make changes as Alan Smith ( for unsurprisingly collecting ten yellow cards this season) and Lucas Radebe are suspended and Jonathan Woodgate is likely to be ruled out by injury.

  George Graham said he is aware of Javier Saviola, but that there has been no formal or informal offer of interest in the player with his club River Plate.

  Ian Nolan of Bradford City is to claim damages because of negligence on the part of Justin Edinburgh and Tottenham Hotspur for the tackle by the former Spurs defender that left him with a broken leg in a match against Sheffield Wednesday in February 1998.

  Steve Nash, the Dallas Mavericks basketball star, is thinking of investing some off his sport earned income in Tottenham.  He has been linked with the club before, as he supported them as a boy before his family emigrated.  He is thought to be seeking talks with ENIC and as he has just signed a £25 million six year deal, raising the finances will not be a problem.
  And finally ... Reporting on the Guardian Fiver news letter, one of our former targets is the one cheapskate Sunderland want and we quote ... "Sunderland still want 6ft 8in Czech international striker Jan Koller, according to the Star. They are prepared to bid £9, although Anderlecht want £16m."

22.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Darren Anderton has been the subject of an enquiry to GG about his availability for the England squad in future.  The midfielder will miss the friendly against Spain next week, but when his Achilles tendon injury clears he may be in Sven Goran Eriksson's thoughts for England after that. It may prompt his desire to play in a central midfield role for Spurs though, as playing wide on the right is hampering his chances for England according to him !!

  Ledley King has played down talk of him being included in the full England squad for the Friendly against Spain and just hopes to stay involved in the Under-21 set-up.  The young Spurs man said he was pleased to get a goal in front of the new England manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, on Saturday, but if he had known he was there he might have missed !!

  Sol Campbell is still being linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the summer when he is available on a free transfer.  So has said that he will decide his future in the summer and may take the opportunity between now and then to hear what ENIC have planned for the club.  Foreign clubs Chelsea, Real Madrid and Valencia are all keeping an eye on the situation.

  and finally ... Didier Deschamps says he feels "useless" at Valencia.  Funny that because he was useless at Chelsea too !!

21.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Steve Perryman has said things in an interview on Sky Sports that will shock many Spurs fans.  The club record appearance holder said that Spurs fans should get behind George Graham and forget about laying with style.  Talking to Jimmy Hill on "The Last Word", Perryman said that Spurs aren't that bad having gone 9 games without defeat and while they might not play with the flair that many fans consider they should, he said that the crowd had to be realistic and concentrate on success.  He included his own time at White Hart Lane as Spurs teams have constantly failed to achieve all they should and that Ossie Ardiles' side was entertaining, but that it didn't stop 300 fans calling for his resignation after losing to Notts County in the League Cup.

  A 19 year old man has been arrested at his house in Shepherd's Bush in connection with the theft of Gary Mabbutt's Rolex watch while he was in his car last Wednesday as he was on his way to record a football television show.
  Spurs reserves won at Watford tonight with goals from Kamanan and Steven Ferguson giving them a 2-1 win.  Unfortunately, John Piercy was sent off in the 88th minute for dissent.

20.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Sources reveal that Spurs may be ready to make a solid bid for River Plate's Argentinian striker, Javier Saviola.  The 19 year old would fetch around £6-7 million (although TeamTalk say his club rate him at £3.5 million) and Spurs might make a swoop for the youngster before transfer deadline day.

  While he is angry about the tackle that caused his broken ankle, Oyvind Leonhardsen is more annoyed that he will now be out of the Spurs side for up to six weeks. He said he was devastated to receive the fourth bad injury in his time at Tottenham, after he felt he was just coming back into a good spell of form.

  Pat Jennings is to take up the position of part-time goalkeeper coach at Luton Town. He is currently doing two days a week with Spurs in the same capacity.

19.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs' Sixth Round FA cup tie against West Ham United will be shown live on Sky TV on Sunday 11th march with the Kick off at 4 p.m.  Spurs are fourth favourites at 13-2 for a victory in the trophy.  George Graham has described Spurs as the underdogs for the quarter final, but is pleased that the tie is in London as it is "the next best thing to a home tie".  

  Oyvind Leonhardsen could be out for six weeks after getting an ankle injury in Saturday's Fifth Round FA Cup tie against Stockport County.  His leg has been put in plaster as a piece of bone chipped off it after the challenge by Flynn, who received only a yellow card.
  After playing a small part in last week's reserve match, Steffen Iversen has been ruled out for a further fortnight after suffering a staphylococcus infection which will put him on antibiotics for 10 days and out of training for two weeks.

  Simon Davies said it was great to be involved in the FA Cup tie against Stockport County and to score the two goals, but realises that he must enjoy it and buckle down to some hard work.  He added that after his previous Cup appearance against Birmingham City in the League Cup, where he was taken off at half-time after coming on as a substitute, he felt a lot more part of the team and the goals helped to settle his nerves.  Davies said he is sure that Leo would be in the team if he was fit, but hoped the goals and his general play has done enough to impress George Graham.

  It has been revealed that if Tottenham's new owners ENIC choose to get rid of George Graham, it could cost them £6 million.  It is alleged that the Spurs boss is on a £2 million a year contract and has two years left.  The remainder of the money would be made up of bonuses he would be due should any pay-off be arranged. 

  Jarkko Wiss, the Stockport County midfielder has been talking about what it is like to play against Sol Campbell on the Soccernet site.  'He doesn't shout, but at every set- piece he was always telling the other players, like Ledley King, where to go. There's so much respect for him.  You don't have to be vocal to be a good player. It's about your personality and Campbell has an aura about him. He's so strong and when you look at him you think to yourself you wouldn't want to be a striker trying to take him on. He's got the physique of a boxer and that makes him so difficult to play against.  I went in for one challenge with him and it destroyed my boot, ripped the sole right off. It can't be repaired - I'll have to buy a new one. You could say he won the tackle 100-nil.'
  Argentina's River Plate club have confirmed that there has been no official offer from Tottenham for their striking star Javier Saviola.
  After Spurs were linked with Besiktas' Pascal Nouma, no sooner have Middlesbrough been named as possibly coming in with a £7 million bid for the Frenchman.  It is believed that they may have the advantage over Spurs as he used to play alongside Boro's Cameroonian Joseph Desire-Job at Lens.

18.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  In the Sixth Round of the FA Cup Tottenham were drawn to play West Ham United at Upton Park on the weekend of Saturday March 10th/Sunday March 11th.

  Oyvind Leonhardsen's injury picked up in yesterday's match against Stockport County appears to have affected his ankle and the club will have to await reports on it's severity before knowing if he will be out with the knock.

  Real Madrid are said to be ready to open talks with Sol Campbell over a Bosman move to Spain in the summer.  They have had him  watched at all Spurs' recent games and could make a move for the Spurs captain with a lucrative deal that would set him up for life.

17.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Tottenham beat Stockport County today 4-0 in the FA Cup 5th Round.  The goals were scored by Ledley King, Simon Davies (2) and a Mike Flynn own goal.  For a match report, click here.  For reaction, click here.

  Tottenham are reported to have joined a litany of clubs, including Barcelona, for the 17 year old Argentinian hot shot Javier Saviola, who they looked at a couple of years ago.  He is now also interesting Juventus and would cost in the region of £15 million.

16.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Sir Alan Sugar won his libel case against Associated Newspapers today being awarded £100,000 for comments made about his alleged lack of funding for new players at Tottenham.  The outgoing Spurs chairman revealed that he would donate the award to Great Ormond Street Hospital.  Associated Newspapers have been given the right to appeal against the Court's findings.

  George Graham has said that football only rates about 10% of the talk surrounding the club at the moment and there is too much politics involved in Tottenham at the time when boardroom changes are taking place.

  A flu bug has been circulating among ten Stockport County players (including both of their keepers) and they may have a depleted squad to choose from.  Layton Maxwell is definitely out with a hamstring injury and Glynn Hurst signed from Ayr United too late to play against his former club - Tottenham.  To add to that, their assistant manager, David Moss, has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent after what is believed to be an angry exchange with players after the 0-1 reverse against Preston North End in midweek.  Not the ideal preparation for a big cup tie.
  Darren Anderton has said that when he is fit again, he does not want to play in the wing back position.  He said that he agreed to fill in there while Stephen Carr was injured, but does not like playing in that position and thought it could affect his selection for the England squad.  Nice to know that he has Tottenham's best interests at heart then !!
  Willem Korsten is unhappy that he has not been given a chance to show what he can do in the first team.  He said that the manager must have his reasons for not selecting him, but that he had worked hard to do well in the reserves, but although he made the right choice to come to Tottenham, he did not want to spend all his time in the second team.  His performances in the first XI have yet to set the team alight and even with the forwards virtually all injured, he still has not managed to force himself into pole position (despite playing like a log).

  West Ham United are not going to sign Argentinian midfielder Andres D'Allesandro, because Harry Redknapp is concerned about the outcome of the UEFA transfer system talks.  Ideal for Spurs to nip in and steal the young star from under their noses then.

  Former Spurs manager, Gerry Francis today quit as boss of Queens Park Rangers.

15.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Darren Anderton could be out of the game for two weeks after picking up an Achilles injury.  He will miss the FA Cup match against Stockport County and is ruled out of selection for the England friendly against Spain later this month.
  Stephen Carr has had a recurrence of his abdominal injury and will miss out on Saturday too, but there is a greater fear that it may require surgery to correct it.

  Ian Walker could make a surprise return to the first team on Saturday as Neil Sullivan could be at his wife's bedside attending the birth of their baby.  Already one week overdue, the birth may be induced and the Scottish goalkeeper could be missing when Spurs take to the park against Stockport County in the FA Cup.  There was also a rumour that Walker was being watched by Liverpool with a view to being bought by the Merseyside club.

  David Pleat was called to give evidence in the Alan Sugar court case today and revealed that George Graham had spurned the opportunity to buy Kieron Dyer, Robbie Keane and Davor Suker.  The reasons for these decisions were that Dyer and Keane would not get into the Spurs team on a regular basis and Graham did not believe in signing Eastern European players who were only in it for the money.  Hmmm !!

  George Graham has described himself as the Red Adair of football, as he has to cap potentially dangerous situations when he comes into clubs and is not offered an open cheque book to do so.  Most Spurs fans would certainly agree that he is a "Red", but not sure about the "Adair" bit !!

  Former Spurs centre half Ramon Vega looks like winning a contract with Celtic after leaving Tottenham to go there until the end of the season.  The Bhoys manager Martin O'Neill said the defender had done terrifically well since joining and they were looking to sort out his situation very soon.

  Former Spurs youngster, Glynn Hurst, has left Ayr United to join Stockport County for £150,000.  He could realistically play in Saturday's FA Cup tie at White Hart Lane against his old side.

14.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Peter Shreeves looks likely to recall Andy Booth to Hillsborough at the end of his month's loan spell with Tottenham.  The caretaker manager has said he has always admired the forward's competitiveness and thinks he will help Sheffield Wednesday battle away from relegation.

  Gillingham chairman, Paul Scally has made an audacious bid to take Les Ferdinand to Priestfield on loan.  With the former England striker just coming back from injury and there still being question marls over the fitness of all the Spurs forwards, it is unlikely that George Graham would release Les to the Kent club.

  Spurs are supposedly tracking Pascal Nouma of Besiktas; a striker who they were looking at about a year ago when he was at Lens.  He has a reputation for ill discipline though, including a three match ban for head butting an opponent in a Turkish Cup semi-final and a similar incident on Danny Mills of Leeds in the Champions League in October.

  After completing 20 minutes of action at the end of last night's reserve match against Wimbledon, Les Ferdinand and Steffen Iversen are ready to play a part in Saturday's FA Cup tie against Stockport County.  Chris Perry is expected to miss two weeks of the season after getting a gashed shin at Manchester City last weekend.

  Simon Davies has been named among the standby Welsh players to attend a training camp at La Manga this month.  If he gets there, it will be a familiar surrounding for the young Spurs midfielder as he was there a couple of weeks ago with the Tottenham squad !! 

  Stephen Carr has said that he hopes George Graham confounds his doubters and predicted that if Spurs win the FA Cup, a lot of reporters and fans will be forced to eat humble pie.  He went on to say that he was misquoted in the article that had him down as wanting Glenn Hoddle to come to White Hart Lane and that he will not be doing interviews with that journalist again.

  Oyvind Leonhardsen has been selected for the Norway squad to face Northern Ireland in a friendly international later this month.

  Gary Doherty looks in line to win his fourth cap for the Republic of Ireland in the friendly against Denmark on February 28th.  Stephen Carr is also in the squad.
  Stephen Clemence has said that in the last two games he played before being rested (Southampton and West Ham United), he did not feel as confident nor that he played as well as he had been doing.  He has set his mind to playing well in the reserves and getting his place back in the first team, although he admitted he could have needed a rest to recharge his batteries.
  The Spurs Academy has been plagued by international call-ups this week, which shows the depth of quality there is in our young stars, the club's official site reports.  The England Under 15 squad includes striker Owen Price and goalkeeper Nicky Eyre, while Marcel McKie and Ben Bowditch could both feature in defence for the England Under 16s in a tournament in Portugal.  Johnnie Jackson has been selected for the England Under 18s against Holland on March 1st and fellow reserve and Under 19 striker, Yannick Kamanan has been called up to play for France Under 20s against Finland.  Rob Burch, Lee Barnard and David Galbraith have been chosen for a FA representative XI for a friendly, while Mark Hughes goes off to train with the Northern Ireland Under 17s.  Striker Michael Malcolm was recently picked to play for the England Under 15s against Spain.  The future's bright !!
  To add to the international flavour, on Thursday 22nd March, White Hart Lane will host the Under 18's as part of the European Championship and England will take on their Polish counterparts with the tickets being £3 for adults and children.

  Former Spurs captain Gary Mabbutt has been mugged and had a £10,000 Rolex watch stolen in the process.  He was in his Mercedes in traffic in Shepherd's Bush in mid afternoon when two youths opened his car doors with one grabbing the watch while the other hit him.  The watch was bought with a £10,000 bonus that the club gave players for winning the 1991 FA Cup and it had been Mabbs' intention to pass it on to his daughter.  He sustained a few cuts and bruises, but if anyone has anything to report on this attack, they should contact the Police at Shepherd's Bush.

  Former Spurs forward Steve Archibald has been locked out of the Airdrie ground by the liquidators and told to pay up the £30,000 they are owed or Saturday's Scottish Cup tie will not be allowed to go ahead.  They have also said he is not allowed to call himself the club's manager any more !!

13.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs reserves beat Wimbledon reserves at St. Albans 3-0 tonight.  Goals came in the second half from Willem Korsten (penalty), Ian Hillier and Les Ferdinand.  Although Stephen Carr, Chris Armstrong and Stephen Clemence were withdrawn as a precaution for Saturday's FA Cup tie, Ferdinand and Iversen got off the bench for the last 20 minutes.  Steffen hopes he will get a place on the bench on Saturday for the Stockport County game.

  Rumours are circulating that Southampton are set to cash in on their Moroccan international Hassan Kachloul.  It is reckoned that a deal to bring him to White Hart Lane could be signed within a fortnight, but it could wait until the summer, when the 27 year old midfielder will be a free agent.

  In his court case against the Associated Newspapers, Sir Alan Sugar has blamed a succession of managers for the failure of the club under his reign.  The fact that he appointed these managers has been mentioned, but he said that he had made mistakes, but was not afraid to go and get the second best manager in the country !!  He added that if he wasn't interested in the success of the team he would have got an also-ran to do the job.

  Apparently, no doubt fuelled by the rumours of the media rights sell off, another name on GG's shopping list that he has presented to ENIC is Twente Enschede's Jan Vennegor of Hesselink (that is all his name and will create whoops of delight in the Spurs Store should be sign for Tottenham), who would cost around £5 million.  The Dutch Under-21 striker is a sensation in Holland and is knocking on the door of the full national side.  It is also rumoured that ENIC might encourage Spurs to take advantage of players who become available at other clubs that they have an interest in.
  Spurs are also being linked to Swansea City's right winger Stuart Roberts who would cost £750,000.  The 20 year old is also being tracked by Sunderland, Manchester City, West Ham United and Southampton.
  And another link says Spurs are after Davor Vugrinec of Lecce.  The 25 year old Croatian striker is also being watched by West Ham United, as well as some Spanish clubs.

  Najwuan Grayeb has likened his nightmare time at Aston Villa to that of David Ginola's !! In an amazing outburst he said that Alan Wright would not get a game at Hapoel Haifa and that he should have started more than one game for the Premier League side

  Former Spurs winger Garry Brady is to go to Portsmouth for a week's trial.

12.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs are supposedly chasing midfielder Sergio Gonzales of Espanyol with Chelsea.  The 24 year old is a hot property on both sides of the Channel with Deportivo La Coruna and Arsenal both watching the situation.

  GG has said he has treated Sergei Rebrov as a special case in getting him accustomed to the ways of the Premier League.  He said that during the week and after games he has not made any heavy demands on him as he gets used to how the League works and that every game is a hard one, not just those against the top teams.

  Andy Booth has said that he is very impressed by Sergei Rebrov despite all the doubters comments concerning the little Ukrainian.  He said that his nine goals amount to a good start and that it must be difficult acclimatising to the new surroundings and language as well as the new style of football he has come to.

  ENIC have said that they intend to sell the club's media rights to an interested party as soon as they take over to realise the potential for profitability.  NTL, Carlton, Sky and Telewest are believed to be among the likely companies spoken to as the new owners aim to get a cash injection into the club.

  George Graham has said that the fans should forget him and concentrate on getting behind the players as they are the ones who need the support of the crowd.  He admitted that the standard of play has not been great and that the results have had to be ground out while players are coming back from injury.  However, he said that the fans had to be realistic in their expectations and that in the long run, he and the fans both wanted the same thing.  Not sure that some fans would agree with that !!

  Tim Sherwood has also hit out at the Spurs fans and said that things could have turned out very differently this season if the team had been given the full support of the crowd.

  Former Spurs boss Peter Shreeves has taken charge at Sheffield Wednesday after manager Paul Jewell was sacked.  The Owls sit at the bottom of the First Division after being relegated form the Premiership at the end of last season.

  Rumours indicating that Hertha Berlin defender Marko Rehmer will be joining Arsenal have been denied by Arsene Wenger.  The Frenchman said that the 28 year old German may have visited their training ground, but he also called in on Chelsea and Tottenham, so he reckons that Rehmer is trying to up the price for his services when he is available on a free at the end of the season.  His agent said that he is not free and will cost around £5 million.  Juventus are also interested in the player.

11.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  George Graham has allegedly given his wish list of players to the new owners of the club.  The £25 million shopping list includes Cristiano Luccarelli of Lecce, Everton's Francis Jeffers, Frank Lampard of West Ham United and Paris St. Germain's defender Sylvain Distain, as well as players who are currently playing for other clubs in ENIC's pack.  How likely he is to get any of these awaits to be seen, but it is rumoured that Lecce want to sell their star striker Luccarelli soon to raise cash and Fiorentina are sniffing around.

  Les Ferdinand is claiming a £2 million two year deal to end his playing days with Tottenham.  He has just started to come back into some decent form (at last), but he is still regularly on the injured list, which makes his value to the team less than one might expect.  The Spurs forward is keen to stay at White Hart Lane, but whether the new owners will sanction such a big money deal might be questioned, even though Les would be able to leave on a free, should no deal be forthcoming from Tottenham.  

  Les has also gone on record as saying he will not let racists drive him out of the game.  He supports "Kick Out Racism" and told of his sister not attending games to watch him because of the abuse aimed towards him.

10.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Tottenham won 1-0 at Maine Road against Manchester City this afternoon with a late goal from Sergei Rebrov.  For a match report click here.  For reaction, click here.

9.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Alf Haaland has hit out at Spurs fans for giving manager George Graham stick over his reign at the club.  He said that the players should take al the credit for the win and the fans did nothing to help them along the way.  He feels Graham is laying solid foundations for a decent side to be built at White Hart Lane.

  Joe Royle said his side must improve their "dismal" home record to pick up points to stay in the Premier League.

  Andy Booth looks set to return to the Spurs attack after missing Wednesday's FA Cup tie having already played for Sheffield Wednesday in a  previous round.

  Sergei Rebrov has stamped on rumours that he is going to move to AC Milan to link up with his old striking partner, Andrei Shevchenko.  He said that the English league was the best in the world and he has no regrets about joining Tottenham, who were now his club.

  News arises today that ENIC are to sell their shares in Glasgow Rangers and also their internet software branch - Autonomy.  They will sell off some or all of their 20.2% holding in the Scottish club, which could indicate that they wish to concentrate their efforts on Tottenham as the flagship of their portfolio of clubs.  Let's hope so.
  Oyvind Leonhardsen said that he was very pleased with his goal against Charlton Athletic and that he is now almost back to 100% after coming back from injury.  He said the first goal that night gave the side a lot of confidence, which they built on.

  Steffen Freund told the club's official site that there should be no more negative vibes about the team.  He said that the clean sheets and the fact that Spurs are still unbeaten this year means that there should be a positive feeling around the club.

  Spurs' Under 19 game due to be played away to West Ham United has been switched to Spurs Lodge tomorrow morning - kick off 11 a.m.

   Teddy Sheringham was in court today to appear on behalf of the Associated Newspapers in it's legal battle against Sir Alan Sugar.  Sheringham attested that the Spurs chairman was mean with the club's money, failing to sign top players and subsequently not challenging for trophies and that was one of the main reasons why he left Tottenham.  Sugar responded that Sheringham's real gripe was that the club would not offer him a five year deal.  The Manchester United forward also revealed that after his transfer to Old Trafford, Alan Sugar phoned him to say that if he read any derogatory stories in the papers, he would "be after" him.

  Andres D'Alessandro's move to West Ham United appears to be on hold for the time being.  The Argentine youngster was being considered for a move to East London after spending a short while on loan at the Irons, with Harry Redknapp not sure if he could fit him into his plans.  The transfer would have broken West ham United's record and now seems to be in the balance.  Should Spurs sort out the takeover of the club by ENIC and feel that he could be the player to fit into midfield, he would be an excellent purchase.

8.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  It was revealed that Charlton Athletic has about 2,500 tickets for last night's FA Cup tie unsold.  These tickets were intended for their own fans, but even reducing them to £10 from their original price of £20 could not induce the locals to buy them.  This is galling to Spurs fans who were unable to get tickets when they were snapped up after going on sale early on Saturday morning before the league game against the South London side.

  Steffen Freund always believed that Spurs could come back form 0-2 down in the tie (what is he on ?) and thinks that Spurs could go all the way now.  He said with the magical "one" in the year, it would be great to get to Cardiff.

  GG is sure that Gary Doherty is a better defender than an attacker, but was proud of the way he lead the line against Charlton Athletic last night.  He said that he is comfortable on the ball, good in the air and as he showed for the first goal, knows the importance of getting to the dead ball line.

  Spurs have now been installed as third favourites for the FA Cup at 11/2 alongside Chelsea, but behind Arsenal and Liverpool.
   FA Cup tickets for the meeting with Stockport County in the fifth round on Saturday February 17 go on sale to Spurs members from 10am today and then they are available to non-members from 10am on Friday February 9.  Phone Spurs Ticketline on 08700-11-2222 or in call in person to the Park Lane Ticket Office during normal hours.  This match will be covered by the Season Ticket as it will be only the third Cup tie at home this season.  

  Sergei Rebrov believes that although he has had trouble settling down this season, things will be better next term.  Back home in Ukraine, he said there were only a few teams who were any good and he has not experienced the ferocity of the Premier League in every game of the season.  He was grateful for the support of the fans and the words of his coach during this difficult time.

  Tim Sherwood has warned the Spurs board that he could be off on a Bosman if they do not offer him a contract extension soon.  He said that with two years left on his current deal, he would hope that the management would come forward with an extension offer, as if they left it like they have with Campbell and Anderton, he would look at his options in moving on a free. He also thinks that Spurs could win the FA Cup, as long as they get a home draw in the Sixth Round.
  Spurs and Arsenal are set to battle for the signing of Brescia's 19 year old central defender Daniel Bonera.  The player is also being tracked by some of Italy's biggest clubs.
  Former Spurs target, Big Fat John Hartson, has finally left Wimbledon. Coventry City have been the club who the Dons have offloaded him onto.  The sum is undisclosed, but the inclusion of a substantial number of pies is said to be involved.
  Former Spurs defender, Joe Kinnear has been named as Director of Football at Luton Town.
  The player Tottenham turned down because of medical worries over his knee, Najwuan Grayeb who subsequently joined Aston Villa, has signed for Hapoel Haifa for a nominal fee.

7.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs beat Charlton Athletic 4-2 in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup tonight at the Valley.  Tottenham's goals came from an own goal, Darren Anderton, Oyvind Leonhardsen and Sergei Rebrov, after being 0-2 down shortly into the second half.  For a match report, click here.  For reaction, click here.

  Ian Walker has said he will stay at Spurs for the time being after having talks with manager George Graham.

  Sir Alan Sugar has been said to be distraught and choking back the tears after hearing in court that the Daily Mail and it's reporter Jeff Powell implied that he was not putting enough money into Tottenham for manager George Graham to buy new players.  The hearing was adjourned until Thursday and is expected to last for six days.  A report on onefootball's site said that Sugar's legal representative said that the chairman "does not play any role in the decision which players should be sold and which should be bought. Sir Alan Sugar will tell you that he does not know enough about football to make decisions in these matters." !!

  Steve Perryman features in the Big Interview on Sky Sports website today.  Click here to read what Stevie P has to say.

  Another former Spur, Clive Allen has said that he fears that should Spurs lose tonight in their FA Cup 4th Round tie, then the fans could reveal their true feelings in a backlash against the club.

  Another former Spur, Graham Roberts, has said that he was going to give being manager at Boreham Wood his best shot after taking over the hot seat at the non-league club.
  Spurs keeper, Gavin Kelly, who is on loan at Kingstonian was unable to keep out Bristol City tonight in the FA Cup Fourth Round replay.  They lost 0-1.

6.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  George Graham has said he will not walk away from Tottenham despite the criticism he is receiving for the club's form since the turn of the year.  He alluded to the fact that Spurs are not the only club who would not qualify for the Champions League and were not still left in either of the cup competitions.  Opposing manager, Charlton Athletic's Alan Curbishley, said Spurs fans should give GG more time and judge him at the end of the season when Spurs could be in a cup final and in the top half of the table.

  Hans Segers, the Tottenham goalkeeping coach, has said there is only one choice for Ian Walker to make if he is unhappy at being left out by Spurs.  He said that he knows Walks is not happy sitting on the bench and playing in the reserves, but he is not the only top keeper being kept out of the first team.  If he wants to play first team football, Segers said that the former England keeper would have to move on.

  Stephen Carr is back in training and in the squad for the FA Cup tie at Charlton Athletic tomorrow night.  Speaking on the club's official website, he said that he is rusty after six weeks out, but would hope to regain his fitness reasonably quickly.  It is unlikely that hew ill start the game, having had not match practice since limping out of the match at Southampton on December 27th.

  Chris Armstrong has also been included in the squad for the match, which helps out on the forward problems being experienced by the club.  Nagged by groin injuries all season, Armstrong could assist Sergei Rebrov in attack, with Ferdinand and Iversen out for long periods.

  Darren Anderton has said he is not hopeful of a call-up by new England boss Sven Goran Eriksson.  The Swede has said that he is certain of seven or eight of the team to start in the friendly against Spain, with Anderton reckoning himself outside of those players.  The midfielder has also slammed comments made by Charlton Athletic players about the 0-0 draw on Saturday.  He said that if they believe the statement s they made about the poor fare that Spurs fans were served up and that their keeper was hardly troubled all afternoon, then they would have to back it up in the Cup tie.

  One former Spur found himself playing in central defence for his club's reserve side, while another is wanted in that position for his club's first team for one more season.  French winger David Ginola was played at sweeper for Aston Villa reserves in a 1-3 reverse against Newcastle United reserves and manager John Gregory waived all claims that he had anything to do with it.  He said the reserve team manager thought it was a worthwhile experiment and Ginola could learn a lot about his specialised position from playing there !!  Meanwhile, Everton want ex-Spurs centre half Richard Gough to sign on for another year.  Another Spurs defender, Neil Ruddock, has been transfer listed by Crystal Palace.

  Nigel Pierre of Trinidad club Joe Public has been hailed as the next Dwight Yorke (lock up your daughters) and has attracted interest from both Manchester United and City, West Ham United, Spurs, Derby County, Newcastle United and Sunderland.  The player could fetch £1 million and will play three friendlies against West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and non-league Stevenage Borough in the next few weeks and many scouts are likely to be in attendance. 

5.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Ian Walker has today stated that he has no future at White Hart lane after being dropped for Neil Sullivan to return to the line-up.  Even though the former England keeper had kept two clean sheets, he feels that the only option left to him is to pack his bags and leave the Lane.  He will speak to his agent this week about getting away as he thinks that GG has decided that Sullivan will always be number one choice and the fact that having two good keepers was supposed to initiate competition for places, he does not see that he can retain the gloves after a couple of good games and no mistakes.  Graham says he wishes he had the sort of selection problem that exists in the goalkeeping department in other areas of the team, but added that as Sullivan was in such good form before his suspension, it was not a hard decision to bring him back.  Walker was furious that he found out only two hours before kick-off on Saturday and that George had not taken him aside to talk to him beforehand.  Following a meeting at the training ground this morning GG said Walker understood why he chose Sully and added that Ian had not asked for a transfer.

  Glenn Hoddle is reputed to have turned down the offer by Daniel Levy of ENIC to come and manage Tottenham Hotspur.  It is allegedly rumoured that he said that he would want £25 million to spend and the new owners could only stump up £10 million.  Therefore, the former Spurs midfielder and England boss may well choose to stay where he is.

  TeamTalk surmise that George Graham could play Sergei Rebrov as a lone striker seeing as our loan striker Andy Booth is cup-tied.  He has few options with Ferdinand, Armstrong and Iversen all injured, with McEwen not experienced enough to start.  He could start with Korsten up front, but that tactic did not work very well at Everton or Ipswich Town, although Matthew Etherington, who got half an hour on Saturday, might come into the picture.

  The News of the World newspaper reckons ENIC are lining up Ginaluca Vialli for the Spurs manager's post.  Rumours are circulating that h is the man the new owners are aiming for to take over from George Graham and Vialli's agent, Athole Still (agent to Stephen Carr) said he could perfectly understand any club looking for a new coach to want his man on their wish list.

  The Sunday Mirror says that Sol Campbell will have talks with Franz Beckenbauer next week about a possible transfer to Bayern Munich when the former German captain and national manager flies into England.  The deal is reportedly worth £100,000 a week to Sol and The Kaiser sees him as the best Bosman transfer that this country has ever produced.

  George Graham has said he wants to get ENIC in power as soon as possible so that he can start putting his plans for next season into place.  If the deal is not done in the next two weeks, he will be demanding money for transfers as he will need to sort things out quickly now. He said it also casts doubts over Ferdinand and Anderton's futures at the club as they are in a state of limbo.

  Darren Anderton is frustrated by the slow takeover of the club by ENIC, which is preventing him knowing what Spurs are offering in terms of a contract to keep him at White Hart Lane.  He said he wants to stay with the club and would want to consider what Spurs would offer him, before thinking over other bids for his services - mainly from Middlesbrough, where Terry Venables is keen to sign him, despite the fact that he might not be there next season himself.  

  Malmo have hit out at Tottenham over a deal to take 17 year old midfielder Jon Jonsson to Sweden on loan.  Jonsson has been homesick recently and a loan to the Swedish side would have helped him overcome this before returning to Tottenham.  However, Malmo are claiming that now Spurs are only interested if they buy Jonsson and although they have made a bid, it has been rejected.  Malmo are keen to buy him, but will not pay a large sum for an inexperienced youngster.

  A bizarre story on TeamTalk's site says that Spurs have turned down an offer of £3 million for Willem Korsten, a player they bought for £1.5 million, because they want £6 million for him.  They're having a laugh aren't they ??  Take the money and run boys !!
  Mauricio Taricco may be caught up in the passport scandal that is weeping the game in this country.  Because of Arsenal's problems with proper documentation for Edu and Tomas, the FA will look at all players in the Premier League who are here on dual nationality passports, which will include Taz who has an Argentine/Italian passport, because of his parentage.  Five Arsenal players could be involved in the investigation - the most of any Premiership club.
  Apparently, Chelsea have a superstar in the making in their youth team - Courtney Pitt.  The 19 year old is attracting interest from all over and he is said to be unhappy with the contract that the Blues have offered him. Monaco and Barcelona have allegedly offered £4 million for him and Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton are all aware of his talent. Never heard of him myself, but there you go.
  A more familiar story is the one linking Jason Euell with Spurs.  Apparently, it is between Aston Villa and Tottenham for the £5 million rated midfielder or striker, with a move supposed to be on the cards in the next couple of weeks.  However, with the ENIC takeover still not finalised, it could rule Tottenham out of the race for his signature.

3.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs drew 0-0 with Charlton Athletic at White Hart Lane today. For a match report, click here.  For reaction, click here.

  Stephen Carr made a cryptic statement to Spurs fans via the press today.  He said that he could understand why the fans would want Glenn Hoddle back as manager, as his teams play football in a passing style that would be acceptable to the White Hart Lane faithful.  He went on to say that George Graham was the manager and while he was in that position, the players would play for him and back him.  Hmmmm.  "While he is in that position". What does that tell you ??

  Former Spurs central defender, Ramon Vega has kept in touch with some of his colleagues at Spurs and has tried to make them Celtic fans.  Sol Campbell and Les Ferdinand are the two main contacts he has at White Hart Lane and he has tried to get them to go up there and support him. He also said that the supporters are putting pressure on the club to buy big names players who can play like the team did in the past.

2.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Stephen Carr could be back in training in two weeks and back in the first team by the end of the month.  The Spurs left back has been resting his groin and is making good progress towards a return to the side.

  Despite yesterday's news, Thorstein Helstad will go to La Manga for Brann's  pre-season training camp.  David Pleat had hinted that scouts would be in Spain to watch clubs take part in this winter competition between clubs from countries taking their mid-season break or coming up to the start of their season.

  Spurs have taken Ajax's 16 year old Israeli Shai Bierok on trial.  The layer s still wanted by the Amsterdam side, but it is believed the young midfielder wants a financial deal to suit him and while the Dutch season is on it's break, Spurs have offered him a chance to show what he can do.

  Both Stephen Carr and Darren Anderton have said that despite the criticism laid out on Andy Booth's loan signing, he can give Spurs anew dimension up front.  They believe that as a tall target man he could help Sergei Rebrov share the load up front and that showed in the match at West ham United on Wednesday.

  George Graham has said that in his current form, Sergei Rebrov would not make the starting line-up if it were not for injuries.  He said that he would have benefited from a rest, but the injury situation has meant that the Ukrainian has had to be called on to play regularly, although not fully integrated into the side.

1.2.2001  (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Ian Walker will see if Neil Sullivan is put straight back into the team for Saturday's match against Charlton Athletic after he kept two clean sheets in the Scotsman's absence.  If Sullivan replaces Walker, there will be talks with the manager to try and get abroad on loan to get some first team football, which is what the former Spurs number one intended before Sullivan's dismissal against Newcastle United.  However, the transfer windows in a lot of European countries are now closing, so there might be a limited opportunity to get away.

  George Graham paid tribute to the Tottenham side for gaining an away point at West Ham United last night.  He said they battled well and could have nicked the points at the end against a side on a high after beating Manchester United in the FA Cup.  He said Andy Booth played well and could have scored with a  couple of chances he had.

  Brann Bergen's striker Thorstein Helstad has been the subject of speculation and a bid from St. Etienne of France.  The £3.45 million bid has been turned down as they hope that Spurs, Sunderland or West Ham United will come back with a higher offer.  He was not keen to move to France and was hoping that he would move to England, with Spurs the most interested party.  Reports in Norway suggest he will be withdrawn from the club's pre-season training in La Manga indicating that a move could be imminent, as the 23 year old player is keen to link up with Iversen and Leonhardsen.

  Nobody at the club can seemingly work out what is wrong with Chris Armstrong. He got a groin injury, but Tottenham officials are mystified by how he came about it and how long he will be out for.  He might have to see a specialist to determine exactly what can be done to help the forward regain full fitness.