White Hot Lines

31.3.2000

  The Spurs clock has been reinstalled at White Hart Lane.  The clock has been refurbished and is now back in place on the Red House at the front of the ground.  It even tells the right time !!

  According to the Daily Mirror, Spurs are looking for bids for Les Ferdinand in the summer and are willing to accept a low fee to remove him from the wage bill.  Having already lost money on Moussa Saib, the club will take a big loss on the £6 million they spent on the England striker as they clear the decks for a £5 million move for Chelsea's Chris Sutton.  George Graham has also said to have watched Barcelona's Dani in action.
  GG has said that he did not Pierre van Hooijdonkey at Tottenham as he had undoubted talent, but is not a team player.

  A man has been charged with affray and the assault causing actual bodily harm to a woman at last year's Worthington Cup Final.  The man from Slough has been bailed to appear at Brent Magistrate's Court on 4 April.  The arrest took place one year after the incident happened.

  Tim Sherwood has resumed light training after his double hernia operation. He said he is hoping to play a couple of games before the end of the season and without setting targets would hope to return at Old Trafford when Spurs play Manchester United.

  Steffen Freund is looking to gain revenge over his friend and countryman Christian Ziege for the 1-2 defeat at the Cellnet stadium earlier this season.  Freund is therefore anticipating a good performance for Spurs against Middlesbrough on Monday.

  George Graham has hinted that some of the young signings made this season could be on the bench for the Middlesbrough match and one could even start the game.

Erik Mykland, who has been linked with a Bosman move to Tottenham when the season is up, intends to leave Panathaniakos to join 1860 Munich in the summer.
  Justin Edinburgh's testimonial is tentatively set for May 9 at Portsmouth where his new side will take on Tottenham.

30.3.2000

  A report on Soccernet has revealed that Pierre van Hooijdonk is set to leave Vitesse Arnhem at the end of the season and wants to come back to play in the Premiership with Tottenham top of his list.  He feels it would be a challenge and he would look forward to working with George Graham.  He would be valued at around £6 million and is also being looked at by PSV Eindhoven as a replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

  The Picketts Lock stadium mystery deepens.  The designs were aired today and it is likely that Spurs and Saracens Rugby Union club could be invited by UK Athletics to share the stadium and the £4 million running costs once they have built it.  Tottenham's Financial Director, John Sedgwick, said that the club would look at the project as they could not stick their heads in the sand.  He mentioned that the capacity of White Hart Lane could be increased to 45,000. 

  Tottenham are considering strongly appealing against the fine imposed by the FA in respect of the brawl in the game at Leeds United in February. The club feel it is unfair that they have received the same fine as Leeds United, when it was acknowledged that the tackle by a Leeds player started the melee.

  Spurs have promised to ban the man who was pictured hitting the female Leicester City supporter at last year's Wembley Worthington Cup Final.  Photo's of the man will be published in the programme for Monday's match against Middlesbrough asking for him to be identified.

  More details of the deal for 14 year old Michael Malcolm have been revealed.  A Sky Sports report says that the deal is more in the region of £500,000 and that consists of £10,000 down and the same amount when he reaches 16.  More payments will be made when he signs professional and when he makes a certain number of appearances.  The deal also involves money should the player make the national side, but realistically, it is worth in the region of £200,000 to Wycombe should he play for Tottenham's first eleven.

  Ole Martin Aarst of Belgian club Gent has revealed he has spoken to an English agent who has links to Tottenham.  Leeds United are also said to be following the form of the Norwegian goal scorer.

29.3.2000

  The day after seven Leicester City players are fined a total of £75,000 for actions which lead to football violence, Tottenham and Leeds United got £150,000 fines for not controlling their players in the brawl during the Premier League match at Elland Road on February 12.  Both clubs were warned as to their future conduct.  The FA also considered deducting points from the two clubs.  An FA statement said that "It was clearly an incident that was damaging to the image of the game. Such behaviour by high-profile professionals is unacceptable and won't be tolerated."  Does this mean that smaller clubs will not be punished in such a manner and that Manchester United can escape with their harassment of match officials in recent matches without a word.  Tottenham are extremely unhappy with the result as it was raised in the hearing that the incident was instigated by a Leeds player.  Surely, the better way to stop incidents like this happening is to ensure that perpetrators of fouls like that committed by Bowyer on Clemence are suitably punished, so other players would not feel the need to get involved in such punch-ups.  Rumours are that the size of the fine was to use the two clubs as a scapegoat for what had gone on before and to send a warning out to clubs that anyone else who steps out of line will be hit hard.  This follows the comments of Minister(ess) for Sport  and big mouth Gooner - Kate Hoey - who said the day after the match that the Police should get involved to stop this sort of thing.  The message is that the sport will look after itself and the courts will not be required to be involved.  Wouldn't it be funny if Arsenal were the next club up in front of the FA ???  Hoist by her own petard anyone ??

  Ian Harte of Leeds United was cleared of stamping on Chris Perry during the same game as his momentum meant he wasn't able to avoid landing on Perry.

  Tim Sherwood was cleared of making obscene gestures at Newcastle United fans in the Premier League match at St. James' Park on November 28.  He was cleared when video evidence showed he was merely celebrating Chris Armstrong's goal.  Sherwood also revealed that he has been given clearance by Tottenham's medical team to restart his training and he thinks he can be back in the first team in three weeks.

  Tottenham are to publish the picture of the person involved in the violence in the Leicester City end of Wembley at the Worthington Cup Final last year.  The FA have also issued a £1,000 reward for information on the man punching the young mother at the match.  Film of the incident has been shown on Crimewatch too.

  FourFourTwo magazine has listed their poll of greatest managers of all-time voted for by other managers. Top was Sir Alex Ferguson and the Spurs related names involved are
5. Sir Alf Ramsey; 
8. Bill Nicholson;  
13. Terry Venables;
16. Herbert Chapman; 

  London Tonight has stated that Spurs have signed the first £1 million schoolboy - a young (14 year old), black striker Michael Malcolm - from Wycombe Wanderers.  There are no firm details about the fee, but Youth Development officer, John Moncur signed the player yesterday.  He joins talented youngster Owen Price in the Spurs junior squads.

  Kevin Nichol of Raith Rovers is spending some time on trial at Tottenham with a view to a permanent move.  The teenage midfielder/winger has impressed Spurs scouts in his one season in the game and follows Paul Shields (now with Celtic) who came to Tottenham last season on trial.

  Manchester United are appearing to want to wait until the end of next season to get Sol Campbell on the cheap.  They don't want to get involved in a big money deal this summer and could wait until 2001 to take the Spurs captain on a Bosman, but Juventus might try and steal the England central defender this summer as they have no problems meeting any asking price.
  Tottenham are supposedly watching Strasbourg captain and sweeper, Teddy Bertin, should Sol leave this summer.  The 30 year old, who also plays in midfield and scores plenty of goals, is available on a Bosman at the end of this season.  Media Monitor has said this is the work of agents and Spurs have no interest in the player.
  The news about a fee agreed for Sergei Rebrov of Dynamo Kiev has been dismissed by his club and the player has stated he wishes to play for a club in the Champions League next season, so that rules out Tottenham.
  Apparently, Peterborough United boss, Barry Fry, tried to resign Matthew Etherington and Simon Davies just prior to the transfer deadline on loan until the end of the season !!

28.3.2000

  Darren Anderton has been given a boost by England coach Kevin Keegan as he said it is not too late to get a place in the squad for Euro 2000.  

  Finally, the Worthington Cup Final ticket fiasco involving the sale of tickets allocated to Leicester players in their final against Spurs has reached a (sort of) conclusion.  Fines ranging from £5,000 to £20,000 and bans on receiving tickets for 3 to 5 years have been handed out to seven players and staff at the Midlands club.  Andy Impey, Arnar Gunnlaugsson, Tony Cottee, Scott Taylor and Graham Fenton are the players involved and Jim Melrose and David Nish from the backroom staff.  The tickets sold in the area where the worst violence occurred appeared to have originated from winger Andy Impey, who received the severest penalty with a £20,000 and a five year ban.  All the players intend to appeal against the sentences imposed by the FA.  Stewart Campbell and Neil Lennon will appear in front of a FA panel on April 11th facing the same charges.

  TeamTalk has hinted that Spurs could make a £6 million move for Carl Cort rather than Chris Sutton at the end of the season.  GG expects to be up against Leeds United for the player's services.

  Steffen Iversen left his boots in his car at Heathrow before jetting off to Switzerland to play in a friendly for Norway !!

  Unsubstantiated rumour is linking Tottenham with a bid of around £8.5 million for Dynamo Kiev's striker Sergei Rebrov.  It is alleged that a fee has been agreed, but there is no fact to back this up at the moment.  Spurs were also supposed to have made a last minute bid to buy John Carew from Rosenborg, but he has chosen to go to Valencia.

  Funniest rumour heard today is that Spurs are set to swap Sol Campbell with Chelsea's Frank Lebeouf and a shed load of cash !!  It would have to be a mansion load of money to make up the difference between Bully LeBeef and Solman !!

  Tomorrow, Ian Harte and Tim Sherwood attend FA hearings about misconduct charges.  Harte is to be given a private hearing about his stamp on Chris Perry in the Premier League game at Elland Road on February 12 and Sherwood has to answer charges concerning the Tottenham match at Newcastle United on November 28. 
  Spurs Reserves lost for the first time in 11 games when they went down 1-2 at Highbury tonight.  Anthony Gardner scored the Spurs goal.  A late flurry could have seen Spurs nick a draw with Etherington hitting the bar and Korsten denied by Lukic (!!!!!!!!!).

27.3.2000

  Kevin Keegan has said that Tony Adams would probably be the next England captain, but Sol Campbell is quieter, but is regarded as a leader and has the respect of the other players.

  The reason behind the early substitution of Oyvind Leonhardsen has been revealed as a painful heel injury.  The player was in such pain he could not continue as he has an inflamed tendon beneath the heel, which he was to have treated at the club today.  He has withdrawn from the Norway - Switzerland friendly this week and hopes to be ready to play again soon.

  GG has told Darren Anderton to concentrate on playing well for Tottenham and to forget about England for the time being.  The Spurs manager has concerns that Anderton would not be the first choice for the central midfield role for his country and has said that he needs to work harder when he hasn't got the ball.  Dazza said that it would be fantastic if he was picked for the summer tournament, but if nothing happens with his selection for the Euro 2000 squad, he will have a good pre-season and see what happens.  however, Spurs team-mate, Steffen Freund is tipping Anderton to play in the European Championships.  He feels he has the ability and the experience to help his country in Belgium and Holland.

  Rumours are circulating that Tottenham may be set to move into a 50,000 stadium at Picketts Lock, Enfield to be shared with UK Athletics.  The stadium, to be built for the 2005 World Athletics Championships (or the long wait until the 20005 Championships as the Spurs Official Website would have it !!) and the 2012 Olympic Games would have the ability to expand to 80,000 and this could tempt Tottenham who are restricted in their current White Hart Lane location.  The club said they have not been contacted about this matter and have no plans to move.

  Young prospect Simon Davies has said that he is ready to play in the Premiership if the call comes.  He said he had been overawed training with players he had only seen on TV when he first arrived, but he is now learning lots in practice and his fitness might need a little improvement so he can last the pace in the first team.

  Sol Campbell could be out for the next two weeks as he tries to overcome his knee injury.

  Further credence is being given to the rumours linking Tottenham with a £6 million bid for Chelsea's Chris Sutton.  The forward who has not hit it off (except the pitch when aiming at goal) at Stamford Bridge will likely be allowed to leave for a reduced price after being signed for £10 million last summer.  The player himself has apparently spoken about rebuilding his career at Tottenham.  GG has targeted him as his main target and he also intends to press on for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United, who could cost around £10 million.

26.3.2000

  Sol Campbell is said to be offered a five year contract at Tottenham which would earn him around £8 million.  The £30,000 a week deal would also contain conditions that he would : -
- be able to leave after 18 months should Spurs fail to live up to his expectations
- first information on players that the club intended to sign

  The People has revealed that Spurs are to try and buy Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Chris Sutton in the summer in a double deal costing £16 million.  The report did not detail how the transfer fees were to be allocated.

  The new Spurs away kit has been revealed on the web on a Icelandic Sports site (www.toppmenn.is).  It looks something like this

  
  Allan Nielsen has revealed how he was shut out at White Hart Lane. Having been dropped from the bench for the last two games, George Graham would not even talk to him and he had to discuss his future at the club with David Pleat, who found him a club where he could play first team football.  He appears to have accepted he has no future with Tottenham although he has two years to run on his contract and could move to Italy where, according to newspaper reports, Fiorentina are monitoring the situation.
  Lennart Johansson, the UEFA president, has slammed the "Pied Piper" agents who sell uner-18 players to foreign clubs.  He intends to get UEFA to look into the practice and may outlaw it as he feels the youngsters are not ready for such a move.
  Ruel Fox is rumoured to be likely to move to his former club Norwich City in the summer despite a move collapsing before transfer deadline day.

25.3.2000

  Tottenham drew 1-1 with Watford at Vicarage Road today.  Chris Armstrong put Spurs ahead before the home side equalised.  For a match report click here.
  Graham Taylor says that Spurs have more problems than Watford because they will have to decide whether to spend big money to catch the top group of three or four clubs at the top of the League.
  GG was disappointed at the tempo Spurs played the game at and that there was a lack of quality in the attacking third.  Any clues what that all means then ??
  None of the new young players included in the squad for the match were on the bench or in the team today.

24.3.2000

  Sol Campbell will miss tomorrow's game at Watford because he injured fibres in his knee during the match last Sunday.  It is expected that he will be replaced by John Scales or Luke Young.
  Matthew Etherington, Simon Davies and Anthony Gardner are all in the squad for the Watford match.  It is good to see them being given a taste of first team life even if they are not in line to actually play in the match.  Hopefully, this will continue to integrate them into the Premier League set-up.
  Tottenham's match at Old Trafford on Saturday 6 May has been brought forward to an 11.30 a.m. kick off as it will be screened on Sky TV.  It is Manchester United's last home game of the season and depending on results between now and then, it could be the game that sees them win the Premier League.
  GG has set David Ginola a goal target as he is not getting on the score-sheet enough, especially away from from home.  Gin said that he was concentrating on getting the ball into the box and couldn't be there to put it into the net as well !!
  Paul Shields, the young Scottish striker from Raith Rovers that Spurs had on trial earlier this season, has joined Celtic for £100,000.
  John Carew, the Rosenborg striker who had been linked with a move to Tottenham, has chosen to play his football with Valencia.
  Radek Bejbl, the Czech international at Atletico Madrid, is a target for Juventus.  The player who is available on a free transfer at the end of the season had been linked with Spurs previously, but looks like he will be moving to Italy in the summer.

23.3.2000

  Sol Campbell is being linked with a £14 million move to Old Trafford with Nicky Butt (rated at £6 million) coming to Tottenham as part of the deal. Alex  Ferguson knows that GG admires Butt and as he is not a guaranteed first choice, he could be released if it meant Fergie getting his man.  Reports intimate that Spurs know that they will have to sell Sol eventually and may be ready to do so this summer.
  Some reports are saying that Spurs will make a £5 million move for Wimbledon's left back (and elbow using expert) Ben Thatcher and goalkeeper Neil Sullivan at the end of the season.  This would allow Espen Baardsen to move to the South London club for around £750,000.  Thatcher has turned down a new contract with his club and wants to stay in London, which might make Spurs favourites over Liverpool, the other club expressing an interest in him.    If true (not likely to be) then we missed out on one of the Don's "hard men" and will go straight in for another.  Sullivan is attracting Arsenal and Manchester United as likely suitors.
  Darren Anderton has signed the one year extension to his contract today.  He has restated his desire to finish his career at Tottenham.
  Paul McVeigh has joined Norwich City on a free transfer or for a nominal fee, depending on which report you read.
  Tottenham have been associated with a move to sign Chris Sutton from Chelsea in the summer, if he will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge.
  Stephen Carr is hopeful that Spurs can catch Arsenal and Chelsea to earn a UEFA Cup place for next season.  He believes that if Tottenham can win their five home matches and pick up some points away, then it could be possible.
  Huddersfield Town made an unsuccessful attempt to take Spurs winger Jose Dominguez to the McAlpine Stadium before the transfer deadline.
  Ruel Fox was linked with a loan move to Bolton Wanderers, but the move from Tottenham did not materialise.
  Reserve midfielder Johnny Jackson signed as a professional with the club today and central defender Alton Thelwell added a one year extension onto his existing contract.

22.3.2000

  Sol Campbell is a target for big spending Juventus, who have been galvanized into action after rumours that Manchester United and Arsenal were both sniffing around the Spurs captain.  They are planning a £13 million bid, but TeamTalk report that they may have to persuade Campbell who is said to be reluctant to move to Italy. 
  Spurs have been alerted to a possible replacement for Sol Campbell should he leave at the end of the season.  Ugo Ehiogu of Aston Villa has refused to sign a new contract at the Midlands club and looks set to run his contract down before leaving, but the club may cash in on him in the close season to avoid losing him for nothing.  The 27 year old centre-half wants to return to London and has been rated at £7 million, although Villa must pay West Bromwich Albion 50% of any transfer fee through a clause in the contract when they originally signed the player.
  Allan Nielsen has been loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers for the rest of the season.  The player was desperate to get first team football before Euro 2000 and had been watched by Wolves, when it was thought that Mark Gower was their intended target.  His move contradicts one report which stated he would cause great confusion by linking up with the Welsh Alan Neilson at Fulham (something which had foxed Coventry City's programme compiler already).
  Paul McVeigh has gone to Norwich City on trial to train with the side and with a view to a permanent move.  Caretaker manager at Carrow Road is Bryan Hamilton, who was Northern Ireland boss when McVeigh made his international debut.
  Les Ferdinand is convinced that he is ready for first team action after a couple of reserve matches and three substitute appearances.  He hopes to feature in Saturday's game at Watford.
  Young Leyton Orient defender, Simon Downer has been watched again by Spurs.  Club representatives were at Orient's 0-1 defeat by Rotherham United on Tuesday and the reports on the 19 year old defender were good once more.  Rated at £1 million, Spurs will face stiff competition from West Ham United and Wimbledon for the youngster's signature.
  Espen Baardsen has revealed that he will be patient to break back into the first team at Tottenham and that he is enjoying the race for the Premier Reserve League title.

21.3.2000

  League Cup winning goal scorer Allan Nielsen has been told that he can leave Tottenham, just one year after his most memorable moment in a Spurs shirt.  The player said that he has options in England and Denmark, with a move back to his previous club Brondby a possibility.  He has also been linked with Celtic.  David Pleat said on Media Monitor that Nielsen might be signing a loan deal with a club later today.  The player has been omitted from his nation's squad to play against Portugal on March 29.
  Wimbledon appear to be after Espen Baardsen as a replacement for Neil Sullivan, who they are resigned to losing on a Bosman at the end of the season.  Media Monitor's quote was that Tottenham had not received an approach from Wimbledon.
  Luke Young has been selected in the England Under-21 squad to play Yugoslavia in the European Championship play-off next Wednesday 29 March.
  Steffen Iversen and Oyvind Leonhardsen are in the Norway squad to play Switzerland in a friendly match next Wednesday.
  Bobby Mimms, former Spurs "goalkeeper" has joined Mansfield Town from York City.
  GG has slammed the foreign imports of not have the same pride in wearing the Spurs shirt as some of the homegrown talent or young signings.  He feels that to spend all of his money on one purchase (such as van Nistelrooy) would be wrong and he needs to buy a number of players who will stabilise the club. He feels more at home with players who have an affinity for the club and do not use their talent for "maximising their earning potential".
  Young ex-Spurs winger, Garry Brady has joined Norwich City on loan from Newcastle United until the end of the season.
  Spurs forward target, Carl Cort of Wimbledon has said he would be interested in a move to Leeds United.
  Plans have been revealed to revamp the Worthington Cup, with the last eight from the English competition playing the last eight teams left in the Scottish CIS League Cup. While no firm propositions have yet been made, some clubs have expressed an interest in the new format claiming it would be more attractive than the present competition.  The only drawback would be that the UEFA Cup place associated with the winners would disappear and revert to the highest placed Premier League team without a European place through other means.
  Spurs Reserves won a friendly match at Stevenage Borough tonight 2-0 with goals from Stephen Clemence and Neale Fenn.

20.3.2000

  Darren Anderton is expected to sign a one year extension to his contract that will earn him £24,000 a week and make him the top earner at White Hart Lane alongside David Ginola.
  GG has stated that he thinks Sol Campbell will stay at the club for a few years yet.  The club are not interested in selling their 25 year old captain and will do everything to keep him at the club.
  David Pleat has denied that Tottenham are bidding for Rosenborg striker John Carew.  The club were aware of him and he had even trained with Spurs, but there was no truth that the club had contacted his agent or club regarding a transfer to Tottenham.
  Sunday's Observer revealed that Tottenham are not going for Argentinian superkid, Andres D'Alessandro, because David Pleat said he could not make his mind up on the left sided midfield player.  Despite being keen to come to England and that he was outstanding in the match against England Under-21's at Craven Cottage, Pleat has said he does not expect any moves to be made for the player. 
  George Graham was allegedly at Bramall Lane on Saturday to watch Sheffield United's 1-0 victory over Port Vale, with the player under scrutiny being Marcus Bent.  The forward has been in a vein of rich scoring form since he moved from Port Vale to Yorkshire and has been priced at £4 million.  Leicester City and Wimbledon have also been linked with the former Crystal Palace striker.
  Bristol Rovers boss, Ian Holloway, has hinted that prolific striker Jason Roberts could be on his way out before transfer deadline day as he is seeking a work permit for an incoming forward and also quipped that "every player has his price".
  Hibernian has revealed that no bid has been received from Tottenham for £2 million rated forward, Kenny Miller.  It appears that the newspapers have been working overtime by also linking Arsenal and Chelsea to the teenage player.  David Pleat did admit that a Hibs game was watched recently, but added there was nothing to report.
  Spurs have watched Lorenzo Sanz, although maybe indirectly.  David Pleat said in Media Monitor that there was a representative at the Malaga v Mallorca match recently, but there will be no follow up.
  Ruel Fox's move to Norwich City has broken down because of contract problems between Fox and Tottenham.

19.3.2000

  Spurs lost 1-2 at Arsenal this afternoon. Chris Armstrong scored Spurs' goal and Gilles Grimandi was sent off near the end.  For a match report click here.
  Transfer talk in the Sunday papers revolves around Sol Campbell.  Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said that he wants the Spurs captain to play alongside Tony Adams in his defence next season, but accepted that Sol appeared to be on his way to Manchester United and that he would not make an approach to Tottenham on the eve of the North London derby.  What he was doing was trying a pathetic attempt to play psychological games to upset the Spurs camp before this match.  Other reports state that Sol has already agreed a move to Manchester United for £14.5 million and will join up with them after Euro 2000.
  Another player linked with Spurs today is Hibernian's forward, Kenny Miller.  The young striker has been scoring regularly in the Scottish Premier League and has attracted some interest from other English clubs.  It appears that GG's Scottish links may make him favourite to sign the 21 year old for a fee of around £2 million.
  Darren Anderton has revealed that he stuck with Spurs in 1995 when Manchester United were interested in him, because Gerry Francis wanted to build the side around him.  Also, the side he was going to had just sold Andrei Kanchelskis, Mark Hughes and Paul Ince and Anderton wondered where the club was going.  He did, however, admit to thinking that he could have been in Barcelona last summer when they won the Champions League.
  Once again Tottenham have been rumoured to be in for Lorenzo Sanz, the 26 year old Malaga defender, along with our good friends Leeds United.
  Chris Sutton is reportedly a summer target for Tottenham. The Chelsea forward, who has failed to live up to his £10 million price tag may be shipped out to bring in fresh talent at Stamford Bridge.
  A £2.5 million rated forward from Lens, Pascal Nouma, has been linked with a move to Spurs in the newspapers today.  Apparently, Tottenham have had the player watched recently.
  Another player Spurs have had scouted recently is Bert Kontermann of Feyenoord.  The giant centre-half is reported to be in line to replace Sol Campbell and Tottenham are eyeing up a serious bid for the Dutch international.
  Allan Nielsen could be on his way back to Brondby on loan  if the papers are to be believed today.  The out of favour Danish midfielder would probably welcome some first team football before his country play in Euro 2000.
  Leeds are allegedly planning a £5 million deal with Wimbledon's Carl Cort before transfer deadline day on Thursday.  Tottenham have expressed interest in the young forward previously.
  Liverpool have denied that they are favourites to bring Argentinian young superstar Andres D'Alessandro to England, while some reports say that they have tied the player up already.  Spurs have had the player watched but said they did not expect to follow up their leads in Argentina at this time.
  An unsubstantiated report on TeamTalk has stated that Spurs might be willing to sell Chris Armstrong for £6 million, but nothing in the report mentions this.  GG says that he needs five new players, three of which will be forwards and that some players will have to be sold to make space for the incoming staff.  

18.3.2000

  Darren Anderton intimated today on Football Focus that he is almost certain to stay at Tottenham and the only thing delaying his signing a new contract is that he is waiting for new signings to arrive to show him how ambitious the club is.  It appears that he hasn't heard anything from the club for 2-3 weeks and was ready to sign that long ago.  he also denied that he is being greedy; he said it was not about money, but "other factors".  He also hinted that the board need to back GG in the players he is going for.  GG appeared and said that he thought Sol would be at Tottenham next season too.
  GG has knocked Arsene Wenger by stating that he would be happy to have the sort of fixture problems the Arsenal manager is experiencing.  He said he hopes that he would be in the same position next season.
  The manager has also welcomed Steffen Iversen's desire to start contract talks.  He said that the club should be desperate to keep any good players we have got.  

17.3.2000

  Chris Perry has been passed fit to play against Arsenal on Sunday.  He has recovered from his concussion sustained by heading Mark Hughes last week against Southampton.  Les Ferdinand continues his comeback on the bench.
David Pleat has denied an approach has been made by Port Vale for a loan deal to take Jose Dominguez to Vale Park.
 Ruel Fox is taking time to think over his move to Norwich City after reports yesterday insinuated that he had gone on loan.  The winger said that he did not feel it was right to go straight into the side for the East Anglian derby this weekend and has also has other options with interest from a couple of Premier sides and a another couple in the First Division.
  GG has revealed that he will not be talent spotting at Euro 2000 this summer.  He does not believe in buying players on the strength of one good tournament, pointing to the £3.5 million spent by Manchester United on Karel Poborsky after Euro 96 (and he could also indeed include our own Ilie Dumitrescu after the World Cup in 1994). George hopes to have all his signings tied up by the time the tournament is over and thinks that players who do the business for their clubs week in, week out are better value than those who turn it on for their country. 
  Steffen Iversen has set himself a target of 20 goals for this season.  He has already passed his previous best of 11 and hopes to shoot Spurs into Europe.
  Ciaran Toner has been selected in the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad for a friendly against Malta on March 28.
  Simon Davies has been named as a stand-by player for the Welsh squad to play Finland in a friendly in Cardiff on March 29.
  Sol Campbell has revealed that he could never play for Arsenal.  "I think it would upset all the Spurs fans if I went to Arsenal, not that I am going to," he stated.  Sol also added that he was waiting until the end of the season to consider his future as he did not want it to affect him while playing at the moment. 
  OptaSoccer report that Swedish youth international Jonathan Partin has been signed by Tottenham from Edsbyns.  The player has been playing for the Under-17's at Spurs Lodge for a while now, but it appears that the deal has now been formalised.
 

16.3.2000

  Spurs striker Steffen Iversen is believed to be a target for PSV Eindhoven as they seek to find a replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy, who looks set to leave at the end of the season.  The Dutch side think Iversen will be the ready made stand-in for the outgoing £20 million rated forward and are willing to spend £6 million of it on the Tottenham and Norway striker.  Tottenham have said they have not had an official bid for the layer and have no intention of selling him anyway.
  Ruel Fox is a target for his former club Norwich City.  Caretaker manager Bryan Hamilton has said that the club are making positive moves and nothing is ruled out, as they try to take the Tottenham winger to East Anglia before the local derby with Ipswich Town this weekend.  The player has been allowed to go on loan by Tottenham with the prospect of a permanent deal.
  David Ginola has been on a Radio 5 Live programme blasting Kenny Dalglish about his time at Newcastle United and how he felt unappreciated there during Dalglish's reign.
  Kevin Phillips has signed a new five year contract at Sunderland.
  Apparently Huddersfield Town have asked to take Stephen Clemence on loan until the end of the season, but they have been denied permission by Tottenham.
  Justin Edinburgh completed a £175,000 three year move to Portsmouth yesterday.
  Port Vale were hopeful of taking Jose Dominguez on loan, but the player spurned the opportunity of first team football with the struggling Midlands club.
  Tottenham's away game at Leicester City has been rearranged for Wednesday 19 April.
  David Pleat has denied that the club are watching St. Johnstone full-back, Danny Griffin.
  Spurs have been linked with a £2 million move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Chris Bart-Williams, but this has been denied by the First Division club.  Spurs were originally after the player when he left Leyton Orient as a teenager, but were then unwilling to pay the £100,000 he cost Forest.
  Leeds United have been rumoured to have bid £6 million for Frank Lampard Junior of West Ham United.  Lampard is a player who has long been linked with a move to Tottenham.
  Chris Armstrong has revealed that he may never win over the doubters in the Tottenham crowd and feels that he might be banging his head against a brick wall.  What are these crazy training exercises players do these days ?? 

15.3.2000

  Spurs are to play a friendly at Stevenage Borough FC on Tuesday 21 March at 7.30. pm.  This is thought to be a reserve outing as they would be without a game otherwise.
  Transfer talks between Rosenborg and Borussia Dortmund have failed to reach a conclusion and it now looks as though the Norwegian centre-forward, John Carew will be going elsewhere.  Other higher bids have been received and the action will all be over within a couple of days according to a Rosenborg director.  The player however has said that Arsenal is interesting to him, now that they appear to have entered the race for the tall striker.
  Former Spur Colin Calderwood has joined Nottingham Forest from Aston Villa for a fee of £70,000.
  Tottenham face an April 13 hearing at the Football Association for the melee that took place in the game at Elland Road earlier this month against Leeds United.  The FA have hinted that they could impose five figure fines or even point deductions if the sides involved are found guilty of misconduct.
  According to a report on Soccerupdate, Dundee United are sniffing around Ruel Fox and Jose Dominguez, who were both recently transfer listed by Spurs.
  The FA inquest into the Worthington Cup ticket fiasco started today with the Leicester City players and staff implicated being seen by the governing body.  The hearing is expected to take two days.

14.3.2000

  Tony Pulis, the Portsmouth manager has tried to take Les Ferdinand on loan until the end of the season, but there has been no encouragement from Tottenham who have plans for the player at White Hart Lane.
  Wimbledon's Jason Euell has had his transfer request turned down, but is rumoured to put one in every week until he is allowed to leave Selhurst Park.  The 23 year old striker has long been associated with a move to Tottenham and we will have to see if the South London club will be ready to let him go.
  John Carew is said to leave Rosenborg in the next few days.  Borussia Dortmund are favourites (as the player has hinted that they might be his preferred option) with Valencia close behind according to one report.  The 20 year old striker is priced at around £3.5 million and PSV Eindhoven are also watching the situation develop, as they search for a replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy. Where this leaves Spurs is anyone's guess, although David Pleat denied any interest in the player, so perhaps the club are not involved in the bidding process.  However, during a press conference, it was hinted by a Rosenborg director that Spurs had just been on the phone.  Some rumours indicate that it could be that Spurs are even after Andre Bergdolmo, a defender from the club.   It is further rumoured that Rosenborg are to buy Tromso's striker Rune Lange, another rumoured transfer target for Spurs, when Carew leaves.
  David Ginola has said that he does not believe that crowds are being racist towards Emmanuel Petit of Arsenal.  He said that there is such hate in peoples faces, that he just smiles at them, because he knows they are trying to put him off his game.
  Another transfer thread has begun with Tottenham apparently trailing Malaga's 26 year old centre-half, Fernando Sanz.  The club are reported to have had him watched over the last few weeks and feel he could make it in the Premier League despite leaving Real Madrid, where he did not get on with manager John Toshack, even though his father is the chairman of the club.
  Jermaine Darlington of Queens Park Rangers has apparently also been watched by Spurs, but why I don't know !!  Luckily David pleat said that Spurs had watched QPR, but there had been no discussion about this player.
  Spurs reserves left it late again tonight to beat Derby County reserves 2-1 to go top of the league.  One down at half time, Stephen Clemence hit an equaliser and then four minutes from time, substitute Paul McVeigh struck the winner for Spurs.
  Steffen Iversen's contract extension will be discussed at the end of the season, even though it still has two years to run.

13.3.2000

  Steffen Iversen was happy with his hat-trick against the Saints on Saturday, but said on his website that he could and should have scored even more.
  GG has offered Mark Halsey (the ref in Saturday's match against Southampton) a get fit course, as he was not impressed by the official's performance at all.
  Spurs are being linked with a £1.25 million or £1.5 million raid for Colchester United's Lomano Tresor Lua Lua.  Apparently, Stuart Houston lives in Colchester and often watches them, so having been so impressed with the Zairian 19 year old youngster, he has persuaded GG to nip in before Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool pursue their interest in the flying winger.  The deal is supposed to be one which could grow to £2 million over time.  David Pleat said that this was incorrect.  The player's own manager - Steve Whitton - says he is going nowhere and that he has to start playing 90 minutes, rather than coming off the subs bench, before he can seriously be considered as a real prospect.
  Spurs are also allegedly considering a move for young Leyton Orient defender Simon Downer.  The 18 year old would cost about £1 million and Pleat commented that he was one of many young players Tottenham had looked at.
  With respect to Rosenborg's John Carew, Pleat denied that Tottenham had gone to watch him in the Champions League game last week, but added that the Norwegian was friends with his countrymen at Tottenham and he was a player that Spurs knew about.  
Further to reports about a move for Manchester United's Jonathan Greening, David Pleat said that the club were not looking to make any moves but were continuing the search for a striker.
  Then responding to another rumour about Fulham's interest in Chris Armstrong, Pleat was quoted as saying that the club had not received any enquiries from Fulham about the player.
  Cambridge United are again on the trail of Spurs reserve striker Paul McVeigh.  His original loan deal collapsed and now U's boss Roy McFarland wants to take him on until the end of the season as he believes "the boy has something". (What ?? Influenza ?  Smallpox ?? A new bike ??)
  Gianluca Vialli has shed some light on rumours about what might happen in the summer.  He is looking to extend his contract at Chelsea and stated that he is not ready to manage an Italian club.  This might pour cold water on the rumours about GG going to Chelsea in the summer.

12.3.2000

  Tottenham have been linked to a move for Jamie Redknapp of Liverpool in the summer, when it looks likely that he will leave the club for around £8 million. Chelsea,  Newcastle United and Leeds United are also thought to be keen on signing the midfielder.
  Spurs were believed to be watching John Carew of Rosenborg more than Sergei Rebrov in the Champions League game last Wednesday.
  In the same game, the Spurs eye was caught by George Demetradze, a 23 year old talent who was playing for Dynamo Kiev and would be available for £7 million.  He has also elicited interest from Arsenal and Manchester United.
  And talking of Manchester United, their midfielder Jonathan Greening who is currently out of favour at Old Trafford, has been priced at £2 million.  This has put off Nottingham Forest, but Spurs are still watching the situation.
  Bristol Rovers have slapped a £1.5 million price on the head of Nathan Ellington, their young forward.  The player was linked with Spurs a few weeks ago.
Fulham are believed to be interested in taking Chris Armstrong to Craven Cottage for a fee of over £1 million as a replacement for Geoff Horsfield, who is out injured.
  Ex-Spurs are in demand.  Darren Caskey of Reading is being chased by Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Southampton and Watford, while former Spurs youth team player - Australian Richard Johnston of Watford is a £5 million target for Leeds United.
Ruel Fox is livid that he found out he was on the transfer list by reading last week's programme.  He cannot believe that either George Graham or David Pleat did not tell him face to face.
  Robbie Fowler has been linked with a move to Tottenham in many of the Sunday papers today. The 24 year old Liverpool striker is believed to be the odd one out in the forward department at Anfield and could be sold on for about £12 million. 
  Rumours are circulating that Tottenham made a bid for Ben Thatcher of Wimbledon as revealed by Sam Hamman.  This player has almost as bad a reputation as Hartson for violent play, as shown in his callous elbowing of Nicky Sumerbee in the game against Sunderland at Selhurst Park earlier this season.  Not the player for us I would say.
  Liverpool appear to be the latest team interested in buying Andres D'Alessandro of Argentina's River Plate club.  Aston Villa and Newcastle have rivaled Spurs for the young midfielder and it appears now that River Plate might be ready to auction the player off to the highest bidder.
  Apparently Martin Laursen of Verona has said that Spurs is very interesting to him. He was linked with transfer interest on Friday.
  Odense goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen is believed to be wanted back at Tottenham for a second trial next week, but the Danish club are not willing to let him come over again at the moment.

11.3.2000

  Spurs beat Southampton at White Hart Lane today by 7 (seven) goals to 2.  They were scored by Steffen Iversen 3, Chris Armstrong 2, Dean Richards (own goal) and Darren Anderton.  Click here for a match report.
  Tottenham are being linked with a possible interest in Sunderland defender Michael Gray who looks set to leave the Northern club for a reported £4 million.  The report on TeamTalk said Aston Villa are favourites to sign the full-back, but Arsenal and Spurs are also monitoring the situation.
  The move of Emile Heskey from Leicester City to Liverpool has launched speculation that Robbie Fowler may be the forward to be shipped out and Arsenal, Leeds United and Spurs are reckoned to be among those willing to take on the 24 year old England man.  The asking price could be in the region of a cool £12 million.
  One unbelievable link from OptaSoccer is linking Spurs with a move for Nicolas Anelka, possibly on loan until the end of the season.  The ex-Gooner, out of favour for not training at Real Madrid, looks likely to leave the Spanish club and head back to England or maybe Juventus.  However, he is rapidly becoming the Stan Collymore of his age group and most clubs would not want to touch him with a bargepole.
  Transfer target John Hartson has been diagnosed as having a double hernia, which needs operating on and he will not play again this season according to media reports today.

10.3.2000

  Spurs are set to bid £2.5 million for Ole Martin Aarst of Belgian club Ghent.  The 24 year old Norwegian has set the Belgian league alight with his goalscoring and currently has 23 goals to his credit.  The player is also interesting Leeds United and GG hopes to leap ahead of them with a quick bid for the Spurs supporting striker.
  A source at Dynamo Kiev has said that "Alan Sugar will have a heart attack" when he finds out the Russian club want £12.5 million for Sergei Rebrov, according to a report on Soccernet.
  GG said that he would not be rushed into signing a striker and will wait until after the transfer deadline of March 23rd if necessary.  He and his backroom team are putting in a lot of work now to try and ensure that players who they have targeted will come in eventually.  He also said that Spurs would not be going for Ruud van Nistelrooy, who would cost too much when he was trying to bring in four players.  
  He also said of the John Hartson transfer “the deal is not going to be resurrected. It would have been nice to get someone who can handle English football. I would prefer to sign domestic players.”
  GG has also said that it will not affect him  if the side are booed by fans at tomorrow's game. He hopes to give a bit of a taster to what might happen next season, but is aiming to win as many games as possible left this season.
  Les Ferdinand is expected to start on the bench for tomorrow's game against Southampton.
  Tottenham are being linked with Verona's 22 year old Danish centre-back, Martin Laursen.  George Graham is said to have noted the player's progress since his move to the Italian club from Silkeborg.
  It is believed that Jason Euell has handed in a transfer request following the departure of Joe Kinnear and the willingness of the club to sell Hartson making him think that Wimbledon lack ambition.  The £8 million rated striker has been linked to Tottenham in the past and could once again spark speculation that Spurs might return to South London for a striker.
  One of the players that Spurs are believed to have an interest in as deadline day approaches is Gillingham's Nayron Nosworthy.  The versatile young player who plays in midfield or up front or at the back has been a revelation at Priestfield since breaking into the team and fits the bill in respect of younger players that Tottenham have been snapping up for the future.

9.3.2000

Tottenham confirmed that George Graham watched Sergei Rebrov in last night's Champion's League match against Rosenborg of Trondheim. The player has been watched over the space of a couple of years and it is believed that Spurs were very impressed with the 25 year old's two goal display.  They face stiff competition from Arsenal and sides from Spain and Italy though.  However, GG said that he went to watch both sides, intimating that he had more than one target on the pitch.
  Sol Campbell has said that if he is fit, then Tony Adams should captain England as the players know the score on who would be best to lead the team.
  Justin Edinburgh's testimonial could be against Portsmouth as a pre-season match, featuring Jurgen Klinsmann and Paul Gascoigne.  Justin told TeamTalk that "I'd like to think the club and the fans will think I've given good service over the years. No-one can ever say that I didn't give 100 per cent when I was out there."  However, former Spurs colleague Colin Calderwood will not be joining him at Fratton Park after a deal to take him south from Aston Villa fell through. 
  Andres D'Alessandro - the young Argentinian midfielder - has been the subject of a £3.15 million bid from an unnamed English club.  Tottenham had expressed their interest before Media Monitor said that there were no plans to follow up their interest in Argentina at that time.  Newcastle are also supposedly keen, but may not have the financial resources at the moment.  It appears that D'Alessandro may have Italian grandparents and thus the work permit problems could be obviated.
  Norwich City are believed to be keen on Spurs' reserve striker, Paul McVeigh.
  Johan Micoud of Bordeaux could be on his way to England.  The talented French midfielder, who has been dubbed the new Cantona, has expressed a desire to move from Bordeaux and would like to try his luck in Italy or England. He feels a new challenge in a new league is needed and has said he would prefer to come to London, prompting lazy autosuggestion that Spurs and Arsenal would be the main destinations.
Bristol Rovers have said that striker Jason Roberts is not for sale and that "£3 million would not buy his left leg" !!
  Former Spurs target, Emile Heskey, is expected to join Liverpool from Leicester City tomorrow for £11 million. This raises questions over Robbie Fowler's future at Anfield as Owen and Heskey will probably be seen as the dream ticket.

8.3.2000

  Spurs scouts were apparently at the Rosenborg .v. Dynamo Kiev Champions League match tonight to watch prospective signings.  It is widely believed that they may have been there to cast their eyes over a new striker although Sergei Rebrov would be out of the available price range at over £10 million.  However some reports say that GG has watched videos of Rebrov and has been so impressed he is going to Norway himself to check the player out in the flesh.  He apparently was keen on 25 year old Rebrov even before the Hartson fiasco.  A more realistic target would have been John Carew of Rosenborg, who has recently been linked with an alleged enquiry by Leeds United.  Mystery surrounds the player as the club appear to be resigned to losing him and said that on Tuesday a third club tabled a bid for him and it was the biggest so far.  PSV Eindhoven are believed to be in for Carew as a replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy who looks set to leave the Dutch club at the end of the season.  The first two clubs are believed to be Borussia Dortmund and Valencia, with Spurs and Leeds United coming up on the rails.
  Ian Walker fears he might miss out on a place in the England Euro 2000 squad as Ipswich Town's Richard Wright seems to have jumped ahead of him the tussle for the third goalkeeping place.  The Spurs keeper vowed to continue playing well for his side and see what happens, but hinted that Wright seemed to be the popular choice to go to Belgium and Holland in the summer.
David Pleat has said that Tottenham have not watched or made any enquiry about 21 year old OB goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen from Denmark.
  After his second full reserve game, Les Ferdinand admitted that he is only about 70% fit and needs some more fitness training to bring back his touch.  He hopes to get a game against Southampton on Saturday to build on his substitute appearance against Bradford City last week.
  Tottenham's home match against Aston Villa on April 15 will kick off at 3.06 p.m. as a tribute to those who died in the Hillsborough disaster, which has it's 11th anniversary on that day.
  Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has commented on French players coming to England and admitted "To believe you can easily settle in in Middlesbrough, Newcastle or Blackburn when you're French, I don't believe it.  There is only one reason why we're here -- money."

7.3.2000

  Spurs have revealed that they are still pursuing Manchester United forward, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. GG is said to still be interested in bringing the Norwegian to Tottenham and there are rumours that he may be ready to quit Old Trafford in the summer because of lack of first team opportunities, despite Ferguson saying that he wants to give him more action in the next few weeks.  Also United may be happy to cash in on him if they are to follow up their interest in Fiorentina's Gabriel Batistuta.
  Chris Hughton's  Reserve side went top of the Premier Reserve League South last night with a 2-1 win over Chelsea at St. Albans.  They fell behind, but came back to win with a Les Ferdinand header and a last minute winner from Stephen Clemence.
  Sam Hamman has been revealed as the man who was behind the Hartson negotiations.  He started talking with Spurs a week after selling up his shares in the club and although he is still a Director of the club, the Norwegian owners have told him to clear his things and vacate his desk at the club's offices.
  Justin Edinburgh has thanked Sir Alan Sugar for allowing him to have his testimonial match at White Hart Lane despite leaving for Portsmouth this week.  The left-back said it was nice that there were still some people in football who stuck to their word.
  It is now thought that the Scandinavian striker who Leeds United were bidding £5 million was Bolton Wanderers' Eidur Gudjohnsen and not Steffen Iversen.  However, Spurs are being linked as in the running for the Iceland striker for £5 million, although it might not happen until the end of the season with Bolton in the FA Cup semi-finals.
David Pleat has said he feels "heart-broken" for john Hartson that the transfer fell through on medical grounds.  He also said he hopes he gets a move to another club or do well if he stays on at Wimbledon.  This indicates that as far as the Director of Football is concerned, the deal is dead.

6.3.2000

Big Fat John Hartson is to stay at Wimbledon.  The player was unable to pass a fatness ... no, sorry, a fitness test to sign for Tottenham Hotspur today. His agent said "It's Tottenham's loss and it's not the first player they'll have made a mistake about.  With all the problems they have had (with injured players) I think they've gone overboard. They've gone potty." The player who according to some reports was demanding the same pay as David Ginola (Purrrlease) had allegedly agreed terms and Spurs had settled on a £6 million price for the Welsh striker.  I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to any of our Welsh, ginger or fat readers for the tirade which has been going on for the last three days - it was aimed at this particular person and not at people who exhibit the characteristics above in general.  Rest assured that our campaign against the person in question will continue.
  There is one worry though as John Fennelly the club Press Officer said "We've reluctantly decided not to proceed at this moment with a transfer."  What does "at this moment" mean ??  The same as not following up any interests in Argentina at the moment ??  Hartson's agent assured Spurs fans today when he said of the deal "As far as we're concerned that's it, there's no chance of resurrecting it."
  One report on the Football FC website said that GG was ready to quit unless he was given the go-ahead to sign Hartson !!
  Allegedly, Spurs enquired about 22 year old striker, Carl Cort while they were at Wimbledon and were quoted a price of £10 million by his advisors.
  Soccernet reported that the signing of John Hartson might have persuaded Darren Anderton to stay at Tottenham, as he would have had someone on the end of his crosses.  Not sure how that one works though, as Fatso would have been on a reported £32,000 a week - a salary Spurs would not offer to Sicknote.
  Other speculation from yesterday's newspapers include the following players Bristol Rovers striker Jason Roberts, who MEHSTG have championed for quite a while and much better value than £6 million for Hartson, but the club have looked at him without yet making a bid;  
Robert Pires of Marseille has also been linked but Pleat stated that the club had not been considered by Spurs; 
and Don Hutchison of Everton who Media Monitor said we have not shown an interest in.
  Justin Edinburgh was set to join Portsmouth for £175,000 pending a medical today.  He has gone to the South Coast club on loan while the final details of his transfer are completed.  Spurs made £25,000 profit on the player who joined from Southend United ten years ago for £150,000.
  It is rumoured that Tottenham have taken young Danish keeper Jesper Christiansen on trial.  The 21 year old Odense Boldklub reserve goalie replaced Thomas Sorensen when he left that club to join Sunderland.

5.3.2000

  John Hartson has described a transfer to Tottenham as a dream move (I bet he did and we describe it as a "nightmare move") and that he would love to sign if "the deal is right".  We can only hope that it isn't.  Further hope came from Hartson's agent who said "It's unlikely we will complete the deal today as we are still not close on personal terms ."  It is believed that Wimbledons' new Norwegian owners are willing to accept £1.5m less than the club paid for him and Spurs have offered him £16,000 a week reckoned to be twice what he earns currently, but it does not include a goal bonus he gets at the moment.  According to FootballFC  "A Spurs insider revealed: "John was ready to sign yesterday but didn't think the offer was good enough. We've been told to go back with a new offer and start talking again.""   Everything crossed now !!
  GG has said that this would not be the last move before the end of the season.  He said even if Hartson does join he will still be looking for more forwards.  Well, what does that mean ??  That some will be leaving or that he is to start collecting strikers like he did centre-halves ??  And why look for more when you have got one you think will do the job ?? Are the others not up to it in his opinion ??  Please explain - answers on a postcard.
  Rumours in Sunday's press are linking Darren Anderton with a move to Chelsea who would be willing to pay the wage he is demanding from Spurs.  Graham is hoping that he will stay on at Tottenham to build for the future, but it is unlikely if there is no change in the £28,000 weekly salary offered.  TeamTalk however are claiming that Shaggy will be talking to Sir Alex Ferguson in the next few weeks to secure his transfer to Old Trafford.
  Spurs' interest in Everton's Scottish midfielder Don Hutchinson is likely to be thwarted by Internazionale of Milan, as the player is likely to sign a pre-contract agreement with them soon.
  To make yesterday's result all the worse, it was the last game for on-loan goalie Aidan Davison, who will now return to Sheffield United unless Bradford City sign him on a permanent basis.

4.3.2000

  Spurs drew 1-1 with Bradford City at White Hart Lane today with a goal from Steffen Iversen. For a match report click here.
  Leeds United have snapped up England Under-18 goalkeeper Shaun Allaway from Reading.  Having been injured in training, he was having treatment for a wrist injury, but it appears that the Northern side have taken him from under the noses of Tottenham in a deal that could cost £2 million.
  Added to this it is reported that Leeds United have made a £5 million bid for a mystery striker.  It was thought to have been John Carew of Rosenborg, but his club deny that Leeds have made an approach.  Some reports are linking the bid with Steffen Iversen at Spurs and time will tell over the next few days as to whether or not this is the case.
  Spurs have again been linked with John  Hartson and a deal could be done over the weekend.  A figure of £7 million is being mentioned for the lumbering Welsh oaf and we do not want him at Tottenham however hard goals are to come by at the moment.  He does not fulfill any of the criteria laid down by the management team for players coming in and makes a mockery of the claim that the club will only be buying players of the highest quality - plainly something that John Hartson is not.  Are Tottenham really telling us that there are no better strikers than Hartson out there for that sort of money ??  If they have looked at Wimbledon didn't they see Cort or Euell ??  What are they thinking of ??  Someone told me Spurs were offered George Weah and Spurs didn't take him because he was viewed as a quick fix and the club should be building for the future.  Well, Hartson may only be 24, but he has had a succession of injuries and really, what advantages would he have over Weah ??  We only needed someone to get us into Europe and then we might have been able to attract a decent forward - one who would be a darned sight better than that Welsh lump.  And what does it tell you about the tactics Spurs might start employing ??  Long ball up to the forward and ....
  Spurs are said to be touring Sweden this summer.  They will be staying in small town Boden in the North of Sweden near the border with Finland.  George Graham's men will be playing Uleborg from Finland and Bodens BK.  The party will arrive on July 18th.
  In the Spurs programme today, David Pleat revealed that if suitable offers are received for Mark Gower, Neale Fenn, Ramon Vega, Ruel Fox and Jose Dominguez, the club would be willing to let them leave.

3.3.2000

  GG has warned contract rebel Darren Anderton that he could face being dropped if he does not resolve his situation soon. The manager is uncertain if the England international is going to be at the club after the summer so would concentrate on team building and obviously Anderton would not be involved in that.  He also added that the club were up there with the best payers in the Premier League.
  Portsmouth are after Tottenham's Justin Edinburgh and a £200,000 fee has been agreed.  The left-back could join Pompey before the middle of next week.  He will link up with ex-Spurs Jason Cundy, Rory Allen and Neil Ruddock, who has joined on loan with a view to a permanent transfer.
  Peter Crouch has gone on loan to Dulwich Hamlet as the first part of the deal that brought Dave McEwen to Spurs.  The tall reserve striker has been farmed out to get some first team competitive action and there is little chance that the move entails any more than that. 

2.3.2000

  Tottenham have announced that they are to freeze ticket prices for the coming season.  This comes on the back of the interim report of the company for the period of six months ending on 31 January 2000, which announced losses.  Sir Alan Sugar said that the coverage of Premiership games on TV had led to a drop in attendances at some clubs and he would prefer to have White Hart Lane bulging at the seams.  The operating profit of the club rose by 31% to £3.03 million, but the pre-tax profit dropped by 28% to £2.08 million, mainly because they were selling off players who were not in line for first team football and this involved buying out contracts.  whilst realising that this was an expensive move, the Chairman said it would lead to savings over the next two years.
  Sol Campbell's opportunity to captain England on a regular basis may have to wait as Tony Adams has said that he wants to play up to Japan 2002 for his country.  It is widely expected that being more experienced, the Arsenal man will get the armband and Sol will have to wait until after the next World Cup to lead his country.  GG said he still had some things to learn from Adams although Sol was up there with the best in Europe.
Steffen Iversen has been training without reaction to his ankle injury and he is looking forward to playing against Bradford City, who he thinks Spurs will beat.
  Fellow striker Chris Armstrong has said that after all his injury problems, he is starting to feel as if he is back to his best.
  George Graham has blasted plans announced by Michel Platini to have a global football calendar as not being properly thought out.  The plan would require that the Premier League be reduced to 18 clubs and that internationals be played in the summer to reduce the amount of injuries players get. The plan suggests starting in February, halting in July for international competitions and resuming for the second half of the season in September, with the FA Cup final to be played before the end of November !!
Tim Sherwood underwent a groin operation this morning and could be out for as short as four or as long as eight weeks.  He has been playing on with the hernia, but the club decided that a further injury to it gained on Saturday at Coventry City precipitated the surgery sooner rather than later.
Les Ferdinand has revealed how he nearly quit after suffering a series of injuries.  Just before Christmas he wondered if he would ever recover from his Achilles operation and it was only the family and people around him that kept him going.  He is now looking forward to the bright lights at the end of the tunnel.  (Careful Les, they could be an on-coming train !!)
  Tottenham have announced that from the end of the season the official website will be designed and maintained by British Sky Broadcasting.  The five year deal will aid the sale of merchandising and will see Sky's first foray into this media. The club said it is a move to get the fans one of the best website's on the internet, as the current one is one of the most visited Premier League club's websites already.
  It looks as though former Spurs boss Christian Gross has finally got his wish to sign Swiss international Murat Yakin.  The player was a constant target during his reign at White Hart Lane, but he now looks set to sign the midfielder for FC Basle from Fenerbahce.

1.3.2000

Shaun Allaway, the young reading goalkeeper has injured his wrist in training and Tottenham have sent him to a specialist for a report.  Terms had been agreed with the Second Division club and a fee of £300,000 down and more for appearances was set. Although the injury is not believed to be serious, the medical men will have to get back to Spurs before the deal goes through.
  Les Ferdinand has released some of his frustration by scoring three times against Reading in a behind closed doors reserve friendly this week and could be in line for a game against Bradford City on Saturday.  Steffen Iversen also played in a 7-a-side game in training and could also be fit for the weekend.  Therefore, GG might have s election headache with three available forwards to choose from !!
  Jose Dominguez has said that he might have to leave Spurs to get into the Portugal squad for Euro 2000.  He needs to be playing first team football regularly and with David Ginola in front of him for a left wing berth at White Hart Lane, a move to another club might be the only alternative for the diminutive wide-man.
  David Pleat has said that Spurs have watched Leyton Orient's young defender Simon Downer, but have not made a bid.  The 19 year old is highly rated by the Third Division club and they intend to build a team around him, so a bid of £1 million might be need before they would consider releasing him.