White Hot Lines - April 2001

30.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Ossie Ardiles has said Spurs are so far behind the top teams in the Premier League that it will take them three years to catch up. He said that only Sol Campbell would get into Manchester United's team and that you would have to question the re-signing of Les Ferdinand as he would not get into the Liverpool or Manchester United sides.

Stephen Carr has been handed the right back position in the PFA Team of the Year.

Yugoslav striker Nenad Jestrovic is interesting Tottenham. The 24 year old plays for Mouscron in Belgium and has been watched by Glenn Hoddle twice recently according to Planet Football's website. Jestrovic has netted 20 goals as the second top scorer in Belgium this season and is also being looked at by Anderlecht and Guingamp and Troyes of France.

Queens Park Rangers have received no firm offer for former Spurs striker Peter Crouch as yet. It is rumoured that £1.3 million would buy the tall centre forward, as the R's turned down a £750,000 transfer deadline day offer from Watford for Crouch. Spurs will be conditionally entitled to a share of the fee as part of the deal that took him to Loftus Road.

Alleged Spurs transfer target, Javi Moreno pf Alaves, look set to sing for Valencia in the summer in a £6 million deal.

Spurs will play a pre-season friendly at Swindon Town on Tuesday 31st July 2001.

Scottish teenage star Kevin Heenan of Arbroath has been given a trial at Liverpool. The youngster was apparently being watched by Tottenham too.

Reinhard Stumpf, the Kaiserslautern coach, has denied that any approach for Steffen Freund has been made to Tottenham. He said that he knows Freund and that he is an interesting player, but that his side need reinforcements on many positions.

Next season Spurs will be playing in the Barclaycard Premiership.

and finally ... West Ham United are looking to sign Ronaldo. Yes, seriously !! Yes !! Ronaldo ... a Brazilian centre half who is playing in Portugal available on a free transfer. The real one (the Brazilian striker) may be down on his luck, but then even he wouldn't ... But just to add to the long line of loony singings Harry "Hangdog" Redknapp has made at Upton Park, he is rumoured to be ready to reintroduce Pierre van Hooijdonk to the Premier League !!

29.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

David Pleat is said to be in Barcelona trying to tie up the transfer of Emmanuel Petit to Tottenham. The French midfielder will cost between £5 million and £7 million and Glenn Hoddle is trying to persuade the man he knew when they played at Monaco to join Spurs.

Spurs are rumoured to be watching the situation of Aussie defender Mark Okon at Middlesbrough. The former Fiorentina player is keen to live in London and has failed to put his name to a new contract and although there is a year to run, he could move on if Boro decide to replace him.

Ian Walker has conceded defeat in the battle to be Spurs' number one. He has seen Neil Sullivan produce a string of excellent performances and is now resigned to moving away from White Hart Lane to find first team football. Fulham have been strongly linked with him and a move to the newly promoted side could suit the former Spurs trainee.

David Ginola said he was overwhelmed by the reception afforded him by the Spurs fans at the match yesterday. There is a groundswell of opinion that Spurs should try and re-sign the French wide man, as he said he loved the fans and staff at the club, who had presented him with gifts and wept with joy to see him back again (apparently).

Kaiserslautern are reported to be willing to pay Spurs £2 million for midfielder Steffen Freund.

It is rumoured that Spurs officials will travel to Germany this week to try and tie up the deal to bring Stefan Effenburg to Tottenham. The midfielder is keen to lay in America, while Bayern Munich are keen to keep him, but Spurs believe that if he leaves they can persuade him to come to White Hart Lane.

The latest speculation on Sol Campbell's future concerns Real Madrid and Juventus. Rumours are saying that should he not stay at Spurs, then he would consider moving abroad rather than play for another Premier League club. Still, whatever keeps his agent busy must be a good thing.

Having withdrawn his interest in Parma's French international right back ,Sir Alex Ferguson has a rumoured £8 million bid awaiting Tottenham for Stephen Carr. TeamTalk reckon that Hoddle might sell Carr to fund more purchases in the summer, but counter that with an alleged "name your price" offer for Sunderland's Kevin Phillips, from which it appears the opposite would be the case.

28.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Tottenham drew 0-0 with Aston Villa this afternoon at White Hart Lane. For match report, click here. For reaction, click here.

Glenn Hoddle said he was pleased that his inexperienced side did so well against Villa, especially in the first half before passing and moving a little bit worse in the second. He added he was grateful to get through the match without any further injuries to the team.

Spurs are being linked with Manchester United's striker Dwight Yorke, who is being out forward by the media as the forward to make way for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Another forward being pushed Tottenham's way is Javi Moreno of Spanish UEFA Cup finalists, Alaves. Spurs are taking an interest in the player and West Ham United and Aston Villa are also watching his situation.

Spurs are set to retain the price of the season tickets for season 2001/2002, but they cannily announced the day after the prices that there would only be vouchers to cover the first two home Cup ties. This is cut from four this season and more or less amounts to a rise in season ticket price. "Hmmmm. Let's see if the fans notice shall we."

Former Spurs defender Joe Kinnear saw his Luton Town side relegated to Division Three today.

27.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Steffen Iversen might be back in the Spurs side after the two clashes of heads he had within three weeks. He is hopeful of starting for Spurs who are once again hit by injury.

Les Ferdinand has today agreed a two year deal to keep him at White Hart Lane.

Rumours are circulating that Darren Anderton is set to sign a one year extension to his current deal that ends in the summer and ...

Sol Campbell has told the Spurs players that he is off to Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Sol is set to have his third scan on his ankle injuries to try and determine whether he will need an operation on them. It is a particularly unfortunate time for him to be injured with his contract up at the end of June and looking for a new club should he decide to leave Tottenham.

Conversely, Josep Guardiola has turned down the chance of going to lay at Highbury. The Barcelona player, courted by Spurs and many other Premier League sides, was offered a transfer to Arsenal, but turned them down. Glenn Hoddle has admitted that he is interested in the Barca captain and complained that the dealings had been somehow leaked to the Press.

Stephen Carr said that David Ginola will get a frightening reception from the Spurs fans who idolised him at White Hart Lane. He said that the fans loved him as he was the last in a long line of flair players who had graced the pitch and was lost to Villa after being sold at the start of this season. Carr added he was looking forward to playing against him and that he would give the Frenchman no favours.

Stories that Kevin Phillips would be leaving Sunderland in the summer to return South with his family have sparked links to Leeds United, Arsenal and Tottenham. Rated at £15 million, the striker has refuted these rumours, while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he had not decided whether he wanted to make a move for the Gooner supporting forward.

Apparently, Barcelona have confirmed that they have received a £7 million bid from Spurs for Emanuel Petit, although the club have denied this. Team Talk report that the Spanish club would be ready to accept £4 million for the French midfielder. However, Arsenal are still considering a move for their former player as Patrick Vieira misses his mate !!

Sergei Rebrov has said that the new passing game adopted by Glenn Hoddle will suit him more and that he will be a better player for it next season. Although he is out of the next two matches with a hamstring pull, he hopes to return against Manchester United for the last game of the season. He also said he thinks that the manager could play for up to two years on the Premier League after witnessing his ability in training.

Former Spurs central defender, John Scales, has had his contract with Ipswich Town cancelled by mutual consent after suffering almost constant injury since he joined the Suffolk side. He said it was unlikely that he would seek to play on at another club.

George Graham's union representative has said that he has been unable to meet with David Buchler or Daniel Levy or ENIC to discuss the settlement for GG's dismissal from the club. He announced that the matter could end up in the High Court as Graham had been treated appallingly.

and finally ... Alaves will have to change out of their traditional pink kit because of a clash with Liverpool's red in the UEFA Cup final. Instead, they will wear a new all blue strip with a broad yellow band around the chest was which is, embroidered with the names of the club's 13,500 season ticket holders. Imagine Tottenham doing that !!

26.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

David Ginola has been singing the praises of new Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle and believes that he will be the one who can bring back the Glory Glory days. He said he was very happy for Spurs fans when he heard of the appointment and that Hoddle was a legend as a player, so he hopes that he will emulate that in his role as manager. The former Spurs winger thinks that Hoddle will employ a different style of play at Spurs as well as a more professional approach learned on the continent and could match the success of his old manager at Monaco - Arsene Wenger. Speaking of the match on Saturday the Frenchman said that he had such a good time at Tottenham it will be very emotional to return with another team.

Barcelona expect Spurs to make a formal £7 million offer for Emmanuel Petit this week.

After being involved in the first two Republic of Ireland goals last night, Gary Doherty has been given the go ahead to continue his international career as a forward. This is despite manager Mick McCarthy describing him as being "no centre forward, you can see that by the way he receives balls into him" !! Doherty said he was realistic in knowing that the country did not have a lot of cover for Niall Quinn up front and he would win more caps there than at his preferred position of centre half.

As well as supposedly being after Emmanuel Petit, Spurs are also keen on Barcelona captain Josep Guardiola they officially announced today. It says in a report on the Planet Football site that Hoddle has instructed his agent to contact the man responsible for finding Guardiola a new club. There will be a lot of interest in his services from other top teams, but Spurs could offer the 30 year old a salary of £2.78 a year allegedly. Some stories (mainly deriving from the Mirror) are already stating that the Spaniard has already agreed to join Spurs, but there is no confirmation of this fact.

Allegedly Glenn Hoddle was in Belgrade to check on Russian midfielder Igor Titov and not Goran Drulic, as was first thought, in the Yugoslavia v Russia match yesterday. Planet Football report that the new Spurs boss was looking at the 22 year old attacking midfielder and was impressed by what he saw. Titov is one of the players that Sergei Rebrov was asked his opinion of last month before GG moved on.

It is rumoured on Soccernet that ENIC may find Tottenham Hotspur as their best road to survival. As their share price has fallen so dramatically, the company are rumoured to be considering selling their investments in other football clubs across Europe and concentrating all their efforts on Spurs. It also hinted that they may sell all other investments to make sure this is a success, which could spell very good news for Spurs ... or it could be that there will not be the money to invest in the club, despite all the sell-offs.

Neale Fenn has been on trial with Peterborough United and has played for their reserves, scoring a hat trick in one game and impressing in another. The Republic of Ireland B international striker is hoping that he can earn a permanent move to London Road.

Ben Bowditch played for England Under-16's tonight in their last group match against Hungary at Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium. England won 1-0 to go through to the quarter finals of the European Under-16 championship.

25.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Gary Mabbutt has said that Teddy Sheringham could be the ideal partner for Sergei Rebrov. The former Spurs captain thinks that he could improve the strike rate of the Ukrainian by having a positive effect on him.

Today's top transfer tittle tattle involves Emmanuel Petit of Barcelona. The man that Spurs gave the cab fare to go to Highbury with looks like he could be on the list of men wanted by Glenn Hoddle. The former Arsenal midfielder is attracting his former club as well as Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United. His year in Spain has not been a success as he has been confined to the bench and his appearances have not impressed the Nou Camp hierarchy. However, our friendly local newspaper, the London Evening Standard, has revealed that a source from within the club has said that Spurs will not be making a move for the Frenchman.

Next up is Jason Koumas of Tranmere Rovers. The Welsh midfielder is attracting a lot of interest from clubs in the Premiership and Spurs have joined the chasing pack with a view to taking him on from relegated Rovers.

Claudio Pizzaro of Werder Bremen could be another tempted to Tottenham as he has a £5 million escape clause in his current contract and he looks set to leave the Bundesliga club in the summer. Spurs have had him watched and it is thought that Hoddle might like to pair the 22 year old Peruvian up with Sergei Rebrov.

Neil Sullivan played for Scotland today in a 1-1 draw against Poland in Bydgoszcz.

Gary Doherty played in the Republic of Ireland's 3-1 win over Andorra tonight.

Oyvind Leonhardsen started in the Norway team that took on Bulgaria in a friendly tonight and scored both goals in a 2-1 win.

Sol Campbell has doubted whether he will be fit to return for England on 6 June in Greece. He said that he has bone bruising on both ankles and is concerned that he will not be able to get game practice in before the nation's summer matches. Meanwhile, his agent is saying that London clubs have been asked to be kept informed of the progress in his talks with Spurs as they are keen to nip in to steal him away should he decide not to remain at Tottenham. Sol said that things that needed to be sorted out with his Spurs contract could not be sorted out straight away and could take a month or two.

Tottenham Hotspur has signed a three-year deal with talkSPORT to broadcast live full match commentary of its Premier League matches to millions of listeners in London and the South East. The broadcast of full match commentary of Tottenham games will begin from August 2001.
The talkSPORT station has been allowed to broadcast separate programmes from its London-area transmitter to those heard in the rest of the country and thus allows the monopoly of Capital Radio (Gooner Gold), which previously had sole
rights to broadcast Spurs games in the London area.
Kelvin MacKenzie, chairman and chief executive of The Wireless Group, which
owns talkSPORT, said: "We are pleased and proud to be bringing the best
possible live coverage of this great club to the people of London and the
South East, who have not had the service they deserve in the past."
Daniel Levy, chairman of Tottenham Hotspur plc, said: "We hope this is the
first of many revenue-generating deals, forming part of our on-going
strategy to continue to increase the revenue base of the business in order
to support the continued development and long-term success of the club."

and finally ... UEFA has banned Galatasaray from using their stadium for European club competition games "due to a serious lack of overall
security". Those security guards really should wear something better than overalls !!

and finally 2 ... Arsenal have revealed their new away kit, which is a brown shiny shirt with blue shorts. Yes, I did say shirt !!

24.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

It is reported on the TeamTalk site that David Pleat is believed to have set up talks with Teddy Sheringham's agent about a move back to Tottenham. The Sports writer's Footballer of the Year is believed to be looking for a two year deal and £40,000 a week, which Spurs are willing to provide. However, his agent said on radio today that the two year contract has never been mentioned and was dreamed up by the media. A one year extension was all that has ever been on offer at Manchester United and it was a case of making the conditions right for the former Nottingham Forest and Millwall striker.

The site also reveals that Spurs might resurrect their interest in Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the arrival of Ruud van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford.

AC Milan's Oliver Bierhoff is one player who is being named as a possible target for Tottenham, although a swap with Sergei Rebrov is being mentioned and I wouldn't have thought that was on the cards. Especially as we are going to sign Shevchenko !!

Alton Thelwell admitted that he has made some mistakes in the first team, but added that he hopes to learn from these to become a stronger player. On the club's official site, he said that the mix of youngsters played through necessity at the moment and the lack of experienced players throughout the side meant that the mix was not quite right, but that those coming into the side were determined to take their chance.

Ben Thatcher has revealed that he will train through the summer to be fit for pre-season training after recovering from his groin and hip injuries. He said that all he was thinking about was to be ready for the summer's sessions with new manager Glenn Hoddle building up to the new season after being ruled out for the majority of this one. With only a few matches left this season, he said he hoped he might get a run out with the reserves before the season's end.

Ledley King had surgery on his broken cheekbone sustained in the match at Sunderland and will miss the rest of the season as expected.

Gary Doherty will start for the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup qualifier against Andorra tomorrow. Stephen Carr is not in the starting line-up though.

Ian Walker will be speaking to the new Spurs manager to resolve his future. He said he is not happy to sit on the bench for most of next season and will seek assurances from the manager about this or consider moving on, after knuckling down this season after being dropped and getting no reward in terms of a regular first team place.

Spurs reserves beat West Ham United reserves tonight at Upton Park by 2-1. The goals were both scored by Ian Hillier.

A BBC programme to be screened tomorrow night shows the money being offered to children and their parents to sign up with football clubs. Sol Campbell has warned that the money can ruin their lives and it is up to the parents and the kids to be strong as clubs seek to reduce the spending on big name stars as they try to unearth their own future top names.

23.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Glenn Hoddle said that he was pleased that the new boys to the first team were getting some experience and although fresh blood would be brought in during the summer, it would add to the depth of the squad, as would the games these players are now getting under their belts.

Southampton's caretaker manager, Stuart Gray has said that he had the chance to follow Glenn Hoddle to Tottenham but chose instead to stay as manager of the big club. He has heard nothing from Rupert "The Bear" Lowe, who will not tell him that he will no longer be manager of a big club after the end of this season. Micky Adams (Brighton), Davie Moyes (Preston North End) Lawrie Sanchez (Wycombe Wanderers), David Platt (Nottingham Forest) and Trevor Francis (Birmingham City) are all being linked as the next manager at a big club.

Following reports that Spurs were interested in Southampton's Jo Tessem, the big club are now keen to have talks with him to sign a long term contract. It seems that agents are now using Spurs to dupe Rupert "The Bear" Lowe into giving their clients a good deal. Look out for news that Spurs are interested in Francis Benali, Chris Marsden, Kevin Davies, Alan Ball, Mick Channon, Nick Holmes, Peter Rodrigues, Ted Bates, Phil Boyer, Ron Davies and Dennis Hollywood.

22.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Spurs lost 1-3 today against Liverpool at Anfield. Willem Korsten scored the Spurs goal. For a match report, click here. For reaction, click here.

Glenn Hoddle was convinced that the referee was swayed by the crowd into giving a dubious penalty for handball against Luke Young. He said that by appealing for three or four decisions before that, Mr. Knight had to award one of them eventually. Gerard Houllier disagreed.

£10 million rated centre half Dean Richards of Southampton is being touted as a summer buy by Glenn Hoddle.

Spurs are also being linked to a move for Southampton's Norwegian midfielder, Jo Tessem.

David Pleat was apparently in Belgium last week to watch Anderlecht's Canadian international forward Tomasz Radzinski. The 25 year old is rated at around £5 million.

It now appears that Swedish youngster Niklas Nordgren may not be joining Middlesbrough after all and could be on his way to Liverpool. So much for the lovely place that Middlesbrough is. Spurs and Lazio were also interested in the 16 year old.

Former Spurs striker Peter Crouch is likely to be sold by Queens Park Rangers for at least £1.5 million and there are a whole clutch of clubs interested in buying him, including West Ham United, Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Charlton Athletic. Spurs would be entitled to a share of the transfer fee under a sell-on clause in his contract when he left White Hart Lane.

Although it appears to be 21 days late, a story has today been reported that David Buchler is set to fly to Milan to discuss the purchase of Andrei Shevchenko from AC Milan. It is believed that Tottenham could offer Steffen Iversen as part exchange in the deal.

21.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Glenn Hoddle said he is working to a five year plan to get Spurs into the Champions League and if he does not achieve this aim, he feels that he will have failed in his work. He also added that he has a better squad at Tottenham to work with than the one he inherited at Stamford Bridge.

Rumours are circulating on the Planet Football site on the Internet that Spurs are ready to make a move for Manchester United's midfielder Nicky Butt and forward Teddy Sheringham. After the exit from the Champions League, an approach was allegedly made with an £8 million bid for Butt, which was dismissed with a rider to come back again at the end of the season. Sheringham is still considering the one year deal on the table from United, but may wish to return to the Hertfordshire area, where he still has a house. A two year contract with a coaching post at the end could tempt him to join Hoddle. A further Red Devils player is being linked and that is Phil Neville, who Hoddle chose regularly for England during his management of the national side and could cost £2 million.

Espnayol's Romanian star, Constantin Galca, has said that he will announce his decision on the club he will join in the summer on Monday.

20.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Glenn Hoddle has said that the results for the rest of this season cannot be held as important as the team he will field for the final four matches is nowhere near his first choice XI. He said that he would not be too harsh on the teams that play against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Manchester United, but it would give squad players the chance to get a game under their belt in the Premier League and he would be able to assess the depth of the squad.

Sergei Rebrov has joined the majority of the rest of the first team in the treatment room after aggravating a hamstring pull on Tuesday night against Chelsea. That only leaves Glenn Hoddle with a choice from Willem Korsten, Gary Doherty and Steven Ferguson to play up front. Korsten is only available, along with Stephen Carr, because Mick McCarthy has allowed them to stay with Spurs instead of joining the Republic of Ireland squad for their World Cup qualifier against Andorra.

19.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Glenn Hoddle has promised to try and achieve a balance between the traditional flair play that Tottenham were noted for in the past and also the hard side of the game, which they need to survive. He said that all the best sides across the world today are built on a solid defence and Brazil made the mistake of thinking they could win the World Cup the way they played in 1970, but for 20 years were unable to do so. Once they stiffened up the side, they managed the ultimate success. He said that the team must have the right shape and balance and he hoped that it would be recognised at Tottenham that this is the way forward.

David Buchler has said that Spurs are on of the biggest clubs in Europe and the new manager is highly regarded on the continent. He said that the gap between Tottenham and their London rivals will never exist while he is at the club and that the summer promises to be very busy as the team is rebuilt to play a more expansive passing game. He said the mediocrity of the last ten years will be wiped away in a new regime that will see Tottenham "return to their roots" in a style of play abetted by bringing in top drawer players and resigning Sol Campbell, Les Ferdinand and Darren Anderton. Some of his comments did indicate that there not be a great deal of money available as he said it didn't necessarily meant hat £20 million-£30 million would need to be spent to bring top players to the club.

Talks with Romanian Constanin Galca are rumoured to be at an advanced stage and an announcement on the player's future is expected next week.

Chairman Peter Ridsdale has denied that Leeds United are interested in signing Sol Campbell in the summer.

Ledley King is to have X-rays to determine if he has a broken cheekbone as a result of the clash of heads he had with Kevin Kilbane in the Sunderland match last Saturday. He is likely to be out for the rest of the season.

Glenn Hoddle might be ready to listen to offers for Tottenham keeper Ian Walker. Fulham seem to be favourites to sign the former England goalie and the money could help Hoddle boost the funds available to buy new players for Spurs in the summer.

Chris Perry will miss the rest of the season with a gashed knee.

Steffen Iversen and Oyvind Leonhardsen are both in the Norway squad for their friendly with Bulgaria on Wednesday 25th April.

Bayer Leverkusen are rumoured to have an interest in taking Steffen Freud back to Germany. Former national coach Berti Vogts is now the club's manager and is hopeful of bringing some new players to the side in the summer. Vogts believes Freund could be the man to help Leverkusen push for the Bundesliga title.

Peruvian forward Claudio Pizzaro of Werder Bremen is attracting attention from Spurs as he makes a name for himself in Germany. The 22 year old striker is second in the scoring charts on Germany and Internazionale have also been showing an interest in Pizzaro. Spurs are reported to have sent scouts to watch him and they have not been disappointed.

Swedish youngster Niklas Nordgren has chosen Middlesbrough ahead of Spurs. The 16 year-old's father said he had been impressed by the club and the town. He is obviously from somewhere in Sweden that is worse than Teeside !!

Spurs have announced a friendly with Luton Town as part of the deal that saw Gary Doherty move to Spurs. The game will kick off at 7.45 p.m. on Tuesday 7th August.

and finally, following Arsenal's exit from Europe Patrick Vieira said the team lack ambition and need more players to win the Championship, while Roy Keane has blasted Manchester United for being an average side after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last night !!

18.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Glenn Hoddle has slammed referee Graham Barber for not using "common sense" over the sending off of Willem Korsten. He said the tackle that earned him his second yellow card, just before half time, was mis-timed but not malicious and the ref should have warned him rather than whipping out another card.

Chris Perry picked up a cut to his knee in last night's match against Chelsea, which required 10 stitches in it. He hopes to be playing again in time for the Aston Villa match a week on Saturday.

Sergei Rebrov also had a sore hamstring after the match and Stephen Clemence had suffered with cramp before being substituted. Both could be available for Sunday' match against Liverpool, but things are so bad on the injury front that Glenn said eh might have to use Academy players who he has not seen in action yet !! He said that Les Ferdinand had an outside chance of being ready for the match, but joked he might have to get his boots on to play against the Reds !! Even though he has felt dizzy for a few days, Steffen Iversen could resume training on Friday.

Steffen Freund thinks that Spurs' chance of getting into the UEFA Cup has gone for this season after last night's defeat. He said that a lot of things have to fall into place for Spurs and that includes winning all the last four matches with a hugely depleted squad.

Glenn Hoddle is apparently interested in bringing Bayern Munich midfielder Stefan Effenburg to Tottenham in the summer. The ClubCall site says that Hoddle sees the 32 year old German as the man who would help Spurs dominate the midfield area. has said that a move to London would interest him and that he had always found Tottenham "fascinating".

Another name being linked with Spurs today is Teddy Sheringham, who is reported to be interesting Glenn Hoddle. However, a couple of weeks ago, Sheringham stated his interest in remaining at Manchester United should he be offered a two year deal.

Barcelona's Josep Guardiola has allegedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Parma. The deal is conditional on them achieving a place in the Champions League and also he can break the agreement should an English Premiership side come up with a financial deal better than the £1.42 million a year four year deal promised by the Italian club. The player was being linked with a move to Newcastle United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or Spurs.

Spurs reserves beat Ipswich Town reserves tonight with Steven Ferguson scoring both in a 2-0 win at Portman Road.

17.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Spurs failed to beat Chelsea 0-3 tonight. Willem Korsten was dismissed after 45 minutes for a second bookable offence. For a match report click here. For reaction, click here.

Stephen Carr has refuted that a rotation system at Tottenham next season would be good for the players. News that new signings will be made in the summer brought Carr to surmise that the players who wanted to play week in and week out might suffer by not playing on a regular basis.

Neil Sullivan has been called up for the Scotland squad ahead of their friendly in Poland on April 25th.

Under 19 wide midfielder Jonatan Partin has left the club to go back to Sweden.

David Pleat's programme notes revealed that Destin Makumbu is to leave to go to America and that Clayton Fortune will join Andrew Burke in joining Bristol City.

The Under 15 side who played in the Peterborough United youth tournament over Easter was pretty successful winning four games, drawing one and losing one.

Josep Guardiola has been rumoured to have said he fancies a move to Arsenal. Spurs, Chelsea and Newcastle United have been linked with the Barcelona captain over the last week.

Former Spurs reserve striker, Peter Crouch, has apparently been watched by Chelsea last weekend and they join Sunderland and Newcastle United in the hunt for the gangly forward.

Pascal Nouma, who was a target for Spurs under George Graham allegedly, has said that he hopes to move to French club Paris St. Germain where he started as a youngster.

and finally ... the Daily Record newspaper has revealed that Constantin Galca has said to Advocaat, the Glasgow Rangers manager, "You have ten days to sing me Dick." Oooooh Errrrrr Missus !! He also said he wanted to play for a club where the money was right and who could offer him European football at the top level. Looks like that rules us out then.

16.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Rumours are circulating that Rivaldo will be transferring to an "important" English club in the summer. An agent revealed that the Brazilian looks set to leave Barcelona and England is his destination, with talks to begin on Thursday. It is thought that the buy-out clause in his contract is around £30 million.

Ledley King may be unable to play against Chelsea tomorrow night after a clash of heads with Sunderland's Kevin Kilbane. This may mean a start for Anthony Gardner in the centre of defence alongside Chris Perry.

Glenn has continued to praise Willem Korsten after his best showing for the club on Saturday. The manager said that "there is a player in there waiting to come out" !!

Rupert Lowe of a big club in the Premier League is talking to al his mates to see if they will support him in his complaint to the Premier League about Glenn Hoddle's move to White Hart Lane. If he gets enough of his mates together he will tell on Tottenham and all his mates will shout "We ARE a big club" at the top of their voices until Spurs say sorry.

Steffen Freund has been told by Glenn Hoddle that he has a part to play in the Spurs future under the new manager. It was rumoured at the weekend that Freund could be one of the players Hoddle wanted to off-load in the summer, but the German has had talks with the manager and has been assured that he is still part of his plans.

Spurs have been quoted at 50/1 to win the Premier League in season 2001/2002.

Alec Stock former manager of Orient, AS Roma, Arsenal, Bournemouth, QPR, Luton Town and Fulham and Spurs amateur of the 1930's, died today

15.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Doubts about Sol Campbell's future have arisen today in the Sunday newspapers. It appears that Tottenham have not made Sol an offer of a new contract yet and the man himself said that he was going to take his time deciding what he would do next. Talks are said to be arranged with Hoddle and Buchler next week. However, conflicting reports say that at those meetings, the Spurs captain is set to tell the Spurs representatives that he intends to leave the club, but will stay in England, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool battling it out for his services.

Glenn Hoddle has praised the side for their character in yesterday's win against Sunderland, after being two down. He said that half time substitute Willem Korsten did well and also had encouraging words for Anthony Gardner who replaced Ledley King who went off after a clash of heads in the 20th minute.

Constantin Galca, the 29 year old Romanian central defender could be Glenn Hoddle's first signing for Spurs. Available on a free transfer at the end of the season, he could be signed up from Espanyol within two weeks as he is seen as the man to organise the midfield for Tottenham.

Another story said that Chelsea's Jody Morris is top of Hoddle's list of players to come to Tottenham in the summer. The young England midfielder has slipped out of the picture at Stamford Bridge since Claudio Ranieri has taken charge and would welcome a chance to resurrect his career. It is thought he would cost around £4 million, but Hoddle rates him so highly that he might ask Chelsea to name their price.

One very unlikely story is that Glenn Hoddle is watching the situation at Aston Villa with an eye on bringing Paul Merson to the Lane !! Shurely this is shome mishtake and was a story left over from George Graham's reign.

Another player linked with the club today is Gareth Southgate for a fee of around £5 million and this could have some credence if Sol is to leave.

Having flopped at Ibrox since his move to Glasgow Rangers from Chelsea, Tore Andre Flo could be the forward Spurs are looking to to pair up with Sergei Rebrov. Rangers could accept £10 million to offload him and Spurs could approach that figure to tempt him back to London.

Teenage Swedish striker Niklas Nordgren is attracting interest from Middlesbrough as Spurs move in to snap up the highly promising 16 year old. With speed being of the essence, Boro are having talks with the youngster and Spurs may yet make a move for him.

Apparently, Harry "Hangdog" Redknapp has been checking out 30 year old Oyvind Leonhardsen and would like to take him away from Spurs for £2 million in the summer.

The League Manager's Association have criticised Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds United chairman, for his comments about Glenn Hoddle's move to Tottenham. They said that he should not have made them unless he was aware of the contents of Hoddle's contract and that Rupert Lowe could have refused permission if he didn't want to let Glenn go. Sounds like someone from a big club won't be calling in the LMA to give evidence on his behalf then ??

14.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here): Spurs beat Sunderland 3-2 at the Stadium of Light this afternoon. They had been 0-2 down inside twelve minutes, but came back with goals from Stephen Clemence and two from Gary Doherty, playing as an emergency forward. Spurs moved up to ninth in the Premier League. For a match report click here. For reaction, click here.; Glenn Hoddle was not happy with the defending in today's win and said that Spurs gifted Sunderland them two goals with poor defending. He said that he had a bit of a go at the team at half time and had given them a change in tactics and character to go out and win in the second half.; Spurs might make a double transfer move at Anderlecht. Long term target Walter Bassegio, the midfielder, and lanky Czech front man, Jan Koller have been watched by Spurs scouts at yesterday's match against Standard Liege. Sunderland, Fulham and West Ham United are also believed to be in for the 6'7" striker.; Glenn Hoddle said the players have a lot to play for in the remaining games as they should be trying to impress him. He said that his style may be a little different to that played here for the last few years, but with big games in the run-in, the players should be up for it.; The TeamTalk website states that Glenn Hoddle is planning a clear-out of players in the summer, with Steffen Freund and Tim Sherwood top of the list. They reckon that Hoddle will let the young players have a run and will persist with those who have proved they are capable of doing well in the first team, as well as bring in new talent. Others who might be out of favour with the new manager are said to be Chris Armstrong, Mauricio Taricco and Willem Korsten as Hod tried to move on all the players brought to the club by George Graham.; Luke Young said that all the training with Glenn Hoddle so far has been based on control and use of the ball. He said that he hoped that the side would be encouraged to play a bit more football away from home rather than the direct method of play utilised recently.; The Under-19 side travelled to France to play in a tournament at St. Joseph where they were due to play Atletico Madrid, St. Etienne and FC Bruges.; and finally ... Manchester United won the Premiership title thanks to a win over Coventry City and Arsenal's 0-3 loss to Middlesbrough at Highbury. Fulham will be playing in the Premier League next season after beating Huddersfield Town this afternoon.
13.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here): Gary Doherty has said that all the Spurs players are out to impress the new manager for fear of getting dropped. He said that they are all giving their all on the training pitch and in matches to ensure the boss knows their worth to the side.; Hoddle himself said that he had watched the reserve game against Nottingham Forest very closely on Wednesday night and will take a couple of the young players into the squad and maybe give them their chance. He added that because of the injury situation, the team virtually picks itself, but that the players will have to show lots of character to do well up in Sunderland.; Tottenham's name has been linked with the Barcelona captain Josep Guardiola. They are only one of many clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Fulham. Lazio, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus - who would like to take the Spain star on when he leaves Barca in the summer.; Ramon Vega has hit out at Spurs again. The Swiss centre half who loves the club said that there was little ambition to do well and that he felt that the name of Tottenham Hotspur he knew on the continent did not match up with what he experienced at White Hart Lane.
12.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here): With the current forward injury crisis, it could be possible that young Steven Ferguson is thrown into the first team alongside Sergei Rebrov. The 19 year old Scotsman could take his place in the forward line, but Hoddle may choose to push Gary Doherty upfront and replace him with Anthony Gardner.; Sol Campbell's injury in the FA Cup semi-final is not as bad as first thought after seeing a specialist. Although there is damage in the ankle, it is not too bad and the Spurs captain could feature again before the end of the season. He will have two or three weeks of treatment and then a bit of recovery in training before returning to the team.; Steffen Freund could miss the rest of the season with an injury to his knee ligament. Following a scan, the German has been told he was out for four weeks, but he hoped to be fit as soon as possible.; Steve Perryman said he would be very happy if Glenn Hoddle asked him to join the coaching staff at Tottenham, but if not then his priority would be to return to Japan.; 47 fans died at Ellis Park in Johannesburg South Africa, when there was a rush towards the ground from outside. In scenes reminiscent of the Hillsborough tragedy, fans were receiving medical treatment on the surrounds of the pitch. No matter where you are or who you support, you should be able to go to a football match and come home in one piece afterwards. Our sympathies go out to all the bereaved families in this disaster.
11.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here): Sol Campbell may yet be fit according to a club spokesman. It was revealed that he needs a couple of weeks treatment and then some rest, but could appear for the team before the season's end against Manchester United on May 19.; Steffen Iversen has been released form hospital after sustaining concussion in a clash of heads with Andy Myers in last night's match against Bradford City. Although he was let home, Spurs will not risk him in the Sunderland match and will take the club doctor's advice before deciding whether he will play against Chelsea next Tuesday. It was the second time in three weeks that he had been knocked out as it happened when he was on international duty with Norway the week before last. Iversen has said he has a big headache and will probably spend most of Easter in bed.; Despite the less than full ground last night, Hoddle was still upbeat about his new role. He said it was a magic moment when he stepped onto the pitch just before kick off to take the crowd's applause as manager.; Spurs reserves drew with Nottingham Forest reserves tonight 1-1. Steven Ferguson gave Spurs the lead on fifteen minutes, but Spurs were pegged back in the second half. The injury curse struck again with McEwen and Etherington both getting knocks.; Stephen Carr and Gary Doherty are both in the Republic of Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifying match against Andorra on April 25th in Dublin.; Rumour mongers are linking Spurs with a move for Blackburn Rovers' out of favour midfielder Jason McAteer. The ex-Liverpool man is being touted as a possible signing as Glenn Hoddle was rumoured to want to take him to the Dell, but his place would be taken at White Hart Lane by Stephen Carr, who has played with him in the Republic of Ireland side.; Barcelona's Pep Guardiola seemingly ruled out a move to Tottenham when he said that he would lie to play in Italy, France, Germany or England and "I'd like to play in another club at a high level that can compete for titles."; Hassan Kachloul may now seek contract talks with Southampton as it has been hinted that he was never a favourite of Glenn Hoddle's and a possible move to Spurs that was on the cards when George Graham was in charge, now seems unlikely.; UEFA have been taking a close look at the hands-on approach that Daniel Levy has been taking at Tottenham. They were happy to leave ENIC to it, while they were only part of an operation at a number of clubs across Europe, but the organising body are thought to be ready to jump in should any major day-to-day decisions look as though they come from ENIC rather than the Tottenham board.; UEFA also announced that clubs must be better financially managed if they want to take part in games run by the organisation from the 2003-2004 season. It could rule clubs like Real Madrid, who run up a massive debt, out of the Champions League, for example. Clubs not meeting the criteria set down will not receive a licence to play in UEFA tournaments.; and finally, Australia beat American Samoa (the lowest ranked international team in the world) by 31-0 (or it might have been 32-0, they really did lose count !!). Aussie Striker Archie Thompson scored a world record 14 goals. The American Samoa team were decimated when most of their players were ruled out because they didn't hold American passports and only got their boots the day before the qualifiers began. They ended up fielding a side with an average age of 19, brought down, no doubt, by a 15 year old, who was in the team.
10.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here): Spurs beat Bradford City tonight 2-1 at White Hart Lane. The goals came from Steffen Iversen in the first half and Simon Davies in the second. For a match report, click here. For reaction, click here.; Glenn Hoddle had announced that his move to Spurs was all above board in the light of Rupert's bear faced cheek in saying he will report Spurs to the Premier League. Probably for not being a big club.; Hoddle praised Simon Davies for his performance and said he was a Tottenham style player who liked to pass the ball and to get forward. He said that he could be the £10 million player who Spurs have been looking for if he matures and develops well. Hoddle also had words of encouragement for Iversen, Carrand Rebrov.
The new Spurs manager described Sol Campbell as a colossus who is yet to reach his peak. He said that he would be involved in discussions with Sol about a new contract at the club and that he was comfortable with him, as they knew each other from the England set-up when Hoddle was in charge. It was rumoured today that Barcelona are waiting to talk to Campbell about a possible deal, with a possible operation hanging over Sol's ankle should the specialist rule it necessary.; Spurs have been linked with a £5 million move for Coventry City's Moroccan international midfielder, Mustapha Hadji. Spurs would have to wait until the end of the season for a move and Coventry's survival in the Premiership might affect any move taking place.; Fulham are interested in buying Spurs goalkeeper Ian Walker for £5 million. Swedish super kid, Kim Kallstrom has revealed he might join one of his team-mates and move to Ajax, thus disappointing Spurs, Udinese and PSV Eindhoven, who were all chasing the talented 18 year old.

9.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here): Sol Campbell said that Spurs must aspire to the level that Arsenal have reached. He said he is quite positive about things as he has never wanted to leave and has more meetings with the club lined up. His injury to his right ankle will rule him out for a couple of weeks, but could see his involvement in this season's campaign over.; Liverpool are keen to sign Sol Campbell from Tottenham, but will face a tough challenge for his signature from mad-as-a-hatter Harry "Hangdog" Redknapp. The West Ham United manager has said that the club need to make a couple of top signings in the summer and Campbell would fit the bill. Unfortunately, for Harry, despite contacting Sol's representatives, they have not got back to him. Oh, that and the fact that there are some of the world's top clubs interested in acquiring the Spurs captain. So, Upton Park it is then !! The other top name Harry is trying to tempt to join the Irons is ... Gilles Grimandi. How can Sol possibly turn him down ??; Steffen Freund will join Sol Campbell in missing tomorrow's Premier League match against Bradford City at White Hart Lane. Also doubtful are Ledley King who injured an ankle and Les Ferdinand who has a dodgy hamstring. He may not risk Stephen Carr and Tim Sherwood in their second game in three days after having little match practice recently as well as Rebrov and Leonhardsen having had reactions to their injuries after the match. Hopefully, that might give the youngsters in the squad a chance of a run-out. Etherington, Davies and Korsten are expected to play some part in proceedings as well as Gardner.; Dean Richards has expanded on his comments of yesterday by saying Glenn Hoddle gave Southampton a real "kick in the goolies".; Rupert Lowe, a chairman of a big club on the South coast (hmm, that's a hard one to sort out), is set to make a formal complaint to the Premier League about Tottenham's approach to get Glenn Hoddle to be their new manager. He said he has pout together a nice folder with a list of events (what he has had typed up on a computer) and will present this to the League to prove that Tottenham acted in a devious and underhand manner in getting the services of their manager. He will have to ask his board whether he should do this first, but feels that Tottenham have sullied the name of his big club by breaking the code of conduct in these matters and he has a timetable of event to prove it. You can't get much dossier than that !!
Rupert will not be able to bear it if Spurs take sports psychologist John Syer to Tottenham after apparently snitching Glenn Hoddle from under his nose. Hoddle has talked about using a "shrink" (© Tabloid newspapers) to help the team focus and Syer has said that he would like to finish the job he has started at Southampton. Having worked with Glenn before and also at Tottenham back in the 1980's, he said he would like to return, but obviously the lure of a big club on the South coast (no clues given though) will keep him from the club's main gates for a little while yet.; Spurs Under-16's are to take part in a youth tournament with Swedish clubs AIK Stockholm and Malmo FF, Lyngby and Randers-Freja from Denmark and Norwich, Peterborough and Northampton. The games will take place at Caistor's Woodlands Sports centre and Peterborough United's ground - London Road on Good Friday.; Ramon Vega is so confused. Having said he would jump at the chance to return to Tottenham, he now realises that is not on, so wants to stay with Celtic as there is no doubt in his mind (for the moment) that they are the bigger club. His star status in Scotland appears to define the fact that football at Celtic is not comparable to that in England.; Wooh-hoo !! Tim Sherwood has been linked with a move to Charlton Athletic in the summer. Us fans who know nothing about football are unaware that Sherwood is a footballing genius and that is obviously something that Alan Curbishley has seen in the 32 year old midfielder's play. Hospitals in South London are on standby to admit team-mates sold short by his passes.; Former Spurs central defender Neil Ruddock has been paid off and had his contract terminated by Crystal Palace. He was available on a free transfer, but refused to move clubs, so the Eagles took the decision to remove him from the payroll.

8.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Arsenal beat Spurs 2-1 in today's FA Cup Semi Final at Old Trafford. Doherty got an early goal for Spurs (14 mins), before Vieira equalised (33 mins). In the second half Pires got the winner in the 74th minute. Glenn Hoddle said that "Things went against us today" and that he was "bitterly disappointed". For a match report, click here. For reaction, click here.

Glenn said that Tottenham didn't do enough on the ball today - mentally or physically - and that their passing was not up to his expectations. With Les being substituted with a hamstring injury just after half-time, he had wanted to make another change, but that was not possible. Sol's injury also had a major bearing on the game, he felt, but admitted that we didn't play well enough to win.

Stuart Gray has slammed Glenn Hoddle for giving the players a week off before he left the club and blames him for Southampton's two defeats in a week, but he wasn't making excuses (much).

Liverpool are interested in signing Darren Anderton on a Bosman transfer, although David Pleat has indicated that there has been no direct contact from the club and that he will be returning from America where he has had his injury looked at by a specialist and the indications are that he may be fit to play again soon.

Dean Richards has said that a lot of the Southampton players have felt let down by Glenn Hoddle leaving and that it has affected the team more than people might think.

Apparently, Dan Petrescu will snub Glen Hoddle should he try to lure him to White Hart Lane, because the ex-Chelsea player has a blue heart and was scared of what the Chelsea fans might think !!

7.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Tottenham Hotspur beat Bradford City today ............. according to the Pools Panel !!

Sol Campbell said today that he would stay if Tottenham won the FA Cup. He also added that thee were still some meetings to be held with ENIC, but that appointing Glenn Hoddle was a positive step.

Arsene Wenger fears that Sergei Rebrov could come back to haunt him and his Arsenal team. He said that he has come on well after a slow start and the Arsenal manager remembers a last minute equaliser Rebrov scored for Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League.

Glenn Hoddle said he would share the glory if Spurs got through to the FA Cup final with George Graham, the players and the staff who have got the team to this stage. He said that it is important for Tottenham to get into Europe and although he has planned for a Champions League place in five years time, the opportunity to get a place in the UEFA Cup now would be an advance on that and allow him to take Spurs into a new era with wonderful Glory, Glory nights.

Hod said that Spurs have worked on stifling Arsenal, but also about imposing Tottenham's own play on their North London rivals. He said that the players must have belief in themselves and turn nervousness into excitement to achieve their goals.

Hoddle believes he is a better coach now than when he was with England, because he said things happen on and off the pitch and that you learn something from every experience.

The new manager has identified five areas that need to be addressed in the club's treatment of injuries which will help him take things forward from the team left by George Graham. He refused to reveal them all, but one was to get a chiropractor in three days a week to deal with player's back's which he felt was the source of a lot of injuries these days, because of postural defects.

Gary Mabbutt has endorsed Glenn Hoddle's appointment with a belief that he can bring back the good times to White Hart Lane. He said that Hod understands the "Tottenham brand" and style having been there for the major part of his career. He backed Glenn to bring in players with a touch of brilliance to enhance the team who are "predictable" at the moment and that he would be aware that the defensive foundation laid by GG would have to be built on. Mabbs said that Hoddle's first priority would be to secure the services of Sol Campbell and Darren Anderton as they were important to the future of the team.

Leeds United's charming chairman - Peter Ridsdale - has launched into Glenn Hoddle after his appointment as Spurs manager. He said "Without wishing to appear naive, I feel that any manager who believes contracts are only to be honoured by one party isn't worth employing in the first place. Managers can be very quick to ask to be 'paid up' if a club dismisses them, but are quick to ignore their side of the contract if a 'better offer' comes up." No doubt concerned about rumours that Wenger might depart from Highbury, leaving his manager as number one target for the Arsenal board.

According to one newspaper this morning Glenn Hoddle has said he might try and bring David Ginola back to the club.

Tottenham are being rumoured to challenge Leeds United and Liverpool for West Ham United's midfielder Frank Lampard Junior. The Yorkshire club are planning a £10 million bid for the England midfielder.

Another rumoured transfer target will not be coming to Spurs as the 32 year old Austrian midfielder Andreas Herzog will be signing for Rapid Vienna.

Arsene Wenger said today that he hoped referee Graham Poll would give Patrick Vieira the protection he needed to play his game in the FA Cup semi-final tomorrow. He feels that by playing Tim Sherwood, Spurs may be out to frustrate and wind-up Vieira and that he should be given special attention by the referee to prevent this happening.

Rumours in the Daily Mirror today has floated the idea that Wembley might have to be sold to a Premiership side to salvage the ground and the twin towers. £30 million would need to be spent on the ground and a final capacity of around 60,000 would be possible. The plan is being considered as it is not thought that private funding can be obtained to see the original scheme through.

6.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Stephen Carr is hoping that Sol Campbell will be fit for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, as he is the key to Spurs' success. Carr said Campbell is young, consistent and one of the best defenders in the world, whose ball playing has improved over the last year. The Spurs right back also stressed the importance of re-signing Campbell, Ferdinand and Anderton as they will be part of the future of the club.

Glenn Hoddle has said he intends to use a sports psychologist at Tottenham, as he did at Southampton. This is not a new concept at Spurs as a similar scheme was in place when Hoddle was a player at White Hart Lane.

Spurs' former Portuguese winger Jose Dominguez played as a second half substitute in Kaiserslautern's 5-1 UEFA Cup semi-final thrashing by Alaves of Spain.

Ramon Vega has said he would not be able to resist the call should Glenn Hoddle want him back at Tottenham. Although there is the chance that he could be playing in the Champions League, he said that he loved White Hart Lane from his first day there and would not be able to say no if Tottenham wanted him to return. Not much chance of that happening I would suggest.

David Pleat believes it is to Tottenham's advantage that the FA Cup semi-final is being played at Old Trafford. He thinks that at home Arsenal are almost invincible, but away they are more vulnerable. He has obviously forgotten about our own less-than-perfect away form !!

Steffen Iversen has said that this FA Cup semi-final is Tottenham's best shot at getting into Europe and that the team are good enough to be there and the club should be playing European football.

Tickets for the England game against Holland at White Hart Lane on August 15th go on sale on Sunday at 9.a.m. on a first come, first served basis - with two tickets allowed per person. Prices are £38, £28, and £18 with Under-16's allowed in for £9 in the family enclosure. This is just marvellous for all those Spurs fans who want to go, but will be halfway to Manchester by then !! There has really been a lot of thought gone into the sale of these tickets hasn't there ?? However, help is at hand as you can phone the 24 hour phone line on 0870 902 0005, but then you will have to pay booking and handling fees on top of the ticket price.

and finally ... from the excellent Football 365 site ...
"365 Opinion by Pete Gill
I WASN'T able to buy a ticket for Arsenal's match with Valencia on Wednesday night, but even if I had I wouldn't admit it. While I am proud to support a football team that is both full of quality and pride in their performance, I am embarrassed that I have anything to do with those who turn out at Highbury week-in, week-out supposedly to cheer on the side.
Last night only confirmed the suspicion formed during some of my more recent trips to Highbury: Arsenal have the worst fans in the land. Why? Because the support they give the players is nothing short of pathetic.
Highbury is often referred to by rival fans as 'the library', a cuttingly accurate description of the non-racket I hear my fellow Gooners make most match-days."

and even more finally ... from the Guardian Unlimited's "The Fiver" ... Arsenal have failed in their High Court bid to stop a market trader from cashing in on the club name by selling unauthorised merchandise. Matthew Reed argued that the Arsenal logos were "badges of allegiance" and not an infringement of trademarks. After the ruling, one of Arsenal's legal team quipped that the judge "is obviously a Tottenham man". The case will now go to the European court of justice.

5.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Glenn Hoddle may be ready to gamble on the fitness of Sol Campbell, Oyvind Leonhardsen, Tim Sherwood and Stephen Carr in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Those with long memories will recall the half fit Darren Anderton who played against Everton in 1995 and the effect it had on the Spurs team of that day.

Stephen Carr has said that FA Cup semi final defeat is unthinkable. He is hoping that Spurs want it more than Arsenal, who could be concentrating on the Champions League. He said that the match will be bigger than even the semi-final of 1999 against Newcastle United.

Andreas Herzog of Werder Bremen has said that he wants to leave Germany and sees England as a possible destination. The 32 year old Austrian midfielder said that he fancies a spell in England as he seeks to move abroad, although Hamburg and Kaiserslautern are interested.

Teddy Sheringham has announced that he could be ready to accept a one year deal at Manchester United, which will disappoint Spurs who hoped to bring him back to White Hart Lane.

Glenn Hoddle has said he wanted one big happy family at Spurs and that is why he appointed Chris Hughton as first team coach. Hoddle said that at a big club you need two coaches, he knew Hughton was a good coach and wanted to be surrounded by people he could trust. Does this mean the end for David Pleat then ??

The official site confirmed that Theo Foley was taking charge of the reserves in the interim, before a long term replacement for Chris Hughton could be found.

Ledley King confirmed that he should be recovered from his dead leg picked up in the England Under-21 game against Finland last week and be ready to lay in the FA Cup semi-final.

Spurs target Olaf Mellberg of Racing Santander has been looked at by Chelsea. The 23 year old Swedish central defender is also attracting interest from Roma and Barcelona, as well as Arsenal.

4.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Stephen Carr has declared himself fit for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. He has been missing since the end of December and has only played 30 minutes of the away win at Manchester City in his battle to overcome his thigh injury. He said that the game was within the timescale for his recovery and he was available should the manager need him.

Sergei Rebrov is almost certain to be fit for the match after overcoming a hamstring pull playing for Ukraine against Belarus and then aggravating it against Wales last week.

There has been some dispute over any additional fees due to Luton Town in the transfer of Gary Doherty after his appearances for the Republic of Ireland in the World Cup qualifying matches last week. Spurs are not ready to hand over any more cash as the clause in his transfer deal said that he had to start a World Cup qualifier and in these two matches he only came on as a substitute.

Hoddle has praised the number of youngsters at the club at the moment and said that he will observe them in training to see if they have the temperament to match their skills. He added that Simon Davies had a very good first half at Highbury and could have had a goal, had Les Ferdinand played him in with a return ball.

Glenn has also said that he might change player's positions in the shape of the team or change the system to suit the players better. He feels that he can get the best of players more than George Graham might have saying every manager has their own ideas and that he wanted the club to go in a particular direction, which he had cleared with the board already.

John Gorman has revealed that on their first trip to the training ground, he and Glenn Hoddle nearly ended up in Cheshunt !! However, Chris Hughton made sure that they made their way to the Spurs Lodge facility in Chigwell, rather than the site of the old training ground, which is now a housing estate.

Some financial wizard is trying to make a name for himself by saying that Spurs will always be a mediocre side and will never be classed as a big club again. Probably some Gooner who is trying to wind the club up before the semi-final no doubt. Oh, and if it means Spurs will never be a big club again, where does that leave Southampton ??

Next seasons Worthington Cup has been confirmed as having a UEFA Cup place for the winners and also that the first two rounds of the competition will be played on a one off basis rather than over two legs.

3.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

New Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle has said that Rupert Lowe's recent association with football has made him unaware oft he way things work. Hoddle said that Lowe was naive in the ways of top flight footie and did not realise the speed with which some players or managers move on. Lowe responded that ENIC were more naive than he was as he had been in football for five years. Oh, and Southampton are a big club don't forget.

Hoddle went on to add that he left Southampton in a healthy state challenging for a place in Europe, which Rupert Lowe would consider makes them a big club. He said Tottenham were the only club that he would have left for as it feels like coming home. He said that some decisions in football were difficult, which players and fans understood, but some people didn't. Wonder who he meant by that ?? Lowe meanwhile wants a crackdown on poaching of managers. He said Southampton would only approach a manager during the close season and feels that should be the case for all clubs. He said he had told teacher ... sorry, the FA about this and they would be looking into it.

Lowe retaliated with a "hands off" warning for Tottenham regarding Southampton's top players. He said that you didn't build a brand new stadium and not have any players to play in it and that matches were not won by selling your best players. He really has got this football thing off pat now hasn't he ?? Rumours are linking Hoddle with James Beattie, Dean Richards and Wayne Bridge, but "Basher" Lowe insisted that all his players were on long contracts.

The London Evening Standard has hinted that the delay in the confirmation of Glenn Hoddle and John Gorman's appointment as Spurs manager hinged on Tottenham signing an undertaking that they would not employ any other backroom staff from the Dell. Hoddle suggested that the delay came about with Southampton's preparation for their 0-3 defeat by Ipswich Town last night. Boy that must have taken a lot of preparation.

Hoddle continued to explain about his contract at the Dell adding that there was no get-out clause, only one for compensation to be paid to Southampton in the event that he left. Hod said that he expected Rupert Lowe to tell Tottenham t come back at the end of the season, but by giving permission to talk to Spurs, there was only one decision he could make. Rupert hit back by saying he knows the truth and intimated that it was down to Hoddle and his agent Dennis Roach that the escape clause had been entered into the contract.

One report suggests that Les Ferdinand and Darren Anderton will have to wait until next week to begin their contract talks.

Sol Campbell is rated only as 50-50 to be fit to play in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Southampton fans are turning the South Coast into a stench pit for the day on Sunday, when they will support Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final against Spurs. Well, it's the nearest they will get to a big game for some time to come !!

More bad news for Spurs ahead of their game against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday is that Gilles Grimandi will miss the match because of suspension.

Ex-Spurs manager, Peter Shreeves, has picked up the First Division Nationwide Manager of the Month award for March. His record of four wins and a draw with Sheffield Wednesday since the sacking of Paul Jewell has secured the trophy as he seeks to be a permanent appointment at Hillsborough

2.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

At ten o'clock this morning, Tottenham Hotspur announced to the Stock Exchange that Glenn Hoddle has been appointed as Spurs manager from 2nd April subject to the completion of formalities with Southampton. And this evening at around 5.00 p.m., Southampton confirmed that the registrations had been released and that Hoddle and Gorman were now free to start their Tottenham management careers. A fee of around £800,000 for Hoddle and £200,000 for Gorman is believed to have been paid. David Buchler said the delay had been on Southampton's part because everything had been agreed, but then Rupert Lowe was away at the weekend and was unable to sign the relevant papers. What a way for a big club to act, eh ??

Hoddle said that there would be no problem caused by missing a day in charge of training for the FA Cup semi-final. He said that these things happen in football and many of the players were still stiff from playing on Saturday. He said So would be touch and go for the match and everything else that was said between them would remain private !! Oooooohhh !!

Darren Anderton is set on staying at White Hart Lane. He said he was pleased that Hoddle had joined as manager and that he had been good to him for England and he hoped that would continue. Anderton said he has to concentrate on getting fit, but he wanted to tie up a new deal as he liked it at Tottenham and wants to stay.

Les Ferdinand is in the same boat, but has said that talks are underway and he is close to signing a new deal with Tottenham. He still wants to talk to Glenn Hoddle before committing himself as the change of manager might cast some doubt about his future at Spurs.

Spurs are rumoured to be ready to go for Everton's England Under-21 striker Francis Jeffers in the summer as manager Walter Smith is resigned to losing him. The youngster would not sign a new deal with the Merseysiders and was booed by his own fans when he came on in Saturday's match against West Ham United. Whether or not he is Glenn Hoddle's cup of tea, we will have to see.

Sergei Rebrov has been blasted for his performance in the Ukraine match in Wales last week. Some reports have said that he was not giving his all for the cause.

Spurs reserves beat Leicester City reserves 2-1 at Filbert Street tonight. Dave McEwen scored both goals. It appears that Theo Foley has taken the reins of the reserve team following Chris Hughton's promotion to first team coach.

Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp is running out of time to shake off an Achilles injury to be fit to play against Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday. His chances are said to be slim.

and finally, a piece from the Guardian Unlimited's "The Fiver" ... Croatia forward Davor Suker has told reporters he has no intention of playing for West Ham again. "If I play one more match, my contract would be automatically renewed - and I don't want that," he said.

1.4.2001 (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

Sol Campbell has been hitting the headlines today. The News of the World claims that he was the man who told ENIC to get Glenn Hoddle as manager and then has been quoted as saying he has not signed a new deal and will not do so unless some big signings are made in the summer. This will rely on ENIC making money available for the transfers, but Executive Vice Chairman David Buchler has said that the amount to spend remains the same as when George Graham was in charge. He also added that anyone who disparages the club will be dealt with in the same way as GG.
Other reports claim that Sol will demand a get-out clause in his contract should things go pear shaped at Tottenham and the money not made available to make Tottenham great again. He said in an interview that he is fed up with coming second with both his club and with England.
   The same newspaper also hints that Gareth Southgate might relish a return to London with Spurs and Hoddle, having worked with him in the England set-up, could be interested at around £5 million.
  Players have been saying how they looked forward to Glenn Hoddle taking over as manager at Tottenham. Gary Doherty has changed his tune and said that he looked forward to the game next week and expected a different performance once Hoddle was in charge. Les Ferdinand has said that he is also keen to get going with Hoddle after having played under him with England. He said that Glenn has Tottenham in his blood and will be aiming to get Spurs as the top London club again.
  John Gorman revealed today that he hopes that everything goes through tomorrow to allow him and Glenn Hoddle to get on with the job of getting Spurs consistent success. He said that although there is a chance of success from the first game, they are looking at a period five years ahead and that they would like to do it playing good football, but they need to tighten up sometimes as well.
Arsene Wenger said that Spurs would find a miracle doctor in the week to ensure that some of their injured players will be fit for next Sunday's FA Cup semi-final.
The Teddy Sheringham for Spurs rumour was repeated in the papers today along with the fact that he is still to sign a new deal at Manchester United.
The 20 year old Tom Soetaers could be a target for Spurs and Ipswich Town. The Belgian Under-21 left sided midfielder could cost as much as £3 million.
Former Spur Peter Crouch is being touted as a replacement for Niall Quinn at Sunderland and could fetch as much as £2.5 million should Queens Park Rangers cash in on him if they are relegated to the Second Division. Spurs have a sell-on clause in the deal that took him to Loftus Road, so could earn from any prospective sale.
David Pleat joined the praise for the Spurs fans at yesterday's game who kept silent during the minute's tribute to the Arsenal midfielder David Rocastle, who passed away that day. He said the ref had threatened to cut it short should yobs have jeered during the silence, but was proud that they respected the memory of the young man.
  David O'Deary has slammed the get out clause in Glenn Hoddle's contract. He feels that all contracts should be binding and clubs should pay up contracts as soon as they dismiss their boss. There's something there for Mr. Ridsdale to think on. It's all because he hadn't thought about it for when the Arsenal job becomes vacant I bet.