White Hot Lines

31.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  The big story today is that Glenn Hoddle has been handed £25 million by ENIC to spend on players to replace Sol Campbell (and hopefully others too).  The money looks like going on Christophe Dugarry, Christian Ziege, Emmanuel Petit, French Player of the Year Eric Carriere (no relation to the famous chef Philip), Dwight Yorke and Quinton Fortune.  The report in the London Evening Standard did say that Spurs might baulk at the £8 million being asked for Gareth Southgate though.  Fortune would fetch around £3 million for Manchester United, who have invited offers for the South African midfielder.

  Spurs have been notified that Claudio Cannigia of Dundee might be ready to spurn the chance to move to Ibrox and could join an English club.  Middlesbrough have also been notified of his availability, but a lot of interest is being generated in the 34 year old Argentinian striker.

  Spurs have reportedly bid £2.5 million for Chelsea's Gustavo Poyet - the first club to make an offer according to the Sun newspaper.

  Contrary to recent stories, Sergei Rebrov has said he is looking forward to striking up a forward partnership with Teddy Sheringham.  He said on the club's official site that he was looking forward to playing alongside such a technical player and that he is sure that this coming season will be better for him and for Spurs too.

  Stefan Effenberg has announced that he has planned to leave Bayern Munich after one more season and then come to England to play his football.  Spurs are a club he has found "fascinating" and there must be hopes that he would join Tottenham when he comes to England as he has expressed a desire to play in London.

  Scandinavian newspapers have reported that Oyvind Leonhardsen ahs been training with a local side in Norway since the season ended and he has revealed that he would like to join the club - Stabaek - when he leaves Spurs in 2003.

  Claudio Pizzaro is expected to leave Werder Bremen shortly after invoking a contract clause that would allow him to exit the German club.  His new employers are expected to be named within a short while and Spurs were one of the clubs interested in the Peruvian striker, although the hot money is on him going to Bayern Munich.

  Simon Davies is hoping that his good end of season form will help him gain a starting place in the Wales side to face Poland on Saturday at Cardiff's Millennium stadium.  He added in another report that Glenn Hoddle had given him a great deal of belief in himself after being told to go out and express himself in the Tottenham midfield.

  In the same group, Sergei Rebrov hopes to overcome his hamstring injury to lead the Ukraine against Norway in their World Cup qualifier.

  Former Spurs players Lee Hodges and Darren Caskey have been put on the transfer list by Reading as they have a clear out following their Play-off final defeat by Walsall.  Additionally, former Spurs defender John Polston has retired after a number of injuries sustained while at the Berkshire club.

  Reports are linking Scotland's favourite centre half - Ramon Vega - with a move to Watford as he snubs Celtic !!  Oh, yeah.  He loves the passion and the thought of winning things at Watford.

  Ex-Spurs midfielder Darren Caskey has been linked with a move to Cardiff City after being transfer listed by Reading.

  Queens Park Rangers have put a £2.5 million price tag on Peter Crouch's head (using a step-ladder no doubt) after Portsmouth tried to steal him away for £1.5 million. 

  Big club Southampton chairman, Rupert "the Bear" Lowe, has dropped his proposed action with the Premier League against Tottenham for tempting his club's manager away to a team that cannot trample all over the South Coast club.  He said that life moves on and he is thinking about stealing the Preston North End manager anyway.

  ... and finally ... "Scottish soccer club Morton, relegated to the second division last season, are on the verge of closure after sacking their entire playing staff.  Manager Ally Maxwell, and the 10 players he had left, were told by the financially-stricken club's administrators, Kroll Buchler Phillips, that they were being made redundant."   (from Daily Soccer)  Does that mean that lots of Morton players will be beating a path to White hart Lane thanks to our Executive Vice Chairman's company ??

30.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs have hit back at claims that they have been hypocritical in revealing details of the contract discussions with Sol Campbell, while sacking George Graham for talking to the Press about the lack of funds available for transfers.  They have revealed that there was no contract that said they could not disclose facts about the talks with Campbell and his agent, while GG's deal stipulated that he should only speak to the media about footballing matters. 

  According to the ClubCall site, Glenn Hoddle is concerned about the commitment of Sergei Rebrov to the club and fears he may be seeking to move to Italy.  To cover this situation, he is ready to enter the bidding for Everton's Francis Jeffers.  Arsenal are rumoured to be ready to go to £10 million for the striker.  The Daily Express has a story saying that Spurs might offer Oyvind Leonhardsen and Ben Thatcher as part exchange (plus cash) for the England Under-21 star and Hoddle may have given the Toffees a "name your price" offer.

  Further Everton links abound, as Spurs are rumoured to be looking at a bid to tempt Michael Ball away from Goodison should their attempt to buy Christian Ziege (who is also interesting Fulham) from Liverpool falters.  The Merseyside club are ready to sell him as he will not sign a contract extension and is demanding £35,000 a week.

  Darren Anderton's mad comments yesterday have severely upset the Tottenham hierarchy and Chelsea may relieve Spurs of "Sicknote" while paying him £60,000 a week.  That's a lot of money for couch sitting !!  Middlesbrough and Aston Villa could also offer the 29 year old midfielder a comfortable retirement home.

  Portsmouth are looking at former Spurs striker Peter Crouch and could bid £1.5 million to purchase him from Queens Park Rangers.  Spurs are on a cut of the fee as part of the deal that saw him leave White Hart Lane.

29.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  With the deadline for season ticket renewals approaching fast, David Buchler has whipped the Spurs fans up into a high fever, by saying that Spurs have put in bids for six or seven players in the UK and in Europe.  He said that the players that Tottenham signed would be looking for glory on the pitch and not in their bank balance.

  One of those could be Christian Ziege who has been told he is free to leave Liverpool.  

  Gareth Southgate is believed to top Spurs' wanted list and promoted Fulham are also keen on bringing the England man back to London, but not if you read the London Evening Standard.

  TeamTalk reckon that Spurs could be ready to make a £5 million move for Bayern Munich's Stefan Effenberg after the international midfielder refused to sign an extension to his contract.  Spurs will expect competition from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

  One who might not be coming is the ex-Arsenal midfielder, Emmanuel Petit, with Chelsea the favourites for the signing of the Barcelona player.

  Another who Spurs have been linked with Cosmin Contra, the Romanian Alaves defender, looks likely to join AC Milan.

  Spurs may be set to steal a 21 year old Internazionale defender to fill the gap in the centre of the defence.  Matteo Ferrari is in his fifth year at the Italian club and could be the subject of interest from Spurs, as an undisclosed Premier League club  - alternatively rumoured to be Chelsea - have enquired about the player along with Glasgow Rangers.

  According to the Ananova news site, Angry Anderton (who I thought was a naff Australian pop star) is furious that Spurs have let Sol Campbell walk away from the club and that they did not do enough to keep him there.  He really hasn't got the hang of this Bosman business has he ??  If Spurs had paid Sol what he wanted, then there would be no money left to pay players like Anderton their grossly inflated salaries.  The injury prone midfielder is now re-considering his future with Spurs as he is yet to sign a new contract with the club.  However, he said he still wants to stay and hopes to make an announcement soon on his future.

  Tottenham have told Dave McEwen that he is being put on the transfer list as he does not have a future at Tottenham. David Pleat said that a move to a club lower down the League would benefit him and he was sure McEwen would do well in the professional game.

  Former Spurs defender Dean Austin has been awarded a pay rise for helping keep Crystal Palace in the First Division.

  George Graham is rubbing his hands together now that Spurs have released news of Sol Campbell's contract talks, as he will cite this in court as equivalent to what he was allegedly said to have been sacked for.

  Sol Campbell was allegedly asking for a £7 million signing on fee as well as £130,000 a week according to Football 365.  The former Spurs captain has been reported as having lengthy talks with officials from Internazionale of Milan, where he might link up with former Everton reject Marco Materazzi.  Anyone bothered ??

28.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Real Madrid are ready to offer Sol Campbell the £20 million contract over five years to make him their top target this summer.  Meanwhile Sol Campbell's agent has said that his client did not ask for the high wages the club are claiming.

  In the wake of Campbell's astonishing demands, UEFA are to take a look at salary caps.  The huge amounts of money are "obscene" according to David Buchler and the ruling body of European football seem to agree.  They are looking at a cap on the wages of the whole squad and may link this to a percentage of the money coming into the club.

  Meanwhile, in an attempt to replace Sol in the Spurs team and as captain, a bid of £5 million is being prepared to take Gareth Southgate to White hart Lane from Aston Villa.  According to his agent, six clubs have contacted him about the England defender in the last six days, although only four of the offers are being considered.  Southgate will not decide his future until after England's World Cup qualifier against Greece on Wednesday 6th June.  Apparently, West ham and Liverpool are also in for the 30 year old.

  Steffen Freund has joined Stephen Carr in supporting Campbell's right to move on.  He said that after being the best player at the club for 3 or 4 years, his move to a club who are in Europe is understandable as Spurs are not yet ready to reach that stage.

  Everton are believed to be ready to cash in on forward Francis Jeffers, after seeing Sol Campbell walk away from Spurs.  His contract expires next summer, but the Toffees are to put him up for sale at £10 million now.  Spurs have been linked with the England Under-21 international in the past

  Bolton Wanderers will be playing their football in the Premier League next season.  The Lancashire side beat Preston North End in the first Division play-off final at the Millennium stadium.

27.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Sol Campbell will leave Spurs after turning down the richest deal in Premiership history - £80,000 a week.  The Spurs board and management are resigned to him walking away on a free transfer after he demanded £130,000 a week over three years, which equals £20 million.  Nice to see that this wasn't about the money then.  He also wanted a condition inserted in the contract that allowed him to leave on a free transfer if Spurs had not qualified for the Champions League by this time next year.  After all the things he said about what the club had done for him, eh.  The player will make his own statement later today, when he is expected to name his new employers.  For reaction, click here.

  Campbell stated that he was leaving Tottenham for purely football reasons.  He said as a 27 year old, he needed to be playing in European club competition on a regular basis - sooner rather than later - and that wasn't going to happen at Spurs.  So offered the club time to have input into his decision and that was why it had taken so long.  He thanked all those who had supported him and the fans at White Hart Lane.

  David Buchler said that the club were not prepared to pay ridiculous sums of money to keep players as it will end with a club going to the wall and he was not prepared for that to be Tottenham Hotspur.  

  Former Spurs captain Gary Mabbutt sympathised with Sol, but added that Spurs were trying to build a side capable of challenging for honours and now Glenn Hoddle will have to find someone to come in to fill the gap that Campbell has left.  He added that the difficult decision Sol made was one that he was entitled to and that there would be no shortage of takers for his signature.

  Stephen Carr said that Sol deserved Spurs fans best wishes as he had been loyal to the cause and deserved to be winning trophies.  The Irishman said that he could understand Sol's decision and it would not have been based on money.  He added that he had heard that Sven Goran Eriksson had advised him to join a club with Champions League football.  Anyone got any advice for the Swede ??

  Spurs have been linked with a  £3.5 million bid for Christian Ziege, the put of favour Liverpool wing back.  I thought this bid had been rejected recently, but apparently, Spurs are giving it one last go with some reports making the bid worth £4 million.

  Should Spurs be unsuccessful in their Ziege bid, they are being touted as picking up Graeme Le Saux from Chelsea.  With ambition like that, no wonder Sol is leaving !!

  It is being rumoured that should either Ziege or Le Saux arrive at Tottenham, then Ben Thatcher could be on his way out.  Despite having been signed only last summer, he has played only 10 games for the club and Glenn Hoddle might not fancy him as a left back in the side and style he wants to play.

  Gustavo Poyet, the Uruguayan Chelsea midfielder, has been having talks with Tottenham according to the News of the World.  The player who has not been given any indication he has a future at Stamford Bridge would cost around £2.5 million.

  Hassan Kachloul has turned down Southampton's latest contract offer and looks set to leave the big South Coast club.  Tottenham and Ipswich Town are interested in the Moroccan midfielder.

  Pep Guardiola is likely to join Liverpool from Barcelona on a free transfer.  Spurs and a number of other clubs were in the hunt for the Spanish international, but it appears that the Reds have won his services.

  Swedish side Trelleborgs have signed 17 year old winger Jonatan Partin from Tottenham.

  Spurs reserves have announced that they will play the following friendlies in the run up to the new season ...
-  against Reading at Spurs Lodge in the week starting July 16
-  Saturday July 21 away at Barnet
-  versus Arsenal at Spurs Lodge in the week starting July 23
-  Tuesday July 31 away at Woking in a testimonial for Scott Steele  -  kick off 19.45
-  Saturday August 4 away at Kettering Town
-  Saturday August 11 away at Dover Athletic
-  Monday August 13 away at Dagenham & Redbridge

  Former Spurs defender and Sol Campbell's closest advisor, Ramon Vega, has been linked with a free transfer move to either Everton, Newcastle United or Derby County as Celtic may not end up offering him a permanent deal.  How does it feel ??

26.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Teddy Sheringham was announced as Glenn Hoddle's first singing since becoming manager of Tottenham Hotspur.  The England striker joins on a Bosman free transfer and will have a two year contract.

  Sheringham revealed that there was a last minute attempt to retain him at United, but Daniel Levy had been very persuasive in bringing him back to White Hart Lane.

  Teddy is hoping that his good run of form over the last few months will help him to get in the groove straight away at Tottenham.  He said that he will have to win the fans over and had come to Tottenham to make them better.  He said that there was a lot to do to be challenging with the top teams, but realistically, they could aim for the top five.

  Sir Alex Ferguson was very disappointed about Sheringham's exit from Old Trafford.  The new Spurs signing said he told him first when he had made his decision and weighing things up, Teddy thought it was the right move for him.  The Manchester United manager made a last-gasp effort to keep him, but to no avail.

  Teddy Sheringham urged Sol Campbell to stay at Spurs as he is an outstanding defender and it would mean a lot if he did remain to play alongside him.  Hoddle said the club were due to have more talks with the player and his representatives next week and he did not know what Sol was going to say in a statement he was going to release tomorrow.  As far as he knew Sol had not made a decision and if he did decide to leave that would be down to him, but the club still wanted to discuss things with him.

  Manager Glenn Hoddle spoke of his delight of signing the "class player", who "knows how to win".  Hoddle said that he matched the ambitions of the club and was first on his list of players to bring in, adding he will be perfect for the style of play the team would be adopting.  He said this is a positive move for the club.  He added that Sheringham had stayed fit (never having had to rely on his pace), has matured like a good wine and he could see him staying beyond the contract he has signed, while the player himself was talking about becoming manager of the club, although he did admit that would be a long way off.

  Hoddle also alluded to the fact that there would be more new faces at the club with time and he said that they were trying to tempt a few more players to join the club.

  Executive Vice-Chairman David Buchler has said that if Sol Campbell leaves, there is not a "hope in hell" of him joining Arsenal.

25.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Newspaper reports today are stating that Sol Campbell has rejected Tottenham's contract offer and is set to leave the club.  He is entering into talks about a move to Arsenal.  The Daily Mail says that Liverpool are favourites to sign the Spurs captain and others say the prospect of Champions League football and the emergence of the Merseyside club as a power in English football once again have made him seriously consider a move to Anfield.  Other reports link Manchester United, Chelsea and Leeds United.  Later news ruled out Chelsea, but said that Sol's agent had been talking to Newcastle United  -  now that's showing ambition !!

  The above news was later refuted by Tottenham Hotspur, who stated that they had made an offer to Sol and he was going away to think about it.  The deal was the biggest ever offered to a Spurs player and the news that he had rejected it was not true.

  Connoisseur of excellent defending Ramon Vega has told Sol Campbell that he must leave Tottenham.  The Swiss who was a miss at Tottenham has said that Campbell should move on to win things, because "It is no good staying at a club for 15 years and winning nothing at the end of your career while other players can say they won 'this and that'".  Vega had to go to Scotland to win things and feels Sol should take the opportunity as he is at exactly the right age to respond to the new challenge a move would offer.

  Glenn Hoddle is keen to return to his old club Swindon Town to take goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall on a free transfer.  The keeper has been garnering a lot of interest from Liverpool, Sunderland and Arsenal, but Hoddle may nip in before any new deal is signed.  However, he might opt to stay where he is to get some more first team football under his belt.

  Teddy Sheringham is expected to be announced as Tottenham's latest singing at a 3 p.m. press conference tomorrow at White Hart Lane.  The double Player of the Year is available on a free transfer.  He scored in England's 4-0 win over Mexico at Pride Park this evening.

  Anthony Gardner has recognised that he needs to develop physically to meet the tough demands of the Premier League.  He admitted he needs to put on a few pounds for next season and will be working in the gym to maintain his upper body strength while his knee injury prevents him from doing any running.

  West Bromwich Albion have denied that Tottenham, Everton and Middlesbrough have made bids for their star striker Lee Hughes.  There is one year to run on the 25 year old forward's contract and West Brom are hoping to tie him up on a longer contract, even though they crashed out of the First Division play-offs at the semi-final stage.

  Millwall's goal-poacher, Neil Harris, has signed an extended four year contract with the South London side.  The man who scored 28 goals to help the Lions into Division One had been strongly linked with a move to Tottenham.

  Former Spur, Danny Maddix, is being given a free transfer by Queens Park Rangers as part of a massive clear-out at Loftus Road.

24.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  David Pleat has spoken out on the Sol Campbell contract saga and has urged him to sign for one more year.  The Tottenham Director of Football believes that the Spurs skipper will be happy he made that decision as Spurs will do everything they can to make it a successful year.  Pleat likened the situation to the one where he persuaded Glenn Hoddle to remain at White Hart Lane for another year before leaving to go to Monaco and helping Pleat establish himself in the manager's position.

  There are suggestions that a "pay-as-you-play" deal might be the way forward to Tottenham signing Liverpool's Christian Ziege.  Having had a £3.8 million bid rejected, Spurs are unwilling to meet the fee of £5.5 million that the Reds paid Middlesbrough last summer.

  Two Everton targets have had different ends to their contract discussions with the Merseyside club.  The defender Michael Ball has signed a new five year deal at Goodison, which will disappoint a number of clubs, including Spurs, who were interested in buying him.  Jug-earred striker Francis Jeffers, however, looks determined to depart the Toffees after talks were cut short with the management seemingly resigned to losing the England Under-21 forward.  Spurs are one of a number of sides ready to take him off of Everton's hands.  The sale of players at Everton is a certainty this summer as a media rights deal fell through at the last minute and the £23 million plus from that has to be raised from sale of playing assets.

  England defender (and Spurs target) Gareth Southgate (who will not decide his future until after England's summer internationals) or former Spurs winger David Ginola is being offered as bait to West Ham United in an attempt to sign the Irons midfielder Frank Lampard, who is also on Spurs' wanted list.  Wow !!  Three Spurs links in one story.  Is it a record ??

  Stephen Carr has thanked the Spurs support through a difficult season and hopes that Glenn Hoddle will be the man to lead the team to success the fans deserve.  He said on his website that Hoddle had been very impressive since his arrival and was sure to bring players in during the summer.  Although his effect may not be immediate, Carr feels that the hard work put in during training will pay dividends on the pitch eventually.

  To re-iterate that fact, Hoddle is expecting long-term absentees Chris Armstrong, Ben Thatcher and Mauricio Taricco to be training through the summer to get fit for the start of the coming season.  Players will report back for pre-season training on 1st July and those who have played internationals during the summer get a seven day break to return on 8th July.

  Barcelona have told Emmanuel Petit that he can leave the club if he agrees terms with another team.  Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are all in with a chance of taking the pony-tailed one away from Catalunya (as it is now known).

  Luke Young started the England Under-21 international against Mexico at Filbert Street tonight, but was substituted at half-time in a 3-0 win.

  Ben Thatcher has aid on his website that this season has been the worst of his career.  He was hoping to make a big impact after his move to Tottenham, but the injuries he has suffered meant that he played despite not being 100% fit.

  George Graham is to take Spurs to a Premiership arbitration panel to settle his £1.5 million claim for the rest of his contract, which was terminated by Tottenham in April.  The League managers Association have not heard from Tottenham in response to their efforts to resolve this case and it will be heard, but that may not be for several weeks.

23.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Teddy Sheringham has had talks about a two year contract with Tottenham and wages of £35,000 a week.  He has told Glenn Hoddle he will make his decision on a move to Tottenham by the weekend.  This all despite the fact that he was roundly booed by large sections of the Spurs crowd at last Saturday's game.

  Barcelona are fearing that Sol Campbell will stay at Spurs.  The Barca coach thinks that Sol will stay if he can reach agreement with the Spurs management, which will disappoint him as he was looking for an "aggressive" defender, but may switch targets to one who is more "constructive".  Bob the Builder is available if they want to prise him away form the BBC !!

  German newspaper Bild-Zeitung has reported that Spurs are still trying to sign Christian Ziege from Liverpool.  They want him to link up with fellow German Steffen Freund and the in-coming Teddy Sheringham.

  An un-named Premiership side has made enquiries about Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink of Twente Enschede.  An official at the club has confirmed that the club is not Tottenham.

  West Ham United have reportedly turned down two £10 million plus bids for midfielder Frank Lampard.  They would not say who the English clubs were, but they have set a fee of £13 million for the England midfield player, who is desperate to leave the East End club now his Dad and Uncle are off the coaching staff.  Perhaps he doesn't think he will get picked any more ??

  Luke Young is going to use the England Under-21's as a showcase to make Glenn Hoddle sit up and pay attention to his abilities, which he hopes will make him a first team regular next season.  He has sought the advice of team-mate Sol Campbell, who was similarly used in a variety of positions when he first broke into the side, but has been assured that after a while he will find a position to make his own.

22.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Liverpool have been linked with an interest in Sol Campbell, while they have turned down a £3.8 million approach for their left wing-back, Christian Ziege from Spurs.  The club want the bulk of their £5 million they paid to Middlesbrough last summer back, although they might drop the price by £500,000.

   Anthony Gardner has medial ligament damage to his knee, which he landed awkwardly on in the Manchester United match.  Having broken into the side and performed very well, he now faces a three month recovery period and a scan is being commissioned to find out the extent of the damage.  This means he may not be able to start training until the end of August, thus missing the start of the new season.

  The official website has revealed why Mauricio Taricco missed the last reserve game of the season and it was down to a case of sciatica.  The Argentinian defender thought it might have been a recurrence of his hamstring injury, but his fears were allayed and after treatment, the pain in the back of his leg has cleared up.  Taricco now hopes he will have a clear run through the summer to retain peak fitness.   

  Les Ferdinand has told Sol Campbell and Darren Anderton to sign on again at Tottenham after he agreed his new two year contract with the club.  He said that there are some very good youngsters coming through and hinted that good times might be ahead.

  Teddy Sheringham is reported on SoccerUpdate to be talking to Daniel Levy about a return to Tottenham on a two year deal.

  Graham Roberts has been re-instated as manager of Boreham Wood just one week after walking out on the Hertfordshire side in a row over wages.

21.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Sol Campbell has said he does not want to leave England and will be playing in the Premier League next season.  He said today that it is up to Spurs what happens next and he will sit tight and see what happens in the next two or three weeks.  The Sports Director at Internazionale of Milan has hinted that Sol will be staying at Tottenham, although they are keeping in touch with his situation as discussions progress.

  Les Ferdinand has put pen to paper on a new two year deal at Tottenham, meaning he will probably finish his career at Spurs.   

  George Graham has given Spurs a 24 hour ultimatum to settle his contract before he takes them to arbitration.  He is being backed by the League Manager's Association and they hope Spurs will sit down to discuss the matter rather than go to a tribunal.  Graham himself has ruled himself out of the Manchester City job today, but has put his name forward for the West Ham United manager's post.

  Simon Davies has tried to make the manager sit up and notice him while he has had a chance in the first team.  He admitted it will be much harder to break into the side next season with players coming in over the summer, but will use the Wales games in the summer to keep up his good form and hopefully, continue to impress Hoddle.

  As Anthony Gardner's ankle injury in the game against Manchester united ruled him out of the England Under-21 matches coming up, so Matthew Etherington has been brought into the squad in place of other absentees.

  Spurs, Watford and Fulham could lead the charge for Chelsea's transfer listed Uruguayan midfielder Gustavo Poyet, who is rated at £2.5 million and wants to stay in London.  He has been allowed to leave the team after failing to hold down a first team place and criticising the manager at Stamford Bridge.

  Tom Soetaers. the left sided Belgian midfielder is being tracked by Spurs, Arsenal and Ipswich Town.  The 20 year old plays for Roda JC Kerkrade and looks certain to leave for a bigger club in the summer.  This is not the first time Spurs have been linked with the £2 million rated winger, who scored the third goal in a 4-1 win at the weekend.

  Les Ferdinand has slammed the Football League for restricting the flow of teams form the Conference into the League.  He feels that for too long good sides have been denied a place in the League as the teams in Division Three have been protecting their own interests.

20.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   MEHSTG will be continuing to update the website with all the news that comes in and we will be introducing some new items on the site too.  Keep logging on and if you would like to make a contribution, then please e-mail us at mehstg@blueyonder.co.uk

  Leicester City fancy Spurs goalkeeper Ian Walker for £2 million.

  Glenn Hoddle is looking at a £3 million bid for Charlton Athletic's Paul Konchesky to provide cover at left back.

  Spurs are keen on Gareth Southgate to replace Sol Campbell, as reports on the Spurs captain's requirements to stay mean that, although talks continue, he is likely to move on.  Spurs are allegedly offering him a £20 million deal over four years, but as a back up, the Aston Villa defender is the man seen by Glenn Hoddle as the one to play alongside Goran Bunjevcevic.  Although some reports hint that a £5.5 million bid is already in for the England defender, Spurs are still waiting the outcome of the discussions with Campbell and his advisor before making a firm bid.

  Reports in the News of the World indicate that Teddy Sheringham will re-sign for Tottenham within the next two weeks on a £35,000 a week, two-year deal.

  Former Spurs centre half Chris Fairclough has had to retire from the game after a back injury forced him out of York City in February.

  The continuing saga of Dan Petrescu's move to Tottenham took a new twist today, when it was claimed that a scan on a groin injury is awaited to determine whether he needs to have surgery.  This is believed to be what is holding up the move.  Sounds like one great big scan to me !!

  Spurs look set to make a summer bid for Middlesbrough's Paul Okon.  The Aussie midfielder has said he would like to stay at the Riverside stadium, but Hoddle is to persist with his interest in the 29 year old former Fiorentina player.

  Dagenham & Redbridge will be play Spurs at their home ground on 13th August (7.30 kick off).  This might be a Spurs XI comprising of reserves and if you are lucky a few first teamers.

  Spurs reserves look likely to be playing all their games at Stevenage Borough's Broadhall Way ground next season.  In a deal that sees Spurs play a pre-season friendly there in July, the Vauxhall Conference club hope that there will be a fruitful relationship between the two sides in years to come.

19.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs won 3-1 today against Manchester United at White Hart Lane.  The Spurs goalscorers were Willem Korsten 2 and Les Ferdinand.  For a match report click here.  For reaction, click here. 

  Spurs have again been linked to the £5 million transfer of Christian Ziege from Liverpool.  The unsettled left sided player is likely to be moved on with Bayern Munich also interested in the German international.

  George Graham has said that he wants to be considered for the West Ham United manager's job as he wants to show that he is still capable of winning silverware after he was not allowed to finish the job at White Hart Lane.

18.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Glenn Hoddle has said that he hopes to bring Teddy Sheringham back to White Hart Lane.  He was impressed when he worked with the Manchester United striker when he was England manager and thinks he could help make Spurs a decent side again. 

  Even though the Spurs captain has given Darren Anderton the impression he wants to stay, the England midfielder said today that it was "madness" to let Sol Campbell walk out of Tottenham on a free transfer.  Well, Darren, Sol has a lot of options about where he could play his football and there is nothing that Spurs can do to stop him.  The "madness" is over some of the other deals that have already been struck !!

  A five year deal has been agreed with Red Star Belgrade for their captain Goran Bunjevcevic and the fee is in the region of £5 million.  The move is subject to him getting a work permit, which should be confirmed after two more international matches.

  Spurs will again be fielding a side containing many younger players and Glenn Hoddle said that the boys would learn a valuable lesson if they get a thrashing !!  He went on to say that the "deadwood" at the club would be thinned out and moved out of the club.  Over the last ten years he feels that players have become too comfortable with losing and that would have to change. 

  Either Les Ferdinand (should he play) or Neil Sullivan will wear the captain's armband tomorrow against Manchester United, because Tim Sherwood is likely to miss out with a groin injury.  Willem Korsten is available again after being suspended for the match at Leicester a fortnight ago.

  Anthony Gardner has been one of the youngsters who has impressed Hoddle the most.  He said that the central defender had learned from his mistakes and even played in other positions well.  The Spurs manager thinks that Gardner has a lot of talent and hopes he makes a future for himself with Tottenham.

  Simon Davies has been chosen in the Wales squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Ukraine next month.  

  ... and finally, the new Spurs website features this statement at the bottom near a moveable menu "To use the dynamic menu below, please mouse over the arrows to move the menu left and right".  There is no way I am giving pleasure to a mouse !!

  ... and finally (2), following last night's First Division play-off semi-final defeat on penalties to Preston North End, Birmingham City are to go to court to try and get the match replayed.  This is because the referee made the teams take the penalties in front of the home supporters, rather than at the end of the ground where there is no stand, because re-development is taking place.

17.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Goran Bunjevcevic was at Tottenham today for a medical, but terms have been agreed with him and his club, so all that is required now is his work permit before he signs a four year deal.  Glenn Hoddle said today that the permit would take about two or three weeks to come through and the Yugoslav would not be signing until then.  He was also a little upset that news of the transfer had leaked out and that the media were buzzing around White Hart Lane, but he was resigned to the fact that any movement around the club these days made the news.  Hod said the player has to play two more internationals before joining Spurs and although he can play in midfield or defence,  the manager saw him playing alongside Sol Campbell.  So it looks like Bunjy will be on his way to Barcelona then !!

   Hoddle had earlier advised Sol to make his move abroad in a few years time, feeling that he still had time in his career to show his talents on the continent after five more years at Tottenham.  The Spurs manager believes that he can make Campbell even better given the chance to work with him and he said that the two speak every day.  With talks continuing, Hoddle hopes that within a couple of weeks, the situation will be a lot clearer.  Both the club and Sol's agent have denied that a deal has already been signed with Barcelona.

  John Gorman revealed on the official site that Tim Sherwood had picked up a shin injury in the Leicester City match (so that was his excuse) and hadn't trained since so he would be doubtful for Saturday's game.  Iversen was still not 100% sure of starting and Rebrov had not trained regularly after collecting a hamstring injury in the FA Cup semi-final.

  Coventry City's Mustapha Hadji is being rumoured to be on Hoddle's shopping list of players he wants to bring to White Hart Lane.  Hadji has been told he can leave Highfield Road and for £4 million the Moroccan could join the Spurs midfield.

  Rumoured Spurs target - Jan Koller of Anderlecht - is ready to join Fulham in an £8 million deal.

  Cosmin Contra, the Romanian right back who played for Alaves in the UEFA Cup final last night has said he is ready to play for Real Madrid.  This will disappoint Spurs and Leeds United who were after the attacking 25 year old who would be available for £7 million.

  Colin Calderwood has officially retired from football today after failing to make a comeback while on loan at Notts. County.  Having broken both bones in his leg while playing for Nottingham Forest, the former Spurs central defender could not continue playing on after medical advice.

  and finally ... Nicolas Anelka of Paris St. Germain said he would be happy to play in grounds with no fans !!  I would have thought he would have been happy playing at Highbury as it sounds like there is no-one there most of the time !!

16.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Sol Campbell will sit down with Spurs to talk about a new contract on Friday when he returns from holiday. Blah, blah, blah or is everyone getting bored with this.

  Steffen Freund was invited to return to his old ground at Borussia Dortmund as a guest of honour for tonight's UEFA Cup final, but has declined in an effort to give him as much time as possible to regain his fitness before the start of next season.

  Luke Young and Anthony Gardner have been selected for the England Under-21 squad for the matches in May against Mexico and in June against Greece.

  Trelleborg, Edsbyn and Hammarby are all keen to take former Spurs Under 19 midfielder Jonatan Partin back to his homeland.  The youngster wanted to return to Sweden and Spurs have allowed his contract to expire for him to negotiate with clubs from there.

  The official site has revealed that Matthew Etherington said "it's a joke" as the players left the field at half-time and the referee (sensitive soul) took this as a criticism of his performance, while Ian Walker was slating his captain for a bad back pass when the official decided that he should go too.  Let's hope this referee never goes out into the real world and experiences industrial language as his heart might not be able to stand it !! 

15.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Chris Perry has begged Spurs to break the bank to keep Sol Campbell.  He urged ENIC to go the whole way in maintaining the Spurs captain's presence at White Hart Lane next season and for years to come.  More talks are planned with Campbell's agent after the last game of the season, but the man who represents Sol was rumoured to have been in Barcelona this week following stories that they are willing to offer him £100,00 a week.  Spanish papers are rumouring that Sol will be in the city himself to sign on come Thursday !!  Perhaps the reason no decision has been made on his future is because the season ticket renewals haven't been sent out yet (or am I far too cynical for this now ??)

  Goran Bunjevcevic, the Yugoslavian central defender, has said he will be joining Spurs soon.  Although he does not know much about the way Spurs play, he was impressed by Glenn Hoddle's persuasive tongue and thinks he will fit in without any problem.  He expects to sign a four-year deal when his work permit is through.

  Colombian Victor Bonilla is said to be ready to move to England from Toulouse with Chelsea and Spurs leading the way.  Having been relegated, Toulouse look set to lose their 30 year old striker and Celtic have also had him watched.  He cost £2 million from Real Sociedad last season, so would really fetch about the same amount this time around, having scored 15 times for the French club.

  Midfielder Paul Okon, who was linked with a move to Spurs recently, looks like he will be signing a new contract at Middlesbrough.

  Spurs reserves finished their season in disappointing style with nine men and a 1-2 defeat by table-toppers Coventry City reserves.  Ciaran Toner scored Spurs goal and Matthew Etherington and Ian Walker failed to see it through to  the final whistle.  For a match report, click here.

14.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Here is a little puzzler for all you trivia buffs out there.  What is taken to the FA Cup Final but never used ??  (Answer below at bottom of today's news)

  Oyvind Leonhardsen has admitted that he has found it difficult to recover from the injuries he has suffered this season.  His early season form was not regained after his ankle bone was chipped against Stockport County and he has found the last six weeks very difficult.

  Another injury victim, Chris Armstrong hopes to overcome his frustration and be fit for the start of next season.  His continuing groin injuries have not allowed him to impress Glenn Hoddle and this means that he will work thorough the summer to be ready to show the new manager what he can do.

  Former Spur Andy Sinton has allegedly signed a new deal at Molineux to stay at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

  (Answer : Thierry Henry's T-Shirt that says "Charlie George '71 - Henry '01" !!)

13.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Emmanuel Petit seems to have decide to stay in Barcelona ruling out a move to Spurs and has said that he only left Arsenal because he was tired of finishing second.  After yesterday and next Saturday's results, don't expect him to be strutting his tuff at Highbury either !!  However, another report on the Internet said he will be joining Chelsea, so just make up your own story !!

  Sir Alex Ferguson wants Teddy Sheringham to stay at Old Trafford and talks are set to ensure the double Footballer of the Year does so.  The crux of the dispute is the failure of the club to offer him a two year deal, something both Spurs and Fulham are happy to do.

  Goran Bunjevcevic of Red Star Belgrade is set to become Glenn Hoddle's first signing when he receives his work permit.  The Yugoslav international is looking forward to the opportunity to play in England and said once he heard Spurs were interested he was convinced it was the right move for him, even thought Internazionale of Milan were interested.  The 28 year old central defender, who can also play midfield is a rangy stopper who can play the ball well, initiating attacks from the back.  His fee is reported in the News of the World to be £1.5 million, but most other places quote £4.5 million as the cost for the man Glenn Hoddle hopes to team up with Sol Campbell.

  Worryingly, stories are coming into circulation that Spurs may be looking at the Glasgow Rangers centre-half Lorenzo Amoruso, who has said he will leave the club in the summer.  He is reportedly seen as a replacement for Sol Campbell.  Yeah, right !!

  Nenad Jestrovic, the Yugoslav striker at Belgian club Mouscron, is another player Hoddle is paying a lot of interest to.  He has had him watched and is impressed by the 25 year old who heads the scoring charts in the League there.

  Even though Everton have offered Francis Jeffers the highest paid contract in that club's history (£33,000 per week), he looks likely to move to Sunderland in a deal that Tottenham will not be able to match.  SoccerUpdate report that the Stadium of Lighters will sign the jug-eared England Under-21 striker in a 38 million deal !!

  Frank Lampard junior looks likely to move to Leeds United to team up with his former team mate Rio Ferdinand.  The Yorkshire side are set to pump £12 million into the East London side's new stadium and take the midfielder North rather than across London to Spurs.  If this move falls through Lampost is interested in joining Liverpool.

  Spurs have apparently been knocked back in their interest in Chelsea defender John Harley.  The England Under-21 is staying at Stamford Bridge despite interest from Spurs, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest for the £4 million rated youngster.

  Spurs will play fellow losing FA Cup semi-finalists Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on day July 21.

12.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Sorry readers, but as far as I know nothing happened yesterday, but then someone told me that Liverpool won the Welsh Cup final.  They were the first team to come from behind to win since 1991 when Spurs beat Nottingham Forest and the first team to win in their change kit since Spurs beat Queens Park Rangers in 1982.  So that was nice.

  There wasn't much up on this page tonight, as we went to the West End to see the last night of "Baddiel and Skinner - Unplanned".  At the end of the show someone calls out a page number from the music book that Frank Skinner is holding and they do it as their closing number.  To round of a very good day and a very funny evening the song chosen was only Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You" - a terrace favourite for all Spurs fans.  

11.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Players are flooding back to be fit for the final game of the season.  Steffen Iversen is willing to risk the next three to six months out with his bumped head.  Chris Perry has been given the go ahead t play, although he thinks it could be more likely that he makes the squad rather than starts the match, after he has recovered from a gashed shin that could have needed plastic surgery.

  However, although Steffen Freund is making good progress, he will still not be available for the Manchester United match on May 19th.

  Claudio Pizarro, the Peruvian striker who pays for Werder Bremen, will cost anyone who wants to buy him £17.6 million !!  This should effectively rule Spurs out of the running as Bayern Munich and real Madrid are both sniffing around the prolific 22 year old.

  The Mirror has reported that Emmanuel Petit will choose between Spurs and Chelsea in the next fourteen days.  The Barcelona midfielder's agent has allegedly made these remarks.  The price might have gone up to £10 million, TeamTalk report.

  It is also thought unlikely that Barcelona captain Pep Guardiola will be coming to the Premier League as he allegedly wants £100,000 per week in wages !!  Spurs had been interested, but they Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United will all be put off by his huge deamnds.

  24 year old Villareal defender Unai Vergara is supposedly interesting Spurs as a possible replacement for Sol Campbell.  About £9 million would capture the Spanish stopper, but Barcelona are also chasing him and have had a £7.5 million bid knocked back.

  David Buchler has re-iterated the club's determination to be up there battling with the top teams.  He said that there would be considerable expenditure this summer and that the club could not keep living on the glories of the past.  He did make the point that it was about getting players in, but only those who would produce a balanced side.

  Southampton's Romanian wing back Dan Petrescu is again being linked with a move to Spurs, with talks with the 33 year old supposedly beginning after Tottenham's last game next week !!

10.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Glenn Hoddle has revealed his three point plan for making Spurs a major force again.  It is getting three points from every game.  NO, it isn't really !!  It is bringing in some quality players, keeping the players we have got in a fit condition and then bringing on the youngsters that are at Tottenham.  It is nice to see that someone has some kind of grip on reality at the club.

  Recently departed Spurs manager George Graham is emerging as the main contender for the vacant post at West Ham United.  They were so impressed as Spurs knocked the Irons out of the FA Cup, they have staged a row with Harry "hangdog" Redknapp over a lack of funds for transfers to make way for George Graham who was dismissed for going public about Tottenham's lack of ....

   With Harry Redknapp resigning/being sacked at West Ham United, it is being rumoured that the reason for his departure is that one of his midfielders was sold behind his back.  And to Tottenham at that !!  So, all we have to do now is guess which one it is.  Is it ...
Is it ... a)  Family man Frank Lampost Junior, who is upset that his Dad and Uncle have been kicked out of the Boleyn Ground that his agent said he would not kick another ball for the club ??
Is it ... b)  Trevor Sinclair, who has been recently been romantically linked with Tottenham Hotspur ??
or is it c)  Joe Cole, the Gooner who can run rings around a performing seal ??
The latest line is that Leeds United are setting up a £12 million deal with Lampard and Spurs will be in for both him and Sinclair.
Redknapp himself could be swapping one big club for another as Southampton are interested in taking him on as their manager.

  Still on the transfer trail, Planet Football must be run by a load of Gooners, as they are suggesting that not only will Spurs end up as losers in the summers transfer game, but will also fail to hold on to Sol Campbell.  They reckon that Petit will not come to Spurs as he loves the Gooners so much and if they do not want him he will go to Chelsea.  That shows how much he loves Arsenal.  Middlesbrough are also interested and have sent their scout (Steve Archibald !!) to watch him.
Secondly, they quote Josep Guardiola's agent as saying he has not spoken to anyone from Spurs and never will, with Liverpool and Parma interested in his transfer.  Lastly, they report that Sol is only waiting for Barcelona to get a Champions League place before he makes the move to Catalonia.  You don't reckon that there is some serious face-saving going on down in Southern Spain do you ??

  Rumours coming out of Yugoslavia are stating that Spurs have signed Red Star Belgrade's captain Goran Bunjevcevic.  His club have said that the deal has not been done and a Tottenham spokesman said that they would not say anything until the signing had been completed and that they had not signed him.

  Another interesting link with an unsettled player is that of Nottingham Forest's Chris Bart-Williams, who has been at the City Ground for seven years and could l eave if they do not offer him a contract to suit him. The 26 year-old still has a year to run on his current deal, but he said he must now think about himself after being loyal to Forest for so long.  West Ham would also be interested in the midfielder, who Spurs refused to pay £100,000 for when he was a 16 year old at Leyton Orient.  He will cost a darn sight more than that now - about £2.9 million more !!

  Sergei Rebrov is desperate to play in the final game of the season against Manchester United.  He feels that he must show the Ukraine national manager that he is over his hamstring injury and that he will be ready for the World Cup qualifiers coming up in June.

  Despite Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham's interest in England central defender Gareth Southgate, he will be having talks with Aston Villa in the summer to decide his future.

  Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton this time are chasing the French Under-21 striker Pegguy Luyindula, who has said he wants to quit newly relegated Strasbourg.  The player has a good, growing reputation and would cost around £10 million.

9.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Darren Anderton is engaged in on-going talks about his future at Tottenham amid rumours of a new two year deal for the injury prone midfielder.  Dazza has been attending a specialist in America (no doubt at the club's expense) and will continue to do so until he is right, which won't be before the end of this season.  This allows him to concentrate on getting fit and being ready for the start of the season (and England's next round of warm-up friendlies).  Whispers reckon the deal will be worth £30,000 a week and as much roll bandage as you can eat.  Anderton's agent said that his client was obviously looking at this options (Hospitals or medical insurance benefits ??  He didn't say.), but would like to stay at Spurs.

  The Sol Campbell saga could be drawing to a close, with Glenn Hoddle happy that the talks arte going well and confident that Spurs will not lose the centre half because of the wages on offer.  The ambition that the club are supposed to show to retain Campbell's services has not yet surfaced and only the prospect of getting some silverware in the trophy cabinet will persuade Sol to stay long term.  The best we could hope for is a one year deal with get-out clauses should it all go pear shaped.

  News on TeamTalk today that ex-Spurs central defender Colin Calderwood is thinking of retiring from the game after never having properly overcome the badly broken leg he suffered after his move to Nottingham Forest.

  ... and finally, Harry "Hangdog" Redknapp has parted company with West Ham United the club that runs through his blood (though he supported Arsenal as a kid).  No doubt the Irons (as they are comically known) will be looking for another manager steeped in the Academy and the lower reaches of the Premier League, so there can be but one choice.  With Barnet dropping out of the League, Tony Cottee must be their main target to take over the Upton Park hot seat.  He's even got a scrapbook of all his goals you know !!

8.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   Red Star Belgrade captain Goran Bunjevcevic is confident he will be signing for Spurs by the end of the week.  The 28 year old defender has been the target for Hertha Berlin, Perugia, Benfica and Celta Vigo recently, but he thinks the move to Spurs after he has played in the Yugoslavian Cup Final on Wednesday will be a good challenge for him.

  Sergei Rebrov has revealed that he is finally settling down in London.  he said that it had been very hard for him to fit in straight away as he did not understand George Graham's insistence on a direct style of play.  He said that the tactics shown by Glenn Hoddle are more to his liking with plays being mixed up and being "clever".  The Ukrainian said that those who were spreading stories that he was going to AC Milan to link up with his former Dynamo Kiev strike partner Andrei Shevchenko should stick to supporting them in the Ukraine side, because he would not be leaving Spurs.

  The new coach at Barcelona Carlos Rexach has spoken of his liking for Emmanuel Petit and that he would like to utilise him in the centre of midfield, which is music to the Frenchman's ears.  He might, therefore, rethink his urgency to escape from the Nou Camp.

  Mauricio Taricco was in the starting line-up for tonight's reserve team game against Arsenal, which was lost 0-4.

  Glenn Hoddle has spoken of resting the young players he has had to draft into the Tottenham squad, but he cannot do so because of the injury plague that has beset the side.  Unfortunately, the depth of squad is not there at the moment and Hoddle has to persist with the reserves and youth team players for one more game ... against Manchester United.  He added that the only experienced stars who might be at all fit for the match are Steffen Iversen and Sergei Rebrov, which is a bit of a miracle as yesterday Rebrov was ruled out until June !!

  Thordur Gudjonsson, who claimed Spurs were ready to buy him from Las Palmas, is now talking to Everton with a view to moving to Goodison Park.

  George Graham is ready to face Spurs in an arbitration tribunal to settle the matter of the remaining time on his contract, which was not paid to him at the time of his dismissal.  Spurs are claiming that he was in breach of contract and that was the reason behind their actions.

7.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

   David Buchler has said that Spurs are ready to break the bank to keep Sol Campbell at White Hart Lane, but whether he meant to pay Sol or to bring in the players who would make him stay was not clear.  He did say that the club has new players in mind, but the team would be built on youth in future.

  Glenn Hoddle is being reported as making a move for 28 year old Serbian defender Goran Bunjevcevic.  Hoddle has been talking to the player for a couple of weeks, but Dennis Roach, the player's agent, is said to be on his way to Red Star Belgrade to seal the £4 million deal as the first of many signings for the new manager.  Bunjevcevic is apparently known as "the Beckenbauer of the Balkans" !!

  Further to rumours that Spurs were interested in buying Jason Euell, he now appears to be having talks with the management at Wimbledon about staying on at the club.

   Sergei Rebrov's hip injury has ruled him out of Ukraine's World Cup qualifying matches against Norway and Wales in June.  That will probably mean that he will not be in Tottenham's side to face Manchester United on May 19th.  He is expected to be fit for the start of next season though.

  Manchester City were relegated from the Premier League tonight after losing 1-2 at Ipswich Town.

6.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs are supposedly interested in taking out of favour Liverpool defender Christian Ziege off their hands.  The 29 year old German who has made no secret of his dissatisfaction at not being in the Anfield first team, would want £45,000 a week, but Liverpool might accept £3 million  for the player who cost them £5.5 million from Middlesbrough.

  Apart from this new name another two have sprung onto the Tottenham shopping list.  Firstly is Wimbledon's Jason Euell, who was first linked with Spurs last summer.  The attacking midfielder would cost Tottenham about £5 million and Chelsea, Everton and Newcastle United are also keen to do business with the Wombles.  

  The second player to enter Tottenham's transfer interest is West Ham United's Trevor Sinclair.  The wide player is currently getting over an injury, but Hoddle has admired him since working with him at international level and would welcome him as part of his squad.  TeamTalk reckon that Harry "Hangdog" Redknapp could cash in on him to fund re-building work on and off the pitch at the Boleyn Ground.  £5 million is the estimated price tag on the former Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers man.  It is not thought likely that West Ham would let him leave as their cash could come from selling Frederic Kanoute for £11 million to Juventus, but one report thinks he would jump at the chance to join Spurs.  Strange in the light of ...

  A TeamTalk report says that Darren Anderton is close to signing a new contract that will keep him at White Hart Lane until the end of his career (no not September !!).  It will be for a further four years.

  It is further reported that Spurs have had a £5 million (is this our standard offer these days or something ??) to Watford for forward Tommy Smith.  The England Under-21 striker had failed to sign a new contract while Graham Taylor was in charge, but now Gianluca Vialli is to take over, he and the manager might rethink their positions.

  Terry Byrne, the England physio, is quitting that post and Spurs, Chelsea and Watford are all after his services.

  Glenn Hoddle said that his real work will start on July 1st when the squad return for pre-season training, hopefully all fit and raring to go.  He said that the inexperience in the side is showing at the moment, but that the young lads have performed very well for him in difficult circumstances.

  Oyvind Leonhardsen is thought to be a target for Bolton Wanderers as he could be one f the players Glenn Hoddle clears out at the end of the season.

  Another couple of Spurs players were involved in last day relegation games today. Dean Austin's Crystal Palace managed to score four minutes from the end to get the win that was enough to keep them up, while Garry Brady was sent off playing for Portsmouth who also won to retain their First Division status.

5.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Spurs lost 2-4 at Leicester City today.  Spurs' goals were scored by Simon Davies and Stephen Carr.  For a match report, click here.  For reaction, click here.

  Aston Villa finished off the job that Spurs failed to do in 1997 and beat Coventry City, who are relegated to the First Division.

  Glenn Hoddle said in a post-match interview on Sky that he was confident about the way that some of the transfer talks were going and also that he was having good discussions with Sol about a new contract.

  One report today states that Barcelona have accepted Tottenham's £8 million bid for Emmanuel Petit, but the player has decided to wait and see if Chelsea come in for him.

  Further to that, Spurs are sending a delegation to Barcelona this weekend apparently to persuade Pep Guardiola that he should come to Tottenham after being available on a Bosman when his current deal runs out in July.

  Former Spurs teenager Destin Makumbu has begun his career in the States with Milwaukee Rampage !!  

  Teddy Sheringham was talking about Manchester United's championship win and said it was the first thing they set out to do each season and "we will do the same again next season".  Doesn't sound like the talk of someone coming to Tottenham does it ??

  Ex-Spur Stuart Nethercott raised the Second Division trophy as Millwall were proclaimed Champions today.

  Other ex-Spurs who were not so lucky include Mark Arber and Mark Gower, whose Barnet side drop out of the League after losing to Torquay United  2-3 today.

  and finally ... David O'Deary has urged the FA to investigate two incidents in which Martin Keown was involved in injuring Mark Viduka and Lee Bowyer.  Funny how he didn't do the same after the match against Spurs on 12th February 2000 ??  Perhaps he has been to an optician since that February afternoon as he didn't see anything then !!

4.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Barcelona have confirmed that the Bosman transfer availability of Sol Campbell has made him top of their summer shopping list.  They regard him as strong, young and being free, the new regime at the Spanish club are looking to pay him around £140,000 per week, which equates to £5 million per season.  After a couple of years out there, if he loves Spurs so much, he could buy the club.  The queue of clubs being linked with him now is round the block and extends to AC Milan, Internazionale, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool and Celtic.  Oh and don't forget the biggest club of all ... West Ham United.  Actually, I'm quite surprised that Southampton aren't making their interest known !!

  Glenn Hoddle warned Spurs fans that they would have to be patient and wait for the club to be turned around to the way they want it.  He said there was no quick fix and that the club as a whole were working to a five year plan.  He added that there were a couple of situations that were progressing well, but he would not reveal any further details on transfer dealings.

  Johnnie Jackson has been drafted into the Spurs squad that has to face Leicester City tomorrow without Willem Korsten, who is suspended after getting a red card against Chelsea.  Dave McEwen, who has had a good scoring run in the reserves, is also included in the squad.

  Following on from Tottenham's interest, Chelsea have admitted they would now be interested in Emmanuel Petit if he comes back to London.  But this would only probably be true if Spurs paid Petit's cab fare !!

  On the injury front, Sergei Rebrov should be fit for the last game of the season at home against Manchester United.  He could be lining up alongside Steffen Iversen, who has just been given the go-ahead to start training again.  Mauricio Taricco has started running after his operations and Chris Perry has joined him, having recovered from his gashed leg.  The young star of the season, Ledley King, has also begun running again, but will not play another match this season.

  Any chink in the armour of Sir Alex Ferguson will be seized on by Spurs as they seek to prise away Teddy Sheringham and Quinton Fortune from Old Trafford.  The two ex-Spurs players are not yet settled on their new contracts at the Premier League champions and with Sheringham's agent not revealing anything at the moment, it is more likely that 23 year old Fortune might return to the Lane first.  Spurs have watched him for a number of years after losing him to Chelsea, then Atletico Madrid, but he would cost about £2 million to £3 million to buy, which could be within Tottenham's reach.  SoccerUpdate reveal that Sheringham has turned down Fulham and has chosen to return to Spurs on a two year contract.

  It is rumoured that Spurs might be interested in Celtic's 30 year old midfielder Johann Mjallby should he not agree a new contract with the Scottish champions.

  Peterborough United have completed the signing of Spurs reserve striker Neale Fenn on a one year deal when his contract runs out with Tottenham in July.

  Former Spurs manager Peter Shreeves has been appointed as permanent boss of Sheffield Wednesday after filling in since Paul Jewell left.

3.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Tottenham might lose out on Emmanuel Petit for a second time as Chelsea have agreed a price for the French midfielder.  He is yet to decide where his future lies and the wait could go on for a while as Fulham are also expected to enter the race for his signature.  However, SoccerUpdate report that Petit has turned down a move to Stamford Bridge.

  Glenn Hoddle said he hoped that after Sol Campbell's enforced break through injury that he would sign a new contract with Tottenham.

  The Spurs manager also said that they want to sign up Darren Anderton as he is definitely in Hoddle's plans for the future.

  He went on to say that there is a list of players that Tottenham would like to sign over the summer and also a back-up list should the first choices not prove available for Spurs, but he added the club were well on their way with some of the players he wanted, but they would need a slice of luck along the way.

  Les Ferdinand said that if Sol Campbell did leave Spurs in the summer, then there could be a ray of light among the darkness as Anthony Gardner could step into the Spurs captain's boot prints.  He said that nobody wanted Sol to leave, but that Gardner had played very well and that the former Port Vale defender had done very well since coming into the side.

  Tottenham's pre-season programme of friendlies looks almost complete with another game added to the matches already arranged.  Vauxhall Conference side Stevenage Borough will face a "strong first team" side from Tottenham at Broadhall Way on Tuesday July 13, kick off 7.45 p.m.
Then Spurs travel to Fratton Park for a match against Portsmouth on July 25 (kick off 7.45 p.m.), before a match against Hoddle's old club Swindon Town at on July 31 (7.45 p.m. kick off).  Millwall come next on Saturday August 4 in a testimonial for their former manager Keith "Rhino" Stevens, before rounding things off with a trip to a former Spur's side - Joe Kinnear's newly relegated Luton Town on Tuesday August 7 (kick off 7.45p.m).

  Spurs appear to be turning into West Ham United as even the reserves were "down to the bare bones" last night according to Chris Hughton.

  and finally ... the Spurs official website has put out a message on one of it's pages that "Your favourite Tottenham Hotspur website will soon be re-launched."  We would like to deny that MEHSTG's site is to be relaunched and will remain as it is - providing quality news and views to you our readers.  We welcome all contributions from you on any Spurs related or footie related subject you wish.

2.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  TeamTalk are reporting that Glenn Hoddle has approached AC Milan with an offer to take German striker Oliver Bierhoff off their hands.  The 33 year old has been told he is not wanted for the coming season at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium and Spurs have stepped into bring him to London, a move he has said in the past he would wish to experience in his career.

  Barcelona have revealed their top six transfer targets and they include Tottenham's Sol Campbell.

  Spurs reserves beat Arsenal reserves 1-0 at White Hart Lane tonight.  The goal came in the first half and was scored by Dave McEwen.

  Barry Fry has said he might be interested in taking Spurs striker Neale Fenn on a permanent basis, after he has impressed in trial matches recently.

  Derby County's loanee from Las Palmas, Thordur Gudjonsson has claimed that a number of clubs are after his services including Spurs.  The 27 year old Icelander has said he will definitely not be staying at Pride Park and he is available for £1.75 million.

  The Sun report that George Graham has been lined up as Middlesbrough manager should Terry Venables decide not to stay on at the Riverside Stadium.

  Blackburn Rovers claimed the second automatic promotion place from Division One and will be back in the Premier League next season.

1.5.2001   (For other Spurs history on this day click here)

  Arsene Wenger looks happy enough ... No, no sweet related tales here, just content to have his back four together for another year.  That's why he doesn't need any new fangled Sol Campbell or Michael Reiziger to mess up his tried and tested formula for success.  Spurs fans will breathe easily now that this particular rumour can be put to bed (until next time).

  Meanwhile Internazionale of Milan believe that they will have Sol Campbell in their side as long as they qualify for the Champions League.  If not, then the Italians do not believe that he will come.

  But wait !!  Who is this on the horizon ??  Why it is Barcelona making a late charge to take the Spurs skipper away to Spain (where there can't be any more rain than we have had on this country's plain).  Just like Manchester United, they have been turned down by Lilian Thuram, so they have turned to Campbell.  He is said to prefer a move abroad rather than stay in London, which is news to us as his agent has been saying how much he loves London !!

  Saints midfielder Hassan Kachloul could be the main summer target for Ipswich Town.  The Moroccan was once Tottenham's favourite buy (because he was free), but now the Suffolk club are at the top of the list of clubs chasing him as they have European football to boot !!

  Stephen Carr has rubbished the paper talk about Manchester United making a move for him.  He said he is flattered, but takes no notice of what is rumoured.  Speaking of rumours about Petit and Guardiola coming to Spurs, he said that top players like this would show the club's ambition, but he will wait until they have arrived before celebrating.  He sounds just like a Spurs fan !!

  Steffen Iversen could be back from injury to play a part in Saturday's match against Leicester City.  Sergei Rebrov could face a late fitness test for the game too.

  Former Spurs managers Gerry Francis and George Graham are both being linked with the vacant boss' job at their old club Crystal Palace.