The Tottenham Hotspur Family Podcast
A global Tottenham Hotspur podcast and viewpoint, by the fans for the fans.
I’ve Got My Tottenham Back!
by Sam Moore
The morning after the Stoke game I was still singing the same chant, the one that goes “We’ve got Alli, Dele, Dele, Dele Alli! I just don’t think you understand! He only cost 5 mill, he’s better than Ozil, we’ve got Dele Alli!…” I had been singing that chant for most of the previous evening.
I love the chant not only because it’s catchy but because I love the player too. He’s not the only one. I love all of our players now. Several times this season, foremost in my mind are after late winners at Watford and Man City, the players have rushed over to the Tottenham fans and celebrated as one.
The players celebrating with the supporters after the late winner against Watford in December 2015
That spirit encapsulates what this Tottenham team are about, the all for one, one for all ethos. Pochettino epitomised this when he walked onto the pitch having witnessed his Tottenham team dismantle Norwich City at Carrow Road. He hugged each player in his immediate vicinity and let out several cries of “YES!” and “GOOD!” before walking over to the away end and applauding the away support who responded with a rousing reception for the Manager.
Rewind a couple of years and it was a very different Tottenham Hotspur.
During Tim Sherwood’s reign as Tottenham Manager I had never felt so disillusioned with Tottenham, there were some players who plainly didn’t care about my club, about our club. There was a lack of common purpose, a lack of fight and belief. Things that every fan wants to see from their team, basic but extremely important things. Some of those players made me feel disconnected with Tottenham and I’d never felt that way before, and I grew up supporting a poor Tottenham team through out the 90’s and early 00’s.
Pochettino congratulating his team on another victory this season.
Particularly galling was a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea when Sherwood fielded a bizarre team playing players out of position (Walker in midfield being one that stands out) and then went on to give a post match interview completely lacking in any class, grace or humility where Sherwood blamed the players for the defeat (yes Tim they did lose the game but if you’d had even a rudimentary understanding of your squad maybe you’d have played a team and formation which gave the players a chance in the game) whilst deflecting any element of blame away from himself.
“That spirit encapsulates what this Tottenham team are about, the all for one, one for all ethos.”
Back to this season. I took my not quite 6 year old son to the Swansea game at home in February. At half time Tottenham were trailing to a well taken Paloschi goal. I had a chat with my boy at half time as he had a worried look on his face. “Are you alright?” I asked. “I want Tottenham to win but they are losing” came the reply. “This is what being a Tottenham supporter is all about mate. We stick with the team when they are losing and we sing and support them and then they might win” I told him. The whole of the ground sang, supported and willed the team on throughout the second half with my boy singing as loudly as anyone as Swansea continued to repel wave after wave of Tottenham attack. Then came the relief of Chadli’s equaliser on 70 minutes. Danny Rose drilled home the winner on 77 minutes and there was pandemonium in The Park Lane. My boy got hoisted into the cool evening air as we pogo’d in celebration.
Pochettino getting on the action of celebrating with Rose for the winning goal against Swansea.
Later that evening as we made our way down the escalator at Seven Sisters Tube Station. A low rumbling chant started amongst about 40 Tottenham fans behind us “We’re gonna win the league! We’re gonna win the league! And now you’d better believe us…” Cue me and my brother joining in and the boy gazing at us wide eyed before smiling and joining in where he could. A Spurs medley carried on once we’d boarded the tube with the little fella particularly enjoying a rendition of the Nicola Berti chant. I’ve got goose bumps writing this because some lifetime memories were made with my son that day.
That’s what Mauricio Pochettino and his Tottenham team have done for me, they’ve reconnected me with the club I love and reminded me of what I love about Tottenham, they’ve given me my Tottenham back.
The SurreySpur
About the author:
Sam Moore is a 33 year old Spurs fan from Surrey who’s other passion is Cricket.
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