My first visit to White Hart Lane came in February 2001. It was an FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Stockport County. My uncle had driven up from Southampton on the morning of the game and surprised me with a ticket.

I fell in love with the stadium and the atmosphere. I loved being part of the crowd and watching Spurs easily dispose of the opposition as they won 4-0. This was back in the days when Simon Davies was a potential world beater and Ledley King could play more than 20 games a season.

There was a fantastic support from the crowd during that game, which would contrast with the frustrating lack of support in the first game I went to watch with my dad.

My father, God bless him, has never been a man with money and has never been able to take me to White Hart Lane, so I decided to take him. It was the 1-1 draw we played out with Blackpool towards the end of last season. Yes, it was disappointing. Yes, we should be beating the so called ‘lesser teams’ at home, but it was the support of the crowd that day which upset me the most.

Harry Redknapp has brought the glory days back to Tottenham. In the present climate we are title contenders and currently the best team in London, but if the fans that sat around me that day had their way, he would not be the manager of Tottenham. I appreciate their frustration. I, as well, hate it when we don’t win, but sometimes you have got to sit back and have a bit of common sense.

Last season we reached the quarter finals of the Champions League and ended up finishing fifth. When Harry Redknapp took over we were bottom and relegation was not an unrealistic possibility, but he has taken us on an unbelievable adventure since then. At the final whistle that day there was sarcastic chants of ‘Harry for England’ and I heard a few people say they wanted Harry out because they thought he had taken us as far as he could. Me and my dad laughed on the way back from the stadium at the absurd comments from our fellow fans.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but I bet those Spurs fans are eating their words now. The events of this next week will have a big impact on how long Redknapp stays at White Hart Lane. I for one hope King Harry stays for another couple of years, as the only thing missing from his Spurs C.V are trophies. C.O.Y.S!!!

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40 COMMENTS

  1. Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish the difference between the man and his abilities.On the field, what Redknapp has done for Spurs is pretty amazing-off the field, especially his continual running off at the mouth during the Modric saga was the poorest piece of PR I’ve ever witnessed. He was practically selling the player despite his employers clearly stating otherwise and my feelings at the time were that he wasn’t going to be at the club much longer. I hope in the light of recent events, he knows who’s supported him (Levy), and those who were quite happy to disparage and ridicule him (The press), and then decides who his friends really are?

    • Bad PR or shrewd man management? How well would Modric have played for us this season if Harry had taken the same stance as Levy? If he had done that, I guarantee you Modric would have been sold this January for considerably less than we would have got last summer. I’d hazard a guess both Harry and Levy were fully aware of the parts they had to play in the good cop/bad cop routine. If Harry was acting without approval he would have been sacked, especially given at the time the fans probably would have accepted it.

  2. I think that Levy has learnt a lot from Harry, and providing
    none of the players decide to relax their grip,this season could be a great one.10 points clear of “Wengers Wangers” is very gratifying.

  3. As posters have commented, THFC are where they are thanks to a Manager that is allowing old heads to share their pearls of Wisdom!!

  4. Hi Paul
    I’ven’t met you personally but as a Spurs lover myself I can call you a friend. My friend, you, unlike many so-called Spurs fair-weather Spurs fans, talk lot of sense. Like you, I also get frustrated when we lose but next day I recover and back to supporting the club.

    I agree with you, some of our fans are too judgemental about Harry too early – Harry is an honest and skilful manager who deserves our wholehearted support.

    Good luck MNF Spurs.

  5. “I’m a fantatstic football manager,but a useless businessman”
    “sometimes I may say the wrong words,but I don’t say them purposely”

  6. Like all of us Harry is flawed. He is according to his defence naive and I think his media comments fully support that. But most managers are fired on the basis of their clubs outcomes (points) so lets face it by this measure Harry has done well and deserves the clubs and fans support.

  7. Gascogne was a fantastic footballer. Would you say he was good at anything else?? Heck no.

    Same goes for harry. He knows the game, his players and how to keep them and the press on-side. He creates a place where people can thrive and doesn’t take shit from those that don’t try that much.

    Got to love him!

    He’s Also proven he know how to bend other managers ro his will. Mancini had to go for it rather than dot back which played into our hands. Almost worked too.

    I love the bloke. But then I always have.

  8. Having supported Spurs for over 48yrs I can say with honestly that I cannot stand the man and hope that he leaves Spurs ASAP … yes I know that he got us in CL but I think that nay decent manager could have done that with the squad we had … all they needed was direction, but then we only made the EL, what a let down, bad management, hesitation just like MJ when we needed clear management on the filed … yes I blame Harry for 5th and so we could not bring in the players we needed (in fact we nearly lost Modric), so what next .. well jail or England and good sod off too a man who was in the right place at the right time … no more than that …. No matter how much u people shout I will NEVER support Redknap and the sooner he is gone the better, we are all entitled to out views and this is mine (and lots more reasons) … as for this season … with the two signings we made in the window … we will be lucky to keep forth … stuff the pratt and I hope he goes down COYS 4life

    • Peter, how sad that you think that way. I don’t really care whether you have supported Spurs for 48 years or 4, the fact is if you cannot even acknowledge the job he has done then you are seriously misguided. We play arguably the best football in the league and are 3rd in the table being talked up in some quarters as title contenders. Let me argue your points; 1. It is not true that any manager could have got 4th, we had practically the same squad as Ramos had that very nearly got us relegated. 2. We made 2 signings that you have not yet seen play in a Spurs shirt yet are condemning them already – it is people like yourself who slammed the signing of Parker who had just won player of the season. I don’t actually hate negative supporters like yourself, I pity them, exactly the sort that the author talks about who think that they can manage a football club better than the current manager.

    • We had the players we needed, the only reason we finished 5thy was that the strikers like Defoe kept missing sitters game after game. It is solely their fault but then we do not have a devine right to 5th, there were other quality teams playing to and we had over achieved the year before.

      Building is a process and does not happen at the click of a finger like the idiots who phone radio shows believe of which I assume you are one.

    • Peter, you are a poor excuse for a Spurs fan considering what he has done for the club. Who do you think helped build the squad we have? I hope you eat your words at the end of the season. One of those bitter and never satisfied Spurs fans. We need a lot fewer of your type !!

  9. I have supported Spurs also for about 48 years and agree with everything peter4spurs said, I was gutted the day he was appointed, I am not saying we aint done well under him just cant stand him

  10. Peter4spurs What a P***k, sure your not a gooner in disguise. yes your aloud your views. but until Harry redknapp came along we were crap there was no heart in most the players and they gave up to easy. Harry came and gave them belief and made them winners. coys three points off liverpool.

    • Get lost .. u must be the Arsehole lover … the players had had the shit knocked out of them, even my dead granny could have picked them up off the floor …. he has a big mouth, cannot cope with the transfer market, has no idea when to sub, picks his fav’s rather than what is best for the team … how many points have we picked up from the top two teams this season??? To win the PL we need to do what Man C/U have done and that’s WIN … will we beat the smaller clubs? in most cases yes, but often by luck not good management … he is a tosser 1st class and is living off others – name a player that he has bought in that has added value and loans don’t count as they our not our players …

      • Freidel-Parker for starters-he’s bought through Bale and Livermore, he’s improved the whole set up from the youth to first team and under his leadership has the best league record since Billy Nick-and all this in a few seasons!
        What did the Romans ever do for us, springs to mind!

      • Parker, bringing back Kaboul, Defoe, Friedel. When we signed Palacios he immediately improved the squad. Now Peter4Spurs you are entitled not to like him but you cant deny that since he has joined the club we have only ever improved. Yes mistakes have been made along the way but no-one is perfect.

        I’ve been a fan since I was 8 years old and 15 years later I’m watching the best football I’ve ever seen at the lane. I know all about the team of the 60s and the great team Burkinshaw had in the 80s but even players from those generations are hailing what this team is doing for the club.

        So chill out and let the good times roll.

  11. Can’t believe all the negativity towards Harry. We are in the best position I’ve ever known us to be in (I’ve also supported us for over 48 years), playing the best football I’ve ever seen us play and still people aren’t satisfied. I have never booed any of our players ever, and I resent anyone who calls himself a Spurs fan pouring out all this crap. Have your views by all means, but don’t try and derail what is promising to be a fantastic season. Made me laugh the other day when I saw the Gooners barracking Wenger. This kind of stuff just makes everyone else stronger.

    • Sometimes, some people just cannot accept they’re wrong, they say they support the club but if their personal view is challenged and they’re mad to look stupid in the process-so be it. Fact..We’re third–fact-we’ve qualified for the CL under Redknapp-fact we play bloody good football-fact we’ve got a great team cobbled together on a comparative shoestring and teams spending money they haven’t got are still way behind us despite gazillions spent. I cannot stand the bloke either, but at least I know when the better man has won!

    • Another wet … bet u did not like Maggie either … strong people have strong views … live with it … as for the best footie, nah, Klinsman era was just as good also I have not knocked the players apart from that bit of crap Livermore (should be nomore!!) … I just cannot stand the tosser 1st class manager … COYS 4life

      • Highest finish in the Klinsmann era…: 8th.
        Defence featuring…: Stuart Nethercott & Justin Edinburgh.
        Defining game…: 4-1 thrashing by Daniel Amokachi.

        Yeah, that was totally as good as now.

      • Real men can admit when they are wrong which you clearly are but are incapable of comprehending. Real men don’t need to act tough or use violence but fools take that for strength while everyone else just laughs at them.

  12. Peter4spurs, if you can’t stand Harry, fair enough. I just don’t quite get it why you mentioned his management of Spurs, because that’s where I think you might need some counselling. Its the best side since 81, fabulous football. Read and hear what neutrals say, that allows you and me to put biases to one side.

    • Nah-it’s gone into extra time, personally I feel that if was cut and dried, the verdict would have been made before now-Have you noticed how quiet the press have been in the past week?

  14. i have been a supporter of spurs since 1971 when i use to go to most of the home games and some of the away games but sadly now with price of the tickets and travelling from peterborough is too much money out of my pension but never mind i wear the shirts scarves ect with pride and manage to stream most games on line, ive had a good bet on them to win the league who knows i could win enough to by a season ticket come on tottenham

  15. Ok, I am a younger Spurs fan and female and to be honest only started watching Tottenham because I thought Lennon was fit. Now I’m doing a Sports Journalism Degree and know my football from Bundesliga to Serie A and Spurs are a really big part of my everyday life. For me to say any manager would have done Harry’s job is just simply not true because if any manager could do it then there was no point of sacking Ramos who was doing a terrific job sending us to the Championship. Harry may not be everyones cup of tea but he has got the job done- Has he got us into the Champions League? Yes. Has he made us one of the most feared teams in the league? Yes. Do we play the Tottenham way? Yes. Do we have one of the best disciplinary records in the league? Yes. Did we beat some of the best teams in the world like AC Milan? Yes. Can we compete with teams who buy the league? Yes- There is no denying the work Harry has done. Obviously I have not been supporting Spurs for 48years because i was not even born but from what i know and hear and have researched, Tottenham have never had it this good since the 1960-61 season and credit has to go to Harry. I am scared for Spurs if he does leave because it seems he has a really good relationship with the players, anyone else might disrupt the team spirit that has taken us so far. But he is still in the dugout and will be tomorrow as we take on Liverpool. To be honest, I hope we smash them to pieces! COYS!

    • It’s not just the 1st team, it’s the whole club and it’s foundations that are threatened. If a new guy were to brought in, he’d want his own people surely and the likes of Sherwood, Allen , Jordan and Bond would follow him out of the door-and many of our top players also.

  16. Always like it when Harry is accused of “playing his favourites”. THese “favourites” included Crouch, Keane and Krancjar – two of whom were sold (by Harry) and one who is not being used because of other Harry favourites. So now we see a new group of favourites taking their place. Do people honestly believe that a manager will refuse to play the better players if they are available? His job in on the line if he fails! Being a skilled and talented player is not enough – you have to play for the team and to the manager’s game plan. Some time ago I turned up to watch Stevenage Borough against Spurs and was fortunate to meet Martin Jol. Whilstgetting his signature, another fan asked what Reto Ziegler had to do to get a game because he was “better than anyone else on the left”. Jol smiled and said, “he could dtart by playing for the team. He doesnt get enough crosses in and doesnt score the goals warranted to ignore instructions to do just that”. Hmmmmmmm…. wasnt it Harry who said to some Russian guy: “Pav – just run about a bit!”….. we are still waiting!

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