Saturday 11th May 2002, 3.00pm

FA Premiership, Filbert Street

LEICESTER CITY 2  (Dickov 60, Piper 71)

Walker, Ashton (Stevenson 58), Elliott, Sinclair, Rogers, Impey, Marshall, Izzet (Williamson 90), Davidson, Piper, Dickov (Taggart 77). Subs Not Used: Royce, Reeves

Sheringham

Iversen

Poyet

Taricco

Anderton

Clemence

Davies

Thatcher

Gardner

Perry

Keller

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Rebrov, Leonhardsen

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (Sheringham 54 pen)

Referee: - D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill)

Attendance: - 21,716

Fucking Rubbish – there are no other sentiments from our third defeat in three away trips against relegated rubbish. A scandalous show of shit when the Goons were winning the double back at Scumbury – if ever there was a time to make sure there was a good show, or at least some effort, this was it. This result has cost the club £880,000 in lost revenues – £38, for all of the 23,000 season ticket holders. Hoddle is right to be furious, but lets hope he can see the (dead)wood from the trees. Blaming defensive errors when yet again Spurs failed to score more than one goal is not seeing the problem, esp. considering two of our best three centre backs (King, Doherty) did not start alongside the other one Gardner.

It was also a horrible experience for what happened off the pitch. Getting off the train at Leicester, Old Bill were everywhere, and despite telling him not to, Rosie was a plank enough to turn up with a Spurs shirt on so we got searched by Old Bill on the platform. Not a normal search, these cunts went thro everything, including our wallets and one put his hand inside my back pocket of my jeans– just what section of the repressive Criminal justice act allows him to do that I don’t know. Out of the station we were herded in to a pub called The Hind which consisted of a wide spectrum of fans from the obviously dressed hooligans to the normal scarfers – all treated the same way by the thick old bill. The only consolation was that a lot of these coppers got involved in fighting with Leicester fans during the match and, while I do not like any violence at football, I look forward to the reception Millwall give them when they arrive next season. As Ginola would have put it, I’m a football fan, not a criminal – and surely am allowed to travel freely within my own country.

Despite the repressive conditions, inside the pub it was a good laugh, with the now almost suicidal awayday Jonah (ten away matches, two draws, eight defeats), Ray O’Leary, Lynford, Garry and Chris from Haverhill, Vicky Adams along with Rosie’s Wally army. There was also the rare sight of Rosie at the bar, after a none too subtle hint, although I assume it was Carlings he returned with rather than the requested reassuringly expensive Stellas! The police escort to the ground took me back a few years and if only the Spurs teams of that era would have turned up as well.

This was the last match at Filbert Street – and good riddance to a horrible little non-league khazi of a ground with facilities you would associate with pre-war black and white film footage where the entire crowd had flat caps and moved too fast. And the less said about the Leicester fans the better – bland no-marks from bland no-marksville, with a chip on their shoulder bigger than the whole profile of the club.

I was going to do a match report in the style of Poyet – and just leave it blank by not bothering as a kind of postmodern joke, but like everything at this moment it appears a lot worse than it is. Poyet was woeful yesterday, invisible in the game, but two weeks before had scored the winner against Liverpool, and is joint leading goalscorer this season with Sheringham – just about maintaining the one goal in three he averaged while at Chelsea. I hate slagging Poyet off as he has been a very positive influence this season and done some great things for us, but while his mind may be willing his engine isn’t and he disappears to often in games leaving us short in an already short area of central midfield where we have Lady Anderton playing at being a central midfielder.

And this is the crux, while Poyet has been worth his place in the team this year more often than not, it would be madness to have him in front of Davies or Acimovic who I think plays that attacking midfield role. 20 mins of Poyet on the bench would certainly be useful, but when the Chairman of the club has already complained about the Club wage bill (much of which he has sanctioned), perhaps £40,000 a week for this is not necessarily money well spent. The same applies to Sheringham, and Anderton and possibly Ziege.

What happened in the match? – can’t be bothered with a detailed account. First 20 minutes were scrappy before we got a bit on top without ever looking like we were going to score. Spurs fans asked Walker to give us a wave and he did, albeit shyly not to antagonise his new Home fans. Walker may not have fulfilled the hopes we had for him when he was a young keeper, but he is far too good for Leicester and remains a good bloke and I hope he finds a decent way out in the summer.

Fighting broke out in the corner to our left with Leicester fans against Leicester fans and then Leicester fans against the Old Bill. It was comical seeing the old Bill steam up there without a plan of action and then start to get walloped when they were surrounded. I hasten to add no Spurs fans were involved and it was pitiful that people can get so worked up by a nothing thing like Leicester City, and the last game at a dump like Filbert St.

As the half wore on, Spurs had a few corner without ever making Walker do anything. Not being able to get any food from before midday when we arrived in Leicester, a ropey pie from the Jonah was very welcome midway thro the first half. Less welcome was Rosie’s mate who I’d arranged to get a ticket for via Jacob Goldberg. He assured me that he had money, yet when I managed to meet up with Chingford’s finest – he claimed he had no money and needed to find a cash point, and I had to lend him all my remaining notes to get him the ticket. What a twat – and it was a good job he had the money after the match as I was not in the mood to be fucked about again.

There were not two ways about it, Leicester were shit. Only Walker, Elliott and Izzet when he could be bothered would ever get into any Premiership side and before the match they had only won two from seventeen at home in the league this season. Utter shite, and we could not be bothered against this crap – no excuses – it makes you fucking mad!

At halftime, it was good to see all the old faces you see at away matches – all those that were in the Fernhurst before Blackburn in August – Osama, Cyril Smith, Compo etc – all here at Leicester in May – and one assumes have been for many years previously and will do for many more years – chasing the all too elusive dream of Spurs success.

The second half was again scrappy before we got back to putting Leicester on the back foot without looking that dangerous. We scored when Clemence picked up the ball from a half cleared corner and went for the left by-line, but was upended on the corner of the box. Definite penalty and when you realised it was Walker in goal, a definite goal. Ted duly thumped the ball home for his 111th Spurs goal, one more than Hoddle – but still large sections of the crowd hate him, which is a shame.

That was about as good as it got. Only three times have Spurs scored more than one away – Fulham and in the dim and distant past Newcastle and Sunderland. We won all of these games – but in the remaining 15 we have managed one or none and only won once. Just not good enough – and while Hoddle blamed defensive errors, surely someone, preferably two or three, who scores goals is what we need next season, along with a central midfielder with a pair of bollocks and more cover at wing back.

A goal behind, Leicester played a bit more freely and after sending a shot over, a goon reject smashed the ball home after no one closed down after a Mr Ed tackle. Dismal shite. Keller had no chance but the poor old Jonah next to me slumped back in his seat as he knew it was more awayday horror. Bad to worse not long after. Treacle gave away a throw when he should have done better. Elliott headed it on and Piper nipped in front of Thatcher to nod home. 

We barely huffed and puffed to get ourselves back into it – not helped by a couple of mad and bad substitutions. Davies may not be at the top of his game – he should have created more against both Bolton and Leicester – but he was still a threat to them and never stopped wanting the ball or trying before he was withdrawn. Poyet escapes largely as a result of having something in his contract or his anonymity meaning that Hoddle had forgot about him. Clem was the next to go. Anderton was crap, a second rate player living on former glories and it was Clemence who was offering any hope from the midfield, but unfortunately either another dodgy “must not be subbed” contract deal or a smaller reputation saw Clem given the elbow for the Doc with Sheringham in midfield. Ted had a couple of efforts near the end, but they were not much really – and I only remembered Iversen was playing when I looked at the programme.

At the end of the match, the old Bill up there stood in front of Spurs with Riot shields, while a load of Leicester came on the pitch behind them and ran riot– another victory for intelligent policing. Sheringham, bless him risked potential attack from Leicester fans by coming over to applaud the Spurs supporters as the old Bill and stewards lost control. We all sloped off only to be greeted by more old bill blocking off Spurs fans getting back to their cars. It was a miserable experience and I could not wait to get to London as quick as I could, although after meeting up with the Terry Naylor fan club, we decided to drown sorrows and shattered dreams with a couple of pints round the back of the station. I felt bad, but TNFC was probably worse as he came to terms with losing his bet about Spurs finishing above Villa because Villa won at Chelsea, while we lost to this crap.

Goons were all over St Pancreas when we got back and this was a miserable end to what for the most part has been a good season – a season where we have got back to being Tottenham – playing good football, doing well in the cups and being hopelessly frustrating in the League. Lets hope this is the start of better to come and that as we chase the rainbows end, it is not always just around the bend, and no, at this moment in time, I don’t feel a song coming on!

COME ON YOU SPURS!

The Word of Hod

"There are no excuses for that performance. It was dreadful. Things have to change. At times we have played some smashing football but made some defensive errors. At least it has given me something to think about over the summer. We have done it too many times this season and it is an indictment on this club. I wanted us to finish seventh but the way we lost it today really disappoints me."

Keller (5/10) – No chance with the goals and did ok otherwise

Thatcher (5/10) – Did ok, nothing special

Gardner (5/10) – Solid at the back and hope for the future

Perry (5/10) – Reliable as ever

Taricco (4/10) – Seems well down on the form he showed earlier in the year and it appear the racist press stuff has got to him

Anderton (5/10) – Second rate when he should be the leading light of our midfield. This has happened too often this season and we need to decide if a change is as good as a rest with him

Clemence (5/10) – Did ok and hopefully can build on the good impression he created against Liverpool. The talent is just about there, now its about doing it week in week out and not resting on laurels after a good match.

Poyet (4/10) – It is better to try and fail, than not to try at all. Where was he?

Davies (5/10) – Not everything came off for him, but his effort, along with Clemence, shone out as players who actually gave a shit. Their “reward” was to be subbed!

Sheringham (6/10) – Did ok compared to his recent form, but no great shakes and could not raise the team as captain

Iversen (4/10) – See Poyet (and Anderton)

Subs:

Doherty (5/10) –

Etherington (4/10) –

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