Confirmed as Sunday May 18th 2008 at World of Football, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh.

Squads of 7.

Entry - £50 per team.

Each team will be guaranteed at least three matches.

Please email scotspurs@hotmail.co.uk for payment details and further information.

Saturday 16th February 2008

Spurs defeated Slavia Prague 2-1 in the Czech capital on Thursday evening, with goals from Berbatov and Keane enough to win the Uefa Cup last 32 match.

In freezing conditions Spurs were 2-0 up at half time and at a canter, however a sloppy second half allowed the hosts a goal back when Cerny dropped a cross.

For the Prague 2008 photo gallery click here. More photos from the trip will be uploaded when i have more time.

Friday 8th February 2008

Spurs will face lowly Derby on Saturday at Pride Park, and they will want to avoid being the first beaten side there since Newcastle left point - less in September.

With new boys Woodgate and Hutton fitting well into the defence, and Derby powder puff at best, Spurs should be on course to wrap up their first away 3 pointer of 2008.

The Rams though have strengthened a little, bringing in experience like Robbie Savage and Alan Stubbs, while Spurs player Hossam Ghaly is on loan to Paul Jewell's side.

Saturday February 2nd 2008

Spurs today drew 1-1 with Manchester United at White Hart Lane, but having led until after the regulation stoppage time, the draw seemed more like a loss.

Dimitar Berbatov had opened the scoring on 20 minutes when good work on the right from Jenas and Lennon was rewarded with the Bulgarian slotting home from inside the area. Spurs had further good chances as Manchester United failed to get a grip on proceedings.

New boys Jonny Woodgate and Alan Hutton had terrific games on their White Hart Lane debut's and there was also praise for Chimbonda who played the unaccustomed left back role.

Hutton and Woodgate, right, had, along with Dawson and Chimbonda kept the United flair players at bay for 90 minutes, but a corner 30 seconds over stoppage time had United back in the game when Dawson could only turn the ball into his net, with Tevez in close proximity.

Thursday 31st January 2008
Spurs earlier this evening announced the capture of Hertha Berlin left - back Gilberto. The 31 year old Brazilian, pictured left, was subject to some debate and initial reports suggested that he had failed a medical and would not be joining Spurs.

As well as Gilberto coming in, there was plenty of activity going the other way, with Jermain Defoe, Paul Stalteri and Anthony Gardner leaving Spurs, and Teemu Tainio very nearly joining Birmingham. Defoe joined Portsmouth for a fee of around £9m whilst both Stalteri and Gardner have went out on loan, to Fulham and Everton respectively.

Wednesday 30th January 2008

Spurs today confirmed the signing of Scotland International right - back Alan Hutton from Rangers in a fee said to be worth around £9m to the Ibrox club. 23 year old Hutton has earned rave reviews in the last 18 months, putting in spectacular performances for Rangers against the cream of Europe and for Scotland against the likes of France and Italy.

It is reckoned that the man from Penilee in Glasgow has signed a four year deal with Spurs and he should go into the squad to face Manchester United on Saturday at White Hart Lane.

Monday 28th January 2008

Spurs this evening announced the signing of Middlesborough captain Jonathan Woodgate on a 3 and a half year deal, worth around £7m to the Teeside club.

28 year old Woodgate initially joined his hometown club in 2006 after an imjury plagued spell at Real Madrid. His injury problems seem to have quelled a little at The Riverside Stadium.

He previously had spells with Leeds United and Newcastle, and has won caps for England.

Tuesday January 22nd 2008, White Hart Lane

As a Spurs fan of nearly 20 years standing it has been difficult watching most North London derby matches. In that time, only a handful of wins have been achieved over the South London imposters and along the way there has been some painful defeats, and even drawn matches, when somehow, we have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory or had to settle for a share of the spoils when it really should have been different.

This though, has just eased those painful memories, and, for now at least, we are Kings of North London. It is ever so slightly difficult, nay impossible, for me to write this without feeling the need to be gleeful and smug but i will do my best. I hate The Goons, simple really, and they have made many a day sad for me. This was payback.

Of course, they could rabbit on about it being their reserves, or the "kids" but plainly Arsenal fielded a team that would not really look too out of place in the Premier League. Amongst the starters were club captain William Gallas, former club captain Gilberto, vastly experienced Belarussian Hleb, regular first team players Sagna, Diaby and Hoyte as well as several others with International experience and the like. Just for good measure Fabregas came on, at 1-0 Spurs, on 20 minutes.

Anyway the day started well enough, the hours drive to the train station in Edinburgh passing without any hassle. There i met up with another couple of Scotspurs and we boarded the 11am train bound for Kings Cross. The journey was fairly uneventful and match chat was kept to a minimum as several tinnies were consumed.

We got into Kings Cross around four, headed for the hotel near Victoria, dropped the bags and started to head up Tottenham way, only stopping at a nice wee pub in Pimlico before jumping on the tube for Seven Sisters. We decided to walk from there as the trains were coming in from Liverpool Street jam packed solid and there was little chance of getting on one.

Have to make a little mention of the Jamaican place on the High Road, about half way between Seven Sisters and the ground. Top notch patties!

By the time we got up to The Lane it was about half seven, so in we went for a pint and to get some pre match atmosphere. Eventually 8 o'clock arrived and my nerves were already shredded. Thankfully 3 minutes later Jenas helped sort that out with a great finish after a neat run. JJ loves playing Arsenal, and i love JJ, so all is good.

Over the next 20 minutes or so The Goons threaten rarely and only a couple of wild efforts well over are produced by Wengers team. The pace is fairly frantic, but Spurs are playing quite well, responding superbly to the noise being created by everyone with blue and white blood. It is incessant, non stop and probably the best atmosphere i have experienced at the dear old lady we call home.

On 27 minutes, bedlam! - It's 2-0 Spurs! Jenas floats in a wicked free - kick from distance, Dawson goes up for the challenge with Bendtner and the Dane has the misfortune to beat Daws to the ball and put it past Fabianski into his own net. Three minutes later and Berbs is going to wrap it up. Jenas is involved again, playing the Bulgarian in, but his effort when clean through smacks the base of the Polish International keepers goal and rebounds to safety. Lucky escape for the Goons.

Half - time arrives and Spurs still look very assured. It gives us a wee opportunity to rest the voicebox. During the break i start thinking of the different ways the game might go. Yep, early second half goal is the key here. We must not do a Martin Jol, and sit back.

Cue Robbie Keane. Three minutes after the restart he races through onto a superb ball and beats Fabianski for three nothing. Absolute madness. Wild scenes. Is this really happening?

Number 4 is not that long in coming and this time it is Lennon. The winger exchanges passes with Keane before a cool finish is slotted past the keeper. Now we know. Now we are certain. Spurs are on their way to Wembley!!!

Soon after The Goons pull one back, and in fairness it's not a bad strike, Adebayor beating the otherwise superb Cerny with a 20 yarder into the postage stamp corner. For a little while after Woolwich huffed and puffed a little but the back four, superbly assisted in particular by Tainio and Jenas held firm and in truth they never looked like adding to their single strike.

On 90 minutes Steed Malbranque put the icing on the cake, ghosting in at the far post to finish a low Jenas cross after JJ had wonderfully worked the opportunity, skinning his man on the right.

In summary - superb, brilliant, marvelous, fucking amazing. Words do not do it justice. Jenas was awesome, Tainio fantastic, the back four solid, Cerny was safe, Lennon, Keane, Steed, Berbs, all brilliant.

Thank You Juande, Thank You Gus, Thank You all those players out there.

Friday October 26th 2007

It has all but been confirmed that Juande Ramos has quit as manager of La Liga side Seville, paving the way for his move to White Hart Lane. He is believed to be flying to Luton in the morning to finalise the deal with Spurs.

It is also reported that Leeds United coach Gus Poyet had been told by his club not to travel for their game with Millwall at the weekend, spraking further the thought that the Uruguayan will team up with Ramos at The Lane.

Friday 26th October 2007


Last night's 2-1 Uefa Cup loss to Spaniards Getafe has almost been lost amidst the controversy of the last few hours surrounding the departure of Martin Jol from Spurs. Jol, Spurs boss since November 2004, is said to have agreed a severance package with the board prior to the match last night.


Despite this, Jol took charge of the team for one final time, and although there was no faulting the efforts of the players on the night, the poor run of form continued, culminating in our first home loss in over 20 years in European action. Spurs took the lead in the 19th minute through a Jermain Defoe header after a nice move from Spurs. However, the Madrid side were allowed back into the game less than two minutes later when a long, harmless looking free-kick was missed by all and sundry, De La Red apart, who claimed the goal with the slightest of touches. Radek Cerny was most culpable. With 20 minutes remaining Getafe scored what proved to be the winner, and although Spurs pressed forward the men in blue defended brilliantly.


The second half had the most surreal feel to it - news had filtered through at half time of Jol's impending departure - and at times it was almost too insane to believe. However, on the touchline, and latterly the dug out, Jol sat, carving the figure of a broken man, one who had had his last stand. Mr.Nice guy was about to leave the building.


As events began to unfold it was then reported that First team coach Chris Hughton was also asked to leave the club, and this morning it became apparent that Hans Segers was also sacked with immediate effect. For the time being Clive Allen and Alex Inglethorpe are to take the reigns with Perry Suckling temporarily training the goalkeepers.

The loss of Hughton and Segers, pictured right, will be of no great consequence in my own humble opinion. For me, Hughton, survived a few culls too many, and although a great servant to the club i feel there can be no room for sentiment if we want success. Segers, for me, just did not seem to improve our goalkeepers and even his half time exercises with the sub goalkeepers were nothing more than a bit of keepy uppy. Surely a goalkeeper needs more than that.

Speculation continues to suggest that Seville coach Juande Ramos will be the next Tottenham manager, with former Spurs favourite Gus Poyet rumoured to be in line to come in as the Spaniards assistant. Poyet is currently working at League 1 Leeds United under Dennis Wise.

Spurs vs Getafe, Uefa Cup group stage, Thursday October 25th, 7.45PM

Tonight Spurs entertain Spanish outfit Getafe at The Lane in our first group match of the current campaign. It is an early opportunity to erase the memory of the poor performance against Newcastle on Monday night, but there is further selection worries for Martin Jol. Club Captain Ledley King is still a week or so away from full training and will be joined on the sidelines by Gareth Bale and Lee Young Pyo. With Benoit Assou Ekotto already ruled out along with Ricardo Rocha it presents a very real problem in the left back area.
Radek Cerny will continue in goal and it is reported that Ben Alnwick will be recalled from his loan spell at Luton to take up a place on the bench in the absence of Paul Robinson. Up front there is no reported injury worries.
The match will be shown live on ITV4, with a kick off time of 7.45.

Tuesday 23rd September 2007

Now the dust is starting to settle on what was a pretty shambolic 3-1 defeat at St.James' Park last night, it seems Tottenham manager Martin Jol is once again being thrust under intense scrutiny, by both the media and a large number of Spurs fans. There can be doubt that the Dutchman has been a great thing for us over the last three years or so, as two 5th place finishes will testify. The last man to gain qualification for Europe in consecutive seasons was Keith Burkinshaw back in the early 1980s, and to be compared to the Yorkshireman in that respect is no bad thing.

However, i do believe that Jol has taken us possibly as far as he can, and if we really want to reach that "next level" we all so badly strive for then he must be replaced. So far his multi million pound side have managed just three victories in all competitions this season, against whipping boys Derby in the Premier League, Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta in the Uefa Cup, and a Carling Cup win over 'Boro at The Lane. It does not make good reading.

There are far too many worrying signs - the 3-3 draw snatched from the jaws of victory at Fulham. Leading Arsenal 1-0 before capitulating in the last half hour. Going down 4-1 at home to an absurdly average Aston Villa side. The way we salvaged a point in that game does merit some credit, but why we were every losing to that kind of scoreline in the first place was shocking.

The second half performance at Anfield was encouraging and we were probably a little unlucky to concede that injury time leveler from the head of Torres.Then in our following match, to be completely outplayed and outfought by Newcastle is just not acceptable. Losing, sometimes, can be accepted, but the manner of the defeat hurts.

I hate to be sitting here writing this, and i wish that i was doing an editorial full of praise for my heroes but i cannot, i feel conned, let down and the buck has got to stop with the man in charge. The trouble is, i cannot see a manager out there to replace Jol, not least one that is available with immediate effect.

Just who are Getafe?

On Thursday evening we welcome Getafe to White Hart Lane for our first Uefa Cup group tie of the 2007-08 season. The Spaniards, managed by Dane Michael Laudrup, qualified for the Uefa Cup by virtue of losing the final of the Copa Del Rey to Seville. They also finished a very respectable 9th in La Liga.

They hail from Getafe, a city that is within the metropolis of Madrid, to the south of the city and play their games at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez which holds just over 16,000 supporters. Originally formed in 1946, the current set up actually began in 1983 after an amalgamation and various name changes. They first played top flight football in just 2004.

Tuesday 23rd October 2007

For the third successive season Spurs went down 3-1 at Newcastle United, and again last night, the performance was sub zero, as the men in lily white failed to shine on a cold North East evening. Three avoidable goals shipped and only when we were 2-0 then 3-1 down did we really look a team wanting something from the game. For Scotspurs, there was a good turnout for a Monday evening televised fixture and although the defeat was sore to take, i am sure a decent night was had by all.

07/07/07

 Spurs today started their pre season with a 3-1 win over Stevenage Borough at Broadhall Way. This will be last of the annual games between the sides as the Spurs reserves will now play their games at Leyton Orient.

 Robbie Keane opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Ollie Allen, son of Clive, equalised for the home side before half time. Darren Bent then netted a debut goal and Adel Taarabt sealed the win with a low 20 yarder. The goals can be seen, by scrolling down the page to the previous article and clicking on the youtube link.

  Spurs tonight announced the signing of Southampton youngster Gareth Bale in a deal that could end up worth £10 million to the Saints. 17 year old Bale, already a full Welsh international, has finally signed on at White Hart Lane after months of speculation. Many inside the game have said that the deal for the left sided player was tied up back in the january window but he chose to remain at St.Marys in an effort to help Saints gain promotion back to the Premiership, a goal which failed to materialise after defeat from Derby County in the play off semi final.
 Bale joining Spurs could see the end of the Spurs line for either Benoit Assou-Ekotto or YP Lee.

  Spurs today clinched 5th place in the Premiership for the second season on the bounce, once again gaining entry into the Uefa Cup. It is the first time in over 20 years that White Hart lane will grace European action two seasons running.
 Before kick off we knew a point against Manchester City would be suffice to gain qualification, but to be certain of 5th a win was a must. Goals from Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov put Spurs 2 up before M'Penza pulled one back for City. In between the City consolation and a late Defoe penalty miss, keeper Paul Robinson made two excellent saves to keep the Manchester men at bay.

 Overall it was a satisfying enough end to the season and will have us all looking forward to another Uefa Cup sojourn, that we enjoyed so much this season just passed. Trips to Prague and Leverkusen were personal highlights of the season for me, and they leave you hungry for more!

  Spurs tonight welcome Cardiff City to White Hart Lane for a FA Cup third round replay. The initial tie at Ninian Park ended in a 0-0 draw ten days ago and the winners of this evening's match will face Southend United at home.
 
The match in Cardiff was fairly even and close fought and it is without a doubt that the same battling Cardiff side will come to WHL. They enjoyed the backing of a very boisterous support in Wales though, and will certainly miss that on their travels.

 For Spurs this game could provide a quick tonic after the huge setback against Newcastle on sunday.  Despite battering The Toon goal with no less than 30 attempts somehow Shay Given kept the score down and Glenn Roeder and his men escaped up the A1 with all three points after a 3-2 win they will know they never deserved. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask.

 

  Arsenal have been confirmed as our opponents in the Semi - Final of The Carling Cup. The first leg, at The Lane, will take place on 24/01/07 while the Emirates match will be the following tuesday, 30/01/07. The Gooners booked their berth in the semi with a 6-3 win over Liverpool.

  Aaron Lennon has today signed a new 5 year deal at Spurs. Good news indeed. Our flying winger has committed himself to us despite some rumours regarding his future.

  It was also announced today that details for the Uefa Cup clash with Feyenoord in Rotterdam will now have to be put on hold as the hearing for their off field problems cast no answers as yet.

 08/01/07

 Should Spurs put Cardiff City to the sword in the FA Cup 3rd round replay next week, then they will have a home tie in round 4 against either Barnsley or Carling Cup opponents Southend United. While The Shrimpers were at WHL in december, losing 1-0 after extra time, it has been 9 years since The Tykes of Barnsley have been at The Lane, having played a Premiership game and an FA Cup tie during the 1997-98 season.

07/01/06

  Spurs were this afternoon held to a drab 0-0 draw at Ninian Park as Championship side Cardiff City earned themselves a replay in the third round of The FA Cup. The Welsh outfit played their part in a game that was full of effort and endeavour but had little skill or flashes of brilliance.
 
Both sides did create chances to win the game, with Chopra coming close for The Bluebirds', and Berbatov and Defoe coming close for Spurs. The front pairing, otherwise, had a quiet afternoon as the rain lashed down on Ninian Park.

 On the plus side for Spurs the game saw the return of both Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon, with the pair appearing as second half substitutes.

 Overall Spurs did look a little shaky, particularly the back line, with all 4 defenders and Robbo making individual errors that could have proved costly. Robbo in particular is going through a shaky spell, and i hope it is going to come to an end sharpish. The draw does Spurs no real favours with a plethora of games already on the horizon in the coming 6 weeks.

  Spurs defender Anthony Gardner looks set to be on his way to Upton Park if reports are to be believed. The giant centre half has apparently already had his medical with the East Londoners as they look to add to their squad in their quest to avoid the dreaded drop.

 Gardner joined Spurs from Port Vale in early 2000 and has built up an appearance record of over 100 games in Lily White. He was once the main central defender in the side, and was capped once for England during his most consistent spell at White Hart Lane.

 Over the last 2 or 3 seasons his appearances have become more and more restricted, with injury and lack of form keeping him on the sidelines for the most part.

05/01/06

 On the fifth day of the january transfer window the rumours regarding players coming and going from Spurs continue. If some media circles are to be believed then Charlton Athletic striker Darren Bent is sure to be a Tottenham player before long. Bent, pictured below, has been one of the few Addicks players worthy of any praise this season scoring eleven goals so far. He has a good scoring record, both with the South Londoners and Ipswich Town, having netted around 80 times in 180 games or so.

 Spurs are also reported to have made a formal bid for West Brom defender Curtis Davies, which the Baggies are said to have knocked back. It would seem, one way or another, that the youngster's future lies away from The Hawthorns with a few other clubs in for him.

 There has also been much written about Watford youngster Ashley Young. There has been much conjecture about his future - seven different clubs are said to have made a bid for the player - with the a £7 million offer apparently made to The Vicarage Road club by one of the septet.

 Other players mentioned are Dortmund defender Metzelder, which i believe unlikely to be perfectly blunt, and seemingly Bolo Zenden will become a Spurs player depending on how Liverpool get on with their transfer targets. Like i said before most of the guys mentioned as certain Spurs players by the media and by good old "ITK'S" on message boards are unlikely at best to become one.

 For me, of all the players we have been linked with we perhaps need only one or two of them. One is Leighton Baines, a proper left back which i think we really need pronto, and Joey Barton. The Manchester City midfielder has a bad side, but is certainly a player who would give our team some much needed grit. He can pass, tackle and score the odd goal so there aint much more you can ask for in a midfield player.

 Of all the other players mentioned, Giles Barnes and Gareth Bale may be good if we are planning on winning the Reserve League again, because i do not believe they are anywhere near ready to step into the Tottenham side right now. Both are worth a try as long as the plan is to slowly introduce them to the harsh reality that is the Premier League.

  Spurs, as always, have been linked with a whole host of players as the transfer window opens. "Silly season" as it might also be called. One name mentioned in various media circles is that of Bolton midfielder Abdoulaye Faye. The Senegal internationalist has been the subject of many rumours regarding his future, which does appear to lie away from The Reebok. Faye, pictured left, would certainly add some much needed steel in the middle of the park.

 Other names that have been regularly mentioned as heading to Spurs are Ashley Young and Gareth Barry. Watford left sided winger Young is seen by many in the Spurs crowd as a player who could solve our problems in that area of midfield, although with Watford looking to add to their squad, with a relegation fight ahead, it seems they want to hold onto their prize asset. As for Barry, a Spurs fan incidentally, he would be a great signing in my own opinion but its not a transfer i can see happening in all honesty.

 Derby County's Giles Barnes is another name being mentioned, and while the youngster looks to have great potential, he is probably not ready for The Premier League, much like Southampton left back Gareth Bale, yet another left sided player linked with us.

 Yet another left - back, Leighton Baines, has been linked with us and this is the one player i would like to see join. The Wigan Athletic man has shown terrific consistency over the last 18 months in The Premier League, and beyond that when The Latics' were riding high in the Championship. Baines is still a youngster and is involved in the England set up at Under 21 level. He will surely be pushing for full honours in the near future. Baines is pictured on the right.

 And yet there is more, with Curtis Davies of West Brom having been linked with us for some time. Arsenal are also said to be interested in the young centre - back.

 Lucas Neill has also been mentioned and it was said that Manchester City right back Micah Richards would be White Hart Lane bound, but apparently Chelsea have upped their interest in him and he will be moving to West London instead of North.

 All in all, it will be interesting to see how many of these stories are nothing more than poppycock, and how many have any threads of truth. Let the madness continue.

  Spurs will travel to South Wales on sunday, hoping that there will be a return a few weeks later. Cardiff, will of course, stage the Carling Cup Final, and perhaps the e-on sponsored FA Cup final too, should the building contractors at Wembley fail to finish the showpiece stadium by may.
 
  Anyway onto the matter in hand, a potentially tricky visit to Ninian Park, to face Championship side Cardiff City in the FA Cup 3rd round. Spurs will know not to take the Bluebirds' lightly, having stumbled out of the same competition this time last season, with a 3-2 defeat at Leicester City. Whilst last season The Foxes were struggling going into the game against Spurs, Cardiff have made a good start to the season and they are still well in contention in the race for the play - offs. Their form has dipped a little bit in the last few weeks, but they will still pose a real danger, particularly in front of their infamous and boisterous home crowd.

 On the injury front for Spurs it is possible Robbie Keane could return to the action after a 5 week lay off although whether he will be fit enough to start is unknown at this stage. Hossam Ghaly will certainly miss out after his teeth were kicked out at Pompey on monday and captain Ledley King will remain on the sidelines having missed the last three games also. Once again Calum Davenport is expected to deputise.

 New signing Ben Alnwick may be in the squad, although Radek Cerny will be expected to keep his place as the reserve goalkeeper. Other new face Adel Taarabt is still waiting on clearance from the French FA, which should be finalised before the the trip.
 

  Spurs third choice 'keeper Marton Fulop has joined up with Roy Keane at Sunderland as part of the deal which saw Ben Alnwick swap the Stadium of Light for White Hart Lane. The young Hungarian failed to establish himself in the first team squad, with Robbo and Radek Cerny the mainstays of the squad.

  The player signed from MTK had loan spells at Chesterfield and Coventry City as a Spurs player. It looked at one stage like the move to The Sky Blues would become permanent but it never materialised.

  The first Spurs signings of the january transfer window have been confirmed. Ben Alnwick has joined us from Sunderland. The 20 year old goalkeeper, pictured left, is regarded as one for the future, having already racked up first team experience with Sunderland including an appearance against Spurs in december 2005 at The Lane.

 The other signing is that of 17 year old French player Adel Taarabt from Lens. He will be iniatially coming to Spurs on loan. Spurs Sporting Director Damien Comolli has went on record as saying he is one of the hottest properties in the French league.

 Well that is 2006 out of the way, and it ended in dissapointing fashion, with Liverpool winning the final game of the year 1-0 at White Hart Lane, thanks to a Garcia goal. Despite a load of pressure and various chances we couldn't claw back the deficit.

 On new years day we fared slightly better, drawing 1-1 at high flying Pompey. Harry Redknapp and his team are a hard nut to crack at Fratton Park and this has to be seen as a decent away point. We fell behind to a deflected Benjani strike on the half hour mark, but equalised on 50 minutes thanks to Steed Malbranque netting his second goal in Lily White. The match also saw a little controversy as early as the second minute when ex Spur Noe Pamarot caught Hossam Ghaly square in the mouth with a high boot. The Egyptian lost 4 teeth and a had a split lip and although he soldiered on he was eventually replaced by Danny Murphy at half time.

  Liverpool will visit White Hart Lane on saturday to become our final opponents of the year. Matches between The Reds and Spurs are often close, especially at The Lane, indeed the last three have ended in draws, 1-1 twice in 2004-05 (one was in The Carling Cup) and 0-0 in last seasons opening game.
 You have to look back nearly three years, to janaury 2004, to find a game that ended in victory for either side, Spurs winning 2-1 thanks to a Keano penalty and a rare Helder Postiga goal.

 Of course the sides have already crossed paths this season, with Liverpool running out 3-0 winners at Anfield in september, with Riise, Kuyt and Gonzalez grabbing the goals, all in the second half. It was a game we looked like taking something from, until our collapse.

 The sides may yet meet again - should The Reds progress past Arsenal in The Carling Cup they will play us over a two legged semi - final in the new year. The picture above is actually from a Carling Cup game, the aforementioned 1-1 draw from the quarter final tie in late 2004. Despite large amounts of Spurs pressure and chances a young Reds side held on for the draw, with a Kanoute handball giving them a penalty and a lifeline, and ultimately won the penalty shoot - out.

 Spurs have at this time no fresh injury worries, and the team should look much the same as the one that beat Villa on boxing day. Hopefully the partnership of Dimitar Berbatov and Jermain Defoe will continue to flourish and we will be rewarded with another vital three points.

  Spurs today (boxing day) continued their fine home form as they beat Aston Villa 2-1 with a Jermain Defoe double doing the damage. After the dissapointment of saturday's 3-1 loss at Newcastle we bounced back to record our 12th home win on the trot.
 
 Despite a fair bit of first half pressure we went in at half time at 0-0, and as the second half wore on remaining a stalemate you began to wonder if it was just going to be another one of those days. But step forward Jermain Defoe - an excellent double from the little man, the first after good work and a great low pass from Berbs, the second a driven left footer after the Bulgarian had once again set him up, this time with a wee glance of the head.

 Villa did pull a goal back, and it was Spurs fan Gareth Barry who netted, on 81 minutes, after some poor defending by Dawson and Chimbonda.

  Spurs today lost 3-1 at St.James' Park, for the second time this year. Newcastle were to goals to the good after just 7 minutes with goals from Dyer and Martens doing the early damage. Danny Murphy reduced the deficit on 15 minutes before Scott Parker rounded off the scoring 11 minutes from the interval.

 Tottenham had lost Jermain Defoe during the pre match warm up so Murphy came into the side with Malbranque playing behind Berbatov. It was a tactic that failed to pay off on day Newcastle had a hardly untried back four.

 We now face the prospect of a boxing day clash with Aston Villa, who must have felt like Dick Turpin last season when they left The Lane with a point after a very one sided 0-0 draw. Villa were today beaten 3-0 at home by Manchester United so they too will be looking to bounce back. Defoe it is said, should be fit to return on tuesday and one hopes that he will continue his good recent form at White Hart Lane.

  Our home match against Bolton Wanderers, originally scheduled for saturday 24th february, has been switched to sunday 25th of february, due to our Uefa Cup commitments.

 Hopefully though, our involvement in The Carling Cup Final that same day, will see the game switched a second time.

 SPURS legend Gary Mabbutt said this week it would be a "travesty" if Tottenham's Uefa Cup away tie against Feyenoord is played behind closed doors.

 The Lilywhites have been drawn against the Dutch outfit in the last 32 - a repeat of the 1974 final - but Feyenoord could face further disciplinary action after been given a suspended two-match stadium ban when fans rioted before their game against Nancy.

 The European governing body Uefa has appealed against its independent disciplinary tribunal's decision and want a more severe penalty, possibly for the sentence not to be suspended. The appeal will be heard in early January.

 However, Mabbutt who helped Spurs to victory in the competition in 1984, believes it would be the Spurs supporters who would be punished the most.

 "There is a real threat the away tie could be played behind closed doors because of recent trouble before one of Feyenoord's games," Mabbutt said.

 "But it would be a travesty if it is and would punish the Spurs contingent. It is the first time in seven years the club has been back in Europe and our away support has been magnificent.

 "I have been to all our away games in Europe this season and the fans have really enjoyed the games. Their behaviour has been incredible."

 However, on the field Mabbutt feels that Tottenham will face a stiff task against the Rotterdam club over the two legs which are to be played in February. "We've got a very tough draw," he said. "I would have preferred to have drawn teams from Belgium or Israel.
 
 "There's no doubt we've produced our best performances - apart from beating Chelsea in the Premiership - in Europe, especially away from home. I think we have exceeded our expectations and easily won the group.

 "But we've got to beat the best teams if we are going to win it and the players will be relishing the games."

 The first leg against Feyenoord will take place on February 14 or 15 with the return leg on February 22. If Spurs progress they will meet Braga or Parma in the last 16.

 Spurs and Feyenoord have met four times previously in European competition, with two wins each.

 Tottenham supporters rioted after their 1974 Uefa Cup final second leg in Rotterdam, following Feyenoord's 4-2 aggregate victory.

 Tomorrow Tottenham, who recorded their first away league win at Manchester City  last Sunday, start their busy Christmas programme with a trip to improving Newcastle United followed by the visit of Aston Villa to the Lane on Boxing Day.

With thanks to "paisley yid" for this find, extracted from the Guardian, quite a sad tale of one of our most important forefathers. One of the most moving stories is that of the "father and founder" of Spurs, John Ripsher, the bible class teacher at All Hallows Church. He served the club as president for its first 11 years, stepping down in 1894 with Spurs, still amateur, playing in the Southern Alliance League at their own ground at Northumberland Park - the early days on the Tottenham Marshes had been rough. The last the club heard of Ripsher was in the early 1900s, when he had moved to Dover and gone blind. Lupson, dedicated in his research of these men, tracked down what happened: Ripsher had lost his health, could no longer work and in January 1906 was admitted to the Union Road workhouse where he died the following year. Lupson tramped to the Dover cemetery to find Ripsher's unmarked, overgrown pauper's plot, a shocking spot to contemplate the man's contribution to Spurs.

  Spurs had a late Jermain Defoe goal to thank for putting paid to Southend United in last nights' Carling Cup quarter final at The Lane. Despite various chances to win the game a combination of poor finishing, the woodwork and Darryl Flahavan kept Spurs at bay until the 115th minute when on form Defoe finished a neat move.
 
 With that tricky tie now out the way we can look forward to the semi - final next year, where we will play either Wycombe, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal. We will find out who on saturday when the draw is made.

 Looking ahead to saturday we travel to face Newcastle United, who scraped a late win last saturday against Watford at St.James' Park. In april we lost 3-1 there, with one of our most inept displays of an otherwise decent season. The thing is Newcastle were not exactly at their best that day, so any kind of improved performance should see us come away with some kind of positive result. At least now we have that long awaited away win, achieved last week at City, and that in itself should build confidence among the players.

  Spurs will welcome Championship strugglers Southend United to The Lane on wednesday for our Carling Cup quarter final tie. The men from Roots Hall are rooted at the bottom of the second tier after a string of poor results.

 Despite their poor league form they will dangerous opponents, having disposed of Manchester United in the previous round courtesy of a Freddie Eastwood goal and a string of fine saves from keeper Darryl Flahaven.

 Spurs of course toiled to get past League 2 Port Vale in the last round, requiring extra time before finally seeing off the men from Stoke 3-1.

 Looking ahead, there is many very important games ahead over the next fortnight and beyond and it is likely that Martin Jol will change things about for this tie. Mido will be looking to start, with Berbs probably the man rested, and there might also be starting places for Gardner, Davenport and Stalteri.
 

  Spurs this afternoon recorded their first away victory in the league this season. A terrific first half display saw Spurs tear into a two goal lead, abd despite the standard slipping a little in the second period we held on for a 2-1 victory to keep our superb record at the City of Manchester Stadium intact.

 Indeed it is 12 years since The Lily Whites lost away to The Blues, and within 24 first half minutes it looked unlikely that proud record would be broken. From the outset Spurs were the better side, and Dimitar Berbatov had already saw a left foot shot cleared off the line by Distin before we opened the scoring in 14 minutes. A free kick was won out on the left, about 35 yards from goal and it was Tom Huddlestone who curled in a floated ball for Callum Davenport to guide past the outstretched Nick Weaver in The Citizens goal for the opener.

 Spurs continued to hold the upper hand and it was no surprise when we went two up on 24 minutes. Huddlestone won the ball outside his own area, passed forward to Berbatov who then found Ghaly who had made a run from the right. The Egyptian held the ball up before chipping a pass to the oncoming Huddlestone who unleashed an unstoppable half volley past Weaver from about 25 yards. The technique and drive shown by the 19 year old was a joy to watch.

 Before the half was up Spurs really could, and should, have been out of sight - Malbranque had a decent scissors kick deflected over by Richard Dunne with Weaver again beaten, and Berbs and Hudd had further efforts, with the latter curling one just over from 30 yards.

 The second half began brightly enough, with Defoe coming close in the opening seconds, hitting the side netting after worming his way past a couple of City defenders.

 Inevitably, with the game remaining at 2-0, City began to up the ante a little, taking control of the game, without looking overly dangerous. They did get what turned out to be a consolation though, on 64 minutes, when Dickov did well on the left flank before crossing for Joey Barton at the far post to volley home unmarked.

 Despite a fair bit of possession the home side rarely threatened the goal of Paul Robinson, and although they might have been awarded a late penalty for a Malbranque challenge on Barton, it would probably have been hard on Spurs whose first half display merited the 3 points.

 Now, at last, the monkey is off our back as far as an away win in the league is concerned and hopefully we can push on, with a visit to Newcastle looming after our Carling Cup tie with Southend in midweek.

  Spurs will today visit The City of Manchester Stadium, hoping to keep our decent record there going. Last season saw a fine 2-0 win there, courtesy of Mido and Keane, and the season previous it was 1-0 with Kanoute scoring. In 2003 we recorded a 0-0 draw during the bleak David Pleat reign.

 While our record there is a good one, City's home form this season has been their saving grace and we will have to perform to a similar standard as our last couple of games to come away with the points. On the squad front Dawson is suspended and its likely Callum Davenport will come in, having been given a run out on thursday against Dinamo Bucharest. Defoe and Berbatov would seem certainties to start as the front two, but take nothing for granted.

 For me, Lennon must start on the right, to try and take advantage of the slow Ben Thatcher and the midfield who dominated so well against the Romanians should be kept the same for this one. Although there is a chance that Steed Malbranque may come in, with either Hudd or Ghaly the likely casualty.

  Spurs welcome Chelsea to White Hart Lane hoping that we can gain our first 3 point haul off them in nearly 17 years. It was back in february 1990 that Spurs last recorded a league victory against them, and it came at Stamford Bridge, with a 2-1 scoreline.

 Need i say, it's far too long, and something that needs to be remedied as soon as, preferably on Sunday. With the confidence gained from the excellent display against FC Brugge, Spurs should go into the game in bouyant mood. The players we have here are more than capable of competing with them on their day, and if we can cut out costly mistakes, which seem to happen against Chelsea, and have a ref who is not conned by the Blues, then we have a real chance of a positive result.
 
Last season Mido being ordered off did not help our cause as we suffered defeat at the Lane, in a game we looked like controlling until Styles got out his red card after Mido' tussle with Asier Del Horno. And then of course we looked like snatching a draw at Stamford Bridge, and might have won if Jenas had not been wasteful, when a mistake by Stalteri allowed Gallas to score a winner right at the death.

 This record has to go sometime and sunday can be that day, with the right system and attitude from the players. I personally hope Martin Jol sticks with the Keane/Berbatov partnership for this game as they looked like they just might be working an understanding. Whatever Jol decides, surely Berbatov must start - he looks a player who could and will unlock the Chelsea defence.

  Dimitar Berbatov, left, stole the show last night as Spurs cruised past FC Brugge at the Lane. The Bulgarian scored twice and created the other for partner Robbie Keane as The Lily Whites won 3-1. Although the Belgians took a thirteenth minute lead, Spurs always looked more likely and ran out deserved and comfy winners.
 
 With the prospect of Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side coming to The Lane on sunday, Spurs will surely have gained much confidence from an excellent display against the men from Brugge. It is now over 16 years since we recorded a league victory over the West Londoners.

  Spurs travel the short journey to Watford on saturday knowing that the Hornets will be buoyed after progression in the Carling cup. It was the first outright win Aidy Boothroyd' side have managed this season and Martin Jol and his men will have to be properly prepared to come away from Vicarage Road with 3 points.

 Spurs are also going into the game after a good run of recent results, most recently the 5-0 win in Milton Keynes, where three of the strikers shared the goals. Defoe and Mido hit a brace apiece, while Keane scored in injury time after coming on as a sub.

 Watford, to their credit have battled hard thus far, and were perhaps unlucky not to get more from some of their games, most notably at Bolton and against Fulham at home, where they battled back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, only to throw away 2 points in the dying seconds. They have some dangerous players, with Marlon king and Ashley Young ones to watch, although King is doubtful for the Spurs game.

 Spurs and Watford of course don't meet all that often on league business, so this match is something of a novelty. Watford have only played one previous season in the Premier League, in 1999-2000. Although they had aome memorable matches, including a victory over Liverpool, that season is probably best forgotten from their point of view. It also signalled the beginning of the end of the tenure of Graham Taylor in that part of Herts.