I’ve been thinking about what my membership in Tottenham Hotspur Football Club actually means in light of all of the recent discussions regarding “supporters” and “fans” and “consumers” and other identifiers that have been thrown around recently. I’m not from London, or even the United Kingdom. I have never lived full time in London at […]
Being a member of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
I’ve been thinking about what my membership in Tottenham Hotspur Football Club actually means in light of all of the recent discussions regarding “supporters” and “fans” and “consumers” and other identifiers that have been thrown around recently.
I’m not from London, or even the United Kingdom. I have never lived full time in London at any point in my life. Obviously, I cannot attend first team matches at White Hart Lane every weekend like I would love to. But with the growth of the Premier League into an international phenomenon and the internet and television, I’m far from alone in this situation. I even saw a Tottenham shirt in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan recently (and no, it wasn’t David Bentley looking for a loan destination). Clearly, where you live does not define you as a Tottenham member, this is now a global club.
So what does membership really mean? Is it just a plastic card and the option to try and buy tickets a few times a year at most to first team matches? I don’t think so. This is a club for all members after all, not just the 25 millionaires playing in the first team. All of us, from every corner of the world – WE are Tottenham Hotspur. More than anything the first team players do on the pitch on the weekends, what we do every day of our lives is the core of the club and what defines us.
[linequote]All of us, from every corner of the world – WE are Tottenham Hotspur.[/linequote]
Work with your local youth football clubs and teach them to play the right way, with respect for the game and for the people involved with it. When you play in your Sunday league, play the game the right way. In the office, at home, with your family – it’s not just on Saturday afternoon at 1500 at White Hart Lane that you are supporting the club, you are leaving a lasting impression every moment of your life. Dare to do something great in your life, and if you fail – have aimed so high that your failure is tinged with glory. Those aren’t simply trite throwaway quotes, those should be how we look at everything in our lives.
And when someone asks you why you live your life the way you do, simply respond: “I am a member of the greatest club in the world”. Because you are.
Love the shirt.
[author name=”vadimivich” avatar=”http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/718342623/avatar291_1.gif” twitter=”vadimivich” tag=”vadimivich[/linequote]
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
7 Comments
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18/09/2012 @ 12:52 pm
very niceiy put…..coys
18/09/2012 @ 1:44 pm
Very well put. I have the same thoughts about how to live life. However I would put my reply to the question why I live my life that way by stating I am a Christian first then a Spurs supporter
18/09/2012 @ 2:02 pm
Good luck with that mate? I’m not so sure people should be bringing religion into football thank you! I don’t really care about your religious background. By the way if you didn’t already know, dinosaurs are not dragons from 5000 years ago and people most probably came from apes, so get over it mate. No get over yourself, I don’t care what you believe, do you think that you’re that important, that we should all know what you believe? Oh yes I hope I’ve offended you, cos people who press religion on others are also offensive.
18/09/2012 @ 7:47 pm
Proper cunt statement there. I’m not religious in the slightest but he wasn’t forcing anything on anybody. He was simply agreeing with the message that was written but expressing how he would respond to the question that was stated. You are the one forcing something down someone’s throat. Take your own advice, your malice and your aloof personality and fuck off with your desire to just argue. COYS
18/09/2012 @ 2:21 pm
just to back up my comments, here’s a list of many things religions have done for us: War, death, starvation, humiliation, genocide, threats, arguments, lies, more lies, more killing, the falling of the twin towers, the crusades, the devastation of true american people (the natives to the land), the same goes for African and many other civilisations, invading countries, undermining other ways of life, treachery, absolutely ridiculous stories & tales, torture, violence, bad attitudes, bad decisions and I could go on for ever. Anyway you get my point, you can keep your disgusting god! People have said to me in the past, yeah but what if you’re wrong, what would you say to god when you’re dead? I’d say “god get the fu(k out of my chair, I’m god now”!
19/09/2012 @ 4:31 pm
Now who’s bringing in religion unnecessarily. Tell me why that post has a place on a football message board. Or better yet…fuck off
19/09/2012 @ 12:09 am
Hey vadimivich, nicely said – its a good thing you didn’t say you were a secret gooner or something, then you would have got a few really crazy replies