Yesterday Michael Dawson made his anticipated move to Hull City. He leaves a legacy spanning over nine-and-a-half years making 324 appearances for Spurs, first as vice captain and then club captain since Ledley King’s retirement in 2012. He casts a long shadow at Tottenham and his commitment over the years will live long in the […]
In Recognition of Michael Dawson
As the final whistle blows the players head towards each other, shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries and generally putting to bed the events of the previous 90 minutes. In the main, players turn and wistfully glance around the stands, clapping their hands above their heads as an acknowledgement of the crowd. However, one man is different; if the result went our way then he would approach the Park Lane end, usually with his shirt draped over one shoulder, and throw a huge upwardly swinging fist pump into the air. Michael Dawson: a Tottenham win means as much to him as it does to us.
There aren’t many players that have that ability to stir our emotions with such a gesture; Ledley King, Rafael Van der Vaart, Gareth Bale, perhaps — but Dawson always felt it too. He loves Spurs. Having been pushed to the back of the centre-back queue under AVB, Dawson fought his way back into the first team and into our colours. He fought tooth and nail for his starting berth and his desire to put himself on the line for our club always shone through. His commitment has always been there and his application has always been exemplary.
[linequote]Michael Dawson: a Tottenham win means as much to him as it does to us.[/linequote]
This isn’t to say that Dawson didn’t have his flaws, his flaws are many and they are well known. Michael isn’t the fastest of players and he is too often found diving into players from behind as he looks to get in an early tackle, steaming up toward the halfway line. He is a player who has been too often shown up by the best strikers in the league. His inability to track and steward the likes of Luis Suárez and being turned time and again by Sergio Agüero means he can no longer expect to be a defender in a team with top four ambitions.
Dawson always came across as a simple man. Not a man for the limelight, a short back and sides and a northern twang untainted by nearly a decade in the South. He was benevolent, working consistently with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and his input always came across as earnest and genuine. Dawson was a captain that was respected on the pitch and his no nonsense approach to the game earned him the respect of his peers. Perhaps slightly worryingly, it isn’t immediately obvious who will fill this role at the club in the future now that he has gone.
Perhaps the biggest tribute that can be paid to Dawson is that it often felt like he would do what any one of us would do for Tottenham. He would throw himself in front of anything for our club, putting his body on the line when it mattered. No doubt if he were required to play through an injury, he would, lest see Spurs be left a man short or lacking in experience at a crucial moment.
But ultimately the biggest compliment that can be paid to Michael Dawson is this: he was the best footballer he could be. And, above all else, he wanted to show that on the field for Tottenham Hotspur.
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17 Comments
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27/08/2014 @ 9:19 am
Toby, brilliant piece! 110% in agreement! for me the magical moment of MD, his goal against Chelski, showed his passion, devotion and sheer delight!
No nonsense from him….. “going to the club of my boyhood dreams” ….. or similar trite sentiments…. He was a Spur and always will be! Good Luck to Michael and lets hope he gets a proper welcome back to WHL response with Hull Tigers or whatever they are known as this week!
27/08/2014 @ 9:23 am
If you want to know why we never truly moved into top 4 status look no further than Michael Dawson as a prime example. Ludicrous amount of games for a player of his talent but he managed to extend his stay well beyond sell by date by exactly the sort of thing you allude to; Spurs through and through, always saluted the crowd etc etc.
For seasoned Spurs watchers we’ve always had this blind spot for certain players, Justin Edinburgh, Gary Docherty even Paul Miller if you want to go further back. All obviously sub standard but in some cases they managed to rack up a ridiculous amount of games for the club. I think even Johnnie Jackson managed about 40 in the dark days.
Jury is still out but Harry Kane could be the latest who leaves the club in 2017 having played 200 odd games or so. He’ll be a 24yr old English forward with that amount of games behind him at a top premiership club, and we will sell him to Stoke for 3.5million. What does that tell you!!!
Sorry to be downbeat about a nice guy like Dawson, but this isn’t a Sunday league outfit and as one exchange I heard a number of seasons ago went – ‘the thing I like about Docherty is he’s a trier’ – ‘******* hell for 20k a week I can try that hard’.
Amen
Nice guy I’m sure
27/08/2014 @ 9:34 am
Sorry that you felt to mention MD with the calibre of players you likened him too? no way, different era, Edinburgh is a media chelski sarfend chav boy talksport pony mouthpiece, “rent a Chelsea love in quote” merchant, never loved Spurs. Gary Docherty ? OMG he was a “trier” ……..tried peoples patience…..
Ledley never fulfilled his potential through injuries, Woodgate the same, but MD hit his top potential, maybe not good enough for top 4, but turned out and gave 110%. What about Vertongen at Anfield last year? standing in the tunnel like a school kid picked for the wrong team? top 4 potential… heart on sleeve for Spurs? no way! he will build his reputation under Mo-Po and be off to Barcelona in a flash…………… Give Daws some credit.. he stayed loyal…… when he knew hew had to go….. he has………..
27/08/2014 @ 2:00 pm
well said that man !!
27/08/2014 @ 9:55 am
What a dozy post. Agreed that Daws wasn’t the greatest or most elegant of players, but he was someone who would “die for the shirt”. The people who paid his wages considered him good enough to employ him for nearly 10 years.
When he lost his place under AVB, he didn’t throw a wobbly and start crying “why me?” He just knuckled down and fought for his place. In these days of “grab as much money as I can and move on to my next favourite club” footballers, he is a player who genuinely loved the team and its supporters. He deserves a bit of respect, even from dimwits like you.
27/08/2014 @ 12:05 pm
Gavin, you make me sad and embarrassed to be a supporter of Spurs, simply because it associates me with attitudes like yours.
01/09/2014 @ 11:34 am
Ah Gavin, a true imbecile of modern-day football supporter proportions.
27/08/2014 @ 10:00 am
Hats off to Daws, end of.
27/08/2014 @ 10:02 am
I will miss his total commitment to the club and it is a pity that some of your contributors do not respect and thank him what he has done for the club. I wish him well except when we play Hull, although he will always be welcome at the lane and hope he will one day come back as one of our ambassadors. Respect is a much abued word these days but he showed this and earnt mine.
27/08/2014 @ 10:06 am
wonderful tribute and 2 real comments by Gavin and frontwheelskid!
27/08/2014 @ 10:10 am
Legend!
27/08/2014 @ 10:22 am
How can anyone knock Michael Dawson? To give your best and try your best every game is exemplary something footballing prima donnas sadly lack. All the best” Daws” you wore your heart on your sleeve and will stay in our hearts.
27/08/2014 @ 10:22 am
Couldn’t have said it better myself! Gone, but never forgotten. Good luck at Hull MD.
27/08/2014 @ 10:34 am
True Tottenham Legend. Love him to bits. His long balls out to the left wing made Gareth Bale. He had flaws, as every player does, but his commitment, passion and desire made him an asset to the team, just like Steffan Freund. He wasn’t Barcelona or Real Madrid. He was a Spur and always will be.
27/08/2014 @ 12:03 pm
great article…….waited a few years to say this…..thanks Michael for that Wednesday night league cup match in burnley, 3-0 up from first leg…then the fancy dans decided they did not want a dog fight ,went hiding ,didn’t want to know about it . wished to have spurs laughted at as usual. ..not you Michael…..you dragged them by the collars till they woke up. .you drove in every time not for the money but for Tottenham…. I could go to work next day ,contented simply because by tooth and nail you would nt let the spurs flag drop in the dirt….here goes……Michael……thanks man.
27/08/2014 @ 12:31 pm
Like all good things they come to an end. When the transfer was confirmed a pragmatic part of me thought, “Yes good business, a tidy sum, creates a gap for the incoming Fazio…” Then I just looked at the picture gallery on the official website and it nearly choked me at my work desk! His face in the photo with King after the City game when we qualified for the CL says it all: passion, commitment, and love of the game.
Gavin above who has decided to slag him off, daws hit heights where at his peak he was as good as any CB in the world and that is not an exageration, some games he was literally a wall, and there are hardly any players who are willing to put their body on the line (the ultimate sign of commitment to the cause) in todays game.
Good luck Daws, there’ll always be a place for you at the lane
27/08/2014 @ 2:04 pm
Best of luck Daws… Legend. on and off the field.. Thanks for the memories and just a shame, you won’t get a testimonial that you really deserve. Some my point out your faults, but he was that type of player.. He’s of the John Terry mould and would stick his head in for absolutely everything. That takes guts and despite the lack of pace.. I know who I’d rather have in the trenches with me…