Alex Lamper looks back at a poor display both on the pitch and in the stands. Who do we blame? The players? The manager or us?
White Hart Blame
Eric Dier’s winner at Upton Park now feels like a lifetime ago. Sunday’s events at White Hart Lane were an all too familiar sight. A team rooted to the foot of the Premier League table arrived in N17 with a rigid defensive game plan, built on frustrating the hosts and hoping to nick a goal – either from a set piece, or on the break. The visitors get their goal and Spurs crumble. We’ve seen it all before. In recent years we’ve suffered home defeats to Fulham, Norwich, Stoke, West Ham, Wigan, Wolves and now West Brom in this fashion. But why was Sunday’s defeat different?
I’ve been lucky enough to own a season ticket at the Lane since the start of the 2004/2005 season when we finished in 9th place under Martin Jol, after he had replaced Jacques Santini. Since that season I have seen Spurs finish outside of the top six only twice, winning and losing League Cup finals, reaching a Champions League quarter-final, as well as overseeing two FA Cup semi-final defeats.
Compared to those who suffered Spurs during the dark days of the 1990s and early 2000s, one could I argue that I have been relatively spoiled with top six finishes and regular European football. However, despite the world class talent on show, and the Premier League being a more attractive product than ever before, going to White Hart Lane these days feels more like a chore than the privilege it should be. It’s like being told by your mum to do the washing up or to tidy your room – something that you do regularly, but from which you obtain little or no gratification.
There are a number of reasons for this. You could point to the slow, insipid, possession-based football that we’ve endured since the departure of Harry Redknapp. You could point fingers at the crowd and the atmosphere; are we getting behind the players and doing enough to turn WHL into the cauldron of fire it once was? No, we’re not.
[linequote]Going to White Hart Lane these days feels more like a chore than the privilege it should be[/linequote]
On the contrary, are the players doing enough to excite the fans and raise the noise levels inside the stadium? No, they’re not. It’s a vicious circle. You could also point to the astronomical ticket prices, which have arguably priced out some of the more passionate supporters and replaced them with a more gentrified crowd.
There is no doubt that since the Champions League season, the atmosphere at White Hart Lane has been poor. I can only feel that we were spoilt by that amazing season; the emergence of Bale, the fast-paced attacking football, the dismantling of the then European champions Inter Milan at the Lane and the win against AC Milan in the San Siro. These moments gave Spurs fans unbelievable highs that we had not reached for over 20 years and from which we have been on the comedown ever since.
Football is a drug and fans are the addicts; we always hope that the next hit will provide even higher highs but they inevitably leave us feeling unfulfilled. A trip to White Hart Lane these days is nothing short of unfulfilling.
Sunday’s game at home to West Brom was possibly the most unfulfilled I’ve felt at White Hart Lane in my 10 years as a season-ticket holder. The absolutely torrid football on display, in which we mustered just one shot on target, will be quickly forgotten and can be written off as an ‘off-day’ or a ‘bad day at the office’. But I was more disappointed with the general atmosphere inside the ground.
Going to White Hart Lane is now often a tense experience, especially if the team start sluggishly or don’t score in the opening 20 minutes. By this point the atmosphere is usually very flat, especially when playing a team like West Brom. This plays right into the hands of the opposition every single time.
I sit in the North Upper, which is a large contributor to this tension. It is one of the quietest parts of the ground and usually, the only real noise created is either a collection of groans from when a pass goes astray, or people singling out a particular player for under-performing. The usual scapegoats are Kaboul, Paulinho, Rose and Naughton, and previously up until his re-emergence earlier this year, Emmanuel Adebayor.
[linequote]Fans pay extortionate prices for tickets to be entertained and to see their team perform. Yesterday we were neither entertained nor did Spurs perform[/linequote]
West Brom scored in the 74th minute through James Morrison and, as soon as the ball hit the back of the net, I heard the loud thud of seats tilting up from all around me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. 74 minutes played, we’ve just gone deservedly 1-0 down, there’s just over 15 minutes left to play plus injury time, and people are leaving already? This is something I would expect to see at the Emirates – not at WHL. What kind of atmosphere does this generate? How does this transmit to the players?
Admittedly, it was a small collection of supporters that left at that moment, but over the next 10-15 minutes a slow and quiet ‘fire drill’ occurred to the extent that, by the 87th minute, the stadium was probably just over half empty. This leaves me with serious worries surrounding the new stadium. Will it be like a blue version of the Emirates? Soulless.
From those who stayed, every misplaced pass or lost 50/50 was greeted with a smattering of boos around me, and shouts of “f**k off Paulinho, you’re not good enough”. Fans are entitled to their opinion but, for me, booing your own players during the game should never happen. I recall a game in 2004 against Charlton – I think it was Jol’s first home game in charge as caretaker manager. We were 3-0 down at half time after a shocking display. No one left, no one booed; the fans got behind the players, and we nearly pulled off a great comeback, losing 2-3 in the end.
[linequote]Football is a drug and fans are the addicts; we always hope that the next hit will provide even higher highs[/linequote]
Imagine if we were 3-0 down at half-time yesterday. How many fans would have been there for the start of the 2nd half? Players feed off the fans just as much as the fans feed off the players. An atmosphere of negativity – which is becoming commonplace at WHL – will often generate disappointing performances on the pitch.
On the train back to Brighton, where I’m studying at Sussex University, I pondered the events of the afternoon. Maybe those fans were right to leave in the 74th minute – after all we were bloody awful. Fans pay extortionate prices for tickets to be entertained and to see their team perform. Yesterday we were neither entertained nor did Spurs perform.
For some that have paid £50 or more to see that display, losing is too difficult to comprehend. Somehow I’ve managed to stretch my student loan far enough to be able to spend a painful £64 on a ticket for the NLD on Saturday. Hopefully, our magnificent away fans can generate a nervy atmosphere amongst the Woolwich faithful and ignite the players so they can give us fans our money’s worth on the pitch. If we win it will be worth every penny.
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.
21 Comments
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24/09/2014 @ 10:06 am
why are you ‘lucky enough’ to have a season ticket? Lucky enough to get fleeced like a mug by ENIC you mean? I’ve been attending games since 1961, but rarely bother now, to pay through the nose to see mercenaries going through the motions with no passion whatsoever? And as for the fans, well that went down the tube when they banned standing
24/09/2014 @ 10:23 am
I’ve wondered how much the crowd has to do with these insipid displays. After all, they are the constant while the managers come and go.
I agree with much of this article, I’m also a season ticket holde who is hasn’t really enjoyed going for about a year now.
24/09/2014 @ 1:24 pm
Sorry the performance starts with the players ,play your nuts off with enthusiasm and and the crowd will rise to you even if you dont win,play like they did Sunday,their huge wage packets should be suspended, and then they should be brought onto the pitch to explain why.I dont know and I dont suppose we ever will know who chose this mob but they should be outed January for whatever we can get forthem and our youngsters brought in I doubt they could do much worse .But they would TRY.
24/09/2014 @ 10:52 am
Hi guys. I’m an avid fan (the good wins keep me buzzing for days and the losses just sit.. aaargh) but I am in souta Africa so its all on the telly for me. That said, it is so very noticeable how poor the vibe has been since the cl season. The drum is a big part methinks. I had an idea. An app with 10 or so drumbeats in it, and the only internet would be to synchronise the timing. Imgine 2000 cellphones at their loudest, it just might work! Screw enic – they can’t ban cellphones!
24/09/2014 @ 10:53 am
100% agree with your article. We have a large group of spectators (not supporters) who are like an audience at a theatre show. Entertainment has to be predicable then applause is offered. There are less football people attending matches now, backing the team at difficult times during a game has gone. We deserve the result because we reap what we sow. It cannot be every manager to blame, the booing culture is now at ingrained habit. Lucky Liverpool who still have traditional supporters.
24/09/2014 @ 11:03 am
I agree with a lot that you have said in this article. I changed my season ticket from the East Lower (previously the Paxton when it was standing), to the South Upper (block 41, 2 rows from the front) in the same year you go your season ticket.
My first match at Spurs was a 1-2 defeat to Middlesborough in 1978, the year after getting promoted from the second division. I was 9 years old. I went sporadically until getting a season ticket at the start of the 1983-84 season. Years ago, when matches were played at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, I would never consider missing a match. I was a constant, home and away, for 16 years and then, one day, I was struck down with the flu and had to miss a home match for the first time in all those years. I was devastated. Fast forward to 2010 and I then, again through illness, had to miss another match. My Wife used my season ticket and watched a drab 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. The difference was that this time the experience liberated me. I no longer felt obliged to attend. Since then I have dumped my Gold season ticket for a Silver one. I rarely attend the Europa League matches (it doesn’t help that I moved from Enfield in 2005 to Cambridgeshire and now have a round trip of 111 miles for each match), and this season have not even bothered with the cup matches on my season ticket. I didn’t go to the Limmasol match and I’ve sold my ticket on to the bloke that sits next to be for the Forest match tonight (for £20). The cost of travel, home and away, is pretty steep. I always buy a programme but that’s the only thing I buy (no food or drink). Going to football today, especially in the Premier League, is a massive investment for many people. And it’s not just the money either. Sunderland away for instance cost me, all included, £100 for the day but also twelve hours of my time away from my family on a Saturday. Whilst we should never expect to win we, as supporters, should expect the team to do their best. Sunday’s match against WBA was an example when the team did not even bother, so why should we. You’re right, going these days is becoming a bit of a chore. Ok, some days we get treated to a wonderful result (2-3 and the 4-4 at The Emirates being 2 examples) but they are few and far between. This season only QPR at home was worth the time and the money. Even West Ham away was a poor performance saved by a last minute, undeserved, winner. The Sunderland performance was ok but comes out below the value for money mark simply because of the time and effort put in.
Back in the days I had no problems with giving my full support to the likes of Terry Naylor, Chris Jones, John Pratt, Paul Price and John Lacey. They weren’t very good but they gave everything and that goes along way. Just ask Newcastle United supporters.
If we get turned over in any given match, but the players have given their all, then fair enough, but that’s not happening and hasn’t been for a few years now and that’s pretty unforgivable. And whilst the atmosphere at The Lane has been on the wane for a while now (and no, a man banging a drum is not going to help) the onus is on the players and management first in my opinion. The team is always given a roaring start by the support, home and away, and it’s the up to the players to follow that through and keep it going by goal attempts, no pulling out of tackles, and looking at a least a bit interested. The club can’t expect ‘Duel of the Fates’ from Star Wars and Roger Lloyd Pack reciting some (albiet lovely) words to stir the crowd into a frenzy. The club need to stop treating us like customers and start treating us like supporters and the lifeblood of the club that we are. It’s simple things like judging the crowd and treating it with respect. Letting the stewards relax a bit on the standing in the Park Lane and lower South East corner. It’s like giving us back the beach ball when it goes on the track and not fucking confiscating it. It’s about rewarding your lifeblood and encouraging them. Not ripping us off via Stub Hub and then offering us a cheap pair of plastic sunglasses as compensation (that fucking Stub Hub ‘lucky’ turnstile was a fucking joke.)
Tottenham’s problem is not like Arsenal’s or West Ham’s. Both clubs reduce prices because they need the bums on seats. Spurs never have that problem (although they might if they finally get the stadium built). Us loyal supporters (mugs) turn up in vast numbers, home and away, and how are we rewarded with our loyalty and patience? £55 shirts. Awful transport links. Pubs closing left and right (and I imagine they’ll all go if we have to spend a season away from The Lane). I love the shirt and I love what the club represents and what it used to be. Nowadays though I still go because that’s what I have always done but my resolve in that regard is wavering.
Is it ENIC’s fault? To some degree but to a larger degree it’s our fault. Our fault because we pay vast sums of money to Sky and BT to watch matches on the TV. Supporters have now been reduced to extras, wallpaper, the background to which the game is being played. We aren’t needed by the club anymore and consequently we feel we aren’t wanted. So why not stay at home, with my dinner on my lap and a large glass of wine at my elbow and watch the match on television? Two minutes after the final whistle i could be in bed tucked up nice and snug. Or I could be facing a 90 minute journey to get home and maybe grab a horse burger as my dinner on the way.
I’ll happily put up with all the inconveniences as long as they try their best.
It’s not too much to ask for is it?
24/09/2014 @ 1:26 pm
Well said Matt!
24/09/2014 @ 1:28 pm
Spot on mate !
24/09/2014 @ 11:24 am
Lol. My point is you wouldn’t have to. But that drum really made a big difference, rhythm is infectious.. for the players too
24/09/2014 @ 11:30 am
I enjoyed this article, you’re spot on re the atmosphere and the fans. It never used to be like this, even when the team was struggling (and I can remember when we got relegated!)
24/09/2014 @ 11:31 am
I support Spurs – from Belgrade nowadays. I also watch a live Partizan match sometimes. Of course, I recently saw the recent Partizan v Spurs match live. Now, I didn’t see any ‘flags’ until I read the news afterwards – and I doubt the players were aware of the flag until afterwards. The flag was a bad thing, but enough of that for this post. What was noticeable was the pure wall of sound in the stadium. A wall of ‘boos’ when Spurs players entered the pitch and when in possession, and cheers when the home team did something good. That ‘wall’ of sound clearly enlivened a team which included an outfield player in his mid-thirties and shook the Spurs team (who are probably valued 10x higher than their opponents).
The fact is, passionate loud (and I don’t mean abusive or racist) support from the supporters can make a big difference.
24/09/2014 @ 2:33 pm
Look at liverpool last season.
An average midfield poor defence and keeper went on to nearly win the title with that crowd behind them. While we sat their screaming at Sherwood.
Bitter but were all part of the problem.
#coys
#thisyearsouryear…an all that
24/09/2014 @ 11:34 am
I totally agree with the sentiment of this article – I was there on Sunday and went home miserable. Not just because of the result, but because I can’t stand being amongst some of the fans at White Hart Lane. Bloke next to me was saying that Pochettino only deserves 4 more matches before we should sack him.
I despair.
But I think the key comment in your article is this – “Fans pay extortionate prices for tickets to be entertained and to see their team perform.” Fans used to pay their money to go and support the team, have a sing song and enjoy the match experience with their friends and family. Now they demand to be entertained from the 1st minute.
You know what you’re getting with football, and especially with Tottenham. It doesn’t always go the way you want, and sometimes it goes spectacularly badly. If fans can’t handle that, I suggest they don’t go.
The fans at White Hart Lane moan so much about the players, but in reality, we need to take a long hard look at the fact that we’ve gone from some of the best home fans to some of the worst.
24/09/2014 @ 1:31 pm
And that is due to ?………..Some of the most terrible football being played in any league by a club that used to be entertainers no matter what.
24/09/2014 @ 11:42 am
nice article alex (and good comment matt)…i too was at the game on sunday in north upper, so know exactly where you are coming from – took 2 kids & with petrol, lunch drinks etc….cost over £200!
one thing i would pick up on re: alex`s article, he asks the question: will our new new stadium have no atmosphere like the emirates?……as much as it pains me to say, the other mob do play some lovely football…attacking, creative and good to watch – if WE played like that WHL (or any new stadium) would be rocking every week!
say what you like about us moaning spurs fans, we do appreciate good football..i think the frustration comes when you arrive at the ground to see the line up & we are starting 2 defensive midfielders at home against the bottom of the league!!
24/09/2014 @ 12:22 pm
Great article Alex, and Nice Reply by Matt.
You both mirror my feelings over the past season or so. I don’t know what, but something needs to change.
Our expectations are probably too high but I don’t expect to win every home game – and I don’t get upset when we lose – I just expect the see the players to make the effort. I feel a Graham Roberts type character in the team would ensure every other player gives 100%.
24/09/2014 @ 12:32 pm
I’m only twenty years old, so unlike most I haven’t had to deal with as many years of disappointment as most fellow Yids have. Although I remember the first time I walked up the yellow steps of the WHL gangway into a cauldron of atmosphere and noise like I’d never heard before, immediately I fell in love with Tottenham Hotspur, before I’d even seen a ball kicked, it wasn’t the players, the stadium or the white shirts I felt immediately attached to, it was the fans.
The atmosphere when I was a kid at WHL blew me away, constant singing, shouting and considering this was in a day without your Bales, Modric’s and Berbatovs, We had the likes of Perry, Rebrov and Goran Bunjevčević but regardless although we were shit we were entertaining. I don’t ever remember seeing anyone leaving as early( in masses) as they do today, I can’t remember anyone boo-in off the boys at half time, you would get every tom dick and harry more concerned about what was going on their Twitter feeds as opposed to what was happening on the pitch.
Up until this season I have had a season ticket at the Lane, and have had the privilege of seeing the likes of Sheringham, Keane, Berbatov, Bale, Van der Vaart, Modric etc… But this year I decided the appeal of Chadli, Paulinho, Naughton and Soldado doesn’t warrant spending £800. All four listed are head and shoulders about the rubbish we used to support, but at least they looked like they cared.
If you went to a Restaurant and the Chef gave us much of a fuck of Vertonghen did against Liverpool at Anfield last year, you wouldn’t pay for the abysmal meal you would inevitably be getting served, so why should the lifeblood of the club pay consistently have to £50-60 to watch a group of world class players play beneath their ability?
At the end of the day. Enic are an investment company – they have bought to sell, they don’t give a fuck about us as fans.
Modern football on the whole is disgraceful, an example (bit of topic). I’m from Stevenage, and my local team Stevenage FC charge £450 for a season ticket. Let me put it this way for that price you can buy 4 Bayern Munich season tickets for that price… (Take a second to digest that). A club where you’re exposed to world class facilities guaranteed Champions League football, titles, trophies and an incredible atmosphere. As apposed to a 7,000 capacity rapidly depleting stadium that attracts an average of 2,500 fans, supporting a team in the third tier of English Football. How on earth does that make any sort of sense, the working class have been pushed out of THEIR game. Fans are not valued on their passion or the decibels of sound in their stadium, their valued on the size of their wallets and how much the club can fleas you for. FACT!
I love our fans, and there is no better feeling than celebrating a goal against an Arsenal or Chelsea on the Park Lane, but myself like many others are losing patience, quickly.
24/09/2014 @ 12:53 pm
It’s funny that you say this and everyone agrees – me included. I remember someone called Andre pointing this out a while ago and he got lynched for it – he was right then as well.
If everyone could imagine they had 40k people watching them at work and how the reaction of them 40k, judging their every decision, would effect their working day. It would make you ponderous and nervous if you didn’t think you had their support – if they were just waiting for you to mess up so they could boo and tell you you’re not good enough. You could be paid £1 or £1m a week, none of this means you wouldn’t be affected the same way!
If we were all there, enjoying the experience every week, cheering and supporting, even when the team are struggling, the players would enjoy their job more and the atmosphere around the place would be improved. Remember when going to White Hart Lane was fun? The last time I felt that was the 3-0 Europa League win over Inter, the atmosphere since has been awful!
24/09/2014 @ 12:54 pm
I’ve followed Spurs since I was 8 years old – my first encounter was watching the results with my Dad as he checked his Pools coupon the day they beat Everton 10-4 and thought ” That’ll do for me !” I live in Northern Ireland now and never got to many games anyway but gave up going a long time ago. The huge expense coupled with a miserable defeat or draw when we should have won became far too much for me. Nowadays, I wouldn’t even consider going to the Lane although some of my mates do regularly. Keep The Faith they say – fine sentiments, but I’d rather keep the money and be disappointed at home. The latest WBA fiasco put the cherry on it for me – listening to the radio commentary was purgatory and the result just became more and more predictable as the game progressed. Nowadays I watch the live TV games, but highlights – only if they win. Maybe I’m to old for this passionate ” ’til I die” attitude, maybe I’m not a real fan though. They’re still my team but I feel disconnected now. I don’t expect wins anymore, I’m pleased if they win but don’t get ecstatic . I have to also say that during the 1983-84 EUFA campaign I was at a game in the Republic – against Drogheda – and found myself with my mates directly behind the Spurs bench. Opportunity for autographs we all thought and I was elected to get programmes signed so I passed a couple to the nearest player to me – no names, but he was a Scottish International who nowadays appears on a “Talk” radio show. I politely asked if he would pass the programmes ( and pen) along the bench. F*** Off was what he said. Embarrassed doesn’t come near but thinking about it afterwards, I was over 30 years old – what was I doing hunting autographs. A small tale but even in those days before SKY invented football some players didn’t care a stuff about fans.
24/09/2014 @ 1:41 pm
If you go to a comedy show or a rock festival or a Shakespeare play,you expect to be entertained and if you are you applaud ,afterwards if your not entertained you dont, afterwards.Its the same with football its not us peasants who should be raising the team,its them raising us by their performance and us appreciating it .Please tell me what the hell theres been to applaud with Spurs since Harry got the boot?Virtually sweet FA.
25/09/2014 @ 11:13 am
I live in the States (Philadelphia area), and have seen the constant uptick of ticket prices in all the sports here over the years, much to my chagrin. I no longer attend any games unless I can get tickets at a deep discount (baseball, NFL, basketball, hockey) precisely for that reason. It has been a major factor in atmosphere changes at what once were feared home arenas. Games are now largely not sold out, especially the baseball and basketball, and the atmosphere at the NFL stadium is not what it once was.
From my estimation, a similar fate is befalling our club. As the ever-constant money grab has escalated over the years thanks to the enormous appetite for Premier League football, it appears Tottenham are not immune. In so doing, it would seem that the “hardcore” or “die-hard” fans are priced out of supporting the club that they love. What you have left are the people that are looking for something to do on a Saturday, and it would seem that their support is a bit more fickle. And the folks that stretch their budgets to go to the Lane are doing so at an ever-increasing sacrifice, for this they expect a good performance. Logic dictates that if the cost has increased, so should the quality of the on-pitch action; this has not been the case and patience wears thin for a club that despite the increased cost has netted supporters an ever-decreasing return on investment. These are all things that a money-conscious group like ENIC should comprehend, but do not.
Instead of an atmosphere conducive to success, they have cultivated an atmosphere of impatience accompanied by indifference, and of course it affects the players. Football is a momentum game, and a good crowd can help a struggling side find belief, but not if the crowd is already predestined to impatience.
It’s very early where I’m at, so I hope that makes some sense. As always,
Come On You Spurs!