The Fighting Cock by Martin Cloake
There are some great independent Spurs blogs and podcasts being produced at the moment and I always try to make my small contribution to raising their profile when I can. Lately I’ve been picking up on The Fighting Cock and the 1882 movement. I’ve followed a couple of the lads involved on Twitter and recognise some names from back in the day on the old TopSpurs message board, and there’s a real energy to what they are doing.
I’m going to sound as old as I feel when I’m listening to the podcast now but it’s really encouraging to hear what sounds like a new generation creating something and questioning the blandification of modern football. The Fighting Cock is above all passionate about Spurs, but there’s a recognition of the bigger picture that chimes with a growing feeling that’s coalescing around the Stand Against Modern Football initiative. Having come from a generation at Spurs that, despite our fanzine experience and efforts with various independent supporter initiatives, has not really made the impression we once thought we could, what’s most encouraging is the can-do spirit that pervades The Fighting Cock crew. They are a reminder of what football supporters are capable of, and of a spirit that is, in one of the great Steve Perryman’s favourite words, “proper”.
Tottenham Hotspur Cocktails
Late on Saturday night as a barman performed his party trick and set fire to my rum cocktail, I struggled to ignore the price I was paying for this slice of theatre. Rather like football tickets, the price of drinks in the trendy areas of London has gone through the roof. Their similarities do not end there though, after an evening perched at the bar or standing/sitting at White Hart Lane, both will have you muttering:“I am never doing that again.” Towards the end of what was a promising season Tottenham Hotspur can even come to resemble a Shoreditch cocktail. […]
The Redknapp Effect
As a self confessed Harry hater, it irks me greatly that some fans seem to think that AVB is having success on the back of Redknapp’s squad. There are obviously some points to clear up with this thinking. In the beginning I was extremely wary having Redknapp as manager, a man that had never managed a top premier league/first division team, often flirted or achieved relegation and some would say, being the catalyst for the teams he managed to suffer financial difficulties. I was never confident in his purchases and because of his home grown reputation and lack of a […]
1882: U21 Premier League Arsenal v Tottenham announcement
Right then. 1882 have been given the East terrace for the U21 Premier League game between Tottenham and Arsenal on 22 April 2013 at Barnet’s Underhill stadium. Kick off is 7pm. We’ve been asked to use The Old Red Lion pub as traditionally it’s the one used by away teams. The turnstiles will open at 6pm. It’s FREE to get in. The East terrace holds 1200 people. When we fill it the North stand will be opened. Get in there as early as you can. The game will be policed and stewarded as normal with searches taking place on the […]
Tottenham Hotspur: Going Cold Turkey
I’m going cold turkey. My football team are playing right now and I’m not taking the slightest bit of interest. I’m not at the ground. I’m not watching on the TV. I’m not listening on the radio. I’m not even following it on the internet. I couldn’t care less. (That last one’s a lie.) I just thought I ought to try it. It’s a bit like some of the drinkers I know who give up the booze for January to prove they’re not alcoholics. Yes, my name is Jim Pollard and I’m a Tottenham Hotspur supporter. Now I’ve been a […]
5 Superstitions of a Spurs Supporter
It’s that time of year when people start to get twitchy at the Lane, with or without Harry Redknapp around, and if you’re like me, you’ll want to make sure that everything you contribute to the team at this nerve-shredding juncture is positive. For Spurs to avoid another season that ends in disappointment, not only does the support have to be at its loudest and proudest but every detail of a supporter’s pre-match ritual requires meticulous consideration in order to convey good fortune to the events on the pitch, and if your attendance at N17 correlates with poor results, perhaps […]