Tottenham- Too much of an obsession?

[Chingfordspur]

I remember it like yesterday, looking out of my grandparents bedroom window at the floodlights that surrounded my spiritual home that is White Hart Lane, whilst listening to the commentary on the radio (radio 2 as it was then) imagining the players, the buzz of the crowd and the excitement of the game, that I couldn't see, but were almost within touching distance, "You are too young to go" my parents would say. That changed soon after, and even now after hundreds of games I still get "the buzz."

My grandfather, a season ticket holder of 40 odd years had introduced me to his local club and since then it has been and forever will be Tottenham Hotspur, from crying as a little kid when we drew Liverpool away in the 3rd round of the cup, to tears again, of joy this time, many years later when we (Gazza) knocked that other lot out of the cup on that marvellous April day in 91.

The thing is, everything has changed now, Spurs always consumed my thoughts, it was just different then, we pretty much knew that with a bit of fortune and a favourable draw we might go on a cup run, we would have moments of brilliance in the league and pull off a big win here or there during the domestic season, but as sure as night follows day we wouldn't win the league, we wouldn't even get close, we would be brilliant one week and then awful the next, it is just how we are, the Tottenham way if you like, and I loved the club all the more for it, I almost took a perverse delight in our glorious failure, whilst Liverpool, then Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U dominated the domestic scene. It was not the defeats that frustrated me, it was the hope beforehand that really wore me down, but like a drug, I went back for more and more.

But as I said, things are different now, I was in the Park Lane as usual on Tuesday and watched our team stroll through a game, on a cold evening on their way to another 3 points, I look forward to Liverpool next week and guess at the probable line up of the 2 sides and think to myself that we should win the game. I am not used to this. 5 points off the top with just under half of the season to go and we are right in there with a chance of the title, a favourable cup draw again and we are just a game away from Wembley (I know it's just the semi, but even so, a trip to Wembley to watch the Spurs is always fantastic, and we are joint favourites to win it).

I wonder if life was more simple when we weren't so good,more frustrating, yes, but the worry wasn't so great because the expectation was less. I find the club have taken on even greater significance as we improve, I spend more time looking at the net and all things Spurs, analysing the next few games, imagining the successes to come, and fearing the heartache that 35 plus years of support has almost indoctrinated me to expect.

Before the game on Tuesday I saw Cliff Jones as he walked to the ground, I am not old enough to have seen him play, but remember my Grandfather talking about him and Greaves and Blanchflower, footballing gods from our past, and it got me to thinking, did he used to dream as I do now, whilst watching the double winning side evolve?

Even now as I write this, I know I have work to do, I will start it soon, but just one more check on the website, just to get the latest on Walker's injury and an update on the stadium!!!!

I am sure I am not the only one, and I enjoy reading the threads on this forum of others who are also more obsessed with this great club of ours than is probably good for them. Do you too become encompassed in all things Tottenham?

[liam]

That was top top post @Chingfordspur really triffic.

No but seriously I couldn't have put it better myself. I have to been obsessed since my first prem game as a child, strangley though it was an away game against Southampton at the Dell. We drew 1-1 with two great goals from Ruel Fox for us and a screamer from Matt Le Tissier for them, a week later my dad took me to the lane to see Spurs V Leeds, a 3-3 draw with Sol "Judas" Campbell scoring a header in the last min....

Then the obsession began, but will never end.

[Van Der Dan]

Im one of the younger spurs fans at 21. My dad had always supported them and so I followed! Now before I get absoloutely slated by everyone on here; lemme just say we've always been poor and lived about 30 miles from tottenham and we never got to go to WHL as soon as I turned into an adult I joined the RAF and they sent me to north scotland lol. My goal in life right now is to go to a NLD at WHL!

I will always remember at school, all the other kids going on about the liverpools, scums, utds and chelseas and how they were doing in the CL etc and it really ground my gears because I was the ONLY spurs fan in my year I remember crying and crying and crying when my favourite spurs player as a young boy, left for arsenal..

Now days my mates think im smug, I just say FOOK the lot of you glory supporters! we are more entitled to enjoy this success than most!

ENJOY IT YIDS.... COYS!!


sob story over lol

[Fatboyyid]

My first game I watched (on the TV as I was 9) was that memorable day in '91. Since then I have been hooked.

Wether we are at home or away I still get a buzz. Granted there is NOTHING like the atmosphere of a Champions Leafue night

I should be working now but to busy on here and reading the news on the website and other parts of the Internet searching for that illusive message that sours have signed 3 world class players (Hazard, Cavani & 1 other) on a pre contract for the summer.

[contrast]

Great post mate.

Know exactly where you're coming from. Never before have I spent so long examining every little detail of 3/4/5 different fixtures each weekend, working out what every possible outcome could do to the top of the, who's got players suspended/could have players suspended and who they are suspended against!!! It's fookin' mad.

Then I sit and look past 4th in the table, and remember how much it meant to us finishing 4th last time and have to remind myself that finishing 3rd ahead of Arsenal is just something I could only dream of as I grew up, and as you say, with a huuuuge chance of a trip to Wembley, and even an FA Cup final, its like I'm determined to set myself up for an inevitable fall rather than enjoy the success we already have. Definitely obsessed, and I know on Monday night, I will be feeling sicker than the sickest pig as I know a loss would once again cut us adrift of the gruesome Manc twosome.

[Dustin]

Really enjoyed this OP @Chingfordspur

[BrumSpur]

Before the game on Tuesday I saw Cliff Jones as he walked to the ground, I am not old enough to have seen him play.

Are you sure about this??

Nice post, Chingford! Long time, no see. Hope you're OK. x

[P UNIT 1980]

Great post @Chingfordspur .

Yeah I think i am far too obsessed with it and the missus agrees with me.

I am still waiting for it all to fall to rat shit around my feet though.

THAT is what supporting Spurs does to ya. You become despondent about reaching the ultimate goal. Expect to fall at the final hurdle.

Hey maybe it is starting to become different, but even if it doesnt we at least know how to deal with it as we have been the nearly men for such a long time.

[SuperSpur]

Great thread/post..

My sentiments exactly to what has been posted above.. COYS

[S.L.R]

Great post mate, agree entirely. Tottenham Hotspur, as much in our hearts as the blood pumping through. Bring on the dippers. COYS.

[Don Diaz]

What a brilliant post....the emotions are spot on, almost felt like a mind reader telling me about myself, bit scary, we must be a similar age.....

I too was indoctrinated by my dad 40 years ago and in those years brief highs and lows where I was present:

Martin Chivers, Pat Jennings, Steve Perryman, Steve Archibald, Graham Roberts, Chris Hughton, Hoddle, Ossie, Gazza, Ledley and Bale (generally)
Terry McDermott scoring for Liverpool in the 5th or 6th round of the FA Cup after I had queued around the ground for a ticket (years ago)
Being behind the goal in the City replay when Ricky Villa scored, dressed in a white lab coat (nicked from school, with an enormous Cockerel on the back, plus scarves round wrists in an 80's style...why??)
Bayern Munich at home and then the penalty shoot out vs Anderlecht - brilliant
Gazza's free- kick at Wembley in 1991, I was in the wrong end with 3 Spurs mates we went mad and survived....!!
Being forever behind Arsenal (or at least feeling like it ever since)
Christian Gross & George Graham
Winning 5-1 against Chelsea at home and Arsenal at home in League Cup semi-finals having been to both away legs...
4-4 and 3-2 away at Arsenal from 2 goals down on each occasion.
Inter Milan both home and away were very special
Real Madrid away....(can't believe I just typed that...)

There's many more I'm sure but the old memory bank ain't what it used to be...and I need to save some room for 2012 and hopefully CL 2013...

Thanks again for the post, just brilliant, similarly obsessed for no rational reason.....and now indoctrinating my own children. It is the way.

[liam]

Great post @Chingfordspur .

Yeah I think i am far too obsessed with it and the missus agrees with me.

I am still waiting for it all to fall to rat shit around my feet though.

THAT is what supporting Spurs does to ya. You become despondent about reaching the ultimate goal. Expect to fall at the final hurdle.

Hey maybe it is starting to become different, but even if it doesnt we at least know how to deal with it as we have been the nearly men for such a long time.

For some reason my missus whilst not liking football herself, admires my support for THFC and says the it's amazing to see so much passion from one person about one game, even though we play every week. She has seen me do things like get fired from my job to go swanning around in Milan for the inter game and never complained once. She just shrugs her shoulders when her friends say they don't how she puts up with it and say's "I knew when I first met him that Tottenham is his first love, because all he talked about was his passion for music and Tottenham."

She's a keeper that one

[Bogota Yid]

Great post but i dont agree we are too obssessed than is proably good for us. Yes, its been a long suffering road with many disappointments but take it all away and theres just going to be a big empty hole. At least in my soul, football is my life and Spurs are my air. COYS.

p.s part of me feels like P UNIT THAT ITS ALL 2GOING TO FALL TO RAT SHIT AROUND MY FEET" but the other side says its looking good now. I feel confident with Levy in charge, regardless of what happens with this Arry buisniz!

[conor1]

Superb post mate. Never too much of an obsession. I'm also a fan of 30 odd years.
Watching motd when we beat bristol rovers! 9-0 in 1977. Colin Lee x 4, Ian Moore x3, Peter Taylor and a.n other(would love to be enlightened)
First match at the Lane vs Ipswich. We lost 2-1
Waiting every month for my uncle to send over the match programmes. He was a season ticket holder from Potters Bar and sent them religously for 15 years. I love you man
Signing Ossie and Ricky
3-2 1981 cup final. Crying when we went behind, crying more when Ricky scored THAT goal(feel like crying now, thinking about it)
Tony Parks heroics to win Uefa Cup
Clive Allens 49 goals in a season, 1987(great side)
Gascoignes goal. You know the one.
The barren years.
Punching the mantlepiece and breaking my hand when Allan Nielsen scored the late winner against Leicester to win League Cup.
More barren years
Beating shitty to claim 4th
3-4 vs Inter
3-1 vs Inter
Now
Loved/hated/cried/laughed/slegged/took a slegging and lived every single last minute of it. Nothing like being a Spurs fan. My youngest son whose 10, has taken on the mantle now and I know he feels it himself. It's what we do.

Great post Chingford and thanks
COYS

[thfcire]

Great memories there and a brilliant post from cling ford , in my 37 yearsvi don't remember a more exciting time to be a spurs fan( although the 80s where fooking top notch as well) and you would nearily forget were one game away from wembley with everything else going on , you can't beat watching spurs at wembley although I won't bring the jinx this time unit fpmsl, only joking big man