TTT emblem to feature on match shirts for The White Hart Lane Finale

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club confirms the Tottenham Tribute Trust emblem will feature on special edition match day shirts for The White Hart Lane Finale.

The Club have previously announced the Tottenham Tribute Trust would be the designated charity for the Finale.

The match day shirts will be auctioned to raise funds for the Tottenham Tribute Trust.

Tottenham Hotspur today confirmed that the First Team squad will wear special edition match day shirts that will pay tribute to both White Hart Lane and the Tottenham Tribute Trust in the final home game ever to be played at the world famous Stadium against Manchester United on Sunday 14th May 2017.

The Club announced last week that the Tottenham Tribute Trust would be the charity supported throughout The Finale of The Lane and it has now been confirmed that the Tottenham Tribute Trust emblem will feature on the front of the commemorative match day shirts alongside the Official Shirt Sponsor AIA, who have kindly agreed to this inclusion in support of the important work of the Tottenham Tribute Trust.

Following the conclusion of the fixture all match worn shirts will be signed by the squad before being auctioned along with other stadium memorabilia to raise funds for the Tottenham Tribute Trust. AIA will also be supporting additional fund raising activities.

In addition, the First Team will also wear special edition warm up t-shirts prior to this momentous fixture, which will also bear the names of AIA and the Tottenham Tribute Trust.

The Tottenham Tribute Trust was established in 2002 through a joint initiative between Daniel Levy and founder Trustees. Run by a Board of voluntary, independent trustees, the Tottenham Tribute Trust supports former players and staff alleviating both financial and medical need. The Tottenham Tribute Trust regularly works alongside the PFA (via its Benevolent Fund) to maximise the help that can be provided.

Jonathan Adelman, Chair of the Tottenham Tribute Trust, said: “We should like to thank the Club for giving the Tottenham Tribute Trust this opportunity and AIA for agreeing to our inclusion alongside them on the front of the match day shirts for such a momentous game.”

“The match day shirts will truly be unique collectors’ items which we hope will help raise significant funds at auction. These funds will enable us to continue helping those who helped make White Hart Lane such a special place for Spurs fans.”

Daniel Levy, Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are delighted and grateful to AIA for extending this opportunity to the Tottenham Tribute Trust, which will serve to increase awareness of the support provided to the wider Spurs family. Our former players are the lifeblood of this Club and there is no more appropriate cause than the Tottenham Tribute Trust at such an historic time for the Club.”

Mark Saunders, Group Chief Strategy Officer of AIA, commented: “We are proud to have Spurs as our partner and delighted to be able to support them for such a worthy cause. They do such great work in the community and, more widely, their social altruism is truly honourable and wonderful to be associated with. The Spurs philosophy is aligned with AIA’s in making a positive difference by helping people live longer, healthier, better lives. The Tottenham Tribute Trust is yet another powerful example of the good they do.”

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Tribute Trust Chairman Jonathan Adelman reflects on a lifetime of going to White Hart Lane

The universe sometimes just delivers and on Sunday it did. A 17th straight win, an unbeaten home season, a record low number of goals conceded, one of our own scoring the winner and with the glorious timing of a Dele Alli far post run, the raucous and good hearted pitch invasion delayed the closing ceremony for just long enough to ensure that whilst the rain came, it made way for the sun to reveal that picture perfect celestial rainbow arching over the golden cockerel perched atop the East Stand.

You never know as you travel through life which snapshots will become indelibly singed in to your consciousness. What is it about a moment in time, a sight, a smell, a sound that is so fundamental that it remains lodged forever? Whatever the answer I know that my very earliest memory was as a 5 year old holding my Grandpa’s hand and walking up those dimly lit stairs of the old West Stand to see the blinding brightness of the sun and the luminescent green of the White Hart Lane turf. I don’t know what part of Sunday’s emotional farewell to the crucible of so many of my memories will be the one to last the test of time but I’m pretty sure when the grey cells are fading me that something from Sunday 14th May 2017 will still burn bright.

The whole season had been building to this game and inevitably the day itself was an assault on both my emotions and senses. Shared with those family and friends with whom my 38 years of visits to the stadium have been made it was especially fitting to travel to the game not only with my Mum but with my mate Steff (he of the whisky and bomb sniffing spaniel ritual – which by the way was applied, successfully, once again on Sunday!) and to share a pre match drink at the Bell & Hare (I’ll never get used to calling it No. 8) with them and Amir.

Strolling around the area in those pre-match hours, bumping in to friends, seeing hundreds of familiar faces the names of which I’ll never know, all taking photos, videos, just soaking up every detail of the final moments. I filmed my last journey through the “C-J” turnstiles of the East Stand, their clunk and click as they turned to permit my entrance causing one of those catch your breath, never experience again pauses, then up the stairs, through the tightly packed throng of the cramped East Upper concourse, up the final steps and out in to the bright light with the pitch resplendent below. My journey; the same one, to the same seat along the same steps as I’ve made for 23 successive seasons.

As I settled in to my seat for the last time and gazed around the stadium my mind drifted. In my loft I have my collection of old programmes, piled up by season. I’ve long since stopped buying programmes (although on Sunday of course I made an exception) but I remembered one in particular from the early 1990’s depicting what a future White Hart Lane would look like – three tiers, big screens behind the goals – it looked like a cartoon depiction of the Bernabeu.

A decade later the first images of Daniel Levy’s vision for the re-development of The Lane appeared. The stadium was scheduled to be open by 2012/3. In 2018 the revamped and considerably more ambitious £800m obsession to perfection will finally open its doors. I’ve no doubt the new ground will be very special, the coming generations of Spurs fans will lavish their affection on it as they create their memories. For those of us whose very essence is inextricably linked to the rickety stands and peeling paintwork of White Hart Lane, we will learn to love it – it won’t be hard to do that because after all home is where the heart is – but it won’t be the same.

The game itself and the perfect, understated but classy closing ceremony passed too quickly, I wanted time to slow and to live in those moments for ever but in a whirl of deafening noise and Finale flags it was over.

The knowledge that the game itself will serve to help raise much needed funding for the Tottenham Tribute Trust to continue its important work is of great comfort. It was quite something to see our emblem on the shirts and to see so many fellow supporters and the club’s staff and Legends wearing our commemorative pin badge.

As the sun began to set over the West Stand, I was the last to leave my block; one final photo, one final glance and now it’s gone. Immortalised in hundreds of photos but never to be touched and smelt and experienced again. It leaves a void which is impossible to articulate.

There have been millions of words and tens of thousands of reflections written about “The Finale” – every one of them personal, yet every one of them resonating with the rest of us who were proud to call White Hart Lane “home”. The images of the ‘decommissioning’ that started just hours after the game are painful to view but when the literal and metaphorical dust has settled and after the Spurs equivalent of 40 years in the Sinai, we will come back, we will come home, because for us the supporters (and no matter what sponsor name adorns the new ground), we will always be Tottenham from the Lane

Home Is Where The Hart Is

Tribute Trust Trustee and Spurs TV Commentator Daniel Wynne reflects on what White Hart Lane means to him

Your football team is the one thing in your life that remains a constant. Parents grow older and sadly pass on, children grow up and move out, political allegiances can sway, one can change religions and partners but football fans don’t change their team.

The stadium is at the core of that identity.

I climbed the stairs of the old West Stand in August 1975 for the first time as a young and impressionable 4 year old, my Dad walking proudly by my side with the big letters across the façade above me. I remember staring wide eyed with a sense of awe at the green surface laid out before me with what will soon become the familiar sights, sounds and smells of a first team matchday entering my psyche. I knew from that day I belonged there. I felt safe and secure. I was at home.

The 20 or so years I spent going to White Hart Lane with my Dad are amongst my happiest memories. Cherished times with my now departed Dad.

The drive to the ground, spotting the floodlights from a distance, seeing the same programme sellers, the cry of “roasted peanuts”, the same touts on the same spot, the sounds of “wear your colours” are all part of the sense of belonging. We were all visiting our home.

As the years passed, I had the pleasure of taking my two sons. I will never forget the sense of pride I had in ensuring I passed down the history and traditions of the Spurs way to the next generation. I was fulfilling my obligations. Consequently my children, (now in their 20s) also share and love our second home.

And so to 2017. I’ve held my season ticket since 1975 and for the last 16 years I have been honoured to work as the Club Commentator on Spurs TV. My match day experience is no doubt different to most, but for me that makes White Hart Lane all the more special.

I typically arrive at the ground early (11am for a 3pm kick off) and I have time to wander round the famous old stadium. I am lucky to have been virtually everywhere including inside the South Stand Jumbotron looking out across the pitch through a missing pixel. I know every inch of the stadium, each nook and cranny has its own special place in my heart, and carries a memory of one description of another.

As the 2016-17 season progressed, game after game, win after win the memories of yesteryear seemed to become richer and more vivid. My childhood visions returned. I half expected my Dad to give me a cherry drop after we scored, just as he did in the 70s and 80s. There is no truth in the rumour he had the same packet of sweets for an entire season!

If only the half time scores were still displayed on the letters on the pitch side advertising boards!

The flashbacks were in sharp contrast to the emergence of the brand new stadium which was literally swallowing up the old version. There was no denying the impressive scale of it, nor of the impending destruction of The Lane.

Then the announcement was made at the end of April. This was really it. It was actually happening. Manchester United on May 14th was going to be the final curtain call.

On social media, I compared the feeling to that of sitting at the death bed of an ill relative, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

I was asked to work at the PL2 game as the stadium announcer on the Thursday of the week before The Finale. With less people in attendance I was able to enjoy the solitude of the empty stadium a couple of hours before kick off.

With the crowd gathered and the players huddled around the centre circle, I announced that there was to be a minutes applause for Ugo Ehiogu. It seemed appropriate that Tottenham Hotspur was remembering a member of the Spurs family when it had been announced that the proceeds from merchandise and memorabilia from the final game would be for the Tottenham Tribute Trust. I am proud to be a trustee of that charity which looks after former players and employees of our great Club. A most wonderful gesture from Daniel Levy and the Board.

The day arrived. Manchester United were standing in the way of a second placed finish in the Premier League and going the entire final season unbeaten at home.

I arrived at midday and everyone I saw was in a reflective mood. Each person was reminiscing and remembering their own White Hart Lane story. I bumped into Pete Abbott the stadium announcer. We chatted for about 15 minutes as we did at most home games. Both of us realising this was it. Paul Coyte was next, I wished him well for The Finale, knowing he would be impressive. He always is and just like The Lane, he didn’t disappoint.

Having received the team line ups, the time had come to head to the gantry from the edit suite in the East Stand for the last time. It was a journey I had made some 450 times before. Through the Legends Lounge, across the concourse and up the stairs to the East Upper past the regular friendly faces who wish me well each week. Different rituals from those early days in the 1970s but they are all part and parcel of the pre match routine now.

Up on the gantry, the wonderful Martin Tyler shook my hand and suggested this was to be an emotional day for me. He wasn’t wrong. Steve Wilson from the BBC, Arlo White and Lee Dixon from NBC were also in the packed commentary box. Arlo, a Leicester fan reminded me about the last game at Filbert Street…………it was against Spurs. Lee, made a typically cheeky, light hearted dig in jest. The scene was set. The Finale was here.

In now typical fashion, we dominated proceedings and brushed United aside with “one of our own” going down in history as the scorer of the last Spurs goal………just as I suggested he might in my opening words of the final commentary.

All season, I had given much thought to what I was going to say in the final sentence of the final game. I wanted to celebrate the history and embrace the move to our new home, but I wanted to do it in a Spurs way. A few days before the game, the words hit me. “White Hart Lane has been our home for 118 years, thank you for the memories. Glory Glory Hallelujah. And the Spurs go marching on”.

It seemed fitting and relevant. I had said those words about 50 times with a view to not choking with emotion when delivering them on air. The final whistle was blown by the Cultured Jon Moss (sorry…………young readers may need Google to help with that one) and I wrapped the game up and with more than a hint of emotion I uttered those last words.

That was it.

A few words of wisdom over The Finale for the IPB viewers overseas and that was it. It was time to leave. Tears were flowing freely. I didn’t want to leave the gantry. Martin Tyler saw me and again shook my hand and paid tribute to the “classy show that Spurs always put on”. High praise. Even Lee Dixon was complimentary.

I took one last glance behind me at a sight that was so familiar, the view from the gantry across White Hart Lane. My home that I shared with thousands of others.

We need to move on and we will return, (as the last ever half time guests once sang), “back home to White Hart Lane”

After all, home is where the “Hart” is.

White Hart Lane Finale uncovers a Bill Nicholson player

THE SOLE AIM OF THE AUCTION IS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE TOTTENHAM TRIBUTE TRUST, AN INDEPENDENT REGISTERED CHARITY ESTABLISHED TO HELP FORMER PLAYERS AND STAFF WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN TIMES OF NEED. THE TOTTENHAM TRIBUTE TRUST HAS PREVIOUSLY HELPED THE LIKES OF CLUB LEGENDS LES ALLEN, BOBBY SMITH AND DAVE MACKAY TO NAME JUST A FEW.

Auction items include signed, match worn shirts uniquely featuring the Tottenham Tribute Trust’s emblem and with less than 48 hours to go the auction has already raised in excess of £55,000.

As well as raising funds for the Tribute Trust, the featuring of the charity’s logo on the match day shirts and the warm up tops worn for the Manchester United game has led to an immediate and remarkable outcome. It truly helped to raise global awareness of the unique charity.

Trustee Lauren Crader, explained, “The day after The Finale the Tribute Trust was contacted by Julia Hoy, whose husband Roger was a player during the Bill Nicholson era at Spurs. Mrs Hoy explained that as a very young girl she was a regular on the terraces at White Hart Lane. By sheer coincidence, as a young woman she met and married Roger. The couple have since emigrated to Australia after an injury caused Roger’s retirement from the game. Still a fan herself, she had been watching the final game at White Hart Lane on TV in Australia, when she heard the commentators mention the Tribute Trust logo on the shirts. With Roger now in permanent residential care, she googled and researched the charity and then contacted us.”

Lauren explained that the Trust, having quickly assessed Roger’s situation are now able to offer assistance towards the costs of his residential care.

Tribute Trust Chairman Jonathan Adelman said, “We knew the the Club’s decision to make the Tribute Trust the designated charity for the Finale would help us raise much needed funds, not just from the auction but from the sale of thousands of commemorative pin badges, the special edition programme and proceeds of sales of their seats to season ticket holders. We further hoped the publicity from having our emblem on the match shirts, would help us increase awareness with our fans and former players. It is however quite remarkable that as a direct result of the Finale we have been able to reconnect with, and help, a member of Bill’s playing staff living literally on the other side of the world. Once again, our thanks are extended to AIA and The Club for facilitating the opportunity for this to occur”.

Roger Hoy Obituary

EVERYONE AT THE TOTTENHAM TRIBUTE TRUST WAS SADDENED TO HEAR OF THE RECENT PASSING OF OUR FORMER PLAYER ROGER HOY.

Roger came through our Academy and played 12 games for the Club under Bill Nicholson between 1965-68 before transferring to Crystal Palace.

After retiring from football, Roger and his wife Julia emigrated to New South Wales, Australia

Following the last match at White Hart Lane in May 2017, where the Club’s shirt sponsor AIA generously agreed to allow the TTT logo be placed alongside their name on the players’ match shirts and warm up tops, Julia contacted us and advised that Roger was suffering with Lewy’s Body dementia.

We were quickly able to arrange some help which continued for the rest of his life.

In November 2017, Julia was accompanied by her brother and her grandson, who follow in the family tradition of supporting Spurs and were guests at Wembley for the game against Roger’s former side Crystal Palace.

Speaking to the TTT after Roger’s death, Julia said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the TTT for the great amount of help you gave me during Roger’s final years. Please also thank Club Chairman Daniel Levy for taking time out of his busy schedule to personally write to me. His thoughts are much appreciated. Thank you all for your friendship.”

Our thoughts are extended to Julia and her family at this sad time.

The Tottenham Tribute Trust, a registered charity, was established by the Club and founder Trustees in 2002 and is the first of its kind. It is run by a board of independent, voluntary Trustees, often in conjunction with the work of the PFA. The TTT has quietly and compassionately assisted dozens of former players and staff in difficult times, alleviating need, offering assistance and providing much welcomed support.

You can help our former players by donating via our website at www.tottenhamtt.org/tottenham-tribute-trust-donations/

Willie Young Talks Exclusively To The Tribute Trust

Crossing the Divide

Very few have made the journey across the North London divide. In modern times it is all but unthinkable, but in the 1970’s there were a number of high profile examples with both Terry Neill and Pat Jennings making the short trip south down the Seven Sisters Road. Before Big Pat left to join Terry Neill at Highbury, a tough uncompromising Scottish centre back Willie Young also made the move to reunite with his former White Hart Lane manager.

Ahead of the North London Derby , Edinburgh born Willie now 67 and his wife Linda reminisced with TTT Trustee John Ellis:

TTT: How did your move to Spurs come about?

WY: Terry Neill was the manager at Spurs when I joined not long after the team had only stayed up by beating Leeds 4-2 on the last day of the 1974/75 season. At that stage I’d made over 130 appearances since my debut for Aberdeen at 19. Terry was looking to restructure the Spurs team and in those days, there were no transfer windows and clubs could sign players at any time other than in the closing weeks of a season. The move to Tottenham eventually went through in September 1975 for a £100k plus transfer fee, big money at the time!

TTT: Aberdeen to London, how big a change of lifestyle was that?

WY: Put it this way, I used to supplement my Aberdeen wages with a summer painting job on the North Sea oil rigs!

LY: I hope Willie did did a better job on the rigs than he does in the house! I was pregnant with our daughter Victoria at the time of the move to Tottenham so Willie moved down to digs in Cheshnut close to the training ground to start with.

WY: Yes, the lodgings were run by a great lady called Jay Norris. She really looked after the young players, kept us on the straight and narrow and even taught us how to play bridge.

TTT: How were those initial months at Spurs?

WY: My first few days at training were to say the least eventful. There was a fair bit of banter between the English lads like John Pratt and Terry Naylor and my fellow Scot and later best friend, John Duncan. I think John was pleased to have a fellow Scot around to back him up! I also remember some ‘one on one’ drills and this young kid from the youth team was asked to try to dribble around me. I figured, no problem I can handle this lad, but the youngster waltzed around me. That young lad’s name was Glenn Hoddle! What a player Glenn was, it was obvious even then that he’d go on to be a real star and he wasn’t only a brilliant footballer but a lovely young man. Of course I couldn’t let him get away with dancing around me in training so I gave him a little tap on the ankle to warn him against making fun of me again! As well as Glenn, it was a privilege to be in a group that included stand out players like Pat Jennings and Stevie Perryman, they were not only fine footballers but also wonderful ambassadors for the club.

Off the pitch, once Linda moved down we became good friends with John Duncan, Don McAllister and their wives and used to get together for social evenings playing charades and Monopoly. Even though we only played for smarties or matchsticks, the burning competitive spirit within John Duncan always made for lively evenings! John, was a big ABBA fan, I remember once when he was out injured we were offered tickets in a box to see the band in Town. When the band offered a member of the audience, an opportunity to sing Dancing Queen with them on stage, John climbed down from the box and jumped onto the stage. So much for his injury!

TTT: Your debut was one to remember wasn’t it!

WY: Yes it was! It was away at Leeds United who were a very strong side at that time, we were close to the bottom of the table. I played pretty well and we got a good 1-1 draw – I managed to keep my long time friend Joe Jordan in my back pocket! I think Joe was a bit annoyed at the few little kicks he’d got from me during the game as he eventually sunk his fang teeth into the back of my neck! That game was the first of five successive League draws before I eventually tasted my first League victory in a Spurs shirt, 3-2 away to Leicester City.

TTT: You had a pretty well deserved reputation as an “uncompromising” defender!

WY: You could say that! Football was different then, most teams had players who knew it was their role to protect their teammates and remind the opposition that there were consequences for bad tackles! It was quite satisfying to sort out an opposing player who’d kicked one of my teammates up in the air! Whilst at Aberdeen I remember playing against Sir Alex Ferguson who put in a particularly bad tackle on one of my team mates – I certainly let him know what I thought (I can’t repeat the language in polite company!) and let’s just say Sir Alex was fortunate to be sent off and avoid retribution! Of course Sir Alex went on to manage Aberdeen with real success before his incredible achievements at Manchester United.

TTT: Did the Spurs fans appreciate that uncompromising approach?

WY: I think so, pretty early on they’d come up with a song for me!
“6 foot two, Eyes of blue, Willie Young is after you”

TTT: Tell us about your experience of playing in the North London derby that first season at the club?

WY: My first North London Derby was a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane. The away game was much more memorable though with us winning 2-0 at Highbury with John Duncan and John Pratt scoring the goals. The Arsenal attack didn’t want to go near our back four of me, Terry Naylor, Don McAllister and the cultured Keith Osgood!

TTT: How did that season end up?

WY: We finished the season in a creditable ninth place and on a personal level I’d been an almost permanent fixture in the back four. Frustratingly we missed out on a place in the League Cup Final by losing out to Newcastle over two legs in the semi final. It was a good group of lads with good camaraderie. The team had occasional social nights at the Walthamstow dog track which was owned by Martin Chivers father in law at the time. After every away game, the team coach dropped the players off at the ground on Tottenham High Road and many of the team would go straight across the road for a night out. That summer we toured in Singapore where the club are going back to play this coming summer – I remember that game well as I lobbed the keeper to score from the half way line!

TTT: The following season was pretty eventful for you from a North London Derby perspective wasn’t it?

WY: It certainly was. Terry Neill had left us to join Arsenal with Keith Burkinshaw taking over at Spurs. Sadly Keith and I never really hit it off and I found myself out of the team more often. I was in the team for the North London Derby at White Hart Lane on 27th December 1976 – it was a pretty eventful game to say the least! Malcolm MacDonald had put Arsenal in front but I headed in our equaliser from Peter Taylor’s flighted free kick. Unfortunately after that it all went horribly wrong. An Arsenal player, I think it was Peter Storey, kicked out at me and the red mist descended, leading to my knee and Frank Stapleton’s back coming together…. Four Arsenal players came towards me, there were punches thrown and pretty much all 22 players were involved in a brawl. I was sent off but fortunately John Duncan scored an equaliser and we got a 2-2 draw!

TTT: That game probably signalled the beginning of the end for your time at Spurs?

WY: It did sadly. In March 1977, two months before Spurs were eventually relegated, Terry Neill came in for me and I think Keith was more than happy to take the £80,000 transfer fee and I signed for Arsenal having made 64 appearances for Spurs.

TTT: A move across the North London divide can’t have been easy?

WY: From a dressing room perspective it was fine – Arsenal at the time had a large Irish and Scottish contingent who made me very welcome and of course a few months later Pat joined as well. The fans on the other hand were initially not so welcoming especially given the game in December ‘76! In those days the rivalry was fierce but somehow different from today and I remember going with a few of my new Arsenal team mates to watch my old teammates Spurs at White Hart Lane. We were recognised by one or two Spurs fans who had some words with us.

TTT: And a North London Derby on the other side of the fence?

WY: Those were no less eventful in red than they were in white! I remember going up for a header and receiving a full on punch from my own keeper Jimmy Rimmer. On another occasion, I tried to nip in to clear a corner but misjudged it and there was my mate John Duncan lurking behind me to score. John ran over to me to celebrate and I had to remind him we were now on different sides!

TTT: Your spell with Arsenal was pretty successful wasn’t it?

WY: Yes, I made 170 appearances for Arsenal and played in three consecutive FA Cup Finals losing two and winning one. Two of the finals were very eventful versus Manchester United and especially the 1980 Final against West Ham. We were losing 1-0 to the Hammers, the youngest ever player to play in an FA Cup final, Paul Allen was through on goal with just Pat Jennings to beat. I chased down Paul from behind and speaking honestly I thought we are 1-0 down, if the lad scores, the match is over, I will have to take one for the team. I tripped Paul from behind and I just assumed I’d be the first player to ever be sent off in an FA Cup Final and started walking towards the tunnel. The referee George Courtney shouted “Where are you going – come back here. I am not going to send you off because you did it gently!” I and I suspect the watching millions on TV were shocked! But West Ham went on to win the cup anyway. Years later I was able to apologise to Paul in person about that incident, and he was very decent about it.

TTT: After Arsenal you played for Brian Clough?

WY: Yes in 1981 I signed for Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, and was made captain. Clough was a great but also fickle manager. The players would always send me to his office if they had complaints and eventually Clough took the captaincy off me!

TTT: The word that keeps coming up in this chat about your career is “eventful” – how do you think you’d have fared in today’s game?

LY: He would be sent off and put on the naughty step every week!

WY: I’m not sure I can disagree with that!

TTT: And finally, what do you make of the current Spurs squad?

WY: I think Mauricio Pochettino is doing a superb job at the club, especially the way he brings through young players. On the playing side I think Harry Kane is the complete striker with quick feet and brain – I’m very pleased I never had to come up against him during my career. I also like watching Dele Alli and the attitude he brings to a match. Having been a centre back myself I’m full of admiration for the centre back pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld who combine very well.

Legendary Striker Alan Gilzean Passed Away Aged 79

THE TOTTENHAM TRIBUTE TRUST, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE SPURS FAMILY WAS DEVASTATED TO HEAR THAT OUR FORMER STRIKER ALAN GILZEAN PASSED AWAY AT THE WEEKEND.

Gilly joined the Club from Dundee in December 1964 and went on to score 133 goals in 439 appearances in our colours as well as 12 goals in the 22 caps he won for Scotland.

Known for his ability in the air, he was described by our record golascorer Jimmy Greaves as “possibly the best footballer I’ve ever played with” and later went on to form a formidable partnership with Martin Chivers following Greaves’ departure in 1970.

During his 10 years at Tottenham, he and the Club enjoyed great success, wininng the FA Cup in 1967, the UEFA Cup in 1972 and the Football League Cup in 1971 and 1973.

The Spurs faithful quickly took Alan to their hearts and the popular terrace chant saw him labelled “The King of White Hart Lane”.

In recent years, following a number of years away, Alan returned to the Club and worked as a matchday host where he was as popular with the younger fans and those that were fotunate to have seen him grace the turf at the Lane.

The Tribute Trust has been in regular contact with the Gilzean family in recent weeks and our thoughts are with his entire family and friends at this sad time.

Tony Marchi Receives Help From The Tottenham Tribute Trust

THE MARCHI FAMILY CANT THANK TOTTENHAM ENOUGH.

The Tottenham Tribute Trust was delighted to be able to provide help for our former player Tony Marchi, recently.

Now aged 85, mobility isn’t as easy as it once was for our ex midfielder and a much needed stair lift was installed at Tony’s home.

Tony joined our youth set up in 1948 and made his first team debut as a 17-year-old under Arthur Rowe against Grimsby Town in April, 1950.

After a two year spell in Italy he returned in 1959 and made 6 appearances in our Double winning season. His best was still to come though as he started the 1963 Cup Winners Cup final as we brushed Atletico Madrid aside 5-1 in Rotterdam to become the first British team to lift a European trophy.

By the time he left in 1965, he had clocked up 260 appearances during his two spells scoring 7 goals.

Tony’s wife Marie contacted us to thank the Tribute Trust and everyone at the Club. She said, “Not only has the stair lift made it easier for Tony to get upstairs it has made all our lives much easier. It is so heart warming to know that a Club like Tottenham Hotspur still cares about the older players. We really can’t thank you enough.”

If you want to help the Tribute Trust to help other former players in their later years, please visit our donations page.