Football is all about the moments. That feeling. Bedlam as the ball hits the net. There is nothing like it, nothing can compare with a last minute winner. That uncontrolled explosion of joy and unity. It’s natural, unreconstructed, visceral. It’s ours.
Can’t explain it to anyone who doesn’t get football. I mean, if I say there is nothing to match it, am I merely revealing my drab, grey existence? I think of my friend Adrianna, who looks at me kindly with a mixture of bafflement and pity when I talk like this.
I’m right though. Where else can you experience such utter instinctive joy, made even more powerful because it’s shared with 61000 others, plus everyone at home who felt it too. It’s so precious. Few of the ways we express our emotions these days are spontaneous. The goal liberates us, frees us to be ourselves. In that chaotic tangle of limbs and the jerky carnival of celebration, we find our moment and rejoice in being us.
Football at Spurs is fun again Everyone I spoke to said the same thing – you look forward to games now. Under the last three managers, football became something to be endured, now it is a pleasure. We enjoy it for what it is and what it means to us.
The celebration police mobilised on social media. Of the all ridiculous manifestations of modern fandom, defining how to celebrate a goal is the most ludicrous. On twitter, I move like a Maddison, aware of what’s going around me and easily skip past obstructions to find my sweet spot. Live in the here and now and relish the good times. If you feel the game, you don’t think, you just do it.
Embrace the moment for all its worth. When it comes to milking it, I channel my inner Ange, the last one to leave the field, finally tearing himself away from the South Stand roar. I looked back up at the giant stand, a single pulsating being. Genuinely I don’t know what our position in the league is. That’s not what we were celebrating. We revelled in the rediscovery of good football, of our heritage. We delighted in the fact that the manager and players felt the same way. After the winner, the players ran uncoordinated in all directions. The same as us. Ange’s finest achievement so far is to reunite team and fans, to close the chasm JM and Conte opened up. They love it as much as we do. This team is a reflection of us, of who we are and what we want football to be like.
This denouement, though, had the added spice of the corniest of Hollywood sporting films. It looked like the bad guys – boo hiss – with their dastardly timewasting would win out, and that the referee – boo hiss – would have succeeded in ruining the game. We could be talking about S United’s admirable defending in the box, not only heroic last-ditch blocks but also cutting out space and covering runners. Instead, it’s all about calculated timewasting like nothing I’ve seen before. Spurs waste time. I’m not a betting man but last season, if we were a goal up with five minutes left, I would have put the house and the kids on Hojbjerg going down. But blatant slowness by the keeper, players taking it in turns to sit down in the second half while the rest of the side took on liquids and tactics from the sideline. The keeper should have got a second yellow but the ref, who was atrocious, decided against it, even after warning him and the skipper in the first half.
At one point it looked as if this would be the first test for supporters of the Ange philosophy, keep playing regardless of results, but Spurs kept going. We never stop, and they didn’t. They deserve enormous credit and admiration for such a remarkable transformation is such a short period of time. Total commitment to the cause, plus they kept their heads and played terrific football throughout. The move for Kulu’s goal, under intense pressure, is a mini-masterpeice of passing football in a tight space, all begun by what is fast becoming a feature of our play, Udogie winning the ball high up the pitch.
Ange works his players hard and doesn’t suffer slackers, yet has the emotional intelligence sadly lacking in his three predecessors to value them as individuals. Apparently if you treat people well, they respond well too. Who knew?
Richie knows. He’s been protected and looked after. On the bench but not sulking. His goal could have been portrayed as a moment of redemption and closure. Instead, his reaction was all business. I’m the striker, get ahead of my marker and head it. Job done, now get on with it. My kind of striker.
Bissouma was outstanding, epitomising our determination and drive. Romero has caught the eye this season too. He is thinking more about his game, where he should be and how he can combine with VDV. Son in the middle may work better away from home when teams have to come out and we can attack on the counter. Solomon and Kulu kept the crosses coming in but the United centrebacks lapped it all up. Johnson had little time to shine but the way he pulled that ball down and beat the keeper, disallowed but there’s mouthwatering promise and talent for all to see.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Thanks Alan, it were great! As was meeting your grandchildren what happy excited faces they had. Hopfully not for the last ime this month, where ever they watch the games! As for people who don’t get Football, surely they get unexpected surges of emotional charge that almost knocks then off their fee. If only from holding their first child or tasting their first ever hand baked bread.
ALTHOUGH there are some ( TORIES and unfortunately others ) these days who work tirelessly to prevent others from shareing such moments. Shame on them!!
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Good to see you too Mal. My grandson was amazed to hear the date of your first game at the Lane
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What an excellent summary. The feeling is almost tangible. Everythinbg we have always believed the club is about, should be about, we are seeing on the pitch and behind the scenes. It’s about literally daring to do, “about glory. It is about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.” – those words could be Ange or Danny. It’s interchangeable. I’ve supported spurs for over 55 years and I don’t think I have ever felt quite so positive about us. We all know what could happen, we are Spurs, that doesn’t change, but living in this moment is sublime.
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Great article!
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That’s it, this is what the club is about. We’ll have to take knock backs along the way but Postecoglu has got it, and us, spot on.
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“I know a place…” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhHBr7nMMio
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You’ve got it my friend. Mavis does it better than any words I could write. Hope you are keeping well
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I watched the match here in Sydney at midnight. Got to bed sometime after 3 am with a wildly confused mix of emotions – elation, exuberance, relief, pride, astonishment, admiration…. Whatever it was, I was dreaming but I couldn’t sleep.
Richarlison’s emphatic header, Kulusevski’s winner, Udogie’s interception, the brilliance of Johnson’s amazing disallowed goal, that pin-point cross from Perisic….
Such a well-crafted and creative article, Alan. If there were ever a Blogger Wordsmith of the Month award you’d win it every time! 🌹
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Too kind, thnak you. How on earth did you get to sleep? I was still buzzing gone midnight!
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A veritable release of emotion & passion. Thanks for sharing that Alan.
I’ve been replaying those final minutes numerous times, each time turning the volume up on my desktop. The first time I’ve done that in a long while.
That’s 8 assists now for Perisic. When all’s said & done he is adding value to the squad.
Now, I’m hoping Pedro stays cool, calm & collected on Sunday and does not get carried away by the occasion i.e. caught out of position.
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Confess I’ve rewatched a footage a time or two. You’re right about Perisic, such a shame for him and the team that he’s done his ACL. Career ending perhaps.
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hibberni posted the above
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So good. Lovely images of young players celebrating a last minute & some win like 7-year-olds down the park. Football Lives and it can be Beautiful. Come on you new Spurs!
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They were as excited as we in the stands were. Lovely moment
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Went from slight trepidation today to disappointment that a couple of flukes led to a draw. However, the project remains well ahead of all my hopes and the football is so fun to watch!
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Pub Quiz:
Which premiership team scored the most own-goals during a season?
We score proper (team-constructed) goals the opposition gets lucky…so far!
What goes around, comes around.
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Pub Quiz:
Which premiership team scored the most own-goals during a season?
We score proper (team-constructed) goals the opposition gets lucky…so far!
What goes around, comes around.
I’m assuming the slowness with which Vicario distributes the ball is a tactic that AP is employing. On va voir.
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hibberni posted the above two….one day I’ll get the hang of WordPress, but don’t anyone hold their breaths
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The Cry-Babies of the North
I’m amazed at the sense of entitlement Liverpool FC (and the city) continue to engender.
We’ve all lost count of the amount of erroneous rulings that have adversely affected our past results.
Are LFC’s red card appeal & the request to release VAR audio the first steps in an effort to force a match replay (they could then start with 11 instead of 10)?
The outfall from creating such a precedent should not be underestimated, not to mention making the job of referees & VAR officials even more difficult.
Of course, nobody pays attention to the profligate niggling fouls that the LFC players use to breakdown opposition counter attacks in the hope that they can escape without retribution.
Well done Simon Hooper.
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hibberni posted the above
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