Alex Hamill was a player who would join Spurs during the late 1970’s as a youth team player from Scotland. From Glasgow, Alex was a fine and strong left-back who could also play in midfield, and for a time during the late 1970’s Alex was the captain of the Spurs youth team, where he was an important team player. He would also play for the Spurs reserves, before joining Hearts on a loan move during the early 1980’s, before later making the move permanent. Alex would later play for Hamilton Academical, Forfar Athletic, Cowdenbeath and East Fife, in Scotland. I recently had the great pleasure of speaking with Alex about his memories of his time at Spurs.

What are you earliest ever footballing memories?

Alex: It would probably be being at Celtic games, and being amongst massive crowds. My dad used to take me sometimes to Celtic, and sometimes I used to take my brother to Celtic games, but we weren’t allowed to buy any stuff such as flags or things like that, as my mum wouldn’t allow that. So we used to bring Celtic stuff in to the house and hide it! So they were good memories.

What are your earliest memories of your time at Spurs? And how did you come about joining the club?

Alex: After being scouted by Tottenham, I left school at 16 and I went straight down to Tottenham. I moved in to digs with a landlady called misses Oakerbee, on Wakefield Street in Edmonton. My early impressions were thinking to myself I just can’t believe I’m here, as Tottenham was just a massive club, even though they weren’t as good as they had been when I had  first arrived. But it was a dream just to be a professional footballer and start my journey at Tottenham. I had been with a couple of clubs on trial, such as Aston Villa, but Tottenham was always the one for me. Me and a friend of mine had been on trial with Spurs and had gone down there two or three times, and both of us were supposed to sign when he had decided to go to Aberdeen. And although Aberdeen were interested in me as well, I was determined to go to Spurs. I was an apprentice with Garry Brooke when I first joined Spurs and also Peter Southey, God rest him. Also, Joe Simmonds was an apprentice with Spurs at the time, so there was just a small group of us apprentices at that time. Johnny Wallis was kind of in charge of us apprentices at that time, and he made sure that you got your jobs done and had got all of your training gear ready to go to Cheshunt. And of course you had to clean the dressing rooms and things like that, and if things weren’t done well then Johnny would tell you that they weren’t, and that you had to do it again. But it was a great experience.

Did you have any footballing heroes/inspirations and if so who were they?

Alex: Kenny Dalglish. Being a Celtic fan I used to get lifted over the turnstiles to watch them play, and Kenny was always my hero. He was a fantastic footballer and I was devastated when he left Celtic, but even when he went to Liverpool he was a tremendous player and manager, and by the sounds of things he’s just a really good human being. So he was my top man.

Who were your greatest influences at Spurs?

Alex: Ron Henry and Robbie Stepney were two people who I looked up to. Ron was the manager of the Spurs youth team at the time and he was a cult hero in his day at Tottenham, and he was someone who I got on really well with. Up until not so long ago I was exchanging Christmas cards with him, up until I’d found out that he’d passed away, which was sad. Also, Robbie was a great guy who had a big influence on me, and I used to spend a lot of time with him, and on Sundays instead of being on my own in my digs, I’d go along and watch the younger players who used to play on a Sunday, with Robbie. So that was basically just something to do for me, but Robbie was always kind and helpful, like Ron. The secretary at the time – Peter Day, was a great guy who looked after me at Spurs, and he’s someone who I still stay in contact with to this day. So he was a big influence on me. Even the ground-staff (Roy Reyland and Colin White) were good to me, and I used to play golf with Colin White quite a lot at Crews Hill, which was where the Tottenham lads all used to play golf. So I spent a lot of time with the ground-staff. There were also two guys called Harry the gate and and Harry the shop, and one was always standing at the turnstile or the gate, and the other Harry used to run the shop I believe, which was the supporters shop at the time.

At that time in my footballing career my family couldn’t afford to come down to Tottenham, and they actually were unable to get down to watch me at Tottenham during my time there. So those people that I mentioned who were at Spurs, they kept me on my toes and made sure that I wasn’t so lonely, and they made me feel part of things.

Could you describe to me what type of player you were? And what positions you played in during your time at Spurs?

Alex: I went to Spurs as a left-back, and I played predominantly at left-back. I was a strong defender and also a good organiser, which was why I was made captain of the youth team. I was quite vocal and I wasn’t afraid to tell people to get organised and tell them what they should be doing. I wasn’t blessed with the greatest speed in the world, but I could run all day. I moved in to midfield a bit later, and I played quite a few games in midfield for the reserves as a holding midfield player, which I quite enjoyed. And I started to get a good run of games in the reserves, just before I actually left to go to Hearts. It was actually very difficult at that time going from youth to reserve team football. In the last reserve team that I played with for Spurs, there was Peter Taylor and Gerry Armstrong, and also Brookesy, Gibson and Falco and Peter Southey. And there was only one sub in those days, and so on a Friday it was kind of disappointing seeing the team-sheet and seeing that your name wasn’t there. 

Were there any players at Spurs who you would watch closely to try and improve your game or look to learn from?

Alex: I looked to Steve Perryman for the way in which he conducted himself, and he was Mr Tottenham, and a gentleman as well. So you just looked at the way he conducted himself going around the place, and just pick up things from him. Obviously you look at people who play in your position to see how they played. And at the time there was Jimmy Holmes playing at left-back and also Chris Hughton sometimes, although he was right footed. So I used to watch them to pick up ideas and also to see the way that they played. Because the club was so close knit at that time, the apprentices were basically in with the first team, and we were also training with them on a daily basis. So there were training matches where the youth team back four were facing Crooks and Archibald, and Hoddle, Ardiles and Villa. So it was a fantastic experience playing against World Cup winners, and also players like Glenn Hoddle. It was just a fantastic time.

What was your time at the Lilywhites like on the whole?

Alex: I was really delighted to sign for Tottenham. I was possibly a bit lonely at times, but I wouldn’t have changed anything for the world, for having the experiences that I had, and also meeting the people that I met. Johnny Wallis, Robbie Stepney and Ron Henry have all gone now, God rest them. I also lost some of my teammates, like Peter Southey, who tragically died. I was really, really close to him and also Colin White and Mark Kendall, who have both passed away as well. We had a lot of great times and laughs, and some of the things that we used to get up to with the other apprentices was just crazy. I’ll never forget the day that Steve Archibald signed, because it was a beautiful day. Me and Brookesy and Peter Southey were just sitting there on the park, and Steve was going to see the press. Colin White was up for a laugh and so he set-up the sprinklers as a joke and set them off to go off at the goalmouth and have the water going everywhere, and so the water came out of the ground and soaked them all! One day me, Garry Brooke and Peter Southey were wandering around the ground, when we came across this room. It was a snooker room, but it was quite dirty so we ended up cleaning it up. And so me, Micky Hazard, Garry Brooke, Peter Southey and me used to go in that snooker room quite a lot to play snooker, when nobody else knew that it was there.

Me and Garry Brooke liked a night out at Walthamstow Dogs track, and we’d go there most Saturday’s. Also, we went on trips abroad with the youth team for European competitions, and on one occasion we won in the final against Bayern Munich. I actually scored the winner in this final, which was unusual for me, and also because I scored it with my right foot, being left footed. The ball went right in to the top corner of the goal. That was a strong Bayern Munich team that we had played in the final, and they were distraught that they hadn’t won it, but we had a strong youth team as well.

What was the greatest moment of your footballing career?

Alex: Scoring that goal in the final against Bayern Munich was one of them, but even just signing for a big club like Tottenham was just fantastic. The facilities that Spurs had at that time and the training ground and stadium that they had was great. When I went to Hearts I played at a good standard in the top division and I played about 50 games for them, and then when I was at Hamilton we won the championship, and I was the captain for them then. I also later played for Forfar, where I played almost 300 games, and I was the captain there as well. I played just short of 600 games in Scotland, and so I’m proud of my career. I wonder what would have happened if I’d have stayed at Tottenham, but you can’t go back on things, and I really enjoyed my time at Tottenham, and the people there were always good to me.

Could you talk me through some of your favourite memories or ones which stand out from your time in the Spurs youth side and the reserves?

Alex: Winning the South-East Counties League was one, as that was a very strong league. We didn’t always have full sides in the South-East Counties League, because if the reserves were playing then Mark Falco or Peter Southey might go with them, which would make them (the Spurs youth team) a little bit weaker. Some other good players that were about at that time were Ian Crook and also Mark Bowen, and they both ended up having good careers. There was also Jimmy Bolton and Terry Gibson, who were England Schoolboy internationals, and even though Terry went on to have a better career, I think that Jimmy scored more goals than Terry at youth level at Spurs. There was also Kerry Dixon, and I couldn’t believe when Spurs released Kerry. Kerry was like Gerry Reardon as he was part-time, but Kerry scored a lot of goals, but for some reason he didn’t get taken on. So winning the South-East Counties League was a good memory, and I’m sure that I was presented with the trophy one night at White Hart Lane after a game, which was nice. I was also part of the Spurs reserve side that won the Football Combination League, which was another highlight from my time at Spurs. Around that time I had been picked for Scotland training, but unfortunately I was injured at the time. Peter Southey was going to the England training at the time, and I was supposed to be going to the Scotland one. I believe that people like Ally McCoist were in that Scotland squad.

I once got picked to play for an FA Colts team, and I think that Peter Southey had been picked as well, to play against an Essex County Schools Under 18 side. I can remember that because the strips that we wore were England strips, and me being a Scotsman I couldn’t believe that I was wearing an England strip. I was also the captain of that team that day as well. So that was kind of unusual!

Who was the toughest player that you ever came up against?

Alex: Gordon Strachan. Paul McStay was another good player that I played against,  but Gordon Strachan was just so mobile and tough, but with great ability. I also came up against Glenn Hoddle, who was just on a different level. He would wait until you’d lifted your leg to try and block the ball, before always hitting the ball under your leg, because the goalkeeper couldn’t see it then. He just had unbelievable ability. However, to answer your question I would say Gordon Strachan, when I was playing against Aberdeen for Hearts. I’d managed to get the better of him the first time that I’d ever came up against him in a game, but in the second game he had managed to get the better of me, but we shook hands after the match.

Were there any players at Spurs who you were particularly close to during your time at the club?

Alex: Peter Southey and Garry Brooke were the ones who I would say that I was most friendly with. So I was very close with them. It was such a tragedy that Peter died at such a young age, and I was really shocked when I received a letter from Robbie Stepney to tell me what had happened.

Could you talk me through your career after you left the Lilywhites and what prompted you to leave the club?

Alex: I’d started getting a run of games and doing well in the reserves for Spurs, where I was getting good reviews. And so that was when I was asked to go to Hearts on loan for six months, and I actually packed my stuff that day and left Spurs. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my landlady or nothing, and whether that’s the right thing or the wrong thing to do, that’s just the way it was. I ended up going from youth team football and a little bit of reserve team football straight in to first team football at Hearts, in the top division of Scottish football. So that was a big step for me, but it was good for me as I was playing against the likes of Celtic and Rangers. So it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down, and of course I signed another year’s contract after that with Hearts, after my contract at Tottenham had finished. I actually got a nice letter from Tottenham after I had left, wishing me all the best. So I spent two years at Hearts before going to Hamilton, where we won the championship, and I played about 155 games there, with a lot of them as the captain of the side. From there I went to Forfar, where I played 319/320 games, and I was the captain there for the whole length of the time that I was there.

After I left Forfar I had a couple of short spells with Cowdenbeath, who I was with for about a year, before finishing my career with East Fife, when Steve Archibald was player-manager. We had actually got promoted that season, but I think that it was a bit of a culture shock for Steve, with some of the places that we went to, as it wasn’t like playing at Barcelona, put it that way!

What would your advice be to the young Spurs players of today as they look to rise up through the ranks at the club?

Alex: Look at the senior players that are around you and especially the ones who conduct themselves well. Train the best that you can and give it everything and don’t have any regrets, because it’s a short career. It doesn’t need to be the end of your career if you get released from a top club, as there’s always a path for you somewhere, as long as you give it 100%. So I’d say to listen to your coaches and the top pros, and look at how those pros behave off the pitch, as well as on it. 

After all these years how do you look back on your time at the Lilywhites and is Spurs a club that you still hold close to your heart?

Alex: I still look out for the Tottenham results and I’m still a Tottenham fan, and I will be following them even more so now since Ange has joined. It will be exciting times for Tottenham fans, because he won’t suffer fools gladly, and he comes across as a really good speaker and organiser. The team will have an identity, and the fans will know what they’re playing. Ange will play 4-3-3, and he won’t change it, as he asks for 100% off people for about 60 minutes, before bringing on three or four subs at a time. I have good and fond memories of my time at Spurs with good people, such as Ron Henry, Robbie Stepney, Peter Day, Colin White and Roy Reyland, as they were just great people. I just wish that I could have said goodbye to my old landlady, as at the time you don’t appreciate what people do for you. However, my time at Spurs was great, and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I have been married now for 38 years to Carolann, and I have a son called Kieran, and a daughter called Jade, as well as seven beautiful grandchildren.