My interview with former Spurs scout Ronnie Clayton:

(Ronnie is pictured second from left in the front row).

Ronnie Clayton served Spurs as a scout for a long period throughout the 1960’s. The brother of former Spurs player Eddie Clayton, Ronnie was instrumental in getting us to sign a number of players who would go onto play for the Tottenham first team. Players of which include Ray Evans, Steve Perryman, Jimmy Neighbour and countless others. Ronnie also had a hand in bringing a young Northern Irish goalkeeper by the name of Pat Jennings to the Lilywhites. Clayton’s time at Spurs was fascinating and the naturally talented scout who had an eye for talent stretching back to his playing days for various amateur clubs, recommended many a fine player to the great Bill Nicholson, who he worked for. As Ronnie’s son Steve so poignantly put it, Ronnie is the last of the Bill Nicholson, Eddie Baily, Charlie Faulkner and Dick Walker (both chief scouts) era. A gentleman whose wealth of knowledge of Spurs from a bygone era is so very precious. I had the great privilege of going down to the south coast to interview Ronnie about his time as a scout at Spurs. The club that he loves so well.

Could you briefly talk me through your playing career?

Ronnie: I didn’t start playing until I was about 13 when I played at play centres and things like that. I then belonged to a boys club in Bethnal Green where I played as a ball playing inside forward. When I was 16 we won the double in the AJY league and I then got picked to play for the league there. After that I had a brief period playing for a team on a Saturday called Sarsons (the vinegar people). Then after that I spent two years in the RAF for national service and when I played there I used to run the equipment team. I also used to play for the station. The biggest game that I played in (I was stationed just outside Kingston in Surrey) was against Kingstonian. When I came out of the RAF I was advised by somebody that I was good enough to play professionally and so I went to Wimbledon who were then in the southern league, for a trial. And after playing a game everyone was saying that they’ll sign you but they didn’t and by that stage I was 20. The only way they were going to sign me was if I was better than the guy who was playing in that position in the Wimbledon team, and that guy happened to be Alan Court who was the captain, and I wasn’t as good as him. So after that I went back to my job at the port of London authority and played some good football for them for a while before playing in the Surrey business housing league. I was there about a year and I wasn’t going to go training because I was too busy earning money and was married at the time. So I played for years for this team in a league that had 19 divisions, so I was always not a bad player. Going back to when I was 20 I played a couple of games for Ilford who were in the Isthmian league. One particular thing was quite funny. When I went for a game once they had to pick a team from 15 and they’d had a request from Maldon Town which was in Surrey, and so they needed a couple of guest players. So me and the centre forward who played in the A team volunteered to play and we actually helped them win the game. That was the first time that I played in a game where the crowd had used rattles. Anyway we got through to the next round and the manager did ask me to join them but I still had aspirations of playing for Ilford so I politely said no.

My job at the PLA was more important for me but I ended up playing football at local level when I was 29. Anyway I used to watch my brother Eddie play for Spurs and so I knew all the Tottenham players. So then one day Dickie Walker who was the chief scout at Spurs asked me if I’d like to become a scout for the club and so I agreed to do it at the weekends. It corresponded with me spending a lot of time down at Tottenham because unfortunately the shipping industry was changing and containerisation was coming in, so the goods going in and out of the country was all changing so hence I had a lot of spare time on my hands. So I spent lots of time down at Tottenham at the office and it was a very small office. Harry Hopkins was the accountant who did the wages and everything, and he was quite a Dickensian character who was tall and wore glasses. In the office with Harry was Barbara Wallis who was Bill Nicholson’s secretary. There was also a girl in there called Judie who did general duties. And then on a Saturday they had a man who manned the phones because it was quite busy then, and that was it. I also knew the secretary called Reg Jarvis and the assistant secretary who was a man called Alan Leather. One thing with me which you’ve got to to remember not a lot of people could do at that time was that I could read and write, something that I always could do as I had went to a central school. Anyway not only did I know the players intimately with Eddie when he started playing in the 1950’s (Eddie got involved with Spurs through the great Alf Ramsey) but I also got to spend time with them outside of football.  My first game as a scout was at Romford who were in the southern division who were managed by a guy who played for Tottenham called Harry Clarke who was signed for a thousand pounds. I used to watch the games at Spurs up in an old stand at Tottenham when they had bars that you lent on. I was right up in the corner opposite the players entrance watching the games every week from the time that I was 13 or 14 years of age. Funnily enough a guy who used to watch the games with us called David Lodge would go onto become quite well known in the carry on films.

What is your earliest Spurs memory?

Ronnie: I’ll always remember when my headmaster told me that he was officiating down at White Hart Lane on a Saturday and that was in 1944. I went down and met him outside the players entrance and he gave me a ticket for a game which was between Spurs and Arsenal because, Arsenal and Spurs shared the ground at that time.

What is your earliest memory as a Spurs scout?

Ronnie: Well my earliest memory was going down to watch a guy called Bill Brown for Romford who I went with Dickie Walker to watch, as Spurs were interested in signing him as an amateur. Anyway I went down there and saw him and wrote my report (I noted that he was a decent player) and anyway they signed him on amateur forms for a while although nothing much came off it. Really Spurs wanted me for getting young players so I spent most of my time watching district football. Bill Nicholson was alway interested in doing what we called getting players young because he had a forward way of looking at things just like Alf Ramsey did. So I spent most of my time going around watching district football, and many of those that I saw then with me and Dickie were at Cheshunt, which is just off the Cambridge road. We’d see games where we would look to tell if someone would go onto become a good player and that’s the first time that I saw Glenn Hoddle when he was nine and a half or ten. My job on the Sunday would then be to put the whites against the blues and he’d tell me the names and I’d call them out to tell them where they were playing. And we used to do that throughout the years on a Sunday with boys who were recommended to us. With boys who were recommended from Wales (and they’d stay with Terry Medwin and that) you had Arthur Willis who had contacts, then there was a guy in Scotland who’d recommend people and also someone from Ireland. The only time that I used to watch senior pros if you like to call them famous people, Bill Nicholson would go and send me to see a player. He’d ask me to see if that player was carrying an injury because a lot of people hide injuries. I remember one particular game when he sent me down to Highbury and I went down there to watch two people one was Ian Ure and the other was George Armstrong. They were very famous players but funnily enough when I went down there I was sitting in the directors box and thinking how amazing it was when all of a sudden a guy came up to me and his name was Ron Reynolds (former Spurs goalkeeper) and he asked me how I was. Before asking me what I was doing here. Lo and behold there was a famous wing half who was very famous at the time called Jimmy Dickinson and he was also there and Ron Reynolds introduced me. Footballers were like gods to me at that time! 

Anyway my main thing was to watch Ian Ure and George Armstrong, but there was a young right back who impressed me that day called Pat Rice who was 17 at the time. Also a centre forward a guy called Radford who was 16 also caught my eye. 

Having told me some of your early memories of being a Spurs scout could you talk me through the rest of your career?

Ronnie: Well I used to mostly go to down to Spurs on a Tuesday and Thursday to watch the players sometimes, because that was the time that Syd Tickeridge (former Spurs player) who was a guy who did all of the soccer training. During my career I met many boys when they were 14 and 15 who went onto become famous. Boys such as Trevor Brooking who came from a nice family, his dad was a policeman. And Trevor was a clever boy. Sometimes however, sad stories happen. We had a boy (at Spurs) who was outstanding and he was the captain of Kent boys (an inside forward) but unfortunately he kept getting injuries to his legs and he was told that he’d never make it in professional football because he lacks calcium in his bones. He was a wonderful player who had to retire at 15. There was another boy who I knew well that we had called Jimmy Pearce, who managed to make it into the Tottenham first team and the same thing happened to him. He was told that he would never be able to play two games a week because his bones weren’t up to it and I think that he retired when he was only 24. So many people from the reserves that I knew became famous such as Ray Evans. The first time I saw Ray play he played outside left for Edmonton boys and he ended up playing centre half and right back. What upset me during my time as a scout was the combination of work at the PLA and not being able to get away to watch floodlight football which came in when I was scouting. And then what happened was that another guy came into Spurs called Charlie Faulkner who had previously been at Queens Park Rangers came to Spurs as a scout. And that was good at the time because we had this boy from Scotland called Graeme Souness who I used to watch in the ball court as a boy. Lo and behold what happened was that Graeme used to always run back to Scotland and Charlie who was an amazing guy who had a cigarette holder, and he took over. He wasn’t like Dickie who was an amazing guy. To go down to West Ham with Dickie was the most amazing thing as everyone knew him. He’d walk down from the Boleyn underground station to the West Ham ground and it was was wonderful as everybody knew him. Going off topic I’d have scouted for Spurs for nothing and that’s also how Bill Nicholson felt. He thought that it was an honour if you had a Tottenham shirt. 

I remember taking a 15 year old Steve Perryman to a Spurs game and telling him that he would be out there at White Hart Lane one day, and he’d ask me do you think so and I said that he would. He was the hardest of workers. Anyway the end of me was the combinations. I thought that by 1968 I knew enough to be a coach and so I became one. So I thought I had to take advantage of being one so I worked in several boys clubs at the times, but at Spurs Charlie Faulkner was sort of taking over. I had a word with Bill Nicholson and said that it was very difficult for me because when I came here I took every from Dickie Walker but now Charlie’s taken over and Dickie’s lost heart and I’m in the middle of it. But Bill said that neither of them were chief scout, but I said no I don’t like it anyway at work I’d been promoted so I couldn’t get to Tottenham as much as I used to. So by 1971 I’d really had enough and so I never signed on for the next season. In 1971 we played Aston Villa in the league cup final and I could tell at that time that things weren’t going well because after that game which we won, I wasn’t on the big table with everyone but I noticed that rather than being in the main hall I was in a little alcove with Arthur Willlis and the referee of the game and I thought no, this is the end. I’m not saying that I still didn’t watch games but other things came into being. And I’ll never forget the day that Bill Nicholson resigned as I couldn’t believe it. And I couldn’t believe that Eddie Baily wasn’t given the job and instead they gave it to an Arsenal guy called Terry Neill which I thought was wrong. Then about a year after I’d left Spurs Terry Medwin was made the chief scout at Fulham and he phoned me and said that he was looking for at least one more scout and are you interested in coming. He already had George Cohen and Ted Drake as scouts but I said no as I had gone past that and I now had a family, and watching games in the pouring rain just wasn’t my thing anymore. Going back off topic again I remember Bill Nicholson telling me a funny story one time when he was back in Scarborough as a 14 year old and he had an accumulator for a radio, and he was swinging it to get it recharged but in the end he swung it against the lamppost and it got broke. When he got home his old man gave him the old belt, and as he was telling me this story he couldn’t stop laughing and he had a red face. Anyway I did meet quite a lot of young boys who did become quite famous players.

I remember one day Vic Buckingham (former left half at Spurs) was telling me this story about using psychology on players. So he was telling me about this 17 year old kid who knew everything which a lot of 17 year olds are like. Buckingham said that this particular kid drove him wild even though he was a good player. Anyway he let this 17 year old know that next year he was going to make him captain and if there was any trouble with the players it was him that I was coming for, not them. He asked him if he was ok to captain this great side and he said yes. So this kid would inform Buckingham if there was any trouble in the camp and he said from that day on he never had any trouble from this boy who, became his confidant. That kid was Johan Cruyff and the team was AJAX. So that was Vic’s story of how you use psychology on people by dangling a carrot in from of them. And a similar thing happened to Ray Wilkins at 17, a boy who I knew very well, I can remember Ray when he had lovely jet black hair. 

Would you be able to tell me some interesting players who would go onto make it in the game that you recommended to Spurs?

Ronnie: I’ll tell you who I recommended through a friend of mine was Jimmy Neighbour and what happened was, that a friend of mine who I played with in the PLA ran a boys club. And he called me to tell me that I had a boy who you might be interested in who was a 14 year old winger. So I brought him down to Spurs and he signed on. I was also instrumental in Ray Evans joining Spurs and also Steve Perryman who would be the most famous one. Also another one was a guy who had moderate success called Roy Woollcott and he came down to Spurs. Others I saw and recommended to the club that went on to other clubs and became quite successful. Really there were loads who came down who I recommended but didn’t make it. Other boys who I recommended were Ray Clarke, Micky Dillon and Roger Hoy. I also said to Bill Nicholson at the time that a friend of mine who used to play in Watford had told me that we’ve got a goalkeeper who is really good. And it was me who told Nicholson and he got in touch with Watford and the next thing he’d signed him. I was a bit surprised at the time as we had Bill Brown who was a very good goalkeeper, and we also had Johnny Hollowbread but not one of them could touch Ted Ditchburn who was a goalkeeper who had great style. Anyway I’ll run through a couple of names of other players who I scouted that made it in the game who didn’t join Spurs but went on to make it elsewhere. Mick Channon was a player who I’d watched play in a game between Leyton Orient reserves and Southampton at Brisbane road which is a really quaint little ground. I can vividly remember Leslie Grade being at the game (he was one of the directors at the Orient) and there was a young boy who was maybe seven or eight who was playing soldiers on the floor. Anyway to be fair to Mick Channon the game was all Leyton Orient and the guy who stood out to me in that game was a guy called David Webb who would go onto become quite famous with Chelsea, and he was only 17. When I made my report I said that Channon to be fair had hardly had a kick but the guy who did impress me was the left back of the Orient called David Webb who was playing against a guy called Chadwick. However, the funny thing was that the boy who had been playing on the floor, his dad was trying to pump me to see if there was any chance of him becoming a director at Tottenham! 

However, that little boy who was playing on the floor turned out to be Michael Grade, who you read about nowadays. Going off topic I can always remember Terry Venables asking me if Tottenham were interested in him when me and Dickie Walker had scouted him, when he was about 21. Venables asked me whether or not Bill Nicholson fancied him and to be truthful he didn’t really however, sometimes you’ve got to buy a player to bring competition to the team. He bought Venables to keep everyone happy. Once again going off topic we came very close to signing Bobby Moore to Spurs and what happened there was that in 1966 we had a scout who was also the manager for Bobby Moore. So he told me that they (Tottenham) had arranged to buy Moore in 1966 but they knew that he was having some stomach complaint because he was spending a lot of time in hospital. And this guy who was his manager said to Bobby that he’d be taking a chance because what he had at the time was cancerous (this was just before the World Cup). And so whatever happened Tottenham dropped out. However, it’s amazing to think what would have happened if we’d had signed him. Bobby was also a really nice guy. An interesting player who I took down to Spurs was Ray Wilkins but everyone was after Ray. Ray was the one who used to say that I’d got him thrown out of Spurs  and he used to tell that to my daughter when she used to work for Chelsea. I used to say to him don’t do that because you were the one who wanted to sign for Chelsea because it was round the corner, and you were to lazy to come down to Tottenham. Ray was a great talker and a good footballer who played on 45 occasions for England. Another player who I scouted for Spurs was John Toshack. Me and Eddie had gone up to Cardiff to meet his mum and dad, and Toshack came down to Spurs for a trial along with a goalkeeper and a right back and a player called John Collins. However, John Toshack was due to go for a trial with Cardiff who he ended up signing for before he ended up going to Liverpool, and he had a great career. John was a nice person and although he had no pace he was a big guy. I can remember at the trial came at Cheshunt the game finished 2-2 and he scored both goals for his team, he had that knack of being in the right place at the right time, and you get people like that who have that quality.

Another player who I scouted and looked to bring to Spurs was one Sam Allardyce. What had happened there was that I had been to watch a game and I was walking over Hackney Marshes when I saw this game going on and the team were wearing white shirts and black shorts, and they weren’t Londoners. I saw this guy who was a big, tall and skinny guy with skinny legs who was telling everyone where to go and what to do. I watched him for a little while before going over and speaking to the guy on the line and he told me that the team were from West Bromwich and I said was it alright to speak to that tall skinny when he comes off, and he said that it was fine. So when he came off I said to him my name is Ronnie Clayton what’s yours? And he said Sam and I said no what’s your surname? And he said Allardyce and I said that you looked quite good so I said how would you like to come down for a trial with with Tottenham, and he couldn’t believe it. Tottenham he said, and his eyes lit up and he said that would be great. So I took down his details when this master had said to me that he might have already signed forms. So anyway about ten days before spotting Sam I was down at Leyton Orient’s ground to watch a final between East London and Harrow Boys and after the game me and the chief scout at West Ham were accused of trying to get players out of the Orient and it was in the papers the next day. And Eddie Baily said that they (us) were trying to get these boys who had already signed forms with the Orient. However, Eddie Baily said that the papers had made it up and in the end I had to explain myself to the papers, and he said that you can never believe these bloody papers. And he believed me. I can remember once that we played Queens Park Rangers with a group of 15 year old boys. And Dickie Walker who was in his 50’s decided that he was going to show the goalkeeper his positioning, now the goalkeeper who played for Dagenham wasn’t a tall guy. In the end I told Dickie off and rightly so because within ten minutes we were 3-0 down. Bill Nicholson was annoyed that we were losing to QPR but I made a bet with them that if there’s any score we’ll get as many as them, and he took me very seriously. Anyway at the end of the game he came up to me and apologised as the scores were 1-1.

However, what happened with Sam Allardyce in the end was that I had wrote a glowing report of him and written down his address and I had said in the report that he had signed for West Brom. At that time the FA were very disorganised and they didn’t send out reports so I left it at that. I was always thought however, that if Sam had come down to Spurs he would have become a more polished player because we at Spurs had style, but in the end Sam never came down to Spurs for trial and I felt guilty about that because as a 14 year old he would always have remembered about the time that he could have joined Spurs. 

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

Ronnie: Well I was proud to belong to them and it was nice to have met the people that I’d met as they were nice to me. I never had a row with anyone at Spurs and I got on with all of the players, and not once did I ever take anything off the club unlike other scouts at other clubs.

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

Ronnie: Well my great player was Peter Doherty who came from Northern Ireland, and he was a wonderful player. I saw him playing for Derby County down at Spurs once, but the greatest time I saw him was down on a mud heap pitch at West Ham when they were down to nine men in a cup tie. What happened was that West Ham had a corner, somebody headed it out and Pete Doherty got on the ball and he ran on this mud heap all the way from the edge of his 18 yard box to the other goal, and he smashed the ball into the back of the net, now how many people can do that? I’d never seen anybody like him so he was my hero. My only other hero was a man who played for Real Madrid called Alfredo Di Stefano, and what a player he was.

Who were your greatest influences at Spurs?

Ronnie: Well it was Bill Nicholson I suppose because I’d never seen anyone so dedicated to football, and Tottenham Hotspur was his life. Bill lived near the ground and I knew his family personally. Even at his heights Bill Nicholson never took advantage of anyone or anything. Bill was a great Englishman and Tottenham was his first and final love.

What do you feel was your greatest contribution to Spurs as a scout?

Ronnie: Well I think having an inquiring mind and always noting everything down and always following up on players who were recommended to me. You never knew where calls were going to come from, so I’d never turn anything down.

Could you describe to me what the legendary Bill Nicholson and Eddie Baily were like to work for?

Ronnie: Again with Bill Nicholson he had high standards and he wanted loyalty, which he got. You could never lie to Bill Nicholson because he always found out in the end, I remember seeing things that embarrassed him. Me and Dickie Walker went to watch a boy once who had been recommended to the club and had come up from Plymouth (a centre forward). He was picked to play in an under 15 game for England possibles against probables in Ilford. This particular game also saw Charlie George play. This game was a very ordinary one and the poor guy who had been recommended to the club was up at the game there with his dad. Anyway Dickie Walker thought that he was hopeless but I thought that to be fair he didn’t have one kick but anyhow Dickie had left us. However, I took the boy and his dad out for a meal in Stratford, east London. The father was a business man and he knew exactly what had happened and he said that Dickie had buggered off. I kind of covered for him though and said that he had to go because he had an appointment. The boy however, was disappointed because he hadn’t had a kick and off they went. Then the next day Bill Nicholson wanted to see me at Tottenham. And he said that he’s got a letter here he said. Anyway Bill had a dictaphone which allowed everyone to hear a phone call and he read this letter out to me and it read, I know that it was disgusting that Dickie Walker had just gone off like that. I know my son didn’t have much of a game but that’s no way for a club like Tottenham Hotspur to act in a case like this. Also in the letter it said that I exonerate Ron Clayton who at all times showed what the honour of Tottenham Hotspur was about. Anyway what happened was that Dickie Walker phoned in and we could hear him and he was blustering although he was a big man who was often referred to as the colonel! And Bill Nicholson wasn’t happy with him that he’d brought the club into disrepute. During the war Dickie was a parachutist and he used to jump out of planes at least three times a day during the weekends because he was a sergeant. Eddie Baily on the other hand was a great guy to work for and he was also a very jovial character. 

What was Dick Walker like?

Ronnie: He was a loveable rogue who knew his football through and through, but he was a funny man who was never lost for words. Dickie never knew the name of the street but he knew the name of the pub that was on it. However, I’d      never known anybody who didn’t like him. The Bobby Moore’s and Geoff Hurst’s all loved him and that says a lot.

Were any players or staff members at Spurs who you were particularly close to?

Ronnie: Only Dickie Walker really and he was somebody who made my life for me. He’d take me out to all the drinking clubs of the west end and he treated me very well. I always remember one club that we were in, me, Dickie and a 21 year old Terry Venables. A little lady in the bar said that she used to sing for a guy called snake hips Johnson and he (Terry) couldn’t stop laughing and she got Terry up to sing with her. I got on well with Terry although I couldn’t show that I was too friendly with him because he took my brothers place in the Spurs team. 

What would your advice be to the young Spurs players of today as they look to make it in the game?

Ronnie: Well they’d have to be dedicated and they’d have to be very talented because the standards are so much higher today then they were in my time.

What was the great Danny Blanchflower like to know?

Ronnie: I found him to be a very serious minded bloke really, he gave me the impression that he was more of a director than a footballer because he just didn’t look like one, he always had a book under his arm. He may have had funny legs but up in his head he was also two thoughts ahead of everyone and he was a good talker. Interestingly Danny, Bill Nicholson and Bernard Joy used to meet round Danny’s house and they used to talk purely football. Joy used to play centre half for Arsenal and him and Bill Nicholson were very close. One of the funniest things that I saw once is as follows. There was a guy who used to write for the evening news called Vic Rowden and he was telling me that Spurs were playing at Everton. He asked Bill Nicholson if there was any chance of him getting a lift on the coach from the ground to Liverpool Lime Street station, so I could get on the train with you. However, Bill said that no ones allowed on the coach and that’s what he thought of reporters. As the coach pulled out Bernard Joy was in the front coach waving at Rowden! 

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

Ronnie: It does. I was proud to be associated with a great club and I look upon it as a time in my life where I met so many interesting people. I can’t think of one time where I had a person that I didn’t get on with.

Spurs under 18’s versus Chelsea: (match preview)

(This photograph is from Tottenham Hotspur FC).

Our under 18’s resume league action on Saturday when they take on London rivals Chelsea at Hotspur Way. This is the young Lilywhites first league game since they drew 2-2 with Arsenal in October. Matt Taylor’s side occupy sixth spot in the premier league south after picking up ten points from eight matches. Spurs welcome a Chelsea side to Hotspur Way who have been in red hot form of late. Ed Brand’s side sit in second place in the league table on 22 points, and they’ve won three of their four league matches on the road so far this season. The ‘ Blues ‘ under 18’s side may not be as good as it was say three seasons ago, but Brand’s side has some very talented players in it. One of those is Albania under 21 international and centre forward Armando Broja (18) who has scored seven goals from seven league games this season. Another player from this talented Chelsea side to look out for on Saturday is commanding central defender and Northern Ireland youth international Sam Mcclelland. Former Crewe striker George Nunn is another player to watch out for as is attacking midfielder Marcel Lewis. Incidentally the last time that Chelsea lost a league game at this level was against us back in April. Troy Parrott scored a brace on that day to help Spurs achieve a 2-0 win. Saturday’s game will be a very tough one for Spurs as they have been quite inconsistent this season. Also the fact that central defenders Malachi Walcott and Luis Binks seem to have moved up to the under 23 side (perhaps that’s why we have taken former Bury defender Aaron Skinner on trial), as well as the fact that we are missing a number of players to injury doesn’t help matters for Matt Taylor’s side. However, these matches are about development and the visit of Chelsea will bring with it a great test for the young Lilywhites. I shall be reporting on the game and my in-depth match report will be out on Sunday afternoon. 

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Kurylowicz, Lusala, Muir, Skinner, Cirkin (c), Robson, Santiago, Bennett, Pedder, Cooper, Whittaker.

Subs from: Lo-Tutala, Cesay, Mundle, Carrington, Scarlett.

Injured/unavailable: Michael Craig, Nile John. 

Doubtful: Jeremy Kyezu, Matthew Craig, Kion Etete, Enock Asante. 

Previous meeting: Spurs 2-0.

My score prediction: 2-2.

My one to watch: Albania under 21 international and former Spurs schoolboy Armando Broja is my one to watch on Saturday morning. Broja who operates primarily as a centre forward has scored seven league goals from seven appearances so far this season. 

Spurs under 19’s 0-2 Crvena zvezda: (match report)

In game weeks four of this seasons UEFA youth league group stages, Ryan Mason’s Spurs under 19 side travel to Belgrade, to face Serbian side Crvena zvezda, a side who they defeated 9-2 in the last game week. However, this time around Spurs succumbed to a two goal defeat in what was a very poor game which was played at a low tempo. Mason’s side never really got going and they massively missed the focal point of an out and out centre forward such as Troy Parrott or Rodel Richards. Spurs lacked pace and as a result the defensive opposition made it extremely difficult for them to break them down. The wide men J’Neil Bennett and Tashan Oakley-Boothe were frustrated throughout the game and were unable to create many chances. Both of Crvena zvevda’s goals came in the second half. Spurs lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Wednesday with Jonathan De Bie starting in goal. A back four consisting of TJ Eyoma, Malachi Walcott, Luis Binks and Dennis Cirkin lined up in front of him. Captain Jamie Bowden and Harvey White anchored the midfield while Tashan Oakley-Boothe and J’Neil Bennett operated on the flanks, either side of CAM Max Robson. Dilan Markanday operated up front although he was more of a false nine. Spurs got the game underway at the Voždovac stadium and they were knocking the ball around the park well during the opening stages of the game. The first chance of the game came Crvena Zvezda’s way. After Ilija Babic passed the ball to Borisav Burmaz on the edge of the Spurs penalty area the Crvena zvezda forward struck the ball narrowly wide of Jonathan De Bie’s goal. After J’Neil Bennett had won a free kick in a decent area Jamie Bowden’s resulting effort struck the Crvena zvezda wall before going behind for a corner kick. Goalkeeper Andrija Katic’s long kick up field came to Andrija Radulovic whose eventual dragged effort was gathered easily by Jonathan De Bie. Harvey White then shot wide from long range before Crvena zvezda attacked Spurs. Uros Blagojevic passed the ball to Ilija Babic who in turn gave it to Andrija Radulovic in the Spurs box however, he was charged down by Dennis Cirkin who made a lunging challenge, and managed to get some of the ball to prevent Radulovic from getting a clean strike on goal.

The commanding Luis Binks cleared Bojan Radulovic’s free kick before then heading a Harvey White corner kick into the arms of Crvena zvezda goalkeeper Andrija Katic. A couple of minutes later Milos Pantovic received Martin Novakovic’s pass before racing forward and dragging an effort wide of Jonathan De Bie’s goal. Martin Novakovic then had a good drilled effort from distance well saved by De Bie who managed to gather the ball in what turned out to be the final piece of action from the first half. Crvena zvezda got the second half underway. Martin Novakovic had a dragged effort from long range saved by De Bie before Dennis Cirkin was shown a yellow card for pulling back Milos Pantovic. Harvey White fired an effort wide of goal from long range for the frustrated J’Neil Bennett was shown a yellow card for lashing out at Andrija Radulovic. Dilan Markanday then became the latest Spurs player to be shown a yellow card for a challenge on Borisav Burmaz. A fine cross from Dennis Cirkin just evaded J’Neil Bennett inside the Crvena zvezda penalty area, before Harvey White’s lofted pass towards Dilan Markanday just evaded the Spurs winger inside the oppositions box. Forward Tarrelle Whittaker came onto replace Max Robson before Crvena zvezda took the lead in the 69th minute of the game. After Andrija Radulovic latched onto Vladimir Miletic’s header he burst down the left side of the Tottenham penalty area, past defender Malachi Walcott, before firing the ball into the bottom right hand corner of Jonathan De Bie’s goal, 0-1. Dilan Markanday volleyed wide Harvey White’s free kick wide of the target before Luis Binks headed Jamie Bowden’s corner kick wide of goal courtesy of a deflection off a Crvena zvezda player. Maurizio Pochettino then came onto replace Tashan Oakley-Boothe. Soon after coming on Pochettino had a cross cleared behind by Aleksandar Lukic before TJ Eyoma had a shot blocked by a Crvena zvezda defender before Luis Binks headed a cross from Jamie Bowden wide of the goal. Rafferty Pedder came onto replace Dilan Markanday. Spurs came close when J’Neil Bennett received Harvey White’s pass before coming in from the left flank and having a good powerful effort beaten away by Andrija Katic. 

Crvena Zvezda then went straight down the other end and doubled their advantage. After Andrija Radulovic passed the ball to Ilija Babic inside the Spurs box, the winger back heeled the ball for Petar Piplica who slotted the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the goal, 0-2. The referee sounded the final whistle a couple of moments later to bring an end to a game of poor quality. Spurs now have to win their next game against Olympiakos to stand any chance of qualifying from the group. 

Player reviews:

• Jonathan De Bie: The Belgian goalkeeper made three saves on the day and he had a decent game.
• TJ Eyoma: The right back generally had a solid game and he protected the right flank quite well. 
• Malachi Walcott: Apart from being out paced for the opening goal the RCB had a decent game. 
• Luis Binks: The LCB was one of Spurs’ best players on the day and I was impressed by his communication skills and positioning.
• Dennis Cirkin: It was quite a tenacious performance from the young left back who made an important sliding challenge during the first half.
• Jamie Bowden: The Spurs captain was always looking to make a positive pass and he looked good when he was on the ball. 
• Harvey White: White generally moved the ball about well in the middle of the park.
• Tashan Oakley-Boothe: The right winger had very few touches of the ball.
• Max Robson: Despite bringing a lot of energy to the game the CAM struggled to make much of an impact. 
• J’Neil Bennett: Another player who was frustrated was left winger J’Neil Bennett who apart from coming close to finding a late equaliser was pretty anonymous, although he did work very hard.
• Tarrelle Whittaker: The second half substitute barely got a look in against Crvena zvezda.
• Maurizio Pochettino: The right winger got very few touches of the ball. 
• Rafferty Pedder: The 17 year old looked lively during his short time on the pitch. Pedder was alway on the move and looking to create space for himself.

Crvena zvezda: Katic, Mitrovic, Blagojevic, Matic (Miletic 67), Lukic, Milikic, Pantovic (Bacanin 70), Novakovic, Burmaz (c) (Piplica 90+2), Radulovic, Babic. Substitutes (not used): Copic, Savic, Pisar, Pesovic.

Spurs: De Bie, Eyoma, Cirkin, Bowden (c), Binks, Fagan-Walcott, Oakley-Boothe (Pochettino 77), White, Bennett, Robson (Whittaker 67), Markanday (Pedder 83). Substitutes (not used): Oluwayemi, Lusala, Muir.

Goals: Crvena zvezda – Radulovic 69, Piplica 90+3.

Yellow cards: Crvena zvezda – Mitrovic 59, Radulovic 83, Burmaz 86, Piplica 

90+3; Spurs – Cirkin 54, Bennett 63, Markanday 65.

Referee: Sebastian Gishaumer (AUT).

Venue: Voždovac Stadium, Belgrade.

Attendance: 650.

Spurs under 19’s statistics:

Goals: Troy Parrott – 5

Rodel Richards – 1

J’Neil Bennett – 1

Max Robson – 1

Kion Etete – 1

Harvey White – 1

Paris Maghoma – 1

Assists: TJ Eyoma – 2

Rodel Richards – 1

Troy Parrott – 1

J’Neil Bennett – 1 

Jonathan De Bie – 1

Dennis Cirkin – 1

Maurizio Pochettino – 1

Spurs under 19’s versus Crvena Zvezda: (match preview)

In game weeks four of this seasons UEFA youth league group stages, Ryan Mason’s Spurs under 19 side travel to Belgrade to face Serbian side Crvena Zvezda, a side who they defeated 9-2 in the last game week. Ryan Mason’s side will be eager to win this game as it will massively boost their chances of qualifying from the group. However, Spurs are missing a number of players to injury and they could also be without inform centre forward Troy Parrott who was named on the bench for the senior side against Everton on Sunday. Tomorrow’s opposition played ok against us at Hotspur Way, in the reverse fixture, until they went 5-2 down and then they seemed to play at a lower intensity. Take nothing away from Spurs who were excellent on the day however, the Crvena Zvezda team looked like they didn’t have the stamina for Ryan Mason’s high pressing side. I would expect Mason to make a couple of changes from that 9-2 win by handing possible starts to Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Paris Maghoma. It will be interesting to see how strong Spurs go on Wednesday considering the nature of that 9-2 win. However, this will be a tougher game for Spurs in Belgrade, and there could be a decent crowd in attendance at the Voždovac stadium for Wednesday’s match. I still however, believe that Spurs will manage to get the win but it will possibly be by a much lower margin. For those of you wanting to watch the game it is being shown live on BT Sport. My in-depth match report will be out on Thursday evening. I would like to wish Ryan Mason’s side all the very best of luck for the game.

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Oluwayemi, Lusala, Lyons-Foster, Binks, Cirkin, Oakley-Boothe, Bowden (c), Markanday, Maghoma, Bennett, Parrott.

Subs from: Kurylowicz, Cesay, Eyoma, Walcott, Robson, Pedder, Whittaker.

Injured/unavailable: Michael Craig.

Doubtful: Jeremy Kyezu, Enock Asante, Kion Etete, Rodel Richards.

Previous meeting: Spurs 9-2.

My score prediction: Spurs 4-1.

My one to watch: Crvena Zvezda midfielder Milos Pantovic who has netted two goals from three appearances in the UEFA youth league this season. Other players to look out for are forward Borisav Burmaz and goalkeeper Andrija Katic. 

Spurs under 23’s 1-3 Arsenal: (match report)

Our under 23’s took on bitter rivals Arsenal in the PL2 on Friday night at the Lamex stadium, in Stevenage. Wayne Burnett’s side came into this game on the back of an impressive 2-1 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Friday nights game however, was one of disappointment for Spurs whose final ball was always lacking throughout the game. Burnett’s side started the encounter brightly and Armando Shashoua came close to giving Spurs an early lead. Yet it was the ‘ Gunners ‘ who went into the half time break two goals to the good, courtesy of two well executed finishes. Spurs started the second half with a better tempo but once again they struggled to carve open the Arsenal defence. Burnett’s side eventually did pull a goal back on 77 minutes through Harvey White however, Arsenal extended their lead through Nathan Tormey in second half stoppage time to secure the win. Spurs lined up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation as Jonathan De Bie started in the goal for the young Lilywhites. A back four consisting of Jubril Okedina, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Luis Binks and TJ Eyoma sat in front of him. Captain Jamie Bowden and Harvey White started in central midfield while Dilan Markanday operated out on the flanks, either side of CAM Armando Shashoua. Interestingly and in the absence of any recognised centre forwards, Tashan Oakley-Boothe led the line for Spurs. Arsenal’s side included a number of players who have first team experience, most notable of which was Reiss Nelson. Spurs got the game underway after a 15 minute delay at the Lamex stadium due to trouble with the floodlights. Spurs started brightly and a positive early attacking move saw Shashoua pass the ball to Oakley-Boothe on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area. Oakley-Boothe back heeled the ball for Harvey White whose resulting shot was blocked by Arsenal defender Harry Clarke. A couple of minutes later Dilan Markanday did ever so well to pick out the run of Armando Shashoua into the Arsenal penalty area. Shashoua controlled Markanday’s searching pass well before calmly swivelling around Konstantinos Mavropanos and having only goalkeeper Karl Hein to beat. However, the usually composed Shashoua placed the ball straight at Hein who parried it, and then Shilow Tracey fired the ball over the crossbar.

Dilan Markanday had a low cross cleared away by Harry Clarke before a good Spurs move resulted in Bowden passing the ball to Shashoua, who in turn gave it to Shilow Tracey who had an effort blocked by Tolaji Bola. Harvey White then had a shot blocked on the turn by Harry Clarke before Tashan Oakley-Boothe shot wide. Malachi Fagan-Walcott cleared Matthew Smith’s corner as Arsenal began to grow into the game. After Shilow Tracey won a free kick on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, Harvey White’s resulting, whipped delivery was gathered by Karl Hein before Jamie Bowden had an attempted through ball towards Tashan Oakley-Boothe intercepted by Konstantinos Mavropanos. Malachi Fagan-Walcott was shown a yellow card for pulling back Tyreece John-Jules on the edge of the Spurs penalty area, after he had lost possession to the Arsenal forward. Reiss Nelson’s resulting effort on goal was blocked by Armando Shashoua in the Spurs wall. Spurs then broke forward down the opposite end of the pitch. After Shashoua had passed the ball to Markanday on the right flank the skilful winger darted forwards before cutting inside onto his left foot on the edge of the Arsenal box and having an effort blocked by Konstantinos Mavropanos. Harvey White’s resulting corner kick was headed into the arms of Karl Hein by Luis Binks. Spurs continued to come at arsenal and after Oakley-Boothe had passed the ball to White he had a good curling effort saved by Hein. Emile Smith-Rowe had a shot blocked by Malachi Fagan-Walcott before Harvey White was shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Arsenal captain Robbie Burton. A good Arsenal move resulted in Tolaji Bola passing the ball to Trae Coyle down the left side of the Spurs box but he squared the ball for Reiss Nelson whose shot was well blocked by Luis Binks. Arsenal took the lead a couple of minutes later after Emile Smith-Rowe passed the ball to Trae Coyle down the right side of the Spurs box. Coyle squared the ball for Tyreece John-Jules whose shot was saved by Jonathan De Bie before being tapped in from close range by Robbie Burton on 38 minutes, 0-1. Tyreece John-Jules then volleyed over Emile Smith-Rowe’s cross from inside the Spurs box, before Harvey White had a free kick cleared away by Konstantinos Mavropanos. Then in the second minute of first half stoppage time, Arsenal doubled their lead on the counter attack. Reiss Nelson passed the ball to Emile Smith-Rowe down the right side of the Spurs box and he squared the ball for Trae Coyle who tapped home from close range, 0-2.

Arsenal got the second half underway and soon after it started Matthew Smith had a free kick blocked by the Spurs wall. After receiving TJ Eyoma’s pass down the left side of the Arsenal box Shilow Tracey fired an effort just wide of Karl Hein’s goal. Harvey White then forced a save out of Hein from the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, before the Arsenal goalkeeper gathered Jubril Okedina’s cross. Jamie Bowden then threaded a pass through to Shilow Tracey in the Arsenal penalty area but he was barged off the ball by Robbie Burton and no penalty kick was given by the referee. A couple of moments later Shashoua controlled the ball excellently inside the Arsenal box before turning and shooting, but his effort deflected narrowly wide off of Harry Clarke. After receiving Harvey White’s pass inside the Arsenal box Tashan Oakley-Boothe had a shot blocked behind by Zak Swanson before TJ Eyoma blocked behind Trae Coyle’s low cross at the opposite end of the pitch. Emile Smith-Rowe then passed the ball to Trae Coyle down the left side of the Arsenal box but his shot was saved by the feet of Jonathan De Bie. A couple of minutes later Tolaji Bola found Emile Smith-Rowe down the left side of the Spurs box however, he shot narrowly wide of the Spurs goal. After receiving Armando Shashoua’s pass down the left side of the Arsenal box, Harvey White tried to cut the ball back across goal but nobody was there to meet it. First Luis Binks and then Malachi Fagan-Walcott made important defensive interventions before Oakley-Boothe fired the ball across the face of the Arsenal goal after receiving Bowden’s pass. Jamie Bowden then had a shot saved by Karl Hein before Jonathan De Bie clawed away a cross from Konstantinos Mavropanos, before Paris Maghoma came onto replace Shilow Tracey and Tariq Hinds came onto replace Jubril Okedina. After Matthew Smith had passed the ball to Ben Cottrell down the left side of the Spurs box he forced a save out of Jonathan De Bie at his near post before later palming away a cross from the same player. Tariq Hinds then found Armando Shashoua down the left side of the Arsenal box. Shashoua’s shot on goal was pushed away by Karl Hein with Harvey White there to tap home, to pull a goal back for Spurs. 

 After receiving Dilan Markanday’s pass Paris Maghoma had an effort on goal blocked by Zak Swanson, before Luis Binks cut out a dangerous pass from Emile Smith-Rowe. TJ Eyoma had a drilled effort saved by Karl Hein before Armando Shashoua made way for Maurizio Pochettino, before Arsenal made it 3-1. After receiving Ben Cottrell’s pass (after he had burst forward) inside the Spurs box Arsenal substitute Nathan Tormey slotted the ball past De Bie to secure the win for the ‘ Gunners ‘. Luis Binks was shown a late yellow card before the referee blew his whistle for full time. This was a good team performance from Spurs but they just weren’t clinical enough on the day. Our development sides next game is not until the 12th of November when they face Gillingham in the Leasing.com trophy. 

Player reviews:

• Jonathan De Bie: The Belgian shot stopper made three good stops on Friday night and he was generally impressive in his all round play.
• Jubril Okedina: The right back completed 70 minutes of yesterday’s game and I thought that he put in quite a strong defensive performance against the pacy and skilful Reiss Nelson.
• Malachi Fagan-Walcott: Like Okedina RCB Malachi Fagan-Walcott was generally solid on the night and he made some important interceptions and challenges. Fagan-Walcott was also good in the air.
• Luis Binks: The LCB had what I thought was a good game for Spurs. Binks read the game well, made some important defensive interventions, and he won most of his aerial duels. Furthermore, the second year scholar who played more like a second year pro, made some good blocks on the night. 
• TJ Eyoma: Eyoma was generally solid, first at LB and then later at RB.
• Harvey White: The attacking side of the central midfielders game was really on show against Arsenal and while he showed bite and defensive tenacity, it was his attacking play and willingness to test the goalkeeper and make good forward runs, which impressed me the most. White chipped in with a goal (his fourth of the season).
• Jamie Bowden: The central midfielder was alway looking to play the perfect pass against Arsenal, and he moved the ball around the park well. Bowden was also quite tenacious and he helped Harvey White to win the midfield battle.
• Dilan Markanday: This was one of Markanday’s best performances this season and he embarked on some good, positive jinking runs down the right flank. Markanday also tracked back well and he helped Okedina out defensively. 
• Armando Shashoua: My man of the match, see below.
• Shilow Tracey: The left winger worked hard and after a quiet first half he put in a strong second half performance.
• Tashan Oakley-Boothe: Playing interestingly as a centre forward Oakley-Boothe struggled to get into the game, although he did have some good chances to get on the score sheet.
• Paris Maghoma: It was a positive cameo from Paris Maghoma who was alway looking to drive forward with the ball and take players on.
• Tariq Hinds: Operating at left back for the last 20 or so minutes of the game, Hinds went on some decent runs down the left flank. 
• Maurizio Pochettino: N/A.

My man of the match: Nobody else on the pitch put in as much effort and energy than Armando Shashoua, who although things didn’t quite come off for him at times, he never stopped trying to link play and force openings. Shashoua had a glorious early chance to put Spurs ahead but he was denied by Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein. And it was his determination, excellent ball control and skill as well as the timing of his runs and the weight of his passing which made him Spurs’ best attacking outlet on the night. Shashoua also chipped in with an assist. Had I have written a report of the Leicester game I would also have given Armando the man of the match for that game!

Spurs: De Bie, Eyoma, Okedina (Hinds 70), Bowden (c), Fagan-Walcott, Binks, Markanday, White, Oakley-Boothe, Shashoua (Pochettino 88), Tracey (Maghoma 68). Substitutes (not used): Oluwayemi, Lyons-Foster.

Arsenal: Hein, Swanson (Olowu 89), Bola, Smith, Clarke, Mavropanos, Coyle (Tormey 66), Burton (c), John-Jules, Smith Rowe, Nelson (Cottrell 46). Substitutes (not used): Hillson, Medley.

Goals: Spurs – White 77; Arsenal – Burton 38, Coyle 45+2, Tormey 90+1.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Fagan-Walcott 28, White 34, Binks 90+1; Arsenal – 

Swanson 36, Burton 45.

Referee: Gary Parsons.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Attendance: 1,149.

Spurs under 23’s statistics: 

Goals: Harvey White – 3

Armando Shashoua – 3

Rodel Richards – 2

Troy Parrott – 2

Kazaiah Sterling – 2

Tashan Oakley-Boothe – 2

Shilow Tracey – 1

Paris Maghoma – 1

Phoenix Patterson – 1

Dilan Markanday – 1

Assists: Shilow Tracey – 5

Tashan Oakley-Boothe – 2

Armando Shashoua – 2

Jamie Bowden – 1

Tariq Hinds – 1

Paris Maghoma – 1

Kazaiah Sterling – 1

Dilan Markanday – 1

TJ Eyoma – 1

Maurizio Pochettino – 1

Clean sheets: Brandon Austin – 1

Spurs under 23’s versus Arsenal: (match preview)

Our under 23’s take on bitter rivals Arsenal tonight, in the PL2. Wayne Burnett’s sides go into this game on the back of a 2-1 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, their first win in seven matches. The ‘ Gunners ‘ who are managed by Steve Bould occupy third spot in the PL2 league table after picking up 14 points from their opening nine league games. Arsenal boast a wealth of talent and they have a tendency of fielding their strongest possible side for north London derbys. Some of the ‘ Gunners ‘ players to look out for tonight include 21 year old Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, attacking midfielder Ben Cottrell and potent centre forward Folarin Balogun. Other players to lookout for are former Spurs schoolboy Jordan McEneff and forward Tyreece John-Jules. This is a game that Spurs will be eager to win and one which would push them up the PL2 division one table. As far as I am aware we are only missing long term absentee Jeremie Mukendi for tonight’s clash with the only other possible absentee being striker Rodel Richards. That could mean that second year scholar Kion Etete might lead the line (the 17 year old started against Wolves last Saturday). Other interesting inclusions would be midfielder’s Jamie Bowden and Harvey White, the latter of which appears to have been rested for recent under 23 games. On a side note people may have noticed that I haven’t published any match reports for the last couple of under 18 and under 23 games. That is due to me working on two long historical articles which have taken up most of my spare time. However, I didn’t miss any Spurs youth games and I am looking forward to resuming my reporting duties tonight. The final bit of information is that our under 19’s UEFA youth league game against Serbian side Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday is being shown live on BT Sport.

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) De Bie, Hinds, Eyoma (c), Binks, Lyons-Foster, Bowden, Maghoma, Oakley-Boothe, Shashoua, Tracey, Etete.

Subs from: Oluwayemi, Okedina, Dinzeyi, Pochettino, Markanday.

Injured/unavailable: Jeremie Mukendi.

Doubtful: Rodel Richards.

Previous meeting: Spurs 0-4.

My score prediction: Spurs 2-1

My one to watch: Inform arsenal striker Folarin Balogun (18).

My interview with former Spurs player David Sunshine:

Born in Bethnal Green east London, former Spurs man David Sunshine joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1957 after being scouted by former Spurs player Arthur Hitchins. Sunshine would go onto play for the old A team and reserves side throughout one of the most successful periods in the clubs history. I traveled to Hertfordshire to meet up with with the former fullback, a player who is remembered by his teammates for his tenacity on the field. Sunshine also has an exceptional sense of humour!

What are your earliest footballing memories?

David: I was born in Bethnal Green, Hackney. But just after the war my mum and dad moved to Walthamstow. My first footballing memory was when I was at junior school, a ball was a ball back then. When I was seven or eight we had quite a good school team because in them days there were a lot of schools and you had a lot of games and that’s how it started off. We had a good side at school at that time and we played some good schools in the local area. In the last year of junior school I don’t know  what happened all I know is that the headmaster called me in and he said that you’ve got a trial for Walthamstow boys. I was 10/11 years of age down at the George White ground, and there was loads of people. There was loads of kids there and they’d select who was playing in the final team for Walthamstow and I managed to get into that and have a few games, but it was nothing special. By the time that I’d left junior school and went into senior school I went straight into the Walthamstow district side along with a few other kids and that was great. We got together a good team because we had some good players there including Paddy Stack who would also go onto play for Spurs. As the time went by we were doing really well and in those days there used to be the English schoolboys trophy and we managed to get into the quarter finals where we played Dagenham boys, who had Martin Peters. When we got to the George White ground to play them there was a crowd of 1,000 there to watch a schoolboy game. Unfortunately they won 1-0 and I think that they might have gone onto win the competition. Anyway I saw my dad talking to two older men after the game and he went come here Dave. He said to me this is Arthur Hitchins and he’s a scout for Tottenham. There was another man there called Dickie Walker who was a mercenary scout. At the end of the day he said there scouts and they’re impressed with you, and they want you to go to Tottenham Hotspur. I said what do you mean Tottenham? Because I got all big headed. So the next week I went to Tottenham but I didn’t meet the manager because the manager at the time was Jimmy Anderson. Anyway we went to the ground and we met the club secretary and he took us around the ground.

What an impression as a 14, 15 year old boy and you’ve got Tottenham Hotspur, one of the top clubs in the country and there I was going into the directors room having tea and cakes and then going into the old press box. You can only imagine that. I was always a Spurs fan, the first time I went to Spurs was a floodlit game against Racing Club De Paris in 1952/53 and that’s where my love of Tottenham Hotspur started. Fast forward a few days and my dads there telling me that I can’t go out tonight. I said why? And he said that you’ve got someone coming round tonight and he said that it was Bill Nicholson. To be quite honest with you I’d never seen Bill Nicholson as I was only 15! Anyway he came around and spoke to my parents and he asked if they’d be willing to let me join the ground staff, because there was no apprentices in them days. He (Bill Nicholson) told my parents that I’d spend the morning training and then I’d end up working on the ground, and I was over the moon and my parents were well pleased. When word got round at school I was mister big head! My dad took me down to Spurs for the first day and we met up with a man called Johnny Wallis who was in charge of the youth and the A team. There was a couple of boys there like Frank Saul and Roy Moss and the first job that I had to do was get all the players kit and hang all there training gear up, such as shirts and sweat tops. And then when they’d start training you’d start to train with them and then go off with your own respective squads. Then when it was all finished and everyone had had a bath we all used to go over to the pub the White Hart or the Bell and Hare. However, before you had your break you had to clear all the training gear up and sort out the shirts before then sweeping dressing rooms out and all of the communal baths, before you could have your lunch. After that you’d be directed to the guy who was in charge of the ground staff and one of the things that you would do was sweep all of the stands in the stadium, so you’d always have a busy afternoon.

Anyway, getting back to my playing days, we had a junior side which I played in and we used to play in the Wood Green and district league and you’d play all local teams such as Wood Green youth club, and I used to think that this was no different to what I was doing before. However, I think that was a way of adjusting you into the football and seeing if you were good enough to be taken on. So that’s how it all kicked off really. I was on seven pounds a week which was good, I also used to get £2.50 a week for expenses. After a few games I got into the youth side and one of the first games was against Leyton Orient at Woodford, we lost about 6-3. The Tottenham assistant manager Harry Evans gave us a roasting! In them days there also used to be a metropolitan league and there used to be loads of clubs in the midweek league and that was used for giving some players who couldn’t get into the reserves, a chance to have a game. All of a sudden there was a game I was playing in and I went for a ball, turned and went down and I did my cartilage which meant that I had to go to hospital. I ended up being out for a couple of weeks but I came back and I had a really good season. Then after Christmas I looked up one day at the team sheet for the youth side and I noticed that I wasn’t playing today. So I said to the reserve team coach Jack Coxford, I’m not playing and he said of course you’re not in the youth side you bloody idiot, you’re in the A team! And I couldn’t believe it. We played Lowestoft Town on a terrible day at Cheshunt and it was raining and raining. So to cut a long story short I’d had a good game and to crown it off I scored a goal, with a little help from the wind! There was quite a good write up in the local papers.  However, there was a lot of players who didn’t hack the eastern counties league, although I didn’t mind it. However, players such as Ronnie Piper didn’t handle it well. During pre-season I had a couple of run outs with the reserves but I didn’t think I was ever going to make the reserves, who I was in awe of really.

By 1960 I’d signed pro, during my first season as a pro the ball came across from the right and this big old guy who I didn’t know from Adam caught me right on the head. After missing a few games they sent me to a private opticians as I had a blood clot coming underneath my eye. I was out for about three weeks for that, but as I say it was a really, really good life. Going off topic in the first year I was there as a youth player we went to Holland for a tournament, a place called Groningen. We played Ajax there before later winning a tournament in Germany! It was really just a great time. I was earning more money than my dad was when I signed pro. The highlight of it all was Spurs doing the double and my mum and dad had to go up to London to buy me a new suit for the cup final before going to the Savoy hotel, which was something special. I think we had a five course meal and a few drinks too! And then of course it happened again the next season! My football was going good I’d had a good season and then the next season after that I was also doing well, but then we played March Town, and I got caught badly in that game and I ended up fracturing my fibula and tibia and the only thing that they could do was put a splint on it, and here I was in the prince of Wales hospital. And I think that mucked my career up, because as a 17/18 year old I knew in my eyes that I wasn’t doing well. I wasn’t right, I was hesitant and I’d lost a bit of pace. So by the end of that season I went into see Bill Nicholson as all players did and he said to me that you’ve not had a good season and we know that you’ve been troubled by injuries especially the fracture of the two legs. And without being nasty about it he said that we’re going to have to release, you and so they did. And what they did was they put my name on a list of released players which was sent around different clubs and to be honest after all this stuff I’ve told you I’d lost my enthusiasm a bit. One because I knew I wasn’t playing well and two because I’d lost it big time. Anyway I got a phone call from Millwall who I went to for a trial. I don’t know whether it was because I was good or because the guy who I was playing against was rubbish but I did alright and I played a couple of games for them. However, I just wasn’t enjoying it. My ex wife who was my girlfriend then had a customer (and this is true!) at a hairdressers and she said that Dave wasn’t doing so good and that he wasn’t playing much football and that he wasn’t doing nothing. So this customer said my husband Bill works at Smithfield’s, so send Dave round to see him.

I had a union card which happened to help me out massively and so I met Bill at a pub, and by the morning he wanted me to get to Smithfield by five o’clock! Anyway so I got to Smithfield meat market and it was bloody freezing, and my first impressions of the place were that it was a weird place. Anyway I met Bill and he took me up to the union office, they took my name down and the following week I started work for a meat firm called R.L Crisp. It was a good job but it was a hard job coming from football. Anyway I started there and the money was really good because the union was negotiating with Harold Wilson’s government for a maximum pay of 20 pounds a week, which I was laughing at really. Later on I worked in the cold store at Smithfield’s which made me earn even more money a week, because I was in the cold. I had a friend of mine called Arthur Banner who was looking for players and he was a security man, anyway I went up to see him and he said that he was taking over as manager of Faversham Town. The only thing I knew about Faversham Town was that they had a lovely brewery there! He wanted to build it out as we’ve got good money here, but the problem was that I was pro! Most the team worked on the market so we all met up at Mile End station in preparation for our first game which was against Snowdon Colliery and they were all Geordies. Before we knew it we were 2-0 down, but I was enjoying it. In the end we put it together and we ended up drawing 2-2 with them, and that was the first time that they had drawn a game in three years. So there I was with 15 pounds in the back of my pocket! Interestingly Arthur Banner got me to change my name to David Lancaster because I was a pro. Anyway we had three really good seasons which included getting into the final of the Kent cup. However, the club soon after that arranged a meeting and they expressed their desire to fill the team with local boys. Anyway it got taken over and a new chairman, and Arthur got sacked and so we all dispersed and went to different clubs. Arthur would eventually phone me and tell me that he had another team I could play for as David Lancaster, and that team was called Tooting and Mitcham United.

The ground was called Sandy Lane and I was doing alright there but most importantly of all I was enjoying it. Then one night we were playing Dulwich Hamlet up at Champion Hill as we were warming up this bloody cameraman came up and took a picture of me! And then as I came off at halftime I was talking with Arthur Banner and he’s here with another guy taking a photograph of me, so I thought what’s all this. Anyway after the game I’m in the bar and this tall guy went Mr.Sunshine, and I said no. Anyway he said for a young player you’ve had a very illustrious football career, and there he had a picture of me playing for Tottenham Hotspur. This guy worked for a now defunct paper called the daily chronicle and the next thing I know I didn’t go to work the next day, and the next thing I know my wife’s come into the room and said you’re in the national paper! And there there was a picture of me in the back page of the daily chronicle and that was really the end of my career. What I did as a pro player to be playing for an amateur club was totally taboo and devious at the time, because the amateurs were an old school time mob. Anyway I didn’t drop Arthur in it because he had helped me out and all the boys. Anyway I had to go to Lancaster Gate to see the FA. I told them that I’d done it because I’d had an accident and broken my leg as a pro and that I wanted to play football however, I couldn’t get back into it. I was the first one that ever got caught at it so them and the FA banned me and suspended me from playing football at all. Anyway I got married in 1966 when one day I was mucking about playing a bit of football when these guys who I’d played against at school asked me if I was playing, and I’d told them that I was banned. So they asked me if I’d like to play for them at a place called Wadham Lodge. So the manager of the football club told me totally unbeknownst to me that I could get my suspension revoked, and that I could play as a permit player. So me and him went up to the FA and got a permit to play for Fullers electric which was the name of the team and they played in the London commercial league. Anyway we didn’t get paid but they said that I could have as much I’d like to drink! I had about four or five seasons for them before all of their football and cricket teams were disbanded and everyone was made redundant, and that was sort of the end of my career apart from playing for some good Sunday sides and running various junior sides.

What was your time at Spurs like on the whole?

David: It was great. It was really, really wonderful other than the little bit that I’d told you at the end. However, that didn’t piss me off because I could tell in my own mind and body that I hadn’t had a good season. Just walking into that place (the Spurs ground) was wonderful and something I’d still like to do now!

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

David: well Tommy Harmer was one as was Johnny Brooks who were not long after leaving Spurs when I had joined them. Another player who I loved was Dave Mackay and then there was Danny Blanchflower but they talk about him as a motivator and as somebody who was skilful but he was a bit of a wimp! And it was the man behind him Peter Baker who covered up so much for Blanchflower because he wasn’t the fastest of players and he didn’t cover a large area. And he was lucky to have a real workman like fullback behind him, and Peter Baker never got the full appreciation for what he did for Danny. Also Bobby Smith was a good laugh. I just happened to be there at the right time as they were all such great people. The only one who was quite quiet and moderate was the goalkeeper Bill Brown who like Danny Blanchflower was a bit of a family man.

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

David: I was a strong aggressive fullback with lots of pace and I was also strong and fiery. 

Who were your greatest influences at Spurs?

David: Dave Mackay was good, but they all influenced you because they all helped you and if they didn’t help you they’d make you laugh! All my life has been great and I’ve been a lucky man! I used to also like the trainer Cecil Poynton who had us all in hysterics. I do what I like and I like what I do sort of attitude. However, people don’t realise how much camaraderie and how much joy was in that football club.

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

David: Once again that reverts back to Dave Mackay and Maurice Norman. I was like Dave Mackay because I was strong, tough and aggressive whereas Maurice Norman was just the most strong player you’d ever see. For a county bumpkin his footballing brain was brilliant.

What was the greatest moment of your footballing career?

David: The greatest moments was going to the two cup finals which most Spurs supporters would give an arm and a leg for. Also how many 16 year olds then get to go for a luxury five course meal with dancers and everything else! If I said to you Lennon I’ve had so many ups and so few downs and just playing for Spurs and being scouted by Arthur Hitchins for Tottenham were all great moments in my career.

Could you describe to me what the legendary Danny Blanchflower was like?

David: He was a good player but a boring man! He wasn’t my player let’s put it like that, but going back to Peter Baker he wouldn’t have been so good were it not for Peter Baker.

What was the great Bill Nicholson like as a manager?

David: Typical hard Yorkshireman who did a job big time for Spurs and all of the players respected him, and I liked him. If you did something good he’d praise you and if you did something wrong he’d give you advice and tell you what you did wrong. I can remember at the beginning of one pre-season in training with all of the players sitting on the floor and Bill asked all of us to stand up. So we all stood up, and so he asked Dave Mackay what’s the most important part of your body. And he answered your brain, Bill said no. So he then asked Terry Medwin who said your feet and Bill once again said no. And so after asking various questions Bill told us that the most important part of your body was the following. He asked everyone to hold there arms out and to look forward but while your looking forward you can see the end of your fingertips. That’s vision, and that’s the most important part of your body. That’s always stood in my mind!

Who was the greatest player that you ever had the pleasure of sharing a pitch with?

David: Thats a hard question and I don’t really know. I can’t just say John White for example because I’d never shared a pitch him. However, there was a multitude of players who I shared a pitch with but as for saying one it’s difficult. Really they were all good players in there own right.

Could you talk me through some of your favourite memories in the Tottenham youth team and old A team?

David: It was when I’d first arrived at Tottenham and the first time I’d turned up and put a Tottenham kit on. Also finding out that I was going to play for the old A team as a 16 year old!

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

David: There was a guy who played for Chelsea Gordon Bolland who was tough and strong and he has to have been the toughest player that I ever came up against.

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

David: I was good mates with Frank Saul until I left and I got on alright with him, but as I say there was a great camaraderie at the club. There was a couple of players who I didn’t get on with but I won’t name them! 

What would your advice be to the young Spurs players of today as they look to break into the first team?

David: First of all you’ve got to work hard and the other is you’ve got to keep working hard. However, it doesn’t matter how hard you work, to improve is the hardest thing to do! You should look at players as dedicated as Jamie Vardy who is such a dedicated player.

After all these years how do you look back on your time at Spurs and are they a still a club who you hold close to your heart?

David: One word – great!

Spurs under 18’s versus Arsenal: (match preview)

Our under 18’s face bitter rivals Arsenal tomorrow in their latest game in the premier league south at the ‘ Gunners ‘ Shenley based training centre. Matt Taylor’s side have won three and lost four of their seven league games this season, but they won’t have played one as important as this. Arsenal who are managed by Ken Gillard occupy eighth spot in the league table after picking up seven points. Some of the ‘ Gunners ‘ danger men to look out for tomorrow (if they ever let people in to watch their games!) include goal scoring midfielder Ben Cottrell, forwards Sam Greenwood and Alfie Matthews, as well as Ireland under 19 international and defender Mazeed Ogungbo. This will be a tough game for Spurs however, Arsenal weren’t what they were last season, and like Spurs they have struggled for form so far this campaign. Spurs could be missing a number of players through injury and inclusion in the clubs development side however, I still expect Taylor to form a very strong side for this north London derby.

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Kurylowicz, Lusala, Muir, Walcott, Cirkin (c), John, Robson, Bennett, Pedder, Cooper, Asante.

Subs from: Lo-Tutala, Cesay, Santiago, Whitaker, Etete.

Injured/unavailable: Michael Craig.

Doubtful: Jeremy Kyezu, Matthew Craig.

Previous meeting: Spurs 2-3.

My score prediction: Spurs 2-1.

My one to watch: Arsenal centre forward Alfie Matthews, who has found the back of the net on three occasions so far this season. Matthews is a second year scholar. 

Spurs under 23’s versus Leicester City: (match preview)

Our under 23’s return to PL2 action tomorrow night when they host Leicester City at the Lamex stadium, in Stevenage. In Wayne Burnett’s sides last game they managed to impressively defeat league two side Colchester United in the Leasing.com trophy, on penalties. Wayne Burnett will be hoping that his young side can put in a similar team performance when they take on the ‘ Foxes ‘. Leicester occupy ninth spot in the P2 division one table, after picking up seven points from their opening seven league games. Spurs on the other hand have not won a league game since August, so they’ll be looking to change that tomorrow. Leicester are a physical side who have some talented players in their ranks. 20 year old centre forward George Hirst is the ‘ Foxes ‘ main danger man however, attacking left back Luke Thomas (England youth international) and centre half Calvin Ughelumba are other players to keep an eye on. This is a game that Spurs will be desperate to win although it will be a tough game for our development side. However, it will be interesting to see if Wayne Burnett sticks with the team which overcame Colchester United. That night Spurs started two second year scholars in central defence, Malachi Walcott and Luis Binks. Both performed excellently against the league two club. I shall be in attendance tomorrow and I’m looking forward to seeing how Spurs lineup. My in-depth match report of the game will be out on Sunday afternoon. 

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) De Bie, Lyons-Foster, Eyoma, Binks, Hinds, Maghoma, Bowden (c), Oakley-Boothe, Shashoua, Tracey, Richards.

Subs from: Oluwayemi, Okedina, White, Pochettino, Patterson.

Injured/unavailable: Jeremie Mukendi.

Doubtful: N/A.

Previous meeting: Spurs 2-1.

My score prediction: Spurs 2-0. 

My one to watch: George Hirst. Leicester’s 20 year old centre forward who has previously played for Sheffield Wednesday and OH Leuven’s first team. The physical George Hirst has found the back of the net on three occasions from his five appearances for Leicester’s under 23 side this season, and he definitely remains one to watch tomorrow night.

Some notes on Spurs youngster Jamie Bowden’s performance against Denmark under 19’s:

It was a proud moment for Spurs youngster Jamie Bowden (18) on Friday night as he made his debut for the Republic of Ireland’s under 19 side. The London born Bowden completed the full 90 minutes of Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to Denmark, at the Sligo Showgrounds. I am currently over in Derry on holiday, so I made the three hour trip down to Sligo on Friday evening to watch young Jamie make his debut for the ‘ Boys In Green ‘. And it was an overwhelmingly positive performance from Bowden, who really grew into Friday’s game and he asserted himself well on what was a closely fought battle. The north Londoner wore the number six shirt on a chilly evening in Sligo however, he operated at RCM. In the following piece I will be going through Jamie’s performance in chronological order, kick by kick. Bowden operated at RCM as Ireland lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Alongside Jamie in central midfield was Celtic midfielder Barry Coffey. Jamie Bowden delivered an early corner kick into the Denmark penalty area, but it was headed away by Denmark defender Tobias Anker before being fired over the crossbar by Barry Coffey. A second corner kick was played short to Armstrong Oko-Flex shortly afterwards, but nothing came of it. A couple of minutes later, and after winning the ball off of Gustav Morgensen by making a sliding challenge, Bowden tried his luck on goal however, his resulting curling effort flew wide of goal. Sitting just in front of the Ireland back four, Bowden was dropping into some good pockets of space during the early stages of the game, but he was playing with real caution. He was also always looking to receive the ball, just like when he plays for Spurs. After giving the ball away to Gustav Morgensen in a dangerous position, Morgensen eventually tested Ireland goalkeeper with Jimmy Corcoran with a testing low drive. Bowden soon made up for his error by breaking up a dangerous attack from Ahmed Dagim, before giving the ball to Andrew Omobamidele who cleared it away from danger. Bowden had a low whipped corner into the penalty area which evaded everyone, before he passed the ball out to Arsenal’s Mazeed Ogungbo on the left flank, but his resulting whipped cross was cleared away by a Denmark defender.

Young Jamie then had a promising corner kick punched clear by Denmark goalkeeper Nicolas Defreitas Hansen, before he had a whipped cross into the Denmark box cleared away by a defender. After winning a free kick out on the left flank, Bowden opted to take it. His resulting pumped ball into the danger zone was volleyed wide by Ireland captain Oisin McEntee. Bowden was becoming sharper and more assertive as the game progressed. Bowden had a sprayed pass to Armstrong Oko-Flex cut out on the left flank by Thomas Gundelund, before he sprayed a nice pass out to Mazeed Ogungbo on the left flank. Shortly before the end of the first half Bowden played an ambitious lofted forward pass up to Ireland centre forward Ryan Cassidy, but the Watford man failed to control the ball. Denmark took the lead on the stroke of halftime through Ahmed Dagim. Bowden had a corner kick cleared away by Tobias Anker at the beginning of the first half, before he embarked on a nice surging run through the middle of the park. Bowden eventually threaded a well weighted pass through to Armstrong Oko-Flex down the left side of Denmark penalty area but he squared it for Ryan Cassidy who was eventually intercepted by a Denmark defender. The Spurs midfielder had another sprayed pass to Armstrong Oko-Flex cut out before he had an ambitious through ball towards Ryan Cassidy cut out by Tobias Anker. Bowden sprayed another nice pass out to Armstrong Oko-Flex on the left flank before shifting the ball out to Andrew Omobamidele on the opposite flank. Bowden had really grown in confidence during the second half and he was playing some really positive forward passes. One such pass from Jamie was the pass of the game. After picking the ball up in central midfield Bowden played a glorious disguised through ball to Armstrong Oko-Flex down the left side of the Denmark penalty  area, but the Celtic mans resulting powerful effort was pushed away by Denmark goalkeeper Nicolas Defreitas Hansen.

Jamie Bowden then delivered a corner kick into the Denmark box but it was headed over by former Spurs schoolboy Timi Sobowale. After Ireland had won a free kick down the left flank, Bowden’s resulting delivery was cleared away by a Denmark defender, a couple of minutes before he had another long pass cut out. Bowden had really grown in confidence in the game and the quality and precision of his forward passing during the second half was very good. After playing a lovely pass out to substitute Festy Ebosele on the right flank, Ireland won a free kick which Bowden delivered, but it was punched away by Nicolas Defreitas Hansen. This was a very positive performance from Jamie Bowden who asserted himself really well on the game, and made some excellent forward passes while also doing a sterling job at sitting in front of the Ireland defence. This is hopefully the first of many Ireland caps for the 18 year old Londoner.