Uefa Cup Spurs v Aalborg

Courtesy of Official Site-

It didn't quite go according to the preferred script, but a second win of the
UEFA Cup Group Stage was recorded by beating Aalborg 3-2 on Thursday
night.
It really wasn't going to plan at half-time when the team trooped in
two goals down and a little shell-shocked before a couple of changes at the
break galvanised affairs and we were back level six minutes into the second
period. The party was then over for Aalborg and their vocal band of followers.
There was one change to the side that began proceedings at West Ham on Sunday -
Lee Young-Pyo drafted in for the injured Younes Kaboul, with Pascal Chimbonda
making the switch to central defence. With under two minutes on the clock a tale
of the unexpected unfolded when Thomas Enevoldsen scambered forward towards the
18 yard line and then tried his luck from outside the area and the flight of his
shot beat Paul Robinson and 1,300 Danes started an unlikely celebration. Their
side responded by maintaining the momentum and zipping the ball about with
considerable conviction. It wasn't until the 14th minute and a brilliant darting
run from Jermaine Jenas that a threat from our attacking sorties emerged.
Aalborg claimed a penalty midway through the half when Rade Prica went down in a
tumble with Lee, but the claim was dubious and replays showed the forward to be
offside anyway. Pressure was being applied in the direction of the Park Lane
end, but goalkeeper Karim Zaza was not being tested as moves broke down at the
final ball. Punishment for this was dished out in the 37th minute when a low
cross cum shot from Prica was bundled into the back of the net by Kasper
Risgard, despite the attentions of two defenders. It was time to regroup and
make a battle of this tie. Jenas was just beaten to the ball by Zaza after being
cleverly set through on goal by Robbie Keane before a Gareth Bale free-kick
caused a degree of panic in the visiting defences. Juande Ramos reacted to the
deficit at half-time by replacing Jenas with Tom Huddlestone and Lee with Darren
Bent. The change paid almost instant dividends when a low Huddlestone ball
literally dissected the defence, allowing Berbatov to steer past Zaza and half
the Aalborg advantage. Huddlestone set the ball rolling again in the 51st minute
when he picked out Lennon who in turn sent Berbatov gliding away down the right
flank. Berbatov centred and Bent was denied by a brave block from Zaza, with the
ball running loose and for Keane to tee up Steed Malbranque to drive high into
the net to make it level pegging. A cranking up of the pressure followed with no
further reward before Enevoldsen wa about a foot away from netting a second from
a similar distance as his first just after the hour mark. On 66 minutes the lead
taken after a Bale free-kick was parried away by Zaza and Lennon was quickest to
react by drilling back across goal. Bent was on hand to tap home at the far post
and from two goals down, an advantage was created. A fourth was sought in front
of a gate of 29,758, with varying degrees of closeness, the best being Lennon's
that forced a superb stop from Zaza in injury time, then Malbranque scooping
wide at the death - until the whistle sounded on a night of
contrasts. Something along the lines of that old saying about two halves...

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport_aalborg_h.html

Spurs US TV Schedule for 11/26/07-12/2/07

Courtesy of FSC TV-


Thu. Nov. 29, 2007
UEFA Cup - Matchday 3
Tottenham Hotspur v. Aalborg BK
2:30 p.m. EST


Sun. Dec. 2, 2007
Premier League
Tottenham v. Birmingham
11:00 a.m. EST


Linked here: http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/fsctv/soccermatches

Chairman's Address

Courtesy of Official Site-

The Chairman's address to the EGM at White Hart Lane at 2pm this afternoon,
Monday November 26.
Before we start on the official business I should like to
say a few words to the meeting.
We have much to be optimistic about going
forward and that is what I wish to concentrate on today. We have made changes
recently in order to strengthen our position in several areas. This is a dynamic
business and as such we have to constantly respond to changing circumstances,
some within, but many outside, of our control.
As a result, these last three
months have been testing times for us all. Both the Club and I personally have
endured much criticism. We have absorbed much blame – very little of which was
justified with facts. But we elected not to respond and rather to hold our
counsel. We took the clear decision that we would not discuss private matters in
public and we did this in the long-term interests of the Club and all parties
involved.
I should now like to take this opportunity to once again thank
Martin Jol, Chris Hughton and Hans Segers and wish them well in their future
careers.
We have a new and respected coaching team and I look forward to
introducing Juande to you after the formal proceedings today and for you to hear
his thoughts on the remainder of the season.
The performance of the business
means that we retain the ability to invest and, in respect of players on long
contracts, we have no need to sell. It is noteworthy that all key players are on
long-term contracts with the exception of Jermain Defoe, who has expressed
publicly that he wants to remain at the club and I put it on record that we want
him to stay.
I should also like to correct newspaper reports that have
existed, despite my denials, that ENIC has agreed to sell its shareholding in
the Club. For nearly 7 years we have, I believe, moved this Club forward, but
have had to endure constant speculation from those who would seek to detract
from what we are achieving. For the record yet again, no offer has been made for
the Club during my time here, not even by Roman Abramovich as was so incorrectly
reported.
This year sees us report record financial results. TV, sponsorship,
retail, ticket and corporate hospitality revenues have all contributed to an
increase of 39% in turnover and good management of the business has seen profits
rise to 31% of turnover. We have continued to upgrade the Ticket Office and this
has now been relocated to Paxton Road. Service levels are critical in this area
of the business and it is important that we continuously evaluate and raise
standards of delivery. We have centralised customer service and this has been
well received – we shall, however, continue to seek further
improvements.
Investment and work on valuable community-based projects
through the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation continues to go from strength to
strength. In conjunction with our application for the Training Centre at Bulls
Cross is a commitment to deliver a 10 year outreach programme within the local
community worth in excess of £2.3m.
We currently have a minimum of one player
per week attending a community event in areas local to the club and our
facilities. It is a tremendous commitment not only by your club, but also by the
First Team and Academy players who derive a genuine benefit and enjoyment from
this aspect of their footballing lives. It is also a much valued and appreciated
service to the communities.
Earlier this month we also launched our Spurs
Learning Zone – a dedicated state of the art facility located here at the
stadium, that will host daily classes of up to 30 local children, providing them
with access to cutting edge information, communication, podcasting and digital
editing technologies - a resource much welcomed by our local council.
Not
only as a football club, but as a business in general, the level, quality and
effect of our contribution to communities and good causes, is outstanding and
sets us apart. We should recognise this and be rightly proud.
Looking to our
capital expenditure projects - In respect of the stadium I can report, as
promised in January, that we have refined our options. At this stage, as I am
sure you will understand, it would be commercially inappropriate to discuss
these in further detail. To date, Matthew Collecott and I have directed the
project and we are making substantial progress. Last week we added to our
project team with the appointment of Paul Phillips, who will be the project
manager on a day-to-day basis. Paul has a proven track record in delivering
complex stadium solutions and was the project leader on the Emirates
Stadium.
We should all be conscious of the fact that we face significant
hurdles and disadvantages in our search for an optimum solution to increased
capacity. For example, with our current location, we do not have inherent land
values in Tottenham that could drive enabling development and regeneration.
Additionally, the Olympics is taking significant public funds out of the public
purse which could assist with any major schemes. There is no easy option for us
but we are determined to find a solution. We shall announce our preferred option
in the first half of 2008.
Please be assured that your Board is applying the
same vigour and determination towards achieving a successful outcome on this
capital project as we did for the Training facility and I am pleased to be able
to report good news on that now.
We achieved a terrific step forward with
future plans when earlier this month Enfield Council Planning Committee voted to
grant planning permission for our Football Training Centre – a combined First
Team and Academy facility - at Bulls Cross, Enfield. We were absolutely
delighted with this outcome, the culmination of years of hard work and
determination by a dedicated in house team and external consultants. The
application will now pass to the Mayor of London and the Government Office for
London for final approval.

I shall now ask James Budd of architects KSS to
make a brief presentation on an overview of the scheme.
Thank you
James.
As you can see it is an outstanding facility – the creation of a world
class First Team and Academy training facility set on over 60 acres and we have
now achieved an important first step towards realising this vital project for
the Club. It will be instrumental in attracting the best young talent and afford
our current squad state of the art facilities in which to train over the
season.
Our Academy is already home to some of the most outstanding young
talent in the country. When much has been said about the need to nurture young
home grown English talent, you can be proud that your Club boasts no fewer than
8 academy players in the England youth teams. Additional to this are a further 8
players who represent their countries at youth international level. The Club now
has a total of 34 international players and 7 full England internationals.
We
shall keep you informed as we progress the Training Centre project – our current
timetable aims for completion in the summer of 2010 but I would stress once
again that there are still further stages to be passed in the next few months
and we should also expect opposition to continue. I would ask that you continue
to give it your support as we progress through those stages.
In closing, I
should like to thank everyone at the Club for their contribution to last
season's success and to the Club's supporters for their magnificent support.
This year we celebrated our 125th Anniversary – a notable landmark for a great
football club – but equally important that we now look ahead with confidence and
ensure that glory is not a term used only to recall events from the past. We
have much happening now that will impact greatly on our future.
Thank you

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/chairmansaddress261107.html

Gus Poyet's take on the London Derby v. Wet Spam

Courtesy of Official Site-

Gus Poyet was left in no doubt that we deserved to win Sunday's derby at West
Ham.
After a bright start, West Ham capitalised on a mistake by Younes Kaboul
to take the lead but a change of formation 10 minutes into the second half
(three at the back, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon as wing-backs) saw us take
control and equalise when Michael Dawson headed home Jermaine Jenas'
free-kick.
Both teams had opportunities in a frantic final few minutes.
Paul Robinson saved well from Scott Parker and Carlton Cole and we had a golden
chance to win it in injury time when Jermain Defoe was fouled by Lucas Neill and
took the penalty himself, Robert Green saving well.
"We're disappointed
because we didn't win, we wanted to win from the outset," reflected first team
coach Gus, back at the Lodge and preparing for Aalborg in the UEFA Cup.
"We
thought we were doing alright until we made a mistake and that mistake made us a
little nervous for 10 minutes or so, then came the big penalty decision at the
end of the first half.
"We had a good meeting at half-time, the lads reacted
well and knew we would change it within a few minutes if we hadn't come back.
From the moment we went with the different shape we were in control, in fact, we
looked like the home team.
"At the end, because of the penalty, there was a
little sadness because we'd done everything to win.
"Now we have to win our
next game and that starts in the UEFA Cup, then Birmingham in the Premier
League."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/guswedeservedwin271107.html

Match Report vs Wigan at home

Courtesy of Official Site-

Jermaine Jenas marked a new arrival with a return to his goalscoring habit
against Wigan Athletic on Sunday afternoon.
The speedy midfielder netted two
first half goals, added to by Aaron Lennon before the break and Darren Bent
afterwards as three Premiership points were banked for the first time since the
visit of Derby County to this arena back in August. Lennon's curling shot after
a Keane-Berbatov combination just failed to result in a shooting chance in the
opening stages, before a period of slick interchange had the Wigan defence
marking shadows and only a couple of fortunate deflections prevented likely
profit. It took until only the 13th minute for the deadlock to be broken and it
was Keane who brilliantly skipped past Andreas Granqvist on the left before
dispatching a low centre that evaded Chris Kirkland and was prodded home by
Jenas. Cue the baby rocking celebration, since the goalscorer last week became
father to a baby girl. A long ball from Michael Dawson was then nodded into the
path of Keane by Berbatov, but the leading scorer has not quite found his range
at that point. Dawson was later not too far wide with a big flick on from a
Jenas corner. JJ doubled the advantage with the clock showing 25 minutes.
Berbatov superb threaded throughball was left by the offside Keane and the
midfielder sped onto the pass, rounded Kirkland and applied a finishing touch in
front of goal. It was goal No.3 of the season for the athletic middleman.
Fatherhood clearly suits. Berbatov was the class act of the half and none more
so then when he plucked Paul Robinson's long clearance out of the air in the
Wigan area and calmly laid the ball back into the path of Lennon. Not known for
trying his luck from distance, the winger took a touch before steering firmly
past Kirkland from around 20 yards. The spark was well and truly back in the
side, they were hunting in packs, defending in numbers, while the football was
slick and efficient. Wigan, by contrast, looked all at sea. Just before the
break Jenas should have completed his hat-trick. Brilliant approach play from
Berbatov and Lennon set him off and running into the area before beating a
couple of defenders and looking like the easy bit was to come. The net did
rattle, but it was the side netting. It remained one-way traffic at the
beginning of the second half, one which saw an early entry for Teemu Tainio as a
replacement for the injured Malbranque. Wigan attempted to rally but were being
consistently picked off by the poise of Berbatov, the pace of Lennon and the
waspish attentions of Keane. To try and address the balance, caretaker boss
Frank Barlow introduced the tenacious Michael Brown. Jenas then thought he had
his third with a superb lift over Kirkland from Keane's supply line, but was
offside along with Berbatov. Shortly after the applause were huge when Keane
made was for Darren Bent. Lennon forced Kirkland into a stooping low save after
a darting run, but we didn't have to wait too much longer for the score to be
added to. Berbatov again was in creative mode, picking out the run of Jenas who,
in turn, located Bent on the run. The sub took the ball to the right of the area
before firing across Kirkland and in off the post. Bent later went for power and
was too far adrift when Berbatov once more set up a chance. It was that sort of
afternoon, you even suspected Didier Zokora might just get in on the scoring act
and he nearly did - his surging run and shot forcing a fine save out of
Kirkland. Berbatov next hit the underside of the bar and Younes Kaboul did
likewise with the follow-up in a game that saw confidence restored to the
mindset of seemingly each and every player.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport111107.html

Match Report UEFA cup vs Hapoel Tel Aviv

Courtesy of Official Site-

Robbie Keane made it 25 goals in 33 games when he set us on the way to UEFA Cup
victory against Hapoel Tel Aviv on Thursday evening
Robbie's strike, coupled
with another from his strike partner Dimitar Berbatov, was enough to record our
first win of the UEFA Cup Group Stage, as well as it being a first victory on
our travels this season. Juande Ramos made four changes to the team that started
up at Middlesbrough on Saturday, restoring the strike partnership of Keane and
Berbatov and also Didier Zokora to the central midfield axis with Jermaine
Jenas. Pascal Chimbonda was switched to centre half, with Paul Stalteri drafted
in at right back. It was a sultry evening, weather-wise, at the compact
Bloomfield Stadium, with the home team decked out in all red and supported
vocally by a sizeable pocket of fans behind the goal protected by Vincent
Enyeama in the first half. It was colourful and atmospheric and you imagine that
a Tel Aviv derby must be quite an event. The first attempt on goal came when
Bebars Natcho dragged an effort wide of the upright in the eighth minute. The
game was not quick to get going and both teams were struggling to establish a
foothold or to dominate territorially. It carried on in much the same fashion
until the first decisive move was made in the 26th minute when Keane sent Steed
Malbranque scurrying down the left of the Hapoel penalty area and the Frenchman
did well to bundle his way through and deliver a cross back into the path of
Keane, who smacked the ball home with precision from around penalty spot
distance. The advantage was doubled just four minutes later, the first phase of
play being an Aaron Lennon centre that led to a Berbatov shot being blocked in
front of goal. The ball found its way out to the left and Malbranque again
turned provider with a cross that was calmly nodded into the net past Enyeama by
Berbatov. Keane could have helped himself to a double seven minutes before the
break, only denied by a desperate late block by Gabriel Do Santos. Hapoel were
rattled and their noisy pocket sat down and went quiet. Chimbonda then headed
narrowly over from a Jenas free-kick. The battling spirit of the home side
evaporated as half-time was reached, but they nearly enjoyed a slice of fortune
at the beginning of the second period when Bakukh Dego mishit a cross and the
flight of it came close to deceiving Paul Robinson and causing a few problems.
Hopes of mounting a comeback were dented five minutes into the half when Gal
Shish was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Lennon, having earned the
first for an offence against the same player in the first half. Lennon, moments
later, chipped a crossfield pass into the area occupied by Malbranque, who
flashed a shot across goal. It was his final contribution to the game as he was
subsequently replaced by Jermain Defoe. The contest again became very disjointed
before being sparked by a neat combination between Jenas and Keane that led to
the latter drilling just wide. A double change was next with Darren Bent and
Kevin-Prince Boateng being introduced to the mix - Jenas and Keane being
withdrawn. The swaps enlivened proceedings, but the game was won and urgency was
not an ingredient particularly in evidence. Robinson had to be alert to save at
the feet of Fabio Junior Pereira and we finished the stronger with Bent closest
toa third, his effort coming back off the upright after being threaded through
by Defoe. All in all, job done.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport081107.html

To Whom It May Concern (an Open Letter from PageVee)

A friend of mine has established a non-profit at the University of Virginia, Bridging the Gap, that is devoted to mentoring and tutoring refugee children resettled in the Charlottesville-Albemarle, Virginia area. BTG has developed a successful soccer program, Fugee Soccer, that is partnered with the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albermarle (SOCA) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC)'s Family Support division to register and provide transportation for 37 children on soccer teams this fall (2007).

I have a few motivations for this post.

1st: I want to contact THFC and other THFC Supporter groups and get them involved with this program if possible.

2nd: My friend is an Arsenal fan (one of his highschool buddy's is from London and got to him years ago) and has told me he will switch allegiance in order to raise help/support for the kids.

3rd: I want to do what I can to help the kids I have grown to know over the past few years.

My "friend" is my girlfriend's younger brother, Clay. UVA's Chancellor mentioned him during his graduation ceremony last spring because of his work with the foundation of "Bridging the Gap." The Chancellor only mentioned 10 graduates during UVA's main ceremony and Clay was singled out among the thousands of graduates.

I am currently just looking for ideas about how to move this project forward and hope to get THFC involved along the way. Please let me know if anyone has ideas or information that I can pass to Clay about contacting specific individuals at THFC. I have already contacted Customer Service and hope to get some information directly from the club.

Thanks for your time and any help you can offer.

PageVee

Linked Article here: http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/finals2007/finals-broga.html

7 Subs?

Courtesy of Official Site-

Damien Comolli has added his voice to the calls for seven substitutes
to feature on the bench in Premier League fixtures, as opposed to the
present limit of five.The Sporting Director is fully behind the idea of
expanding substitute benches for domestic top-flight league games and argues
that it would allow for greater variety of options, as well as giving
younger players more opportunity to pick up valuable first-team experience.
"It is something that we as a club totally agree with and Juande Ramos
raised it in his first week in charge when he named his squads for the first
two games against Blackpool and Middlesbrough," reported Damien. "We think
it is the right thing to do in the Premier League as all the big leagues in
Europe are doing it now. It is the same in European competition as well, we
can have 18 players involved when we go to Israel this week, but only 16
when we play Wigan on Sunday. "It would also offer opportunities to some of
the younger players to step into the First Team group on a far more regular
basis than they do now. This can only be a good thing."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/damienbacksmoresubscall.html

Press Speculation 10/6/07

Courtesy of Official Site-

Damien Comolli has spoken out after a Sunday newspaper suggested Paul Robinson
was to be moved on during the January transfer window following comments
attributed to him while on England duty.
"To suggest that Paul would be
transfer-listed for something he said and that he has fallen out with the
chairman as a result is utter nonsense," commented Damien. "Firstly, there was
no row to talk about and Paul went out of his way to clarify his position
immediately after and secondly something of this nature would never affect a
player’s future at this Club. "Normally we don't wish to react to such stories
concerning the Club or our players but there are occasions when we believe it is
right to set the record straight - and this is one of them." Similarly Darren
Bent has refuted a claim in another Sunday newspaper that he is looking to leave
the Club. "I am happy and settled at Spurs and stories that are saying otherwise
could not be further from the truth," said Darren. "I am determined to establish
myself in this team - that is the only thing I am focused on. I want to make an
impact and do what I was brought here to do, which is score goals."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/pressspeculation041107.html

'Poyet makes Point'

Courtesy of Official Site-

Gus Poyet admitted that he wasn't happy to simply settle for a point after the
1-1 draw against Middlesbrough.
Luke Young's spectacular strike in the 54th
minute cancelled out Darren Bent's first half effort and that's how it stayed
after a scrappy encounter at the Riverside. We certainly pushed for the winner
and dominated territorially in the latter stages but couldn't carve out that one
golden chance to take maximum points. "We need to win games," said first team
coach Gus. "We came here wanting to win and one point isn't enough for us, but
after the game and that unbelievable goal, we have to take it. "If you ask me if
I'm happy with a point though, I'd say 'no'." Gus described ex-Spur Young's
thunderbolt into the top corner as a 'goal from a different game'. "It wasn't
the best of games and there were few opportunities," he added. "We scored from
an individual effort from Darren Bent and thought maybe that might be enough but
Young's goal gave them confidence." As for Juande Ramos' decision to go with
Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent up front, Gus added: "It's just a decision you
have to make in football, we thought it they were the best strikers for this
game with their speed and ability to get in behind (the defence). There was
nothing else behind it."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/poyetmakespoint041107.html

'Keeping it Clean'

Courtesy of Official Site-

Paul Robinson, perhaps naturally given his position on the pitch, viewed a clean
sheet as the most important aspect of the performance against Blackpool at the
Lane.
The team progressed through to the last eight of the Carling Cup on
Wednesday night by a 2-0 scoreline courtesy of goals from Robbie Keane and
Pascal Chimbonda. It was an encouraging start to the reign of Juande Ramos, the
Head Coach who began working with the players on Monday. The goalkeeper believes
the message of the new man is quickly getting over to the players. "I thought we
did reasonably well," reflected Robbo after the game. "He has given us a lot of
information in the last couple of days and the important thing we wanted tonight
was a clean sheet - and we got that. "The Head Coach's communication has been
excellent, we've trained very hard over the last three days and he has tried to
get his message across as quickly as possible. There is a lot he wants to get
across and I'm sure that in time we will get better. "There is still work that
can be done and will be done. "Results bring confidence, the Head Coach with the
aura and presence he has about him, has also generated confidence. If we keep
winning you will see a very confident Tottenham team getting great results," he
continued, adding that players always have to start anew and prove themselves
when there is a change at the top. "That is how it is when a new man comes in -
it is like your first day at a new club. Everyone is on trial again, it is a new
start for everybody and we've got to start our season from tonight." It is on to
Middlesbrough and a bid for a first away win of the season at the Riverside
Stadium on Saturday against a side just above ourselves in the table. "We are
only a quarter of the way through and we certainly didn't want to be where we
are at this stage of the season. Middlesbrough are down there with us so it is
big game for both teams. "It is a very tough league and anybody could be down
there, there are the teams right at the top and outside of that everyone is
doing damage to each other."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/keepingitclean011107.html

Carling Cup Victory and Clean Sheet!

Courtesy of Official Site-

Juande Ramos stressed that the result was all important as his reign as Head
Coach kicked-off with a Carling Cup win against Blackpool.
Another
impressive 30,000-plus crowd was at the Lane to herald in the new era and goals
from Robbie Keane and Pascal Chimbonda ensured a safe passage into the
quarter-finals.
The game wasn't without scares though as Blackpool missed a
golden chance before Keane's 18th-minute opener and then struck the crossbar and
forced Paul Robinson into his best save of the season at 1-0 before Chimbonda's
header gave us breathing space in the second half.
"The most important thing
was the victory," reflected Juande. "I thought the team played well,
we had spells of good football and now we have to look forward to the next
round. "On the positive side the players showed great willingness to play
and fought hard for the victory, it was physically very hard
especially as it was only three days since the last game.
"I suppose the
negative side is that Blackpool had three or four chances to score and we
shouldn't allow those chances.
"The game was how we expected, Blackpool are
from a lower league but they tried as hard as they could and gave
everything.
"It was very important to get a victory to give us more security,
to calm the players down a bit and give us confidence. The last results have
been quite negative and we needed to stop that run of results, so to get this
result was vital."
Victory means we take our place in a strong quarter-final
line-up alongisde Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Everton, West
Ham and Blackburn.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/winforstarters.html