Come On You Spurs

BBC Radio Five Live can be a childish, amateur production. (In fact more than often it is)

But occasionally, it comes up with the odd gem. This morning, Thursday 22nd March, it found one. The "phone, text, email" segment was based around...

..."How has following your (football) team affected your life?"

Now I think, I'm a pretty good example of a supporter that too often falls the wrong side of the obsession line.

But I realise I have nothing on some of the callers.

We had those who had run up credit card debt in following their team; at least one who had lost his job; another who had lost his girlfriend; even one who had believe watching his team was better than sex. (This becomes even more crazy sounding when you realise he supports Middlesborough!)

Now of course we also had some callers who went down the "what an idiot" road...

... but I kind of understand (well maybe not the "sex" comment!).

I was thinking back over my support for God's own team, Tottenham.

I don't see them "in the flesh" as often these days, having moved away (pah - excuses!) but there were many years when I followed them home and away, rain or shine, win or lose. I would hate to add up the money I spent at the time.

A few random memories...

Going to Norwich City, sometime in the 1980s, in freezing weather and being frisked roughly by the police (my wife too) before being crushed inside a metal cage. Then watching the match to the sound of the "clink" of the coins thrown by the Norwich fans as they bounced off the cage. (The coins, that is, not the fans) Followed by being held back by the cops for about an hour - and then being forced to walk away from the car for about half an hour.

Away at Watford, deciding I really didn't need the loo at half time - when I saw the river of urine running down the slope from the toilet. Having said that, I also saw Hoddle score one of the best goals ever that day!

Finding myself in "the wrong end" at QPR when we scored...trying to hide my elation...but then the feeling of relief when hundreds of Spurs fans surrounding me started cheering!

And of course, the worse thing about being a Spurs fan, having David Pleat as manager (four times!)

But despite this, I was back the next week.

If your reaction to this is, like some of the callers to Five Live, "stupid" then you won't get it, whatever I or anyone else says.

As someone once said "If you have to ask, you won't understand."

football tottenham spurs fans obsession