When the Young Boys of Berne were leading 3-0 last night, the Aston Villa result was given a different perspective. Sadly, though, Spurs managed to score twice and will doubtless proceed to the engorged riches of the Champions (and second, third and fourth places) League Group Stage.
Why is it that the fortunes - or lack of them - of my own team are thrown into such great relief by the status of others, especially near neighbours?
I long ago gave up on seeking to compete with Chelsea. The riches of Russian Oligarchy are out of any proportion to the corner shop mentality that was Terrence Brown, or the failed Icelandic Banker (and, lest we forget, previously convicted fraudster), or the East End Barrow Boy porn baron partnership (civil? not with David Sullivan, it won't be). So I just expend my inexhaustible reserves of bile on Fat Frank and EBJT. By the way, given his parents' criminal activities, could he still be taken into care?
As for Arsenal, the metrosexual sophistication and oh-so-French insouciance can be galling, but they haven't won anything for almost as long as us and their style vs. substance ratio means I can both laugh at them and (secretly) admire them. And their best players leave because they want to win things (so passe).
It's Spurs who really gall me. For a while there a few years ago, we were in the position of genuinely overtaking them. Two (three?) seasons we finished above them in the league. We could laugh uproariously at their pretensions to be a big club. Even when they picked up and had aspirations to conquer the promised land of the Top Four, we could beat them and scupper their chances - so that they had to plead a sicknote! And then it looked like they could be relegated until Bagpuss came along.
So the only joy I shall get out of their Champions League campaign is when they lose and it's over. They couldn't possibly win it, could they?
AS a girl who was brought up in Tottenham I feel ill at ease with such vitriol. It's only a game....
ReplyDeleteRead your Bill Shankly!
ReplyDelete