Am I really a Spurs fan?
By SAM BUCKLEFirst, a confession - I’ve never been to White Hart Lane. So, when I tell people my Premiership team is Spurs, it’s probably a right insult to those who live and breathe Tottenham football. Real fans are probably still feeling sick in the stomach after yet another derby letdown. I got up on Sunday morning, checked soccernet.com (3 nil to the Gunners) and turned my mind to the U17 All Whites and the Phoenix.
In fairness to myself, I think it’s awfully difficult to genuinely care about the fortunes of a side based and rooted in North London when you were born in Takapuna, raised in Karori and live in Mt Victoria. In fact, my fanship is really just a default. English football was simply the only professional football with any profile whatsoever when I started playing for Karori Swifts. If you were a soccer kid, you adopted a team, at some point, for some reason … and most or any would do.
In the days of Big League Soccer, Liverpool was the dominant force. Most of my mates jumped on that bandwagon. Unfortunately, when I first tuned in to Brian Moore’s weekly summary of English football he must have been talking FA Cup because – tragically - I ended up a Spurs “fan” (I can only be thankful he wasn’t talking about Ipswich). Those were glory days - and my first real football memory was the cracking 3-2 FA Cup Final win over Man City. I’m pretty sure I can’t have actually watched it (I was lucky to stay up for Telethon) – but the hype made an impact.
My Tottenham memories from the 1980s are fleeting at best. I knew and I recall plenty of players - Ardiles, Clemence, Archibald, Hoddle, Waddle, Gazza, Lineker, Mabbutt, Walsh - but when it comes to results, FA Cup finals are all that feature in the memory. I’m almost certain I stayed up for the 1987 loss to Coventry and I definitely watched the classic extra time win over Nottingham Forest in 1991. That game I remember quite well (obviously the Gascoigne tackle, but also the curious fact that Nayim had only name, just Nayim – nothing more – which I found most intriguing).
Since ’91 I’ve occasionally got excited about a moment from Ferdinand, Ginola, Keane, Berbatov or, of course, Klinsmann – but, frankly, I haven’t cared. Rather, I’ve taken a passing interest. Probably the most that can be said of my commitment to Spurs, is that I’ve never supported anybody else. I suppose that’s more than can be said of some ship-jumping, fair-weather-chasing Kiwi football supporters (yes, I am definitely talking about you Chelsea fans).
Don’t get me wrong here. I don’t think there’s anything wrong or sinful about not caring. It’s a shame not to have a passion for a participant in any competition. It adds to the intensity of interest. Nevertheless, the Premiership is still wonderfully entertaining – and if I want tension, disappointment and the occasional moment of ecstasy, I’ve got the Phoenix. Passion is not something you can readily manufacture.
And I reckon there must be an awful lot of Kiwis in the same boat - Kiwis, who when next asked which Premiership side they support, should probably pause, consider, refect, remember and then answer … none.
Who cares?
Sam Buckle is a New Zealand football fan, pundit and founding member of www.yellowfever.co.nz
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Agree wholeheartedly with this. I have a lot of friends who say they support a team but it's just for the hell of it (the majority are Spurs fans). And sure they might watch the game when my team's playing there's but that's the extent of it. I think there are a number of Kiwis who are more passionate though and do follow their team to a greater degree but that is a minority.
But it's so much easier when you have a great local side like the Phoenix where there is the culture and week in week out action and coverage where you can truly be a fan.
Well Sam I have been a Chelsea fan since Zola was playing there, before they were as high profile as they are now. I do take an interest in a few other clubs such as Spurs and the Hammers but let it be clear, I have a real problem with Man Utd! Shudder.
See your points but don't buy in completely.
"I think it’s awfully difficult to genuinely care about the fortunes of a side based and rooted in North London when you were born in Takapuna, raised in Karori and live in Mt Victoria"
It is difficult, but it does happen. I genuinely care about my prem team - i've supported them much longer than i have any other sports team but have never been to a game. I get up in the middle of the night for each and every televised game, and i stream the non-televised ones. I love the phoenix - they are my substitute for being on the other side of the world. But i still love my prem team more.
So it is difficult due to timezones etc, but you get through it and i definitely class myself as a 'real fan' - i wont believe anyone who tells me otherwise.
When i get there for a game eventually, it will be the greatest experience of my life!
PS My team is Arsenal PRIDE OF NORTH LONDON... 3-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (couldnt resist sorry)
PPS No i did not begin supporting them in their late nineties/early 2000s glory days so dont tarnish me with that brush
Instead of bandwagoning an english team wouldn't it be better to go down to your local ground and suuport your nzfc team in person?
Nope, it wouldnt be better. So i dont do it. I look out for their results and that's about it. My commitment to them is not enough to consider myself a real fan - just like Sam's commitment to his spurs is lacking, so he doesn't consider himself a real fan of them either.
I go the phoenix for the atmosphere, and i love the team.
But for sheer history, quality and enjoyment, nothing beats my Arsenal.
I *had* a premiership team to support... (definite emphasis on the second word).
It's ever harder to support a team, Sam, when they're not on the telly in the UK, let alone here!
Doesnt sound like you are a Spurs fan, you have a passing interest. i shed tears when Liverpool lose (ive crying a freakin river lately). I have been to Anfield multiple times, and can remember watching the 71 FA Cup final on telly when I was very very young. Mind you, I can see your point, why would anyone have a passion for the Spurts, they are shite.
Tottenham AND football in the SAME sentence. ;)
I agree that alot of people found their team via the dulcet ones of Brian Moore, I was seduced by goals and by the strikers who scored them. I started supporting Ipswich, the days of Wark, Marriner, Olsen etc, then turned my gaze upon Luton town with one Paul Walsh.
But I ended up with Spurs, Lineker, Clive Allen (49 goals in a season)got me hooked, so now I enjoy the fleeting good times and make an effort to stay up for 3 - 0 losses to the old enemy.
When I went to the UK, the one thing I had to do was watch Spurs play at White Hart Lane, it was a 1 - 1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, Nielsen scored I think (down our end too, so that was great)
Being so far away from the Phoenix is a pain in the proverbial, as I would go to every game, but I am a football nutter, so follow from afar
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Swoon. Fantastic point well made (apart from the Ipswich dig).