Oppos Viewpoint – Spurs

Name: Kevin Fitzgerald

Current hometown: London (close to Olympic Park)

Birthplace: Cambridge

How long have you supported your team: I would like to say since before the 60-61 double winners (I am certainly old enough) but alas, I was an adolescent growing up in Cambridge and supporting Cambridge City in the Southern League at the time. Apart from occasional matches and an admiration from afar, it’s early 70s when I moved to within a Hoddle long pass of the ground.

Favourite thing about our home ground: Well, the name for a start, like the club name there is romantic ring about. The atmosphere for a key floodlit match, preferably adorned by an all white kit and European opposition (but probably not Europa) and, given my Irish background I like the second half re entry to the quirky “McNamara’s Band”

Favourite match played by your team and why: So many (and so many least favourites as well) but I’ll go for the FA Cup quarter final vs Liverpool at Anfield in March 1995.

Two teams playing exhilarating football from start to finish. Fowler put Liverpool one up, Sheringham equalised as the ball pinged the inside of the post from the edge of the area at the Spurs end; a sublime swerving shot from a Klinsmann pass. Then in the dying minutes, perhaps seconds, Sheringham returned the complement for Jurgen who dinked the ball over the keeper. The final memory was of the Liverpool fans applauding Spurs off the pitch. Unforgettable.

Favourite player of all time: For me, it has to be Glenn Hoddle. I used to take up my position in the East stand in good time to marvel at his skills just during the warm up. Something I’ve read that Hunter Davies, the author of the famous The Glory Game. also admits to. And his display in the first half vs Feyenoord, October 1983, 4-0 up at half time, all made by Glenn, a performance the opposition’s Yohan Cruyff  as the best he’d ever witnessed.

Favourite current player in your squad and why? You’ve heard it before – Hugo Lloris. Keepers are often mad, extrovert, flamboyant but Hugo has a consummate poise, judgement and cool about him.

Player in your squad we should most fear and why? I feel it’s a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment, especially since Old Trafford but I’d probably go for Christian Eriksen lining up to shoot from a free kick.

Player in our squad you most fear and why? Having been at the Boxing Day match then it’s Mahrez. He was very impressive, and after a poor start so were quite a few others.

Up and coming prospect in your squad? Again you’ve heard it before – Harry Kane (I guess quite a lot of people know that) Bentaleb and Mason (in that order).

Where do you think you’ll finish this season? 6th or 7th (Europa here we come)

How do you think you’ll do against us? I think we will win but then I thought we’d win the cup game and we had Lloris to thank for winning at your place,

Any other comments? Stood near the Leicester fans on Boxing Day I enjoyed the humour of “Your nothing special, we lose every week”. I’ll try to listen out for some more good East Midlands humour on Saturday. Saturday 3pm? Whatever next.

Kevin is a board member of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust, read the latest news from their Trust via this link https://www.thstofficial.com