White Hot Lines

30.6.2000

  It is reported that David Ginola's talks with Aston Villa have hit a stumbling block in the form of his wage demands.  Manager John Gregory and chairman Doug Ellis are believed to be willing to recommence talks when Ginola comes back from a family holiday, but to pay the demands may be beyond the willingness of Villa. 

  GG has said that it is getting harder to catch the top teams, who only need two or three players to improve on what they have already got, while the likes of Spurs need more than that.  Graham bemoaned the fact that with the new TV deal money, there was too much money chasing too few class players.  He said it would be nice if they could bring in two players before the season starts, but that they were always on the look out for quality players.
  Steffen Freund has stressed the need for a good start to the season.  He said that if Spurs can beat Ipswich Town at home and then remain unbeaten in the away games at Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, then they will gain in confidence and build from that.

  Neil Sullivan will officially complete his move to Tottenham this weekend after his Wimbledon contract expires on 1st July.

  George Graham is set to return to Elland Road to pinch Academy Director Alan Hill from Leeds United.  With Brian Kidd moving in to supervise the youth system at the northern club, Hill is to be released and GG is keen to snap him up despite competition from Leicester City and Wimbledon, to improve further the production line of young talent into the Tottenham first team.
  A London estate agent has reported that Sol Campbell has instructed them to find him a new home in Highgate for £1.5 million.  It is being read into this that he may be ready to stay at Tottenham for at least another year of not longer.  We read nothing into it except he wants a nice new house in a nice area !!
  Meanwhile, defensive partner, Chris Perry, has admitted that he was not fully satisfied with his first season at Spurs.  He said he feels he could do better and hopes to pick up from the end of last season when he was playing nearer his full potential.
  Rumours linking Tottenham with a £6.75 million bid for Belgian striker Emile Mpenza have been upstaged by reports that Newcastle United are set to buy the pacy forward for £8 million, after getting FC Schalke 04 to drop their asking price from £12 million !!  As it seems that Newcastle are signing up every forward in the world at the moment, where does this leave St. Alan of Shearer and their defence should be as holey as his reputation !!
  Josep Guardiola of Barcelona could be available for £3.9 million, if he does not get assurances about his first team place at the Nou Camp.  Spurs desperately need a strong, ball-playing midfielder and "Pep" would fit the bill nicely if they made a determined effort to go for the Spanish international.

  Everton's former Spurs forward, Nick Barmby has been placed on the transfer list after expressing a desire to play for Liverpool.  Newspaper reports had linked Spurs with a move for him.

  Jardel of FC Porto has signed for Galatasaray of Turkey.  The Brazilian striker had been linked with Spurs in the past few months.

29.6.2000

  Oyvind Leonhardsen is likely to be ready for pre-season training after a successful recovery from his heel injury.  He has been working out on an exercise bike and jogging without any reaction.

  GG has praised the Spurs forward, Chris Armstrong for facing up to the barrage of criticism he received from his own fans.  He said that between him and Steffen Iversen they did well to get 30 goals without much chance of a break. Armstrong himself felt that the goal at home to Liverpool was the turning point of his season, after which he felt fitter and more confident.

  Tranmere Rovers' young midfielder Alan Mahon is set to move to Sporting Lisbon of Portugal on a free transfer.  Had he moved to the interested parties in the British Isles (Spurs and Celtic), he would have commended a substantial fee.

  David Ginola is top of the Aston Villa hit list which is said to be discussed this week by manager John Gregory and chairman Doug Ellis. 

  Ipswich Town manager, George Burley has said he is awaiting John Scales' decision to join the club later this week.  He has been won over by things told to him by staff at Spurs and Liverpool about the ex-England central defender. 

  Neale Fenn has said that he must consider leaving Tottenham to get first team football and concentrate on his future career.  He said it would be a wrench to leave White Hart Lane after joining as a schoolboy, but Brentford offers him an opportunity to go ahead, rather than stagnating in the reserves.
  Tottenham's link to Czech striker Jan Koller seems to be slipping with Newcastle United the favourites to sign the forward from Anderlecht.  Other clubs have been scared off by the £7 million price tag. 
  Another player from Euro 2000 linked with Spurs, Slovenian Zlatko Zahovic, is a target for Sunderland, with a £4 million fee quoted. 

28.6.2000

  Allan Nielsen will hope to determine his future when he returns for pre-season training with Tottenham.  Kaiserslautern are watching the situation and have a £2 million bid ready and the Danish international will probably leave after failing to get a squad place at the end of last season, being loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers for the last month.

  Swiss central defender Ramon Vega has said that he was in agony after breaking his ankle in the Worthington Cup Final in 1999.  He had surgery in Germany after two bits of bone were rubbing against each other causing great pain in his leg, but he has now recuperated and is looking forward to pre-season training.

  Tickets for Spurs' friendly at Peterborough United go on sale on Saturday at London Road, priced at £15 for seats and £10 standing.
  Sky have announced their live games from the start of the season until Christmas.  Spurs matches which will change date for the coverage are : - 
Spurs -v- West Ham United  from Sat. 9 Sept.  to  Mon. 11 Sept.
Spurs -v- Liverpool  from Sat. 18 Nov. to  Sun. 19 Nov.
Spurs -v- Arsenal  from Sat. 16 Dec.  to  Mon.  18 Dec.
Southampton -v- Spurs  from Tue. 26 Dec.  to  Wed. 27 Dec.
  Speculation in the Belgian press is linking Tottenham with a move for Belgian international winger, Bart Goor of Anderlecht for £5 million.  Spurs face competition from Sunderland, Ajax and Perugia.
  Reports in newspapers today indicate that Chris Waddle has had an offer to return to laying with Chesterfield.
  Another ex-Spur, Terry Yorath, who left Bradford City yesterday after failing to be offered the No.2 post to new manager Chris Hutchings, has been appointed to a similar position at Sheffield Wednesday.

27.6.2000

  Spurs had formerly been linked with Monaco striker David Trezeguet, but the French international striker has joined Juventus.

  John Scales is believed to be one of many centre-halves linked with Premiership new-boys, Ipswich Town.  

  The Wimbledon chairman has said that the club have received a number of bids for their top players, but they have refused them.  This is thought to be a "hands-off" warning to Spurs over the matter of Ben Thatcher.  Meanwhile, Chris Perry has said that his former team-mate at Wimbledon, Ben Thatcher, would be a big bonus for Spurs and for England.  He said he is a great athlete and has a great left foot.

  On the club's official website, Matthew Etherington said that he needs to be a bit fitter for the new season ahead and that he is really looking forward to it now he has seen the fixture list.

26.6.2000

  Spurs are reported to be ready to make a £2 million bid for Belgian striker Emile Mpenza.  The Sun article says Spurs are after the speedy forward, who was one of the home nation's few outstanding players.  David Pleat said that he was one of several players that Tottenham were monitoring at Euro 2000.  The FC Schalke 04 man may be on quite substantial wages at his current club and this could provide a stumbling block.  Napoli are also said to be chasing the 21 year old after their promotion to Serie A, but it is believed that his German club are asking for £6.5 million.
  Sol Campbell is interesting Italian club Internazionale of Milan, who according to one national newspaper there, have signed him already after his contract expires next summer !!  That is because they don't want to pay the £13 million for his transfer now.  However, if Ugo Ehiogu is priced at £12 million, then how much is Sol worth ??
  Boudewijn Zenden would like to prove his worth to the fans of Barcelona.  He said that he has had a difficult first season at the Nou Camp and during that time he has improved tactically to become a more "multi-functional player".  This is bad news for Spurs who were looking at him to come in for David Ginola should he leave White Hart Lane.

  Steffen Freund has said that he expects to win a trophy with Tottenham next season.

  Steffen Iversen's return from Euro 2000 will see him enter into contract talks with Tottenham this week.  The Norwegian believes he should be on around £25,000 a week and is keen to stay at Spurs where he is looking forward to linking up with Sergei Rebrov.

  John Scales reckons that he has quite a while left in his footballing life, as the injuries he has suffered since his move to Tottenham have effectively prolonged his career !!

  Neale Fenn is believed to be a £350,000 target for Brentford.  This appears far too much for one of our "never been given a chance" reserves, who normally disappear from the Lane for about £50,000.

  Former Spurs transfer target, Mark Viduka of Celtic, has agreed personal terms with Leeds United.
  Mauricio Taricco has said that he would welcome Ben Thatcher's challenge for the left-back position at the club.  He said it would be unprofessional to regard it as a "threat" to his position and acknowledged that it means that the club are building a good squad.

25.6.2000

  Tottenham are reported to have won the race to sign Wimbledon's Ben Thatcher ahead of Liverpool.  The defender returns from honeymoon this week and in a move which mimics the transfer of Chris Perry, he looks likely to complete his move across London.  The player is now said to want to stay in London in contradiction to what he had previously been quoted as saying, that is that he would prefer a move to Anfield.  DP has commented that Tottenham have an interest in the player and "that is not denied." So there !! 
  Meanwhile, Everton's 20 year old full-back Michael Ball is available for £3.5 million.  Any comment on that one then ??  The Spurs management might have given up the chase for Ball as SoccerUpdate report that Peter Taylor has put in a 32.5 million bid for the player on behalf of Leicester City !!

  Even more confusion surrounds the future of David Ginola as Chelsea are believed to be trying to tempt the Frenchman to Stamford Bridge.  Other reports say Tottenham have turned down a £3 million bid from Aston Villa.  

  Reports suggesting a return to Tottenham for Nick Barmby is unlikely as David Pleat said that the club had not talked to the player or Everton.  The Sunday Mirror said Spurs were keen to have the midfielder back, but Liverpool and Chelsea are also supposedly in the running for his signature.

  While the Sundays again link Spurs with Boudewijn Zenden of Barcelona, David Pleat says that the club have had no discussions with the player.  But that leaves a whole lot of people they could have had discussions with then !!  The player is likely to be part of the clear-out of Dutch staff after the resignation of boss Louis van Gaal and could be available for £5 million, with wages comparable to those of David Ginola.  However, with the player looking sharp in Euro 2000, it could be that Barca decide to keep him when their presidential elections are over or Fiorentina or other interested clubs will overtake Spurs in the race for the winger's transfer.

  A newspaper report details an agent's claim that Spurs were offered Sergei Rebrov for £8 million a few months before his eventual signing, but GG did not apparently want anyone in his side who didn't speak English !!

  From newspaper reports today, it appears that the Wimbledon striker Carl Cort is the subject of a battle between Leeds United and Newcastle United.  Spurs were linked with him, but £6 million should see him head further North. 

24.6.2000

  Sir Alan Sugar has blasted the bringing of "foreigners" into the Premier League ... weeks after sanctioning the £11 million transfer of Sergei Rebrov from Dynamo Kiev.  He says that there should be a limit on the number of players from overseas allowed in each team and that it is only because of Tottenham's impoverished circumstances that Sol Campbell, Nick Barmby and Stephen Carr have become what they have today.  He singled out Carr as "Hobson's Choice - all that we had available at the time."

  Aston Villa have priced their centre-half, Ugo Ehiogu, at £12 million.  This is probably due to the fact that they would lose 50% of the fee to West Bromwich Albion as a condition of his transfer to Villa Park.

  Both Ledley King and Simon Davies, who broke bones in post-season Under-21 tournaments, should be fit for the start of the season.

23.6.2000

  John  Scales is being chased by Wimbledon and Portsmouth after being given a free transfer by Tottenham.  

  Further confusion surrounds the future of David Ginola.  John Gregory is saying he is nearly certain that the player will move to Aston Villa, while some reports say that if Fulham buy Paul Merson, then Ginola will move to Villa Park. 

  Les Ferdinand has been comforted by the news that he is still wanted by Spurs despite the signing of Sergei Rebrov.

  Pascal Nouma, a striker playing with Lens, who was once linked with a move to Tottenham, has signed for Besiktas of Turkey.

  The former Nottingham Forest striker, Pierre van Hooijdonk has joined Benfica from Vitesse Arnhem.  He had given a "Come and get me" offer to Tottenham earlier this year.

  Ramon Vega has said that (like Claire Grogan) he would love to stay at White Hart Lane.
  Stephen Carr has said that he realise that he still has to work hard on his game, despite a good season for Spurs and the Republic of Ireland.  He said that he was looking forward to the new season and the prospect of a place in the national side who take on Portugal and Holland in their World Cup qualifying group.
  Mauricio Taricco is concerned that his double groin operation of May might keep him out of the new season's opening match against his old club, Ipswich Town, at White Hart Lane.  He revealed that he is still getting pain from the area and hopes to get to work with the physio to step up his training before the pre-season training begins.

  Friday 14th July will see former Spurs captain, Alan Mullery, put some of his medals and international caps up for auction.

22.6.2000

  The fixtures for season 2000-01 were announced today and are 
as follows : - 

Surprise, surprise ... Manchester United for the last game of the season.  Still, winning the Premier League championship at home will really rub their noses in it !!

  Goalkeeper Neil Sullivan has said that Chris Perry helped him decide to come to Tottenham, well, that and the fact that he wants to improve as a keeper and win things too. 

  A long forgotten link with Alan Mahon of Tranmere Rovers has again been linked with a move and the clubs interested are Spurs, Liverpool, Celtic and Huddersfield Town.  £1.5 million has been quoted as the price for the Irish midfielder.  

  Spurs' interest in Aston Villa's Gareth Southgate could not reach fruition as Middlesbrough and Aston Villa have had £5 million bids accepted.  Chelsea seems the most likely resting place for the England international as Villa would use his transfer plus a cash sum to swap for Chris Sutton.

  Sam Hammam, who when he left Wimbledon was expected to link up on the Tottenham board, has been rumoured to be willing to buy Cardiff City for £2 million.

  It is claimed that Spurs have already approached Boudewijn Zenden's agent with a view to a move to London.  They will face opposition from Liverpool, who rate the £4 million winger highly.

21.6.2000

  Steffen Iversen played for Norway today in their disappointing 0-0 draw with Slovenia in Euro 2000, which saw them knocked out of the tournament in third place in their group.

  Former Spur, Gheorge Popescu will miss the remainder of Romania's involvement in Euro 2000 after tearing  thigh muscle in the match against England.

  David Ginola has been offered a £40,000 a week deal on top of a £3 million transfer by First Division Fulham.  With Jean Tigana in charge at Craven Cottage next season, it is speculated that the French winger might link up with his former international team-mate.  David Pleat said that nothing had been heard from Fulham and that they would just have to wait and see what happened.

  Wimbledon have said that they will not sell any of their young stars straight away.  This could be a blow for Spurs who have reportedly been trying to tie up a deal for defender Ben Thatcher and it was also revealed that Carl Cort's agent had been talking to Tottenham about a move.

  Dave McEwen has revealed that he was disappointed about his debut against Derby County at the tail end of last season, as the couple of chances he had didn't go in.  However, now his business studies exams are over he is looking forward to the life of a Premiership footballer and he has enjoyed being with the first team, while hoping to be involved even more.

  Former Spurs boss Peter Shreeves lost out in the Sheffield Wednesday manager's job to former Bradford City manager, Paul Jewell.  He is expected to stay on as first team coach.

20.6.2000

  Sol Campbell played in England's 2-3 defeat by Romania in Euro 2000 tonight which means England are out of the tournament.  Gheorge Popescu, formerly of Spurs, was carried off in the first half of the game.

  Steffen Iversen has displayed a tough side to his character.  He will play against Slovenia with a broken nose and when it was suggested that he might be a target for the opponents, he replied "No. They can try if they want to and see what happens." !!

  It is rumoured that David Ginola is seeking £3 million a year wages from any club interested in signing him.  We understand that he might well have turned down the chance of going to Aston Villa and will seek talks with Tottenham about staying at the club, while other unconfirmed reports indicate that he might want to find his "bigger club than Spurs" and move abroad.

  Former Spurs target, Mark Viduka of Celtic is the focus of a transfer bid by Leeds United.  A £7 million fee has been agreed.

  In another transfer, Eidur Gudjonsen of Bolton Wanderers has moved to Chelsea for £4 million.  The player had been linked to Tottenham in the past.
  Spurs have been scared off in their bid to sign Belgian midfielder Marc Wilmots.  The international's club, Schalke 04, have put a £6.5 million price on his head and Spurs are unlikely to go for him at that expense. 

  DP has said that Tottenham are now overflowing with options in attack.  With Sergei Rebrov added to the squad he joins Les Ferdinand, Chris Armstrong, Steffen Iversen, Gary Doherty and Dave McEwen.

19.6.2000

  It has been revealed that Steffen Iversen has broken his nose in the clash with the Yugoslavian goalkeeper in Sunday's match.  He is expected to be fit for Wednesday's game against Slovenia.

  David Ginola is believed to be ready to have talks with Aston Villa manager, John Gregory in the next few days to finalise details concerning his transfer to the Midlands club.

  Chelsea have accepted a £6 million bid for Chris Sutton.  Once a target for Spurs, the forward appears to have been denied talks with the club because Tottenham would not let the West London club approach David Ginola.

  One report today links Tottenham with Schalke 04's Belgian midfielder Marc Wilmots.  The 31 year old would cost around £7 million and David Pleat was really talking him up on the commentary of tonight's Belgium -v- Turkey match.  However, I cannot foresee Tottenham spending £7 million on a 31 year old, because after getting their fingers burnt on Sir Les, they would surely baulk at that price tag.

18.6.2000

  Steffen Iversen left the field before the end of Norway's 0-1 defeat by Yugoslavia in Euro 2000 tonight, after a clash with the opposition goalkeeper.

  Everton seem to adding themselves to the lengthening queue for the services of David Ginola.  As well as Aston Villa, there are Barcelona, Paris St. Germain and Marseille willing to take the dashing Frenchman from White Hart Lane.  However, there is some contention about whether the deal is going ahead, with one report stating that Villa are ready to pay him £1.8 million a year, while another says he has turned them down and seeks urgent talks about his future with Spurs !!
  Cosmin Contra, the 24 year old defensive midfielder of Romania and Spanish club Alaves, is interesting Tottenham.  

  Manchester United midfielder, Nicky Butt has again been linked with a £7 million move to Tottenham.
  Spurs are reportedly looking to re-sign Everton's Nick Barmby, who looks likely to leave the Goodison Park club after being refused an improved contract.  Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds United are also in the chase for the England forward rated at £8 million.

17.6.2000

  Sol Campbell put on a staunch display in the heart of England's defence during their 1-0 win over Germany in Euro 2000.
  Gary Mabbutt has spoken out about the sale of David Ginola.  he said that he was afraid that if the Frenchman was sold, then Spurs would not qualify for the Champion's League without a player like him.  He hoped that there was a replacement already lined up for the left wing slot.  I for one would like to see Andres D'Alessandro of Argentina coming in.

  Steffen Freund has gone against his fellow countrymen and believes that the current lack of confidence and team harmony in the German side means that England could come out on top.

  Spurs had been previously linked with Celtic striker Mark Viduka, who now is reportedly ready to join Leeds United next week for around £7 million.

  On the Daily Soccer website, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer compares Tore Andre Flo as a "ketchup bottle" !!

16.6.2000

  It has been revealed in the Daily Express that David Ginola was asking for £60,000 a week (equal to £40,000 after tax) from prospective employers,  but he was persuaded to come down by 25% of this figure for his move to Aston Villa.

  It appears that Tottenham's rumoured interest in Chelsea's Chris Sutton will officially be ended when he joins Middlesbrough - the home for all clapped out players - early next week.  A fee of £6 million was agreed.

  Another player linked with Spurs last season Ole Martin Aarst of Ghent has moved to Belgian rivals Standard Liege.

  Carl Cort has aid that Leeds United, Leicester City and Tottenham are the three Premier League clubs chasing his services.  The Wimbledon striker is keen to move to Leicester, because they are managed by his former England Under-21 coach - Peter Taylor - who he respects and then he showed his lack of ambition, by saying they are a top Premier League team !!  

  Stephen Carr has said that he was impressed by Irish team-mate Gary Doherty during the Nike US Cup tournament.  He feels that he can offer the Republic of Ireland something different upfront and that having played a few games in quick succession, his confidence will be brimming.

  Fiorentina are allegedly after two of the players that the media have linked with Tottenham.  Zlatko Zahovic of Olympiakos and Boudewijn Zenden of Barcelona have both been considered by the Viola's new coach.  Zenden's position will not be resolved until a new president has been elected at Barcelona on July 23.
  Santiago Solari of Atletico Madrid, who reportedly was another transfer target for Tottenham has move to city rivals Real in a £2.25 million deal.

  David Pleat has said that Tottenham will always be interested in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United.  He said he hoped he would be playing regularly for a quality side next season.  Very cryptic David.  Have you been talking to Ron Atkinson again ??
  Allan Nielsen played for Denmark in their 0-3 defeat against Holland tonight.

  Having tried to persuade Sergei Rebrov to join Arsenal, Oleg Luzhny is being allowed to leave Highbury, so that he may play regular first team football, along with four other Wenger signings.  And I thought it was only us who signed duff players !!

  OnDigital and ITV have won the right to broadcast Nationwide League matches and Worthington Cup ties.  OnDigital will screen 88 Nationwide games and others from the Worthington Cup, while ITV get one semi-final, the Final and the First Division play-off final to show live. 

15.6.2000

  David Ginola has been the subject of a £3 million bid from Aston Villa.  The French winger has been allowed to speak to the Midlands club and it is thought that the sticking point is his £30,000 a week salary.  It is thought that Tottenham originally wanted £4 million.

  Part of the deal could involve Ugo Ehiogu coming the other way to White Hart Lane, with around £3 million making up the full fee for the central defender.

  Meanwhile, GG is stating that he was aware that Sir Alan Sugar and Aston Villa chairman, Doug Ellis had spoken, but did not think it had gone any further.  He said that if Ginola wanted to stay then that would be great, but that the rotation system in place at other top teams was what he was trying to emulate, so no player could be guaranteed to play every game.
  Director of Football David Pleat has said that the Ginola transfer is a stand alone deal and the swap involving Ehiogu has never been mentioned.  The London Evening Standard however, states that should the Ginola deal fall down, then Villa might try to broker a Chris Perry/Ugo Ehiogu swap deal.
  optasoccer.com have suggested that GG is thinking about replacing Ginola with Holland's Boudewijn Zenden.  The 23 year old player looks set to leave Barcelona and yesterday links with Liverpool were mentioned, but after signing Bernard Diomede, this move was thought unlikely to go through.  We await to see if he is the man to fill the wide left berth.  A figure of £3.8 million was mentioned in the report, although Barcelona reportedly want £6 million.

  Reports from Scandinavia reckon Spurs have turned down a £12 million bid for Steffen Iversen from Leeds United.  The story is given weight by a quote from his agent on Onefootball.com which says he has not related the offer to Iversen, but also did not identify the club, only hinting that they will be in the Champions League next season.  The old cynic in me wonders if, in the absence of any comment from the club, if this is intended to boost his client's contract negotiations.  Peter Ridsdale, the smarmy Leeds United chairman, denied that he had contacted Spurs, but added "that was not to say that they weren't interested".  Soccerupdate report that Chelsea are also keen to take the Norwegian forward across London.

  Allan Nielsen believes that Kaiserslautern's £1 million bid for him will not succeed as he thinks Spurs will not let him go.  He said he will be back for pre-season training on July 17 and that he still has two years left on his contract.  In other reports he says he has no future at White Hart Lane and does not know what the club wants from him.

  Tottenham's reserves have announced their pre-season friendly line-up and it is as follows : -
Aylesbury United (away)  July 26 
Chesham United (away)  July 29
Sittingbourne (away)        August 1st
Dulwich Hamlet (away)    August 5th
Kingstonian (away)          August 9th 
St Albans City  (away)     August 14th
  Former Spurs midfielder Darren Caskey is interesting Aberdeen and Ipswich Town with a price of £1 million put on his head.
  BSkyB and the BBC have won the right to screen FA Cup games and the final on both sides too.  England's full internationals (competitive games will also be live only on BBC), Under-21, Youth and Women's international games will be live on Sky, with the Women's FA Cup final live on BBC.  Other news was that all FA Cup games would take place on Saturday and Sunday, with replays taking place the week after the original tie and not two weeks as has been the current arrangement.  The deal runs from 2001 to 2004.

14.6.2000

  Tottenham's rumoured transfer target Chris Sutton of Chelsea is now interesting Everton as the latest side to think about taking him on.  Aston Villa are still keen and might use Gareth Southgate as bait for the ex-England striker.

  Steffen Iversen, fresh from scoring the winner for Norway yesterday, has said he can't wait to partner Sergei Rebrov in the Tottenham forward line next season.  On his return from Euro 2000, he will discuss a new contract extension with the club and he is looking to strike up a good partnership with the Ukrainian for the club.

  On his own website, Stef regards his winner against Spain as his most important goal so far (What about his winner against Wimbledon in the Worthington semi-final then ??).  

  GG has said that if the young players do well enough, he will give them the opportunity in the first team if possible.  He said that Etherington and Davies impressed him when they arrived and he would like the other young arrivals to push for first team places.  Citing Alex Ferguson's success at Old Trafford, he said the challenge is there for the boys to show they are good enough.

  Portsmouth have enquired whether John Scales would join them after being released by Tottenham.  They expect an answer this week.  He would join a sizable contingent of ex-Spurs at Fratton Park if he goes South to the First Division club.

  Sir Alan Sugar received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace today.
  David Pleat has won praise from Mick Dennis in the London Evening Standard.  The writer has thanked the Spurs Director of Football for explaining what is going on in the game for those who are unable to see the wider picture than that shown on the screen.  He is placed highly in Dennis' esteem above Hoddle and Bobby Robson, because unlike many others he "seems to know the laws of the game" !!

  BSkyB have retained their live coverage of Premier League football.  NTL have won the right to show 40 pay-per-view games and ITV stole the highlights package away from BBC, so there will be no more Match of the Day.  It remains to be seen if BBC get the FA or Worthington Cup rights.
  Former Spur Gary Stevens has been replaced as Charlton Athletic Reserve Coach by Glyn Snodin.

13.6.2000

  Steffen Iversen was substituted in the last minute of Norway's game against Spain in Euro 2000 after scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory.  His 66th minute header gave a good start for the Scandinavian side. 

  Spurs are alleged to be ready to complete the deal for Wimbledon's Ben Thatcher in the next couple of weeks.  The "rugged" defender returns from holiday then and it is believed Spurs will shell out £4.5 million (gasp !!) for the ex-Millwall man.
  Muzzy Izzet has said that he has not considered leaving Leicester City, but would sit down with the new manager on his return from Euro 2000 to have talks on a new contract.  With a place in the UEFA Cup, he is happy to stay, but with only a year left on his contract, he may be sold before he can leave for free.  David Pleat said there is nothing in it, but then he might have been talking about an empty cup on the table at the time.
  David Pleat said that Zlatko Zahovic is not a target for Tottenham (despite scoring twice in Slovenia's 3-3 draw with Yugoslavia tonight) and it now looks like his former club FC Porto will take him from Olympiakos.

  While most of the pre-season friendlies have been announced, GG is hoping to arrange a game for 12th August, a week before the big kick-off.

  David Pleat revealed today that it took nearly two years to secure the signing of Anthony Gardner.

  He also said while commentating on the Norway - Spain match, that Spurs had Jonathan Carew training with them (another one of Iversen's mates who joined in at Spurs Lodge).  He felt that he was still a bit raw for the big time, but added that sometimes you have to take a chance on players.
  Peter Shreeves looks likely to be named as the new boss at Hillsborough and continue in the hot seat at the helm of Sheffield Wednesday.

12.6.2000

  Sol Campbell played the whole of England's first game in Euro 2000 and ended up on the losing side, going down to Portugal 3-2 after being 2-0 up in 18 minutes.
  Ex Spurs winger, Peter Taylor has officially been announced as manager of Leicester City.

  Rumours are circulating that Allan Nielsen could be the subject of a £1 million bid from Kaiserslautern, some indicating that the bid had been accepted.

11.6.2000

  David Pleat is reported to have had talks with John Gregory about Aston Villa central defender Ugo Ehiogu.  The player seems ready to leave Villa Park and the fee of around £6 million was believed to be discussed while the two men were out in Europe covering Euro 2000 for ITV, but DP has denied that any talks with the Villa boss had taken place. 
  While he was at it, he also denied that Spurs had talks with Aston Villa about Lee Hendrie and added that the news about Clarence Acuna was a "non-story", which I suppose is a denial !!

Steffen Iversen has said that his groin injury has cleared up and he is looking forward to Norway's participation in the Euro 2000 tournament starting.  He has also reduced his golf handicap in the run up to the championships.

  Spurs are being linked with Slovenian striker Zlatko Zahovic of Olympiakos of Greece.  He is currently unhappy there and it is believed that the striker may be taking Tottenham's eye.  I suppose DP will cast an eye over him at Euro 2000 (courtesy of ITV of course).

  Marcus Bent of Sheffield United, who has been rumoured as a potential transfer target for Spurs, has said he is happy at Brammall Lane and could sign a new contract soon.

  Another linked player, Jamie Redknapp of Liverpool, has said that he intends to fight for his place at Anfield and thus will quash rumours of a move.

  David Trezeguet of Monaco has said that he is looking for a move to a big English or Italian club.  Interest has been made of clubs including Tottenham, Leeds united and Manchester United in this country, while Lazio are keen from the Italian side.

  Martin Laursen of Verona, previously linked with Spurs, looks likely to join AS Roma for £8 million.
  Allan Nielsen played for Denmark in thier 0-3 defeat by France today at Euro 2000.
  Stephen Carr played in the Republic of Ireland's 2-1 win over South Africa in the US Cup, which gave them second place behind USA.  Gary Doherty came on after 76 minutes for Niall Quinn and ex Spurs Youth player, Quinton Fortune played for South Africa.

10.6.2000

  Sir Alan Sugar took on the Southampton chairman, Rupert Lowe, at tennis and won by two sets to one.  There was some betting on the match after the FA meeting this week and all the money went to charity.  A rematch will take place next year should both cubs be in the Premier League.

  Gary Doherty is looking to impress GG when he turns out for the Republic of Ireland against South Africa tomorrow.

  Neil Sullivan is leaving for a holiday and will ignore the Euro 2000 Championships.  having failed to qualify in the play-off against England, Scotland will have to watch from home, but Sullivan said he is not bothered about who wins, so he will not be an avid viewer over the next three weeks.

9.6.2000

  One of the rumours on the rounds today is that Muzzy Izzet will be coming to White Hart Lane, as Spurs are supposedly said to have enquired about the Leicester City midfielder and offered around £3 million.  David Pleat has denied the discussions have taken place.

  Sir Alan Sugar has failed in his bid to win a seat on the FA's representative board.  He failed to dislodge four other chairmen in the vote.

  The latest Aston Villa player linked with Spurs is ... Lee Hendrie.  unsettled by talks of Leeds United coming in with a bid for him, he seeks showdown talks with his manager and Tottenham are reportedly watching the situation develop.  £5 million has been mentioned in relation to the player's value.

  GG insisted today that he is in no hurry nor under any pressure to sell players who are "surplus to requirements" at Tottenham.  He is still building up the squad and will do the necessary talking to those players when the time (and no doubt the price) is right. 

  Allan Nielsen thinks that being the underdogs in the group, Denmark could do well.  He also fancies home side Belgium to spring a few surprises.

  The official Spurs site has a piece on GG saying he will still be out on the training pitch taking the players through their paces next season.  While he may have to curtail some of the more active participation, he still feels fit enough to be out with them.

  Spurs were linked with a move for Aston Villa's Gareth Southgate on Capital Radio this morning.  Speculation at it's most extreme, as the player has had his transfer request turned down.

  Clarence Acuna, the Chile midfielder, has said that his ban for a positive drugs test is like being accused of murder.  He is frustrated because he has received the ban, but has no right to appeal further.  However, he believes that when the ban is over, clubs will return with bids for him and his future will be resolved then, with Tottenham one of the clubs he wishes to make an offer for his services.
  It appears that rumours indicate that ex-Tottenham Hotspur player, Peter Taylor will be announced as the new manager of Leicester City next week.

8.6.2000

  Ramon Vega has said that the Spurs fans are yet to see the best of him and he hopes he can stay at White Hart Lane, despite being told he can go if a reasonable bid comes in for him.  He will be working with Les Ferdinand through the summer to put himself in line for a place in the team.  he rues playing in the Worthington Cup final with a broken foot as in the long run this has set him back somewhat.

  Ledley King is hoping to get over his foot injury within four weeks to be ready for pre-season training.  He has had a scan on it and is hoping for a better season injury wise than the last one.

  GG has revealed that he is looking for strikers in Europe and also in South America, banking on more signings being made before the start of the season.

  Newcastle United have joined the scramble for Carl Cort, who this week put in a written transfer request at Wimbledon.  They join Leeds United and Spurs as interested parties in the England Under-21 striker.

  Christian Karembeu has confirmed he will be joining Middlesbrough from Real Madrid, disappointing Spurs, who had been linked with the French World Cup winner.

  The official Spurs site reveals Oyvind Leonhardsen's heartbreak in missing Euro 2000, but he is determined to overcome his swelling under his heel to be ready to play his part in next season's campaign.  He is putting his break to good use though, as he is getting married during the summer.

  Some reports indicate that a pre-contract agreement was signed with Clarence Acuna's agent and now it remains to see whether this is affected by the Chilean midfielder's ban for drug use.

7.6.2000

  Spurs winger David Ginola has said that he had turned down an invitation to appear as part of BBC's Euro 2000 pundit panel, but declined the tempting opportunity of making David O'Leary look even more like a pig to take his family on holiday.  Seeing as how he left for Cambodia to see the minefields as part of his Red Cross campaign straight after the season ended, he wants a break before returning for pre-season training. He also praised Kevin Keegan and regards him as the man to lead England to glory in the Euro 2000 championships.  What are you saying David ??  
  Meanwhile, Ramon Vega's money is on Spain for Euro 2000.

  Football FC has a report that indicates GG is set to bid again for Clarence Acuna, who yesterday picked up a four month ban for failing a drugs test.  They say that as it has been regarded as a "technical offence" by FIFA, Graham will be back in for the 25 year old Chile midfielder, who can play again from 15 September.

  Ugo Ehiogu will return from a summer break in the next few days and seek talks with Aston Villa manager John Gregory about his future at the club.  Spurs will be awaiting the outcome and Villa have confirmed that they have had no offers for the centre-half as yet.  There are complications for Villa as if he is sold,  half the fee would have to go to Ehiogu's former club West Bromwich Albion and if he decides to stay at Villa Park, he will see out his contract and leave on a Bosman.

6.6.2000

  Tottenham will be tempting youngsters into White Hart Lane next season with the promise of cut price tickets for Under-16's.  Coming hot on the heels of the freeze on season ticket prices, it is an indication that Spurs are keen to maintain a healthy fan base despite the spectre of Pay Per View TV.  Tickets will be half price and any adult purchasing a ticket will be able to take a child free.  Chairman Alan Sugar said that the young fans are the future and that he wanted to improve the pre-match entertainment, adding "We already have a number of clowns on the pitch during the match, so why not have a few beforehand to keep the kids amused?"  The man is a veritable japester himself !!

  Ledley King could be out of action for up for four weeks to two months (depending which report you read) after breaking an ankle or bone in his right foot (depending which report you read) in the last minute of England Under-21's last game in their European Championships in Slovakia.

  The speculation about Tottenham's interest in Chris Sutton has been revealed along with that of Leicester City and Manchester City.  A TeamTalk report indicates that Spurs' enquiry was made before the signing of Sergei Rebrov and how strong that link would be now is questionable.  Sutton still has a house in the North-West and could be tempted to return to near his home outside Blackburn.  Manchester City would fit the bill and he could be tempted back there by the Premiership newcomers.

  Soccerupdate has revived the Marco Delveccho link by saying Spurs are set for talks with the £10 million rated AS Roma forward.
  Les Ferdinand has said that after his most recent operation, he will be training through the summer to get ready for the big kick-off in August.  He is hoping that the rest of the squad return to pre-season training in good spirits to pick up from where they left off at the end of last season.
  The rumour about Tottenham signing Chilean international Clarence Acuna seems to have been extinguished by a four month ban (from 15 May to 15 September) for the positive drugs test the player provided recently.

  Jan Kollar of Anderlecht looks likely to be a target for Lazio and therefore, Spurs might miss out on another former transfer possibility.
  Gary Doherty won another cap for the Republic of Ireland tonight starting against USA in America.  Stephen Carr also played a significant part in the Republic's goal, before the home side equalised with an obvious offside goal.  The final score was 1-1.

  Ex-Tottenham players Joe Kinnear and Peter Taylor are on the shortlist for the manager's job at Leicester City.

  Liverpool have decided not to make a bid for Olexander Holovko of Dynamo Kiev, who was linked with Spurs in the last couple of days.
  Former Spurs Junior player and more recently Gooner, Narada Bernard has joined Bournemouth on a free transfer.  He was also interesting Reading, Watford and  Leicester City.

5.6.2000

  Rumours in many quarters are hinting that Sol Campbell could be left out of England's first game in Euro 2000.  Following three friendly matches, Kevin Keegan may now go with a totally Gooner central defensive pairing.

  TeamTalk report that the Israeli media is saying that Eyal Berkovic could be on his way to Tottenham from Celtic.  This is a new rumour, which has yet to pick up any credence or speed in this country.  But give it time, give it time.

  Chris Hughton has said that the practice of buying young, up and coming players has great credit.  He feels that the introduction of Anthony Gardner, Dave McEwen, Simon Davies, Matthew Etherington and Gary Doherty injected some freshness into the squad at the end of last season.

  David Pleat has been commenting on some of the more fanciful rumours doing the rounds lately.  He claims that he is not aware of Cameroon international Marcel Mahouve, that a swap involving Ben Thatcher of Wimbledon and Ian Walker has not even been thought about, while he dismissed the news that Spurs are interested in Matt Holland of Ipswich Town.

  Meanwhile, two Argentinians who were formerly linked with interest from Tottenham look set to move on elsewhere.  Santiago Solari of Atletico Madrid seems likely to join Fiorentina and Independiente's defender Gabriel Milito could be going to Lens in France.

  The London Evening Standard have a report of a pub in Vise (Belgium) called the Spurs pub, which is owned by a very keen Spurs fan, Xavier Fluchard.  everything in the pub bears the Spurs logo and the landlord spends £20,000 a year watching Spurs !!  I'd say it was definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. 

  Jose Dominguez represented Tottenham in a TV show "Who can kick the ball hardest" competition.  Hassan Kachloul of Southampton won at 68 mph.

4.6.2000 

  GG is set to reduce the amount of responsibility he has for coaching at the club from the start of next season because of the arthritis he suffered towards the back end of last season.  He has said that it is very painful and that he realises he can't go on like he had been doing.

  Being Sunday, the newspapers have gone into rumour overload.  We are again at the centre of rumours about  Wimbledon's Ben Thatcher, with Spurs believed to be close to making the signing.  The only hope we have of not getting him is that he would prefer to go to Liverpool.  Come on you Reds !!

  The Planet Football site reveal that Spurs are planning a £4 million raid on Ipswich Town for their Irish midfielder Matt Holland.

  Long time Spurs target, Mark Viduka, looks to be on his way to Leeds United for £7 million.

  Stroppy young Gooner, Jay Boothroyd of Arsenal and England Youth fame (or should that be infamy?) threw a tantrum in the middle of a match recently and walked out on his club, who put him on the transfer list.  One rumour a couple of days ago said he was set to join Brentford, but today's news brings rumours that Tottenham may be in for him.  The tall lanky striker has been in the limelight since his early days with England Schools, but it looks like he spent too much time around Frenchman Nicolas Anelka before he left Highbury !!

  John Hartson looks determined to leave Wimbledon and again Spurs are being linked, but Charlton Athletic may come to our rescue if they can raise £5 million.  Let's all have a whip round then !!
  Wimbledon and Southampton are allegedly in talks with Tottenham about the future of Ian Walker.  The arrival of Neil Sullivan has raised doubts about Walks position at Tottenham and it looks as if some clubs may be willing to give him a fresh start if he wants one.

  SoccerUpdate are linking Spurs with a double return swoop on Dynamo Kiev to bring defender Olexander Holovko and midfielder Andrei Husin to White Hart Lane.  No doubt Seregi Rebrov has been singing their praises since his arrival and if they are Ukraine internationals, there could be nothing to stop them coming, should GG fancy them.  However, at 28 and 27 respectively, one wonders if they would fit the template for players that the management have in mind.

  Having already helped Dynamo Kiev to the Ukrainian Cup, Sergei Rebrov will pick up a League Championship medal as his former club secured the title today to complete the double.

  Apparently, former Spurs manager, Terry Venables has been asked to take control of the Libyan national team !!

3.6.2000 

  Sol Campbell played in England's 2-1 win over Malta today and took the captain's armband when Alan Shearer was substituted.

  Allan Nielsen played for Denmark against Belgium in a pre-Euro 2000 friendly this afternoon.  The game finished 2-2.

  Middlesbrough have issued a denial that they have signed Christian Karembeu from Real Madrid.  It was thought that the deal was tied up yesterday, but other sides who expressed an interest, including Tottenham, could sneak in to snap up the French midfielder.

  Ian Walker has said that it is up to Neil Sullivan to take the goalkeeping position from him as the incumbent (I think that was what was said) keeper at the club.  Sullivan reposted that he had come to improve and that he looked forward to performing on the bigger stage (Hasn't anyone told him we play on a pitch ??)

  According to TeamTalk, Simon Davies broke his hand playing for Wales (although I'm not sure where or against who. The Wales Under-21 side were playing in a tournament in Ireland this week, so it could have been there) and will struggle to be fit for pre-season training. 

  Chris Hughton has praise full-back Stephen Carr and said that if he keeps progressing as he has done over the last couple of years, he could be a legend for Spurs and the Republic of Ireland ... something our former player and current coach knows something about himself.

  The new Spurs website is all very good, but when you add it to your favourites, why does it give you a title of Tottenham Hotspurs FC ????
  A rumour from a report on onefootball.com indicates that Tottenham are in talks with Roma to sign Marco Delvecchio.  The striker has not seen eye to eye with the coach at the Serie A club and now Batistuta has joined Roma, he may be looking for a new side to play in.  The president, Franco Sensini, however, has told GG that Delvecchio will not come cheap.

2.6.2000

  Ledley King returned home from Slovakia with the England Under-21 squad on crutches with a stress fracture of his foot.  It is a real blow for the Spurs defender/midfielder as he had a very good tournament and had played the last two games of the season for Tottenham.  

  The striker from Atletico Madrid, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has confirmed he will move to Chelsea for £15 million. He was supposedly linked with interest from Tottenham earlier this season. 

  Previously linked with a move to Spurs, Real Madrid midfielder Christian Karembeu is expected to sign for Middlesbrough next week for £.5 million

  Sol Campbell has been named in the England side to play a friendly against Malta tomorrow.

  Apparently, a Tottenham bid for Millwall's top scorer Neil Harris has been turned down.  The 24 year old has interested a swarm of Premier League clubs, but the "substantial" offer was knocked back by the Millwall board.  The player then signed a new four year deal to stay at the New Den.

  It seems that Sergei Rebrov has an inate sense of taste as he turned down Arsenal for Tottenham, according to a TeamTalk report.  He said about his former team-mate, Oleg Luzhny, "Yes he asked me to come to Arsenal but, although he wanted me to go to Arsenal, I wanted to play at Tottenham."  Top man !!  His signing gets better all the time.

  A report on Planet Football says that Steffen Iversen is likely to miss the Norway friendly match against Italy tomorrow, but his injury will take about 10 days to shake off, leaving him fit for Euro 2000. 

  The new Spurs website, supplied by BSkyB, was launched today and can be found at http://194.216.173.49.  It is a marked improvement on the old site and looks very smart and easy to navigate.  There are many features up at the moment and coming up include chat rooms with players and live match broadcasts via the Net for free !!

1.6.2000

  Ledley King and Luke Young both featured in the England Under-21 match against home nation Slovakia.  Needing a win and an Italian loss to go through to the final, they lost 0-2 and Italy won as well !!  Luke Young's cross field ball was picked off for their first goal and a deflection off King took the ball in past Nicky Weaver in goal.  The second followed a moment's hesitation between King and Liverpool's Jamie Carragher.

  Sergei Rebrov and Neil Sullivan were presented as Spurs' new signings this morning at a press conference.  Rebrov said he turned down a move to AC Milan to come to Tottenham and that he was assured that he would not be the last of the world class signings this summer; a fact which was confirmed by GG speaking on Sky TV's Sports Centre.  He could have earned more money too at the San Siro, but was swayed by the ambitious plans off the club.  Rebrov said he asked Sol last night at the England match if he was staying at the club and he said yes, but Sergei said he might have just been saying that for him !!  Rebrov hinted that although he has been bought to score goals, as long as the team win, he does not mind who scores as he will work for the team.  He said that he admired David Ginola, who he played against when Gin was at Paris St. Germain, and Sergei thought he was a great player.

  GG said he wanted at least two more players - one a striker - before the season started.  He also told the two new arrivals that he could not guarantee them starting places in the Tottenham line-up.  He commented that it depended on how the goalkeepers fared in pre-season as to who started in goal in the first match of the season.  Graham went on to say that no players would be leaving until all the new signings were in as it would not be clear until then who is surplus to requirements.  I sure we can all think of at least two or three names who would not be missed at the Lane already.

   David Pleat was also there and said that Rebrov came to England as was his wish and to a club where he would be a regular and not get rotated.  Meanwhile, he said Sullivan was a significant signing as he wanted to join a club "where he felt there was room to go forward".  I presume he means as a club and not as a goalkeeper a la Schmeichel !!  DP went on to add that the club have a couple more transfers in the pipeline.  Who are they we wonder ??  Not the players we have heard about already from that South London Division One side who wear all blue I hope.  Or a striker in the same colours from West London !!

  TeamTalk have linked Spurs with two possible signings within the next week.  They are (or should be Aaaaaaaargh in the former's case ?) Ben Thatcher of Wimbledon and Ugo Ehiogu of Aston Villa.  The Don's player has been a long time rumour, rated at around £5 million and Ehiogu is a London boy who wants to change his team after 9 years at Villa, but 50% of any fee will go to West Bromwich Albion (his former club) and this might bump up the price.  Some reports indicate that Ehiogu is already talking to Spurs.

  Chris Sutton is expected to leave Stamford Bridge, where he has had a disappointing time for Chelsea, this summer for a knock down £8 million.  This is thought to attract a bid from GG to pair him up with Sergei Rebrov.  Hmmm.  Sutton and Rebrov.  Chalk and cheese anyone ??

  Steffen Iversen is happy that he will be fit for Euro 2000 and hopes to feature in their first game against Italy on June 

  Sol Campbell was included in the England squad of 22 players for Euro 2000.  He swapped shirts with his new Spurs team-mate and was impressed with his movement and his touch.  Sergei's English was pretty good according to Solman and he told the England defender that he was definitely a Spurs player.