Spurs Legends

[Enzo Francescoli]

Don't know if anyone else saw it but john Bostock was interviewed on Monday on the Beeb, he's playing for royal Antwerp in the Belgian 2nd division, he was pretty philosophical about his time at spurs but did come across as wishing he'd stayed at palace longer. I'll have to check, not sure if he went permanent or is a loan. I saw him a few times for the reserves and really didn't rate him.

 

[THFC6061]

Don't know if anyone else saw it but john Bostock was interviewed on Monday on the Beeb, he's playing for royal Antwerp in the Belgian 2nd division, he was pretty philosophical about his time at spurs but did come across as wishing he'd stayed at palace longer. I'll have to check, not sure if he went permanent or is a loan. I saw him a few times for the reserves and really didn't rate him.

He was released by Spurs and went to Royal Antwerp on a 'free'....

Tottenham Hotspur Player Transfer History & Statistics 1908-2014

 

[Jordinho]

Kevin Watson

Hackney born midfielder Kevin Edward Watson started his footballing career as a trainee at Tottenham. Perhaps not blessed with a great turn of pace, Watson used his passing ability to very good effect. A strong presence in midfield, Kevin was a tackler and distributor from his midfield position and when he did make the first team, he was robbed of what would have been his only league goal for Tottenham in a 1-0 win at Maine Road against Emirates Marketing Project, when the Dubious Goals Panel ruled it was an own goal as the deflection took the ball past the keeper. He did get one on the score-sheet against Brentford in the League Cup in 1992.

In 1994 he went on loan to Brentford, making 3 appearances, and Bristol City, making 2 appearances. The following year he went to Barnet, making 13 appearances. In 1996 he was signed by Swindon boss Steve McMahon on a permanent deal, where he helped them avoid relegation from division one. In 1999 he went to Rotherham on a free transfer. They finished the season as runners-up in League Two and managed a second successive promotion when finishing as runners-up in League One the following season. In his third season at Rotherham they managed to avoid relegation by virtue of goal difference, while he also played 6 games for Alan Pardew's Reading on loan, before they signed him permanently in March 2002 for £150,000, helping them secure promotion from League One in his now customary runners-up position.

His first full season at Reading saw the Royals into a play-off place, where narrow defeat to Wolves cost them a place in the Premiership. When former team-mate Phil Parkinson was installed as manager at Colchester United one of his first acts was to bring Watson to Layer Road. Marshalling the midfield Watson played a key role as in his (and Parkinson's) first full season the U's stormed to promotion from League One, finishing in second place. He was released by Colchester at the end of the 2007–08 season, and then signed on a free transfer for Luton Town.However, Watson failed to make an impact at Luton as a result of a knee injury that kept him out of action for much of his contract duration, and he was released at the end of 2008.

After his release from a playing contract at Luton, Watson was given the position of first-team coach by Luton manager Mick Harford on 14 January 2009. After Harford's departure on 1 October 2009, Watson continued in his coaching capacity under new boss Richard Money until May 2010, when he left the club. Watson currently works as a Sky Sports match summariser.

https://twitter.com/kevwatson74

 

[Jordinho]

Chris Gunter

Cristopher Ross Gunter is a Welsh football born in Newport. Gunter started out as a striker when he played for Durham Colts and Albion Rovers junior teams in Newport but switched to full-back at a young age and signed for the Cardiff City youth side at the age of eight. He signed his first professional contract with the club on 1 August 2006 An attacking full back, he is capable of playing on both flanks but usually plays on his preferred right side. He made his debut for Cardiff City as a 17-year old on 22 August 2006 against Barnet in the League Cup.

In March 2007 he won the Football League's Apprentice of the Year award after impressing in the first team squad due to injuries to some regular players and during the summer of 2007, Gunter was the subject of two bids from Premier League club Everton. Both, however, were rejected. According to reports on 21 December, Cardiff agreed a substantial fee with Tottenham Hotspur and therefore allowed Gunter to enter into talks with the club. Cardiff also stated that Tottenham had "met their valuation of the player" which had previously been reported at £4m. On 22 December Gunter passed a medical at White Hart Lane with a view to a £2 million move. The move was made official on 24 December and he joined the club after the transfer window opened on 1 January 2008. Gunter made his debut for Spurs in an FA Cup 3rd Round Replay against Reading at the Madejski Stadium. On 12 March 2009, Gunter moved on loan to Nottingham Forest for the rest of the 2008–09 season.

Gunter went on to make 16 appearances for Spurs, 7 of them in the 2008-09 UEFA cup campaign. On 17 July 2009 Tottenham Hotspur accepted a bid of £1.75 million from Nottingham Forest. Forest completed the signing of Gunter on 20 July on a four-year contract. He scored his first senior goal in football in a 1–0 victory over Plymouth Argyle on 27 September 2009. In May 2010 he was selected in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for the 2009–10 season.

Gunter completed a move to newly promoted Premier League side Reading on 17 July 2012, signing a 3-year deal. The fee was undisclosed but has been reported to have been between £2.3m and £2.5m. Reading only stayed up for one season and Chris is currently playing for them in the Championship where a playoff spot may well be on the cards. Gunter also holds a BTEC National Diploma in Sports Studies.

Gunter started his Wales career during the 2003–04 season, making four appearances for the Schools under-15 development squad before moving up to the Welsh Schools under-16 squad and played in a friendly against Republic of Ireland plus three Victory Shield internationals. He then made 11 appearances at Wales under-17 level during 2005–06, playing in two rounds of the UEFA Championships as Wales qualified from the opening group to reach the elite stage. His next step was playing for the Wales U19 squad in the Milk Cup.

At age 16 years and 299 days, Gunter was the youngest player to play for the Wales Under-21 team when he played against Cyprus Under-21 until his former clubmate Aaron Ramsey broke the record in August 2007.

He eventually made his full international debut for Wales in a friendly match against New Zealand on 26 May 2007 at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham; in doing so he became the youngest ever Cardiff City player to play for the senior Wales team. Gunter started as a left-back in a young and inexperienced Wales side in the team's Euro 2008 qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Germany giving very impressive performances in the games which ended 2–2 and 0–0. He was ever present at right back during 2010 World Cup qualifying and is the only player in the squad to have played in all ten matches. Still aged only 24, he won his 50th cap for Wales in the 1–1 away draw with Belgium on 10 October 2013.

https://twitter.com/Chrisgunter16

 

[Jordinho]

Mbulelo Mabizela

Mabizela was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and his youth career was spent at Edendale All Stars, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ashdown Young Buccaneers. He started his senior career with Maritzburg City, before moving to Orlando Pirates after one season. Nicknamed "Old John" as a young player for showing maturity beyond his years, he holds the record as the youngest player to captain the South African national team at the age of twenty.

In August 2003 he joined Tottenham Hotspur after inspiring Pirates to a 2–1 win over Tottenham when the London club made a short tour of South Africa before the start of the 2003–2004 season. He made only nine appearances in total for the club, scoring one absolute wonder goal, which can be seen at around 1:20 in this video:

[video=youtube;sm24lAWEli4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm24lAWEli4&feature=player_detailpage#t=82[/video]

In October 2004, He had his contract cancelled by Tottenham Hotspur and was released by mutual agreement following several disciplinary infractions, including missing training sessions. After a short trial with another London club Fulham he joined Vålerenga in Norway. Mabizela spent a season at the Norwegian club but rarely featured in their championship winning season and was released in June 2006.

In August 2006 he signed for the South African team Mamelodi Sundowns, but in December he received a six-month ban from the game for drug offences. Following a number of disciplinary problems at Mamelodi Sundowns which resulted in him being made available for transfer, Mabizela found a new home in early 2009 when he signed a three-year contract with Platinum Stars.

In June 2009 he was acquitted in the Pietermaritzburg magistrate court on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. At the time of his arrest, Mabizela was allegedly driving with a breath-alcohol level of 1,09 mg per 1 000 ml. The legal limit is 0,24 mg per 1 000 ml breath. Magistrate Dieter Schultz said Mabizela's constitutional rights were not properly explained to him at his arrest and he was thus entitled to an acquittal. In July 2009, Platinum Stars made an about-turn on their decision to terminate the contract of Mabizela. It was reported that the club had finally run out of patience with 'OJ', with his agent confirming they had received a letter confirming the termination of his deal with the team. However, after a lengthy meeting with head coach Steve Komphela, Mabizela was back with the team and was allowed to continue playing for the club.

As of 2008 he has played 45 international matches and scored 2 goals for the South Africa national team. A call for his return to international football was made in early December 2009. A number of past and present Bafana international players backed the call for OJ's return in late January 2010 but the Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was unmoved by any call for a return. When South Africa's provisional 30-man World Cup squad was named on 12 May 2010, Mabizela was not in the squad therefore ending any hope of a return to the Bafana Bafana camp.

On 7 June 2010 Mabizela was voted the Platinum Stars man of the match in the Stars 3–0 defeat to the England international team in their final warm-up game before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Before the match he gave an interview in which he said he was looking forward to meeting Ledley King and Jermain Defoe again, two England players he played alongside at Tottenham Hotspur.

In May 2011 Platinum Stars announced a major clear-out of a number of players including Mbulelo Mabizela, who then became a free agent. After being linked with a number of clubs including Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows, On 11 August 2011 Mabizela signed for Bidvest Wits on a free transfer and was given the squad number 3. In May 2012 Bidvest Wits held their end of season awards evening and Mabizela was named the club's Player of the Year at the function which was held at the Southern Sun in Monte Casino. It was reported that Mabizela had been an influential and outstanding figure at the club since joining at the beginning of that season.

In 2012–13 season Mabizela became very much unsettled at the Clever Boys (Bidvest Wits) during the first half of the season and requested to be released from his contract after the club made the following statement to the press in December 2012. "We have advised Mbulelo Mabizela and his agent that he is not part of our plans for the remaining duration of his contract with us and that we will consider offers from other clubs for his services during the forthcoming January transfer window period".

On 20 January 2013 he joined Chippa United on a 18-month contract until June 2014 and was reported to say he hoped to help save the Cape Town teams young side from relegation by the end of the season. He was released at the end of the 2012–13 season after the team was relegated. In October 2013 he began training with Mpumalanga Black Aces. Despite rumours linking him to former club Orlando Pirates, Mabizela signed a deal with Black Aces till the end of the 2013–14 season

---

South Africa defender Mbulelo Mabizela admits his off-field problems wrecked his dream move to Tottenham.

But Mabizela, now with England's friendly opponents Platinum Stars, is still determined to show against England - including ex-Spurs team mates Ledley King and Jermain Defoe - that he can play at the top level even if it means giving Fabio Capello's men an uncomfortable ride today.

Mabizela, who has won 44 caps for South Africa and is known as Old John, told the Mirror: "When I look back, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I made some mistakes, mistakes in my personal life, things I'd rather not elaborate upon, as a result of me leaving Spurs.

"Those mistakes happened and that was the reason I had to leave Spurs. I left and I came back to South Africa - I went for help, I got help, I'm still being helped. I wouldn't say I'm OK now, but I feel I'm going forward now.

"I can say that, even though it's just an open public session, everyone in my team is looking forward to the game with England. I had a good start at Spurs, but it was too short and it's something that I will always look back upon with regret.

"Those days are gone, though. You can't dwell on them. I have to carry on with my life and my career. I played with Ledley, Defoe, some of the guys that I'll be up against here."

http://www.tribalfootball.com/mbulelo-mabizela-tottenham-departure-down-my-own-mistakes-890091

 

[Jordinho]

Neale Fenn

Neale Michael Charles Fenn signed originally as a trainee in 1993. The Edmonton based striker was signed on professional terms in 1995 and made his debut for Spurs in January 1997, just a couple of weeks before his 20th birthday, in what has become a legendary game in Spurs history. He started up front with Rory Allen at Old Trafford in a FA Cup 3rd round tie which Spurs lost 0-2. He made his league debut in April, coming on as a substitute in a 1-2 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. He went on to make 7 more sub appearances in the league and starting a league cup game against Carlisle, in which he scored his only goal for the club.

Fenn was capped for Republic of Ireland at U15, U16, U18, U20, U21 and 'B' levels. He was part of Brian Kerr's 1997 under-20 squad which won bronze in the FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia in 1997. In September 1997 Fenn was sent off for flooring an Icelandic opponent who laughed at his penalty miss in an Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team international. The same year he was called up to senior squad twice.

Fenn spent time on loan at Leyton Orient, Lincoln City, Swindon and Norwich, scoring once in a total of 18 appearances, before leaving permanently to Peterborough in 2001. Despite rumours that he might move to Brentford, the striker did not make his move until he had a trial with Peterborough in April 2001. Neale scored for the Reserves as his trial impressed manager Barry Fry, who had watched him extensively in the Spurs reserve side, finally signing the Irishman on a free transfer on a 12 month deal on 3rd May 2001. In his two seasons there he scored 14 goals in 50 appearances before his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Neale went to Dagenham for pre-season training, but lost out to other signings, so he then had a trial with Stevenage Borough in pre-season matches against against Potters Bar Town and Peterborough United. Still not earning a deal, Fenn signed for Waterford United later that summer. He made his League of Ireland debut as a substitute for Daryl Murphy.

His form and skill saw him transferring to Cork City F.C. for the 2004 season. He made a scoring debut on the opening day of the season. His 3 seasons at Turners Cross (stadium) established him as one of the most highly regarded players in Ireland and he won his first League of Ireland Championship in 2005 in the same team as Kevin Doyle. Fenn scored two European goals for Cork. He netted at FC Nantes in the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He also scored what proved to be the all-important away goal in City's 2005-06 UEFA Cup win against Swedish side Djurgårdens.

Fenn was signed for Bohemians after his contract with Cork City expired in November 2006, becoming the first signing of new Bohs manager Sean Connor. After failing to score a league goal in his first season at Dalymount Park, Fenn was revitalised under the management of Pat Fenlon and played an important role in Bohs' 2008 league championship triumph. He scored against Rhyl F.C. in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He added another league winners medal to his collection in 2009 but was released by Bohs when his contract expired at the end of the season. In January 2010, Fenn moved to Dundalk where he netted again in the Europa League.

On 29 July 2010, he announced his retirement from football with immediate effect due to personal reasons. Fenn insisted he would not be making a return to football. "I think once you finish you might as well finish rather than making all sorts of comebacks. At the moment, I can’t see myself coming back at all." However, only four days later on 3 August 2010 signed for Shamrock Rovers until the end of the 2010 season, adding a fourth League of Ireland winner's medal to his collection. The move left a bad taste in the mouths of Dundalk fans, some suggesting it was planned all along to be able to move without a transfer fee being paid.

Having regard to statements released on Thursday 5 August 2010 by Dundalk Football Club and Dundalk Football Club manager, Mr Ian Foster, I feel it necessary to clarify my position.

The situation is that for reasons which were mutually beneficial to the club and myself it was agreed last month that my contract would be cancelled. At that stage I had not been contacted by any other club and had intended to retire. However, shortly after it became public in the media that I had been released, and was therefore a free agent, I received a call from Mr Michael O'Neill, Shamrock Rovers manager, who offered me an opportunity I could not turn down.

I have always had the utmost respect for Dundalk Football Club and their supporters and I am very disappointed that any adverse allegations are being made. I am happy that I have always acted properly, fairly and within the rules of the Association.

In 2011, he signed up with Swords Celtic. Fenn is also part of PATH2PRO, a Dublin based Soccer Academy, established by two former Professional Footballers, who have identified the lack of opportunities available for talented young Players at Irish schoolboy clubs to progress into Full-Time Professional Football in Ireland.

https://twitter.com/nealefenn

 

[THFC6061]

Is it possible to have the numbers of posts needed for each of these Spurs Legends to also be included?

 

[Jordinho]

Is it possible to have the numbers of posts needed for each of these Spurs Legends to also be included?

That would just ruin the magic.

Those numbers have been carefully calculated using advanced mathematical formulas and random coefficients.

 

[THFC6061]

That would just ruin the magic.

Those numbers have been carefully calculated using advanced mathematical formulas and random coefficients.

...and a dartboard.

 

[Jordinho]

Alton Thelwell

Alton Anthony Thelwell was born in Islington, London, and joined Spurs as a trainee in 1997. This is from a matchday programme following his debut against Liverpool:

Sunday’s victory over Liverpool once again demonstrated just how good we are here at the Lane, but it also gave a little insight into the future of the club.

Five of the players which started in front of the Sky TV cameras came through the ranks here, including Alton Thelwell who became the latest promising young star to break through into the first team.

It was almost two years ago that Alton was first handed a place in the senior match-day squad, being named by George Graham as a substitute for our visit to West Ham United in November, 1998.

Since then, the 20-year-old defender has been in and out of the first team squad until this season saw him really push for a starting place, having appeared on the bench in seven out of the eight games before the Liverpool encounter.

Now, though, the waiting is finally over and Alton can reflect on a debut that, as he admits, couldn’t have gone much better.

"It was a fantastic day all round," says Thelwell. "The cameras were there, we beat Liverpool and I was happy with my performance. It doesn’t get much better than that for a debut I don’t think."

Alton spent two months during the summer playing for Swedish second division part-timers IFK Hassleholm in an attempt to build up his fitness following an ankle injury sustained last season.

He returned fully fit and after impressing for our reserves in the early part of this campaign, his big chance soon came about.

"I had an idea I might be playing from training on Thursday," he says. "We did some shape work and Ledley and I were in the side that played against the youth team, so we both started to think this might be our chance.

"The manager announced the line-up a couple of hours before the match and it was great to see my name in the team. I tried not to think about it too much in case I got nervous. I just wanted to get out there and play."

It’s hard to imagine how it must feel when everything you have been working towards finally falls into place, but Alton gave a good glimpse as to what was going through his mind in the minutes leading up to kick-off.

"Before the match, the players and the management team were giving me words of advice, telling me to just play my normal game and don’t let the occasion get to me," says Alton.

"It didn’t really hit me until we came out of the dressing room into the tunnel. I then suddenly realised that this was for real and I started to get a bit nervous.

"But I got an early touch which was good, that was what I wanted. If you go a long time without touching the ball in a game like that it might start playing on your mind, but Neil rolled the ball out to me a few minutes into the game and that relaxed me a bit. There was a big cheer from the crowd as well and that really helped, it made me feel comfortable.

"The first half was okay, I saw quite a bit of the ball but when they scored they were playing well and I was worried for a while. But we fought back and it was good to be leading at the break.

"It was a different story in the second half because Liverpool came at us a lot more and we needed to be strong at the back, but we showed we can defend under pressure and kept them out."

So how did Alton feel he coped in dealing with one of the Premiership’s most potent strike-forces in Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen?

"To be honest I try not to worry about who I’m up against, I just get on with it," explains Thelwell. "But I was obviously aware of their talents and it’s not until you come face to face with them that you realise how good they are.

"They both make good runs, they are very alert and talked to each other all the way through the game. At the start of the second half I let Owen in although fortunately Neil saved his shot. But that made me realise the level of concentration you need when you play against world class strikers like him and Fowler. I enjoyed it though, it was excellent experience for me.

"I’m pleased to have got my debut out of the way. I’ll now have to wait and see if I’ve done enough to keep my place. People know what I’m capable of now, so I’ll keep training hard and hopefully build on Sunday’s performance.”

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/matchday-programme-alton-thelwell-251100/

Injuries again caused him to miss out large chunks of the 2001-02 season, but he did become captain of the reserves during this time. Another summer injury made him miss out on the opening games of the 2002-03 season and the club released him at the end of that season. Second Division Hull City, managed by former England Under-21 boss Peter Taylor who knew Alton from that team, picked him up on a free transfer.

Fitness problems blighted Thelwell's time at Hull City, and he missed over a year from October 2004 to February 2006 due to a serious knee injury. He signed a new short-term contract in January 2006 and after proving his fitness, and featuring in nine of City's last thirteen games of the 2005–06 season, Thelwell was rewarded with a further year's contract extension. Finding his first team opportunities at the KC Stadium limited, he joined Leyton Orient on loan in October 2006.

Despite his persistent knee injury, Thelwell impressed during his loan spell and was rewarded with a permanent 18-month contract when the transfer window reopened on 1 January 2007. He was named as Leyton Orient club captain at the start of the 2007–08 season, and signed a new one-year contract in May 2008. He was released in May 2009.

Thelwell subsequently had trials at Bournemouth, Milton Keynes Dons, Gillingham and Mansfield Town. He also played two games for London APSA of the Essex Senior League to keep up his match fitness. In October 2009, he joined Newport County, making his debut on 11 October in the 1–0 FA Cup Third Round Qualifying defeat at Paulton Rovers. On 1 December 2009 Thelwell left Newport and joined Kettering Town on a free transfer, but retired after nine games through injury.

Thelwell returned to football and joined Carshalton Athletic in the autumn of 2012 on a non-contract basis as the club was suffering from a defensive crisis. He made ten appearances for The Robins before moving on to Billericay Town, who were then playing in the Conference South. He also works as a personal trainer.

https://twitter.com/LLTHELWELL

 

[clownfoot]

Mark Yeates! I remember when Dean Marney scored two on his debut against Everton, after the match Jol mentioned we had some great players coming through the system and Yeates in particular could go on to be as good as Gazza

 

[Jordinho]

Phil Gray

Born in Belfast, Philip "Tippy" Gray began his career as an apprentice at Tottenham Hotspur, signing a professional contract in 1986. Gray had come up through the youth system and had scored lots of goals, so when he made the first team, he was perhaps a little young and found it hard to adapt. His first game came when the first team rested a significant number of players just before the 1987 FA Cup final, losing 0-1 to Everton at Goodison Park. Always put a lot of effort, but regular injuries did not help his cause in getting a regular first team spot. He was loaned out to Barnsley during the 1989-90 season and Fulham in the 1990-91 season. The new signing of striker John Hendry pushed him out of contention and, after nine appearances in four years, in August 1991 Luton Town bought Gray for £275,000.

After scoring 22 goals in 59 games, Sunderland signed Gray for £800,000 in July 1993. Gray’s debut was delayed after he was involved in a car crash near Roker Park. His head crashing through the windscreen, nearly losing his left eye. Despite missing the first four games of the season, he would still go on to lead the Sunderland goal-scoring charts with 17 goals in 49 games in all competitions. The following campaign saw the departure of Gray’s strike partner Don Goodman who was replaced by local hero Martin Smith. Smith and Gray continued the previous pairings’ form with 25 goals between them. Gray notched 15 of those goals to lead the club’s scoring charts for a second consecutive campaign. Peter Reid’s first full season in charge of the Black Cats resulted in promotion to the top flight with Gray chipping in with nine goals in 34 appearances. Craig Russell topped the goal-scoring charts for Sunderland as Gray picked up an injury in February and ended up leaving Wearside for France at the end of the season.

Gray joined Nancy Lorraine before joining Dutch side Fortuna Sittard in December 1996. After a season in the Netherlands, he returned to Luton in September 1997 for a fee of £400,000. In July 2000 he was released and signed for Burnley. He moved onto Oxford United in November that year. In 2001 he was loaned out to Boston United. Released by Oxford in July 2002, he dropped into non-League, playing for Chelmsford City, Stevenage Borough, Maidenhead United and Stotfold.

Notching six goals in 26 appearances for Northern Ireland, they won every game he scored in.

 

[Jordinho]

Jamie Clapham

James Richard Clapham only made one league appearance for Spurs, replacing Colin Calderwood in a match against Coventry in 1997, but went on to have a long career in football.

Having come through Tottenham’s youth system Jamie Clapham, like many youngsters at Premier League clubs, found his first team opportunities limited, in his case to one substitute appearance in the Intertoto Cup, and so went out on loan. Leyton Orient was his first port of call in January 1997.

"The path to get through at Tottenham was difficult because of the players that were there and I was young and the best thing to do is to go and get experience and play football at a professional club," he explains.

"Leyton Orient were happy for me to and play for them and I enjoyed that, and then [later that season] again it was difficult for me to breakthrough and this time I went to Bristol Rovers. I really enjoyed my time there with Ian Holloway and I played five or six games.”

The Lincoln-born player’s initial loan move to Town in January 1998 happened as a result of Tottenham having a poor season and the then-manager looking to experienced players to dig them out of trouble.

"The following year Christian Gross was in charge and they were at the bottom of the table, bottom three, bottom four and struggling. He felt he needed senior players in order to get out of that mess and he said I wouldn't play for Tottenham at that particular time.

"Then the opportunity to go on loan at Ipswich came about and I had a month or two there and they wanted me, offered to buy me and Tottenham accepted the bid. Then it was my decision so I went to Ipswich.”

Having decided to leave the club he supported as a boy Clapham arrived at Ipswich and found it a good fit.

"I think Ipswich Town’s style of football suited me,” he recalled. “It was a passing club, it was good football and George did really well at getting relatively unknown players and getting the best out of them. I mean, no one will have really heard of me when I went to Ipswich as a Tottenham reserve player.

"I went to Ipswich and played and I like to think that my time there was pretty successful and I would have a good relationship if I ever went back.

“I think that the club suited me, it was a lovely family club, well run and the players and their families were treated with the utmost respect.

“You could see it in the way that all the club dos were put on and it was all about the families and getting together and it was a good atmosphere to be involved in."

During his time at Town Clapham endured two unsuccessful play-off attempts and was the unlucky scorer of an own goal against Charlton in 1997/98.

“In my first year I unfortunately scored an own goal against Charlton in the home leg and lost the second leg so that was that year done.

“The following year we played in the play-offs again and you start to think ‘Well, we get so far, have we got what it takes to progress?’. At that time we weren’t overhauling the squad of players that were there we were just adding one or two.”

The following season, 1999/00, the Blues finally made it: "We had a great year. But unfortunately we made the play-offs again.

“We had such an amazing play-off game at Bolton which was 2-2 or something ridiculous and Stewy scored a good goal. It was a roasting hot day, a terrific game of football and I think I needed about two days off as I got heatstroke during the game.

"And then we obviously played in the home leg which was a terrific night with Jim getting a hat-trick and me scoring a penalty, I was buzzing.

“Then going to Wembley, it was one of those occasions where you could win it or lose it and it was our day and I think it was probably our time."

Following on from this we begin to discuss the first season in the Premier League and one stand out moment in particular, his goal against Tottenham, but he reveals a regret.

"I think it was Christmas or New Year, I came on as a sub and it literally came across to me and it was a tap in from one-yard out,” he remembers.

“All goals are special, I wouldn’t put any against each other, but I wish I’d scored against Norwich because it would have meant so much."

Next up is the question that is always most intriguing when discussing that period of Town’s history: what exactly went wrong in the second season that saw a team which finished fifth the previous year relegated? The line of questioning honed in on the effect of the new additions on team spirit.

Clapham starts off with a laugh, "You’ve put me on the spot a bit there! The personnel did change and it might have had a factor but team spirit, I wouldn’t say it was affected by that. I just think it was one of those things.

“We tried to enhance the squad, so to speak, with the players were brought in, but perhaps they didn’t enhance the squad.

"I didn’t think I played as much in that season compared to the first season and was a sub most of the time, which I found frustrating and disappointing but for whatever reason we got relegated and that was it."

The conversation then moved on to a special moment, captaining Town in the UEFA Cup in the Blues’ second season in Europe – courtesy of the Fair Play League – following the drop out of the Premier League, Clapham wearing the preliminary round tie against Avenir Beggen in Luxembourg.

"It’s a great honour to captain any side that you play for. I don’t know the reason why, I’m not sure who wasn’t playing or what was the case, but I captained the side that day and it was great honour to do that and obviously part of a great experience that we had with Ipswich playing in Europe."

The lows of not playing regularly during the latter stages of Town’s spell in the Premier League vanished when Joe Royle took over from Burley, a period that Clapham speaks of fondly.

"The time under Joe Royle was a different period in my career. Obviously I got a move when Joe Royle was there and I left to go to Birmingham, but he was a great character, him and Willie [Donachie] and obviously Tony [Mowbray] at that time was coaching.

"Joe was always out there on the pitch but he didn’t really take coaching as such, it was more about his man management and he was out there and if he wanted to say anything about the session or make a point it seemed that more important because you didn’t hear his voice day in day out.

“So, when he spoke you felt it was an important part of it and you were like ‘Right, this is something that really has to be done’."

Clapham's time at Ipswich came to an end in January 2003 when he moved on to Birmingham for a fee of £1.3 million. Despite Town being a club he loved, the lure of the Premier League was too great to turn down for an ambitious footballer.

"It’s funny how it comes around but I just had a phone call from Joe saying the club had had an offer for me, which they had accepted and I could have a chat with them.

“He said if it’s not right don’t feel any pressure to sign anything, come back and you’ll be playing in the team on Saturday.

"Obviously the Premier League, I was never going to turn that down, unfortunately for Ipswich. You never know, maybe they were delighted to see the back of me! year relegated? The line of questioning honed in on the effect of the new additions on team spirit.

“It was a sad time because I’d had great times at Ipswich, I have some really fond memories, but I moved to Birmingham and had another three and a half years there."

The next step in Clapham’s career was a short journey from Birmingham to Wolves, where current Town manager Mick McCarthy would be his boss. A hard worker described as having “three lungs” by Royle, he would seem an ideal McCarthy player, but that wasn’t the case.

“I didn’t play that much under Mick McCarthy," explains Clapham. "Mick brought me in and I thought I was going to be playing left midfield, it was Lee Naylor who was the left-back then, but he moved on and I played at left-back.

“But it was just one of those things, I wasn’t a Mick McCarthy type of player and yet he did sign me. Ultimately he didn’t fancy me as a player and I found myself not playing from Christmas onwards.

"I was disappointed, I only played under him for three months and there was a couple of times I feel I wasn’t treated particularly fairly. I was a senior player training with the kids and the youth team and on a pre-season tour they went away and left me training with kids.

“But it happens and I was just strong enough carry on and train as hard as I could and when I left there it was fine and if we see each other, I haven’t seen him since, I’d have no problem speaking to [him or] any of the managers that I’ve worked for or played for. Whether they would say the same I’m not sure!"

Having spent the first few months of 2007/08 on loan at Leeds, he was told by Dennis Wise that he didn't want to sign him.

Despite Wise’s successor Gary McAllister wanting him to sign, the decision was made to reunite with Ian Holloway in at Leicester in the January.

"I would never ever foreseen the circumstances at Leicester. We ended up getting relegated, I just couldn’t believe what happened. Ian Holloway left and I had a three-month contract to the end of the season and I found myself out of work."

This was a tough time for Clapham who was a free agent until September when future Ipswich coach Ian McParland, a man he speaks about with high regard, signed him for Notts County.

"Ian McParland was really good and played a style of football that suited me. I had two years there and got promoted and won the league title with them.

“But Ian McParland left and Sven-Göran Eriksson came in. It was sort of an exciting time, it was all going on at Notts County!"

Clapham's departure from Notts County came about in an unusual manner, which is perhaps not entirely surprising when you look at how the club was run during that period.

"Steve Cotterill ended up coming in at the end of that time for two months", he explains, “and he made decisions on players and then left a week later. I couldn’t believe they allowed him to do that.

“As far as we were concerned he was offered the manager’s job and didn’t sign a contract, didn’t sign it and didn’t sign it, made decisions on all the players and then left and went to Portsmouth, so it was crazy for them to have done that."

Just like at Leeds he was offered a way back before the season started, but it was a difficult time in his career.

"Craig Short took over and he rang me up about going back in to train so I went in and trained and then that afternoon the assistant manager rang me up and said that they were going to go a different route, they were going to sign John Harley who [Short] had worked with at Sheffield United or somewhere before.

"[Short] never rang me to say anything. I asked if he could ring back but he never did so I was a bit disappointed with how he treated me in that situation. Again, I’ve seen him since and we’ve talked normally, that’s football."

Clapham's next club would be his hometown side, Lincoln City. With his advancing years he hoped for a differing role.

"I was really looking forward to it, I’d played with the manager Chris Sutton at Birmingham and at that stage it was coming towards the end of my career and I was already looking at doing coaching. I went in as a player and I was hoping at that time he would bring me through as player-coach.

"It wasn’t something we spoke about but I felt it might have been a progression for me within that contract. He was only there for 10 games and then left and it was like, ‘Hang on a minute, what’s happened here?’. He left and then Steve Tilson came in and he managed the club."

The introduction of Steve Tilson wasn't the first time the two had met, with the first encounter having been less than favourable.

"Myself and Steve Tilson’s paths had crossed before when I was out of contract from Leicester and I needed a game.

“I was training at West Brom at the time, which was purely because I knew Tony [Mowbray, then the manager at the Hawthorns] and [his assistant] Mark Venus, so I went and did pre-season with them and Steve Tilson [ then the boss at Southend] got in touch with them.

“They needed a left-back but it was made pretty clear that I wasn’t what they were looking for and I said that that was no problem.

"They told me what they were looking for which was a big six foot such and such left-back who could go up and down. I said that was fine and good luck finding that player because there’s not many of them about.

“But they made a big thing on their website and on Sky saying ‘Jamie Clapham’s going for a trial at Southend’ and I said ‘Why have you done this? You’ve made it clear you’re not going to take me’.

"A couple of days later I’d played in the game and done well and he’d said you’ve done really well but it said [on their website], ‘Jamie Clapham does not get contract at Southend’. It just kills you, things like that. I was fuming and I got in touch and they put a little retracted statement on their website but that doesn’t go across the little videprinter on Sky.

"I know a lot of managers sit in their office and watch Sky Sports News and say ‘He hasn’t got a club, why hasn’t he gone there?’. So I wasn’t happy with Tilson and to then find out he was coming into Lincoln I thought that my time was pretty much limited," he laughs.

"I played a couple of games and he made me captain and I think it was to appease me because I was a local lad.

“And then he left me out totally and again I was training separately, wasn’t part of the group. It was poor the way he treated me really, and his man management.

“Ultimately, the club got relegated, I hardly played but when I came in I gave it everything I could and I played well. I think he was under pressure to play me really because people were asking why I wasn’t playing."

When Lincoln were relegated Clapham found himself, once again, without a club. After playing a few games for Kettering in non-league in 2011/12 he felt that football was no longer fun and that it was time to call it a day.

He considered himself ready for coaching but knew he needed experience, so he returned to Lincoln City.

"I went to Lincoln when Steve Tilson got the sack and helped out by taking the youth team when the youth team manager took the first team, so that’s how I got into it.

"David Holdsworth came in and wanted to keep me as a coach and I said I’d do it for nothing as I needed the experience and I wanted to help out.

“I did it for the year and went in every day and got used to that side of it, preparing and doing the sessions and matches and I really enjoyed it."

After the year was up Clapham decided the time was right to progress so embarked on a familiar path for most, going for job interviews.

"I went for a couple of interviews and then I went for one at Sunderland as an U18s coach and got to the last four but didn’t make it. Then I got a phone call in the summer to say that they would like to offer me a post as U18s assistant manager at Sunderland, which was an incredible opportunity.

"But Tony Mowbray is someone I’ve spoken to throughout my career for advice and things like that, so I rang him because I would have had to move up to the North-East and would have been doing it for nothing again, but in a better situation at a better club. Obviously, the prospects were a lot greater than where I was.

“And he said ‘I think there is an opportunity that could arise here and I think you would be ideal for the role’. I went and had an interview with his academy manager and now I’m the U21 manager at Middlesbrough.

“it’s gone full circle and now, I’m on the other side of the fence and I know what it’s like for all these managers I’ve ****ged off in the past, saying ‘What’s he doing!’. I’m now the one that doesn’t know what he’s doing!"

As the interview begins to draw to a close, Clapham, now 37, explained how things work within the corridors of power at Middlesbrough under his old Town team-mates Mowbray and his assistant Venus.

"I’m really enjoying it, I’m still learning that side of it but I think you should be experimental with the coaching at that level, you need to make sure you know the detail of every system if you want to play it and let the players know.

"It’s really great to be at a club where it’s so open and there’s communication from the first team down to the youth team. We are all in the same office talking football, football, football so there’s no closed doors, there’s no hidden agenda it’s just the whole club likes talking football.

"I think they’ve done a terrific job and really turned it around from where the club was and what they’ve been asked to do. They’ve stabilised the club, so to speak, and now they have the opportunity to build a team and push the club forward."

http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/23658/the-ex-files-jamie-clapham

 

[Jordinho]

Gerry McMahon

Gerard McMahon started with Glenavon as a 14 year old, helping the Lurgan club to the Youth League Championship in 1991/92. He had only broken into the Glenavon first team in the second half of the 1991/92 season, making his Irish League debut against Newry in February 1992, and established himself in the side for the rest of the season. It was his performance in the 4-0 Bass Irish Cup sixth round replay win against Glentoran that saw scouts from some of England’s biggest clubs inquiring about him, and by the middle of March a transfer had been agreed with Tottenham Hotspur. With the transfer business out of the way, McMahon was free to concentrate on Glenavon’s bid for the Irish Cup. Despite being without Glenn Ferguson and Stephen McBride through injury, Glenavon comfortably cruised to the final and, in a fairytale game, McMahon scored the free-kick which defeated Linfield 2-1.

When Gerard moved to London for £100,000 in the summer of 1992 it took him quite a while to settle, with the departure of Terry Venables, and the arrival of Ossie Ardiles. He went to Barnet on loan in 1994, playing 10 games and scoring 2 goals. McMahon’s Spurs debut came in May 1995, and he was a regular in the first-team squad throughout the following season, without really establishing himself in the starting eleven. He scored his first and what turned out to be only goal for Spurs against Östers IF in their 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup campaign. In May 1995 he won the first of his seventeen caps when he played for Northern Ireland against Canada in Edmonton.

McMahon found his first-team opportunities at White Hart Lane limited, so in September 1996 he stepped down a division in order to further his career. He joined Stoke City for a fee of £450,000 and was a regular in the side under Lou Macari in 1996–97 playing in 40 matches scoring three goals, twice against Portsmouth and the opening goal in a 2–1 victory against West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the season which was the last league match at the Victoria Ground. Macari left Stoke in the summer of 1997 and in came Chic Bates. McMahon played in 20 matches for Stoke in 1997–98 and with the team struggling Bates was sacked in January 1998. In came Chris Kamara and sold McMahon to St. Johnstone in February 1998 for £85,000.

Again, however, McMahon found himself out of the first team following a change of manager, with Paul Sturrock leaving McDiarmid Park the following year, and in the summer of 2000, when his contract expired, McMahon was allowed to leave. After trials with Notts County and Macclesfield, McMahon returned to Glenavon in August 2000, initially on a short-term contract, but after a month Colin Malone convinced him to sign a permanent deal. It proved a productive move as the Lurgan Blues finished as IFA Premier League runners-up. McMahon was appointed club captain for the 2001–02 season, and nearly earned a surprise international recall when Sammy McIlroy came to watch him in a UEFA Cup tie against Kilmarnock. In December 2002, in a home game against Glentoran, a tackle on McMahon led to both the bones in his leg being broken. He required three operations, and he was ruled him out of football for two seasons.

McMahon has since returned to fitness, helping Glenavon, who were relegated at the end of the 2002–03 campaign, regain their Premier League position as play-off winners in 2005, and subsequently consolidate their top-flight position the following season. On 25 July 2009, Glenavon hosted St. Johnstone for McMahon's testimonial match, nine years after he left the Saints. He retired from playing in 2012, but remained at Mourneview as reserve team manager until October 2012 when he became assistant manager at Loughgall. With Loughgall he made a return to the playing field. He left Lakeview following a managerial shake-up mid-way through the 2013/14 season.

 

[Jordinho]

John Piercy

Born in Forest Gate on 18th September 1979, John Piercy starred in schoolboy football in East London before joining Spurs as a 12 year old and represented England Schoolboys. Following impressive displays at youth team level, John signed professional forms in the summer of 1998.

John got his chance and was handed his Spurs debut in the 3-1 win over Crewe Alexander in the third round of the League Cup in October 1999. He played 74 minutes featuring heavily before being replaced by Steffen Iversen up front after suffering a knock to a good ovation from the fans. Leonardsen, Ginola and Sherwood scored second half goals as Spurs progressed.

Having been frozen out of the picture by George Graham he became a frequent member of the reserve side – often on the score sheet wearing the captains armband which lead to Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood praising Piercy’s form. It was a frustrating 18 month wait until his next first team outing, a North London derby nevertheless. Piercy entered with 25 minutes to go with the game goal-less, a few minutes later and we was a Robert Pires goal down. A late goal from Thierry Henry made it 2-0.

Piercy would get additional first team game time during Glenn Hoddle’s reign as manager, featuring at the back end of the 2001 season – mainly as a sub. Injuries would follow and prevent Piercy from staking a further claim to land a spot in the first team squad. The summer of 2002 saw John's contract expire becoming a free agent and joining Brighton, who he previously had trials with as a boy. In total, John made 9 appearances for Spurs – 2 starts and 7 from the bench. Following his departure for Spurs, Piercy confirmed he was an Arsenal fan growing up “It wasn't something I shouted about at Spurs”.

During his two year stint at Brighton he featured in 30 games, scoring on 4 occasions. Piercy was a late substitution as Brighton went on to win promotion from Division Two beating Bristol City 1-0 in the 2004 Playoff Final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff thanks to a 86th minute Leon Knight penalty. Unfortunately in late 2004 John had to retire at the age of 25 from the professional game due to the energy-sapping illness colitis.

Following his retirement, John dropped into non-league with his local team Eastbourne Town to continue his game for two more seasons. He was the first professional player ever to be on Eastbourne's books, but left in early December, only to return two weeks later as player-coach. As recent as 2009/10 Eastbourne Town called John back to playing squads before he fizzled out of the picture following a training dispute.

Eastbourne Today website ... 12.11.2004 (... on his retirement): "Piercy has no firm plans for the future, but hopes to see more of his favourite team Arsenal in action."

John Piercy about his season 1999-2000 ... 19.08.2000 (THFC programme): "Around Christmas my form tailed off a little bit and a lot of it was to do with confidence. I had a couple of bad games which knocked me off my stride. I lost some self-belief and then wasn't able to perform as consistently as I would have liked.

My game is about taking people on, but when you are lacking a bit of confidence, it's harder to beat players and that is what I was finding for myself. As a result my consistency was lacking, if I'd had the consistency all season, I would have been okay."

 

[Jordinho]

Jonathan Blondel

Glenn Hoddle brought Jonathan Blondel to Tottenham on August 7th 2002 from Belgian side Royal Excelsior Mouscron. The signing was met with excitement by Tottenham fans, who were led to believe that despite a trial at Manchester United, Spurs had convinced Jonathan to join the Lilywhites.

The fee was believed to be somewhere in the region of £800k, and with Blondel’s reputation, supporters hoped that the 18 year old would offer competition for places in the centre of midfield, where Tottenham were perceived as weak. Steffen Freund was an aging force, and his presence in the side was on the wane, whilst Gustavo Poyet and Tim Sherwood were also on the wrong side of 30. Blondel was capped at under-21 level for the Belgium national side, and was referred to as one of the most talented players in the squad.

However, despite optimism among fans that Spurs had uncovered a gem, the Belgian made just two substitute appearances during his two season stay at the club. In fairness to Blondel, even if he was a good young player, Tottenham were in decline under Hoddle. Further, for Club Bruges, Jonathan plays on the left of midfield, where as Hoddle had designs on the boy playing in the centre. Perhaps owing to Hoddle’s preference for a 3-5-2 formation, Jonathan was always going to struggle to fit into the Hoddle system.

Blondel was viewed by the few that saw him as too light-weight for the Premier League, with his physique and age conspiring against him. However, Tottenham spent nearly £1m on an 18 year old that had made just 18 appearances for his club in Belgium, and so perhaps Tottenham fans harboured unrealistic hopes for the diminutive young midfielder. It was a move that foreshadowed Frank Arnesen’s ‘scatter gun’ approach to signing young players (think Rodrigo Defendi, Callum Davenport, Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone etc), and ultimately did not pay off.

Blondel left Tottenham in January 2004, barely 18 months after joining, and signed up for Club Brugge. Blondel's and Tottenham’s paths crossed one more time however, in a UEFA Cup match on 2nd November 2006. Tottenham beat Club Bruges 3-1, with Blondel finally playing a full 90 minutes at White Hart Lane.

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/happened-jonathan-blondel

Ten years later Blondel still plays for Club Brugge, having won the Belgian league once, Belgian cup once and Belgian Supercup once in addition to finishing as runner up in all those competitions one time each. To date Blondel has 4 caps for the Belgium national team.

 

[Jordinho]

Garry Brady

Garry Brady, pictured above with Stephen Carr and Ossie Ardiles, came to Spurs from Glasgow as a 15 year old and was naturally homesick to start off with, but won Scotland Under-18 caps and when it looked like he was making progress at Tottenham, he suffered a chipped bone in his ankle that put him out for fifteen months. However, when fit, Terry Venables offered him professional terms and the future at Spurs looked good for him. Brady had an impressive debut, with a hand in one of the goals against Fulham in an FA Cup Third Round tie at White Hart Lane.

Unwilling to wait for his opportunity, Brady wanted a move away from the club when he failed to establish himself in the first team, only making 9 appearances. Boyhood hero Kenny Dalglish was showing interest, so the opening to join Saudi Sportswashing Machine arose and Garry signed on for the Magpies when his contract was up, much to the disgust of Spurs fans. His time at St. James' Park was blighted by injury, with an ankle problem restricting his availability. He went on loan to Norwich in March 2000 and again when the next season started. His loan period expired on 26 October 2000 with Norwich declining to make the move permanent. Brady was released by Saudi Sportswashing Machine in January 2001 and subsequently joined Portsmouth on trial on 12 February 2001 before signing a permanent deal.

Falling out of favour, Brady joined Scottish side Kilmarnock on trial at the end of January 2002 but returned to Portsmouth to make a four league appearances that season. In July 2002, he joined Walsall on trial and returned to Scotland the following month on trial with Dundee. This move became permanent during the first week of September 2002.

In mid-June 2006, after four years at Dens Park, Brady agreed terms with Scottish Premier League newcomers St Mirren, having turned down a request from Dundee – like several other players – to accept a wage cut.

After contemplating retirement he joined Brechin City in June 2011. At the end of the 2012-13 season Brechin announced that Brady was amongst the players being released.

---

Brechin City midfielder Garry Brady is delighted that he pushed his first thoughts of retirement to the back of his mind this summer, although his son Ben is disappointed that his Dad cannot always watch him in action as a result.

Brady, who started his career at Tottenham Hotspur 18 years ago, said: “I left St. Mirren at the end of last season and after not featuring regularly, it crossed my mind for the first time to retire from playing. Before I did anything about it, big Kevin McGowne had got in touch and I was speaking about playing again.

“Kevin is the Assistant Manager to Jim Weir at Glebe Park and I knew him from his time at St. Mirren. People were telling me not to give my playing days up as I would regret it and the view I took was that if my body could take it, I would keep on playing."

Brady added: “Moving part-time for the first time in my career also suited me as full-time training would have been too much after nearly 20 years of playing. That move made things a wee bit easier and whilst you think you can keep playing for ever, you cannot really.”

Brady is already glad to have kept on playing saying: “I am pleased to be at Brechin and, whilst results wise, we have a bit to improve on, it is early days and we will push on throughout the rest of the season.

“We have not played as well as we can yet and could have done better in certain games but I was only one of a number of new players to come in during the summer and it takes time to gel.”

As well as Brady, other players to sign up for Manager Weir and don red and white colours for the first time were Scott Buist, Derek Carcary, David Crawford, Mick Dunlop, Jim Lister, David McClune, Paul McManus, Scott Smith and Graham Weir.

With that level of recruitment, it is no surprise that Brechin are not firing on all cylinders yet according to Brady who said: “There are a lot of new faces and it takes you time to get used to each other and used to the Manager. We were all hoping for a better start and being seven points behind the leaders is not what we hoped for at this stage but we are improving and there is a lot to come.

“We are getting draws just now although we are not playing well so hopefully, when we move up a couple of gears, we will go on a run of wins. I see my role as helping guys like my former St. Mirren team-mate Craig ‘Tiger’ Molloy develop and also help push the side towards promotion. I have never secured a promotion before so it is an exciting prospect for me as well to see us push for that once we gel.”

Brady’s move to part-time football is allowing him to concentrate on his family just now as he explained: “Playing part-time is taking a bit of getting used to as I am training at night time whereas, I have trained during the day throughout the rest of my career.

"I am not working anywhere else at the moment so I have been getting back into the real world as it has been a wee while since I started off down in England.

“It has been good to have a life that has more than football in it now and I have been enjoying spending time with Ben when he comes home from school. He is seven and beginning to show an interest in football now which is quite good as I have been careful not to force it on him.”

After years of going to see his Dad play, the tables are getting turned with Brady senior saying: “St. Mirren was right on our doorstep so he would come and see me there but a combination of his own football and the two hour drive to Brechin means that he does not get to see me play just now. To be honest, he is more annoyed about me not seeing him play than the other way round.”

Life now seems a long way from the glamour of the English Premiership where Brady started at White Hart Lane as he explained: “That all seems a long time ago but I am really fortunate to have started my career where I did. I played and trained with the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham and Gary Mabbutt.

"I did take it a bit for granted but it was still great at the time although I was a tad homesick after a while.”

The midfielder made nine appearances for Spurs before heading almost home when he signed for Kenny Dalglish at Saudi Sportswashing Machine.

It was to prove to be an unsettling time with Brady saying: “Kenny signed me but one or two games later, he was gone. Ruud Gullit came in and he did not stay too long and my memories of that time were that the club went through a lot of Managers and coaches.

“I never really got established at Saudi Sportswashing Machine and I could have done better I suppose but I also could have done worse and it did not help that someone was always getting sacked there.”

A further nine appearances were made in top flight English football before Brady headed for Norwich City on loan and he then decided to give living down south another go when he joined Portsmouth in 2001 however, that was only to last a season.

Brady returned north to join Dundee and he is glad that he did saying: “It was good to get back home and when you consider all but one season since then has been in the SPL, I cannot grumble.”

Brady’s move to Brechin looked to have set up four intriguing Brady v Brady Angus derby contests in the Second Division this season as younger brother Darren was in the Forfar Athletic squad however, it will not take place after Darren moved to Pollok Juniors.

The elder sibling said: “Darren had suffered a cruciate injury that had kept him out for a year and despite getting over that, he decided to go Junior. I can understand why as he is working as a postman now and if you combined that with going up to Forfar two nights a week for training, it would be hard on his knee.

“It would be a four hour journey which on top of training and walking miles every day would be too much for him. He is happy to be playing at Junior level and it is just one of those things that we never got to face each other competitively.”

The brothers did meet on a few occasions with Brady saying: “When I was at St. Mirren, I played against him a few times in friendlies when he was at Partick Thistle but I am not sure who has the upper hand.”

League leaders Arbroath visit Glebe Park this weekend and Brady is hoping that this is the game where Brechin start showing the potential they have in their locker as he said: “We are at the stage now where we know each other much better and it is time to start producing results but Arbroath are flying high so it will be a tough game. It is a derby game and should be a good one but it will be a tight affair as all the games in this division usually are.

“We can all take points off each other but although I have not played in the SFL much, I know it is like that in all three SFL divisions. I am enjoying it and I reckon I will be enjoying it more soon.”

http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/brady-delighted-to-give-brechin-a-go/

 

[THFC6061]

Amazing to think that Garry Brady was still going strong with Brechin City up to the end of last season, at 37 years old.

 

[Jordinho]

Rory Allen

A striker, Rory Allen made his professional football debut for Tottenham Hotspur on 4 September 1996 as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Wimbledon (aged 18). He went on to score four times in 28 games for Spurs including starting a memorable 3rd round FA Cup tie in 1997 against Manchester United alongside Neale Fenn up front. Two of his four goals came in the league, against Saudi Sportswashing Machine and Manchester United,also scoring a brace against Preston North End in the League Cup. Allen was sent on loan to Luton Town in 1997, scoring 7 goals in 9 appearances in what was then Division Two (the third tier of English football).

Portsmouth paid Spurs a club record £1,000,000 for him in July 1999, as he became Pompey's first million-pound signing, citing manager Alan Ball as a key factor in his decision to make the move. He suffered an injury in pre-season training. He scored his first goal for Portsmouth on 15 August 1999 in a match against Wolves. The following week, he made it two goals in a week, scoring in a 2–0 victory at home to Stockport. He injured his ankle in September 1999, lasting only 24 minutes of a league match against Ipswich. He wouldn't play again until making an appearance as a substitute in March 2000. Allen scored his third Portsmouth goal against QPR in May 2000, equalising in the 53rd minute but with Portsmouth finally losing the match 3–1. In 2000, Allen was arrested and fined alongside Portsmouth goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan after admitting being abusive towards police officers following a drinking session.

He struggled for match fitness, and missed the whole of the 2000–01, rumoured to have headed Down Under to watch the Ashes, and 2001–02 seasons due to knee problems. He scored in a pre-season friendly match against Spanish side Alavés in August 2002, but made no further competitive appearances. He left the club in November 2002, handing in a letter of resignation with eight months of his contract remaining. Having already undergone eight operations to his ankles and knees over the course of his career, this signaled his retirement from football aged just 25.

---

"I seem to recall that the last us Pompey fans ever saw of Rory Allen was during a tame home defeat to QPR on the last day of the 99-00 season. Given his fitness record, he didn't appear the next season and then mysteriously disappeared amidst rumours of heading Down Under to watch the Ashes. Can anyone shed any light on the missing years?" wonders a concerned Simon Humber.

You remember well, Simon. Rory actually scored Pompey's only goal in the game you mention (his third in 16 appearances for the club) - a resounding 3-1 defeat to round off a miserable season in the bottom half of the table.He subsequently remained on Portsmouth's books until November 2002, when he decided to retire at the age of 25, having already undergone eight operations to his ankles and knees over the course of his career. Allen's next stop was indeed the 2002-03 Ashes, where he saw all five matches. "It was an amazing experience," he recalls. "Despite the scoreline (England lost 4-1)!"

Then Weymouth player-manager Steve Claridge claimed in 2004 that a man claiming to be Rory Allen had contacted him to arrange a trial and failed to turn up, but Allen denies that he ever made any attempt to return to football. Instead he spent some time "travelling and enjoying life" before eventually moving into a new career with the foreign office, where he still works today. "I miss the dressing-room camararderie sometimes, but not the football," he says. "I have never thought about getting back into it. I much prefer playing cricket in the summer and being lazy - in sporting terms - in the winter!"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A20104165

 

[Jordinho]

Gregorz Rasiak

Rasiak joined second division side Warta Poznań at age 17 where he spent two seasons. In 1998 he moved to First Division side GKS Bełchatów, before moving to Odra Wodzisław for the 2000–01 season. The next season he moved to the club where he first achieved a level of success, Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski. In three seasons at Dyskobolia he played in 66 league matches, scoring 34 goals, forming a partnership in 2003–04 with Andrzej Niedzielan.

In 2004 he was recruited by Italian club AC Siena. It then emerged that he was unable to play for the club, as they had exceeded their limit of foreign players. Rasiak joined English Championship side Derby County on 24 September 2004 for a free transfer. In his first season with the club he scored 16 goals in 35 matches, as Derby finished in fourth place, but failed to get through the play-offs. After failing to gain promotion, the club were under financial pressure and were forced by their bankers to raise cash, which led to Rasiak being sold to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for a fee said to be up to £3m. Rasiak signed on 31 August 2005, the final day of the transfer window.

Tottenham have agreed terms with Derby to sign 26-year-old Polish international striker Grzegorz Rasiak.

Capped 20 times, Rasiak, who had also interested Wolves, scored 17 goals for Derby last season as the Rams reached the play-offs last season.

Spurs coach Martin Jol told the club's website: "Rasiak is a tall target man, a hard working, honest player with a good goal scoring record.

"He is a regular in the Polish side and I believe he will do well for us."

Wolves had been keen to sign Rasiak and the Rams had agreed a fee, thought to be £2.25m, but the Polish striker was unable to agree personal terms.

Spurs debutant Grzegorz Rasiak and Liverpool's Peter Crouch both had goals disallowed as an exciting match at White Hart Lane ended goalless.

Rasiak's header from a corner was ruled out as the ball had gone out of play and Crouch had a similar effort disallowed for the same reason.

Rasiak was also unlucky when his header hit the top of the crossbar after an Edgar Davids strike had been parried.

John Arne Riise also hit the crossbar with a fierce volley from 20 yards.

He only made 8 appearances for Spurs before he was loaned from Championship side Southampton in February 2006, where his former Derby manager George Burley was now in charge. The deal was structured initially as a three-month loan, before becoming permanent in early May 2006, with Rasiak joining Southampton for a fee of £2m. In the 2006–07 season he had a strong start, scoring 17 league goals by mid-January, with a further two goals in the FA cup. including scoring a brace 4 times in the league and once in the FA Cup, all in away matches. After mid-January he lost his place in the starting eleven to fellow countryman Marek Saganowski, finishing the season as the club's top goalscorer with 21 goals.

On 31 January 2008, Rasiak secured a loan move to Bolton Wanderers until the end of the season after Gary Megson decided to bolster his attacking options after the departure of Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea. Following his loan move Rasiak admitted it was not an easy decision to join Bolton Wanderers, but that he intended to be part of the Poland squad for UEFA Euro 2008. On 9 February 2008, Rasiak made his first appearance for Bolton when he came on as a substitute for El Hadji Diouf in a defeat to Portsmouth at the Reebok Stadium. His second appearance came during the second half of Bolton's local derby against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park where he scored within a couple of minutes of his introduction from the substitutes bench, only for the linesman to rule the goal out for offside. Rasiak went on to make 7 appearance for Bolton Wanderers and Megson decided not to take him up on a permanent basis.

On 15 August 2008 Rasiak signed on loan with fellow Championship side Watford until the end of the 2008–09 season, with the option of a permanent transfer. He scored 10 goals in 25 appearances for them and in May 2009, Watford opened negotiations with Southampton to sign Rasiak permanently, but the clubs were unable to agree on a fee. After making four appearances for the "Saints" in August 2009, he joined Reading on 27 August for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year contract. However, Rasiak failed to hold down a regular first-team spot under then manager Brian McDermott.

Rasiak was given a free transfer to AEL Limassol on 20 August 2010, signing a 2-year contract. After making 17 appearances without scoring, AEL Limassol terminated Rasiak's contract after a contractual dispute with the club. In August 2011, Rasiak was training with Charlton Athletic.[19] Rasiak scored a penalty on his first appearance in a friendly match against Carshalton Athletic in a 2–1 defeat. However, Rasiak left Charlton following his trial after Charlton instead signed fan favourite Jason Euell to bolster their attack and Rasiak returned to Poland.

One month after leaving Charlton, Rasiak returned to Poland, joining Jagiellonia Białystok. The move was delayed by his previous club AEL Limassol, whom delayed sending documents. FIFA had to intervene. On 11 December 2011, Rasiak played his second match where he scored his first goal for the new club in the 1–0 away win over Lechia Gdańsk. It was his first goal in the Polish league for 7 years. Last season he played for Lechia Gdańsk, before returning to his first club Warta Poznań in the second division this season.