It Felt Like The Best Moment In The History Of Expert Summarizing

"Scorer's goal... scorer's goal... Clive Allen will know all about those".

Blimey a resurgence from Pleaty there, on Tuesday for the Liverpool game I thought he was having a seizure or something, he was getting players' names wrong, stopping mid-sentence and generally talking utter nonsense.

PF seeing as you're a Lillywhite, what's your view on Pleat, is he still involved ? and what of his, ahem, reputation?

He is Director of Football.

His Reputation = He managed the best Spurs side I have ever seen in 1986-7. No more, no less, interests me.

The fact that he is working with Glenn who was at the centre of that 5-man midfield is *incredibly moving* to me. I would love to know more about it. The Clive (I mean, Allen, C.) thing moved me for roughly the same reason.

I can't really comment on the current side and what Glenn and David have done for it apart from look at the results, losing depsite playing well, drawing too many. But I do know that my season-ticket holding flatmate is more hopeful about Spurs this year than at any tiome I've nown him.

Mr Number5 is needed here as I know he's been down the Lane at least once this year.

sorry, once again my spelling completely deserts me.

Trezeguet didn't (sadly) replicate the best goal celebration of all time. The aforementioned Clive Allen of the aforementioned 86/87 team scoring against the shit at Highbury and running in a little circle before just jumping into the air and landing on his back. David Pleat must love having Glenn back at the Lane, like being reunited with a foster child having had to deal with a seedy and crooked social worker for the last couple of years.

Do you think so? That's a nice image. I wonder how they get on, day to day, and whether they refer to their old relationship 86-7 - any info out there?

I remember ITV freezing Clive's tumble (c. 41 minutes?) and using it for coming into / from adverts, with jingle on top, that day (early march 87, I think). Yes, a remarkable result. Hansen was in the (ITV!) studio, probably with Elton Welsby.

One other thing about that match: the Gooner who most impressed me was a new lad called Michael Thomas. I couldn't understand why he didn't get to play more often. And then, sadly, he did.

Spurs did have a good team 86/87. I distinctly remember them beating us (Chelsea) at home 0-2 in the frost just before Christmas 1986. Two crosses from Waddle, two goals for Allen. The blues realised that it was a good idea to mark Waddle after the second goal. We had the 'creative' midfield of Spackman, Wood and Bumstead for most of that season. They got out of their own half once. Mind you with defenders like McLaughlin, Rougvie and Keith Dublin we needed help at the back. Losing to Spurs at home was not the lowest point of the season though - 6-2 at home to Forest in September was hard to take, hat-tricks from Davenport and Birtles.

We did win 3-1 at White Hart Lane (2 goals from the genius Mickey 'Marsbars' Hazard) though. I think Spurs finished third or fourth in Div One that season, we were 14th.

The most impressive Spurs team I've seen in recent years was the one with Klinsman, Sheringham, Barmby and Anderton. (1995-6? It was the year that Spurs had Popescu).

A friend of mine recently played against a Spurs 'yesteryear' team in a charity match. They fielded Chivers, Falco, Ralph Coates, Peters, Pratt, Barry Daines, Paul Miller etc etc.

The post USA '94 team was great to watch as a neutral but as a Spurs fan it was infuriating. I really thought Dumitrescu was going to be a star (in the same way that I think Rebrov will be) and yet nada. Losing 5-2 at Maine Road was especially painful because we played some truly great stuff that day.

I should've posted this before the Euro matches this week. You simply listen to Big Ron's match summary and tot up the points.

PLAY BIG RON'S FOOTBALL CLICHE BINGORAMA

"At the end of the day" 1 point

"Early doors" 1 point

"They've set their stall out early doors" 2 points

"Top (or full) marks to the keeper for that one" 2 points

"To be fair" 2 points

"To be honest" 3 points

"To be fairly honest" 5 points

"He'll be disappointed with that" 2 points

"A little bit of afters" 5 points

"They're going great guns" 3 points

"He's gone for a Buddy Holly (volley)" 5 points

"What this game needs is a goal" 5 points

"The are tactically naïve" 10 points

"In the mixer" 5 points

"Spotters badge" 5 points

"He's put the reducer on him" 6 points

"They'll bring the big men up for this" 2 points

"The lads battled hard/well" 3 points

"They'll have to ride out the storm" 2 points

"Giving it the full gun" 3 points

"Nice bright feet" 6 points

"He wears his heart on his sleeve" 5 points

"You don't win anything in October" 4 points

"They're all captains out there tonight" 10 points

"He's gone for the Tic-Tac-Toe" (a bizarre expression for when Andy Cole had three saved shots, one in the bottom left, one in the centre middle and one in the top right, so one could have drawn a diagonal line through them like in noughts and crosses. Honestly) 50 points

"They like to play football" 5 points

"They're a good passing side" 4 points

"Eleven men behind the ball" 3 points

"Defending in numbers" 3 points

"It's all gone a bit handbags at ten paces" 10 points

"It's a dream start" 5 points

"He's covered every blade of grass on the pitch" 5 points

"You'd put your life on him to score from there" 8 points

"He should have a license for that skill" 4 points

"A great ambassador for the game" 4 points

"Lightning pace" 3 points

"Frightening pace" 5 points

"He's done him on the inside" 6 points

"He's sold him a lollypop" 10 points

"Back stick" 6 points

"Little eyebrows" 10 points

"Little eyebrows at the back stick" 15 points

"Little Scholesy" 5 points

"He's a streetfighter" 7 points

"He's a little ratter in midfield" 20 points

"The keeper's come out waving to his mother" 10 points

"For fun" 10 points

"I'll tell you what" 8 points

"For me…" 6 points

"He's a handful upstairs" 10 points

I got sent a lovely poem about Ron Atkinson by Jeggsy Dodd on the HMHB mailing list today, but I trashed it earlier. It was very very vitriolic, and rightly so.

Dr C that list is surely the Merzbox of football fan lit

I love it when Ron says "lollipop". (On Denilson) "Look at that, one lollipop, two lollipops, ooh, another lollipop (chuckle,chuckle)".

Doc:

>>> Spurs did have a good team 86/87. I distinctly remember them beating us (Chelsea) at home 0-2 in the frost just before Christmas 1986. Two crosses from Waddle, two goals for Allen.

I'd forgotten that result!

>>> Losing to Spurs at home was not the lowest point of the season though - 6-2 at home to Forest in September was hard to take, hat- tricks from Davenport and Birtles.

I remember it well - I still have the MATCH magazine. BUT - surely it was Webb, and Davenport was already at Utd??

>>> We did win 3-1 at White Hart Lane (2 goals from the genius Mickey 'Marsbars' Hazard) though.

I know. I never understood that. And I've never understood your supremacy over us since. It's not like you're Arsenal or Leeds - it's only Chelsea, for goodness' sake - but you almost always take 6 points a season.

>>> I think Spurs finished third or fourth in Div One that season

3rd. 3rd again in 1990, I *think*. Nowhere too near that since.

>>> The most impressive Spurs team I've seen in recent years was the one with Klinsman, Sheringham, Barmby and Anderton. (1995-6?

1994-5. Francis made us into a reasonably good team. Then in April Amokachi came along and it all fell apart. Another day I have never understood. Or, perhaps, entirely recovered from.

That was a truly horrible day. I don't think I'll ever be able to work out what went on at Elland Road that Spring. Then again maybe Watford fans feel the same about Villa Park in 1987.

Indeed. And they fielded their 3rd-choice goalkeeper. Back to the wine bar.

Yep, Pine, it was Webb, not Davenport. Their hat tricks took Webb to 10 goals for the season and Birtles to 9 , by the end of September!! (I looked on a Forest stats site). IIRC Franz Carr set-up at least 4 of the goals against Chelsea.

Gary Plumley.

"Franz Carr can run 100m in 11 seconds - in his football boots!"

I didn't know so many people remember Plumley. I can't forget Peter Brackley's refined tones: 'And *poor* Gary Plumley...'. Also that day, on Hoddle: 'So much *elegance* in the man...'.

Brian Moore's new long word that season: crossedinagainCliveALLEN!!!

Does anyone know the inside story of why Clive Allen signed for Arsenal for about 6 weeks in-between seasons. He then signed for Palace at the start of the season, I think.

Just so you know we're giving Ron too much credit here because a Buddy Holly is a dive. Often used like "he's gone down like Buddy Holly there"

New contenders just in:

1. "The way Spurs are playing it could be... *anything*".

2. "As complete a performance as you've seen this year".

3. "This is Olé Football from Tottenham".

How did I miss this thread first time around? Nice to see you've a reason to revive it, Pinefox. 10-0 aggregate last night.

Missing from Dr.C's list of Ronisms:

"Bombin' on..." "Put a little bit of slowness on the ball..."

Ron used to chuckle every time Barthez got the ball. I doubt he does that now.