Archive for the ‘Spurs News’ Category
JD’s pride
<p>The striker was on target as we secured a 2-0 win against Fulham in our final match last Sunday and therefore, with Arsenal winning at West Brom, fourth place in the table.</p>
<p>That would normally see us line-up in next season’s Champions League play-offs – but Chelsea, who finished sixth, can take that spot by beating Bayern Munich in this season’s final on Saturday.</p>
<p>“We wanted to finish in the top four at the start of the season and we’ve done that,” said Jermain, whose goal took him to 17 for the season and 118 for Spurs – and number 10 in our all-time goalscoring list.</p>
<p>“That’s what we wanted to achieve so credit to the players and everyone at the club. Everyone should be proud.</p>
<p>“It would be heartbreaking if Chelsea win it and we get knocked out. We wanted to finish third, we finished fourth and I think we deserve to be in the Champions League next season.”</p>
<p>If Chelsea are successful in Saturday night’s final, we will line-up in the UEFA Europa League next season.</p>
<p> </p>
WIN – Sandro’s signed shirt!
<p>The Brazilian international was in outstanding form at the business end of the campaign and his performances against Blackburn, Bolton, Villa and Fulham really caught the eye.</p>
<p>They certainly caught the eye of fans voting on Xtra, Facebook and Twitter for May’s Player of the Month as he ran away with the award, polling almost 70 per cent of the votes.</p>
<p>We have a signed shirt – pictured below – to give away in a simple-to-enter competition.</p>
<p>Just <a href=”http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/Competitions/win-signed-Sandro-shirt.page” target=”_blank”>FOLLOW THIS LINK</a> to the competition page, answer the question, enter your name and email address and you’ll be in with a chance!</p>
<p>The closing date for entries is midday next Tuesday, May 22.</p>
<p>The winner will be selected at random and contacted by email.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p><strong><em>Editor’s decision final, no correspondence will be entered into…</em></strong></p>
<p><img src=”/media/images/news/may-2012/18052012/sandro_shirt430.jpg” alt=”Sandro’s signed shirt” /></p>
It’s been a dream – Kyle
<p>The flying full-back enjoyed an outstanding first campaign as we finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the semi-final of the FA Cup.</p>
<p>He played more games than anyone else – making 47 appearances and 45 starts of our 53 matches in all competitions – scored his first two goals for us (both Goal of the Month winners) and made his full England debut, including a Man of the Match performance against Sweden.</p>
<p>He was voted PFA Young Player of the Season, named in the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Season and his strike against Arsenal won Supporters Clubs Goal of the Season.</p>
<p>The only shame is that a toe injury forced him off against Fulham – and ultimately out of the reckoning for England’s squad for the summer’s European Championships.</p>
<p>“It’s been a great season personally,” said Kyle, speaking immediately after Fulham.</p>
<p>“I would have loved to have got that third place, but hopefully the result will go our way in the Champions League Final and we’ll be there next season.”</p>
<p>If Bayern Munich win Saturday’s Champions League Final then we’ll take our place in the Champions League playoff next season. However, if Chelsea win, they will take our place and we’ll go into the Europa League.</p>
<p>Going back to the Fulham win, Kyle added: “It was a good performance, Ade took his goal really well and then Jermain came on and wrapped the win up, a good, professional performance and we’ll now wait to see what happens in the Champions League Final.</p>
<p>“On a personal level, it’s been fantastic. It’s been a dream. I’ve experienced highs, lows, the good and bad. It’s been a massive learning curve for me.”</p>
<p> </p>
Football Development in Thailand
<p>Mark Jones, Andy Rogers, James Adcock and Paul Griffiths carried out sessions for 24 teams from all over Thailand.</p>
<p>After the three-day training camp, all the sides will be put into a tournament with the winning side representing Thailand in the prestigious ASEAN U13 Cup.</p>
<p>Mark Jones Head of Football Development, will return on July 7 to put the winning side through their paces before the beginning of the tournament. This year’s teams will include Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.</p>
<p>Mark said: “It is fantastic to be involved in the tournament again this year. Last year was our first involvement and we were lucky enough to win the Cup, this was the first year Thailand had ever won the tournament and we hope we can carry out a similar story again this year.”</p>
<p>Andy Rogers, International Development Officer, added: “The boys from the teams we coached were technically very good and of a very high standard, they coped extremely well with our academy philosophy training and were a privilege to coach.”</p>
<p>The ASEAN U13 Tournament will be held on the July 14-15 and this year’s hosts are Malaysia.</p>
<p> </p>
It was 40 years ago…
<p>After one of the club’s best-ever results in Europe to overcome Italian giants AC Milan over two legs in the semi-final, Bill Nicholson’s men lined-up against fellow English side Wolves in the final, again over two legs.</p>
<p>The first leg, held at Molineux on May 3, 1972, went to plan as Martin netted twice – including a thunderbolt second goal – to hand us at 2-1 advantage.</p>
<p>The return leg was at the Lane on May 17, 1972. This time Alan, captaining the team, scored a brave header early in the tie to hand us a 3-1 advantage.</p>
<p>Wolves equalised through David Wagstaffe but we held on to become the first side to lift the UEFA Cup in its inaugural year.</p>
<p>We also became the first British team to win two different European trophies after our Cup Winners Cup win in 1963. We made history that night as well, the first British team to lift a European trophy.</p>
<p>The second leg was one Alan will never forget as he scored the goal, lifted the trophy and was then chaired around the pitch by jubilant fans.</p>
<p>As it turned out, that was also Alan’s last match for us – he moved to Fulham in the summer.</p>
<p>Back to the first leg, and Martin has no doubt as to where his second goal on the night stands in his career.</p>
<p>”I remember I was getting a bit of a rollicking from Alan, he was screaming for the ball down the touchline, but I walloped the ball and it flew into the back of the net,” recalled Martin, third in our all-time top goalscorers list.</p>
<p>”It was the best goal I’ve ever scored and the hardest shot I’ve ever hit.</p>
<p>”I remember thinking to myself ‘if that’s on target, it’s got a chance’ and if it had been at the goalkeeper, it might have taken him in with it as well. I hit it as hard as I hit everything.”</p>
<p>Alan admitted he didn’t want Martin to shoot. “It was late in the game and as he lined it up, I shouted ‘no’ to him,” he said.</p>
<p>”He ignored me on the overlap, and I shouted ‘you…great goal!’ I was about to give him a rollicking!</p>
<p>”Martin was brilliant that day, he led the line beautifully, scored both the goals and that was typical of him.”</p>
<p>Alanwas left stranded on the pitch at the Lane after the trophy presentation – and had his own lap of hour with 5,000 fans!</p>
<p>”We didn’t know it was going to be Alan’s last game, so it was a wonderful way to go, to do it like that,” added Martin.</p>
<p>Alan said: “The old cliché is, if you are going to go out, to go out at the top and I’ll never forget that – the last game I played for Tottenham, I captained and scored the goal to win the UEFA Cup.”</p>
<p><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong>COMPETITION TIME!</strong></span></p>
<p><img src=”/media/images/news/legends/uefa_dvd430.jpg” alt=”UEFA 72 DVD” /></p>
<p>To mark the 40th anniversary of our 1972 UEFA Cup triumph, the club has released a new DVD with extended highlights of the first leg at Molineux – available for the first time.</p>
<p>The DVD also includes an audio track hosted by renowned commentator Barry Davies and re-unites Alan and Martin, who talk about the victory against Wolves. Highlights of the second leg also included.</p>
<p>We’ve five copies of the DVD to give away, so to have a chance of winning, answer the following question…</p>
<p><strong>Which Italian team did we knock out in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1972?</strong></p>
<p>A – AC Milan<br />B – Juventus<br />C – Inter Milan</p>
<p>To enter the competition, send an email with your answer to contactus@tottenhamhotspur.com – you can email us directly by<span><a class=”mailto” href=”mailto:contactus@tottenhamhotspur.com?Subject=UEFA72comp”><strong> FOLLOWING THIS LINK…</strong></a></span></p>
<p>The competition will close at 3pm tomorrow – Friday, May 18 – and we will randomly select five winners.</p>
<p>We will contact the winners directly by email by 5pm tomorrow. Good luck!</p>
<p><em><strong>Editor’s decision final, no correspondence will be entered into….</strong></em></p>
Ledley impressed by progress of Skills
<p>Skills offers a comprehensive sport and education programme to young people from Haringey aged 12-19 years. Many have been identified as ‘NEET’ (Not in Education, Employment or Training) or at risk of becoming so, including ex-offenders, gang members and young people that have emotional and behavioural difficulties.</p>
<p>In partnership with Haringey Council and the London Boxing Academy, the former site of the Wood Green Youth Centre at White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre has been revamped, with Ledley himself joining local young people in helping with the redecorating process back in February.</p>
<p><img src=”/media/images/news/may-2012/17052012/skills_ledley430.jpg” alt=”ledley skills” /></p>
<p>Since then, Skills has become active with an average of nearly 40 young people per evening attending to take part in the sport activities on offer, including football, boxing and basketball.</p>
<p>Daytime activities engage young people that have been excluded from, or are in a process that may lead to exclusion from school or college. These young people attend courses, programmes and workshops that will cover a range of academic qualifications.</p>
<p>Ledley was impressed with what he saw on his latest visit, and said: “When I first visited, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done, so I would firstly like to commend everybody involved with the project at how quickly they have got the site up and running.</p>
<p><img src=”/media/images/news/may-2012/17052012/skills_ledley430a.jpg” alt=”ledley skills” /></p>
<p>“It’s a great place for both boys and girls to come along and I can only wish that there were more things like this around when I was younger. I’m just delighted that the project is up and running and that youngsters are showing an interest.</p>
<p>“Having spoken to the young people myself, they seem happy with the project and happy to participate in the different sports on offer. Not everyone enjoys the same thing, so it’s good that there is something for everyone.</p>
<p>“I watched a bit of the football and tried my hand at a bit of boxing, which was hard work! But there are also computers available here for youngsters to come down and learn as well.</p>
<p>“As a Club, we do a great job in giving back to the community and the players show their support throughout the year. Skills is my own way of doing just that.”</p>
<p> </p>
Xtra – May awards – results!
<p>Sandro’s fine performances in May against Bolton, Villa and Fulham saw him the comfortable winner of the Player of the Month.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Luka was an even clearer winner of Goal of the Month for his magnificent strike at the Reebok on May 2.</p>
<p>Here are the results of the votes taken here on Xtra, our official fan page on Facebook and @SpursOfficial on Twitter.</p>
<p><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong>PLAYER OF THE MONTH, MAY 2012</strong></span></p>
<p>Sandro takes May’s award with a convincing 68.98 per cent of the vote from Kyle Walker in second.</p>
<p>1 – Sandro 68.98%<br />2 – Kyle 8.38%<br />3 – Ade 6.17%<br />4 – Luka 5.37%<br />5 – Rafa 4.11%</p>
<p>Votes also cast for Younes Kaboul, Aaron Lennon, Brad Friedel, Jake Livermore and Jermain Defoe.</p>
<p><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong>GOAL OF THE MONTH, MAY 2012</strong></span></p>
<p>Luka’s volley into the top corner at Bolton on May 2 registered over 90 per cent of the votes.</p>
<p>1 – Luka v Bolton, 90.60%<br /> 2 – Rafa van der Vaart v Bolton, 5.45%<br /> 3 – Emmanuel Adebayor v Fulham, 3.95%</p>
<p>Thanks, as always, for all your votes and look out next week for the chance to vote for your Goal and Player of the Season.</p>
<p> </p>
Jermain’s joy
<p>The striker was named in new boss Roy Hodgson’s 23-man squad for the championships in Poland and Ukraine yesterday.</p>
<p>He was joined in the squad by Scott Parker, but unfortunately Kyle Walker missed out through injury.</p>
<p>Jermain scored 17 goals in 38 appearances – including 21 starts – last season to take 10th place on his own in the club’s all-time top goalscorers list.</p>
<p>Capped 46 times by England with 15 goals to his name, it will be JD’s second major tournament having scored in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.</p>
<p>“I thought the World Cup was a fantastic experience and to have the opportunity represent England at another major tournament is amazing,” Jermain told us exclusively on Wednesday.</p>
<p>“I always remember watching the tournaments on TV, watching Euro 96 and to be part of it now is something special.</p>
<p>“I’m delighted because I knew last summer I had a massive season coming up and I worked hard on my fitness to be as sharp as possible. I think that work has paid off.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Jermain went out of his way to mention the support of the fans. “They’ve always been great to me and it was the same this season, always singing my name and getting right behind me. That means a lot.”</p>
<p>England are in Group D and kick-off against France on June 11 before facing Sweden (June 15) and co-hosts Ukraine (June 19).</p>
<p>Look out for the thoughts of JD, England team-mate Scott Parker and Croatia’s Luka Modric as the tournament approaches…</p>
<p> </p>
Football Development a hit in USA
<p>The camp also incorporated a ‘Coach the Coaches’ programme which gave our team the opportunity to share knowledge on the Tottenham Hotspur Philosophy and engage with the local coaches.</p>
<p>The feedback on the camp was extremely positive from both parents and staff.</p>
<p>Jim Carlan, COO Soccer Association of Columbia, said: “The Tottenham training team gave a 100 per cent effort during its time with the Soccer Association of Columbia and conducted two coaches’ clinics, several team training exercises, and the Spring break camp.</p>
<p>”The coaches’ clinics went extremely well and all participants were very impressed with the content, presentation, and professionalism of the training provided. Every one of our coaches who participated in the training stated that they look forward to the next visit of the training team.</p>
<p>”In addition to the coach and team training, the Spring Break camp was also a huge success.</p>
<p>”All of the players and parents were very impressed with the intensity level, work rate, and content of the training provided. The camp was fast paced, and all participants were impressed and enthusiastic with both the intensity level and content of the training provided.</p>
<p>”The Tottenham training team was personable, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about their work. During their visit to SAC, the Training team was a welcome addition to our soccer program. They will always be warmly welcomed as friends by our Club.”</p>
<p>A parent commented: “I wanted to thank you, for an exciting camp experience. Ethan can’t talk about camp without a huge smile on his face. He learned so much and had a great time in the process. We’re very much looking forward to seeing Tottenham play in July and Ethan can’t wait to return to camp in August.”</p>
<p>Another parent added: “I wanted to say that your camp was a great experience for Phillip. The philosophy is different from what he’s being taught by his coach and what he’s been taught at other camps. His play has improved and the philosophy should help him not just today, but also in the future.”</p>
<p><img src=”/media/images/news/may-2012/17052012/fd_balt430.jpg” alt=”FD, Baltimore” /></p>
<p>As part of our First Team Tour of the US, Tottenham Hotspur Football Development will be running Player Development Programmes and our first ever America Cup tournament at the following venues:</p>
<p><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong>DMS11</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>International Player Development Programme</strong><br />Date: July 16 – July 20, 2012<br />Session 1: 8:30am – 11:30<br />Session 2 : 6:00pm – 8:30pm</p>
<p>Thousand Oaks<br />Westlake Village<br />CA</p>
<p>For further information please contact:</p>
<p>http://www.dms11.com/DMS11SoccerAcademy.php</p>
<p><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong>Soccer Association of Columbia</strong></span></p>
<p>International Player Development Programme<br />30th July – 3rd August <br />Boys / Girls</p>
<p>Lucido Fields <br />Covenant Park <br />4560 Centennial Lane<br />Ellicott City <br />MD 21042<br />Morning Session – 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: 8yrs – 12yrs <br />Evening Session – 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: 10yrs – 18yrs</p>
<p>To register for the course please go to www.sackick.com</p>
<p><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong>Elite Tournaments</strong></span></p>
<p>Tottenham Hotspur America Cup<br />August 3 – 5 <br />U11 – U14 boys</p>
<p>Lucido Fields <br />Covenant Park <br />4560 Centennial Lane<br />Ellicott City <br />MD 21042</p>
<p><strong>For further information please contact:</strong></p>
<p>http://www.elitetournaments.com/tottenham_home.php</p>
<p>For further information on these and other International Programmes please contact <strong>andy.rogers@tottenhamhotspur.com</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
Debut delight for Smithy
The young full-back, 20, came on for the final 15 minutes for injured Younes Kaboul.<br /> <br />Usually seen bombing up and down the right touchline, Adam admitted he ‘kept it simple’ and looked comfortable on his first appearance.<br /> <br />Taken to immediately by the crowd – as our Academy graduates always are – the England Under-21 international soon heard the chants of ‘there’s only one Adam Smith’ ringing around the stadium.<br /> <br />“It was brilliant to come on for my debut,” beamed Adam. “I’ve waited a long time for it and I got a great reception from the supporters. I’m buzzing about that.<br /> <br />“I’ve trained with the first team so I know all the lads well, that gave me confidence<br /> <br />“I didn’t want to do anything too much, I just wanted to keep it simple,” added Adam, who scored a 35-yard belter during his loan at MK Dons earlier in the campaign.<br /> <br />“It’s great to get a win and hopefully we’ll take our place in the Champions League next season.”