The highly esteemed Blackburn Rovers Football Club Supporter's forum got in touch and here's what transpired.

The first chunk is their man Phillip's 'pre match prattle' so to speak - and if you click on the link beneath that you get the relevant page on their forum and so their responses. 

I thought the 'who needs Eurostar when you have Tottenham Hotspurs - our portal into Europe. Bring 'em on' was good...

"When the Premier League fixtures for 2008/9 were announced in mid-June I wonder how long the odds were against the Spurs v Rovers fixture on 22 November being a relegation 6 pointer pitching 19th against 18th? Something pretty astronomic I would imagine.

Spurs at the time had done a lot of early shopping including snaffling the destroyer of England's Euro08 chances, Luka Modric, one of the hottest properties in Europe. There was disquiet surrounding Berbatov but Spurs seemed to be in reasonable control of the situation and the club was more famous for its embarassment of having an excess of £10m+ strikers than being in danger of having no target men at all.

Equally, Rovers were being linked with calibre of Manager targets befitting a club regularly qualifying for Europe from the world's richest league- Advocaat, Ten Cate, Laudrup et al as well as the most recent England boss and the guy many had tipped to have been an English England boss although the fans were totally disdainful of both McClaren and Allerdyce (me included!). And the transfer fund of £10m whilst nothing to disturb the Premier rich boys league was significantly more than Hughes had spent net during the whole of his time at Ewood. There seemed every prospect of it being boosted by the £5m compo yanked out of City before they could talk to Hughes and another £3m donation from the Walker Trust. Bentley was being a drunken fool in front of the Sky cameras on the Costa Lampard but surely a new Manager of sufficient gravitas would be appointed to sort that idiot out?

In the event, both Bentley and Berbatov departed and Robbie Kean jumped ship as well leaving both clubs looking at how Villa had managed to ride the Barry storm (and pinch Friedel which prompted the other Spurs/Rovers trade bringing Robinson to Ewood). More poignantly, when the dust had settled at midnight on 1 Setember, Rovers and Spurs stood alone in the transfer league table having made substantial and surely wholly unintentional profits from the previous two months' window of trading activity/inactivity.

Those of an economic bent would argue that both clubs' disinvestments in footballers alone would qualify them for tumbling from Euro tyros to relegation sweaters but as we all know, there is much more to the story than that.

Harry Hotspur (http://www.oleole.com/blogs/harryhotspur), a doyen of the football club blogerati and at times total pain in the side (and other parts of the anatomy) of Tottenham's owners and management and other Spurs' fans has kindly agreed to help enlighten us following on from Rovers' abject surrender and Gomes' special at Craven Cottage last week-end (and despite of, or perhaps inspired by, a bad chest infection):

1) Does 'arry walk on water?

HH:  No, but he does occasionally skim across the surface like a well propelled flat shiny thing.

2) How could Ramos be so fantastically good in Spain and a complete dud at White Hart Lane?

HH:  Despite a decent CV, that guy had too many things not going for him. He was as about as interesting to listen to as Stephen Hawking and his people skills were non-existent. Motivationally he had the midas touch in reverse. Never undervalue the fact that where he came from they didn't put the kettle on.

3) It must be so frustrating to be the best financially managed club in the Premier League yet you famously buy rubbish players every transfer window

HH:  Untrue. In the main, we historically buy good players and fail to get much out of them.

4) How is David Bentley?

HH:  He's stuck on level 6 of Dragon Quest SwordsThe Masked Queen And The Tower Of Mirrors.
OK - He's happy Ramos is gone.
My guess is he's looking forward to settling in, assisting more, scoring more and establishing himself as an England player.

5) You are the archetypal marzipan layer club- you wrecked Rovers' team by buying our best player but Man U and Liverpool do the same to you. Are you going to join the cake mix or the icing?

HH:  First of all I want to make it quite clear I hate Jane Asher and when she was voted out of Maestro that was a happy day in our house.

There's a food chain alright. And it's built on the desires and appetites of the players.

I haven't got any time for the idiots that say a Chairmen shouldn't have sold Player X or Player Y.  Contracts or not you can't MAKE someone play for you.
At the end of the day clubs are at the mercy of the whim of their players.

6) Paul Ince- should Rovers keep him or fire him?

Fire him out of a cannon.

Ever heard of the Peter Principle?
Your problem is who you would lure if he went?
I mean, we're frequently as rubbish as you, but we're never linked with the Ian Dowies of the world.


7) Who is going to get relegated this season?

HH:  West Brom are gone. West Ham would be nice and I always wish it on Fulham.
The mathematicians will start drawing up their shortlist at Christmas.
Newscastle would be hilarious and if their home form collapses they're gone.


8) Any special memories of playing against Rovers in the past? (I can think of one in Cardiff)

HH:  Would you be very deeply offended if I said, "None." ?


9) How many are you going to beat us by?

HH:  That's a generous question but I think a messy 2-2 draw is on the cards.
A game of two goalkeepers, perhaps?

Ah well, that's me told re my persistent criticising of Ince for selling Bentley or perhaps Harry is toeing the WHL party line.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

My recollections of Rovers at WHL include some cracking wins for Rovers not least the 3-2 at WHL which I think was the last appearance of the SAS together (albeit only for the 5 mins Sutton appeared as a late sub but enough to set up Shearer for a fulminating late winner), the 4-0 season ticket confetti game and Samba's wonderful late strike last season. But I can remember two very honourable 3-2 defeats in which Rovers played the Spurs off the park and still lost; 1965/6 and 2005/6 (the Bellamy/FSP double act where we maintained 85% posession for 20 minutes).

I also remember the 4-0 thrashing we took in the old second division in Jim Smith's wonderful season at Ewood and fear that is the precedent for Sunday as surely Gomes will be dropped.

In truth I can scarcely see an honourable defeat let alone a Rovers win this coming week-end. But if we do win, it will feel like Cardiff all over again.

Finally I asked Harry what prompted him to start the blog?

HH:  I wanted a wall for the wise and the witty and the winos to write on.


The pleasures and pitfalls?


HH:  The pleasures are endless.
The mob that contribute and make the blog what it is and are exactly the the sort of degenerate superstars you would want to talk to in the pub about your club.

The pitfalls are as in real life.
Dull people.

What does the club think of your blog?


HH:  I'm sure senior personnel at The Lane couldn't care less about me. I'd like to maintain that relationship.


http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?showtopic=20215&st=0&#entry693370

This may shed some light on the physical condition of our grimacing goalie Gomes not only in previous games but this evening's... I think it's important that we don't just start making daft comparisons with Robinson and ought bring as many facts to bare before our supposed lack of confidence starts to effects his.

This injury sounds terrible.

"In training 2 weeks ago he was knocked out for 12 minutes.

A day later with sore ribs in addition, it was suggested that he might be out for a few weeks."

This from Wkdref a poster on Spurs Odyssey.

As far as his number two is concerned, the news isn't any better. It's Jannsen that has been training with the first team...

"Gomes has been playing for the last 2 weeks not fit because there are even bigger question marks about his stand in."

Ouch.

It's been announced that Pompey have reluctantly allowed THFC permission to speak to Harry Redknapp.

Everybody with fingerprints on the existing murder weapon of Spurs - Dame Comolli, Poyet & Ramos have all been binned.

Scouring like that little Scottish lady who used to do the old adverts for Flash floor cleaner I finally came up with the above. It was always a close run thing with Kipling's IF, but I felt I had to keep a clip of an incompetant English manager delivering an impassioned piece of nonsense up my sleeve for our next incumbent.

Impasse [noun] a predicament affording no obvious escape.

We've reached something alright. Maybe it's an inpasse. Who knows.

The task then is straightforward enough. Put to one side all the hurt and confusion and go out there and play push and run and score one more than the other lot.

Talking to fans and looking around at the boards over the last week I am in no doubt whatsoever that our support will be there.

For every pessimist there are three or four that believe we can salvage this mess. For every mute there are three or four prepared to sing louder and harder to compensate. For every fan leaving the stadium early there are three or four who will not quit until the final whistle goes.

These are the odds in our favour.  

BIOYC.

But the good news is it's only their autographs...

Courtesy of our friends the Tottenham Legends I am able to bring you what can only be reffered to as an opportunity of a lifetime. A Grand Auction is taking place next Friday the 31st of October at Wodson Park Football Club in Herts.

Little use to those who don't happen to live 'up the road' I hear you say... This blog's global, H.

Well we've set up a Sealed Bid option so even if you live in Kuala Lumpur you can still be involved. All you need to do is decide which lot you fancy having a Sealed Bid on and email in your bid in. It couldn't be simpler.

The Lots are as follows:

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PRINT: LEGENDS OF WHITE HART LANE Signed by Pat Jennings, Ralph Coates, Ossie Ardilles, Glenn Hoddle, Cliff Jones, Gary Mabbut, Maurice Norman, Dave MacKay, Clive and Cliff Jones. 

.

 MATCH BALL Signed by sixteen of the current Tottenham Hotspur  first squad.

HOME SHIRT 08/09 Signed by sixteen of the current Tottenham Hotspur first squad. 

PREMIERSHIP BALL Signed by Peter Shilton

So there you have it. Wodson Park are a voluntary football club providing football playing and coaching opportunities to some 250 youngsters and three adult teams. All proceeds will go to the continued purchase of much needed footballs and equipment for the club.

So choose your Lot(s) and email in your sealed bid to pauljcoates@virgin.net. After the auction has taken place on each Lot, the sealed bids will only then be opened and the highest bidder will win that Lot.

Good luck!

In many ways a far more watchable game than Saturday's. Huddlestsone's goal was all good stuff. Sure, the wall not so much moved as turned into a troupe of Tiller Girls doing stretching exercises, but hey. 

Tommy's red was iffy to put it mildly. Blake really made much of 50/50 ball he didn't really get to, although I will acknowledge he may have a few stud marks to show his granchildren come the morning. Tom will just have subscribe to The I*n Wr*ght maxim of welcoming a bad thing in a game that doesn't count.

Left back for the night Jamie O'Hara was busy enough but his 'shots' weren't great and if you discount his corner that made the second goal - it was only his close passing that really passed muster.

Campbell came on and got stuck in. He replaced an off key Agbonlahor.  His penalty claim however wasn't sophisticated enough to quite come off and after that we saw little more of him.

Depressingly, in a week where I hear Bostock isn't setting the world alight (yes, yes, despite his goal against Boro's Reserves) ... Aaron Ramsey look brand new.

Engerland proper then play the mighty Belarus tomorrow. I admit it. I'm sour there's no great Spurs boys in there. Mind you, I'm sour somehow playing flamin' Stoke is now a 'pivotal' game for us.

West Ham goalie Robert Green has withdrawn from the 'acion' on the grounds that he's  got a sore knee/ is a bit s*** at the moment. Whereas born again striker Jernaim Defoe's knees appear to be nothing but an asset to him.  He demands 'Full Focus!'

Presumably to highlight the fact that he isn't a bit s*** at the moment.

Either that or he is doing lifts back after the game and needs a full bug in order to cover petrol money.

Elsewhere, Robbie Keane says he's 'Fired up for Cyprus.' Let's wish the same outcome on his Range Rover.

What a miserable sod I am.

Let's do Stoke!

 CLICKY CLICKY

He's a man with what can only be described as a formidable reputation. The last fifteen years have seen him stabbed, left with broken bones, bitten by Police dogs, deported, subject to numerous banning orders and jailed.

What Trevor Tanner has achieved without dispute is taking his firm to the top. The Yid Army, Tottenham Massive or the Spurs Firm, call them what you will, are acknowledged as one of the most ruthless, organised and successful football hooligan outfits there are.

There will be some reading this who will object to what they see as the glamourising of a thug and the encouragement of antisocial behavour. What we're actually doing here is talking about Tottenham with a fan who shares the same occasional highs and current lows as the rest of us.

Trevor's book Tottenham Massive is a fascinating read for us civilians. I have it alongside books by such authors as Dave Courtney OBE, Joey Pyle, Freddie Foreman, Bruce Reynolds and Frankie Frasier. As with those writers Trevor provides me with an insight into a Twilight World. A dangerous world but one with codes of conduct and honour. A world incidentally where regular Joes like you and me don't feature on their radar.

HH: Let's get this one out of the way. What's your response to those who would want to paint you as some thug who might as well just wander into a Sainsbury's and randomly thump people?

TT: I'm more of a Waitrose man, Harry. (laughs) Look there's a world of difference between us and the scumbags that you have wandering around in hoodies. Those little rats out there are kicking little old ladies up in the air for small change. You read the likes of Dave Courtney and Freddie Foreman you understand that. People are naughty don't get me wrong - but like you say - you don't want civilians involved. Dave's a personal friend of mine... 'Hello Dave' by the way... and by and large people love reading these sort of books. And if footballers can earn, then why shouldn't we?

HH: And these books are always about 1000 times more interesting than books by footballers. Speaking of which. Football. You and me are of a similar vintage. What was a memorable early game?

TT: One that definately got me hooked was that UEFA Cup Final. I remember Roberts scoring. I just remember the atmosphere, looking up at the floodlights. It was something else.

HH: That was some night, alright. An incredible game. So who's your all time fave Spurs player, then?

TT: Paul Gascoigne. I think for a little while there, he was the best player in the world, you know. It's sad what's happened to the fella now. He's lost the plot and it looks like he's just going one way. Amazing player and a sorry stuation now. Terrible the way he's gone.

HH: What's life like as Spurs fan right now?

TT: (Sighs) Humiliating. I turned down a ticket for Portsmouth the other week. I couldn't face it and ended watching the game in a pub down there. I saw most of it through my fingers with my hands over my face. I can't believe the the shit we're playing. You know, it's like you can always rely on Tottenham to let you down.

HH: What's your take on the current mess, then?

TT: There's something severly wrong at this club from the top down. We sign world class players and when they come here they don't fulfill their potential. It doesn't add up. We need to sort it out.

HH: Who's to blame?

TT: Levy has got Little Man Syndrome. You see that in the way he trades for players. He drags out every deal to the last penny to make it look like he's a top negotiator. What it actually looks like is we're always after something on the cheap. I don't think he does us any favors in that way. He needs to understand something. There are a lot of supporters who follow Tottenham home away and abroad and it costs a fortune. And I'll tell you maybe some of might not be able to really afford it. Maybe they're having to cut corners at home or whatever. What I'm saying is their showing a level of commitment and they deserve more. They're not getting what they deserve as fans.

HH: We had a such a good preseason...

TT: Biggest mistake we made mate was beating Roma like that. Everybody took it we were going to finish top four after that. They didn't see that game for what it was and the result didn't stand up. Italian football ain't what it was. That was a shopping trip for the wives. I wouldn't be suprised if most of then were on the wine the night before. The other games didn't mean anything either.

HH: The transfer window then and the departure of Berbatov and Keane...

TT: That Berbatov's a f***ing dog who shafted us. We took him from nowhere and set him up and he repaid us by being a selfish c***. Keane I'll tell you about. I demand loyalty. From family, from friends. What he did I took personally.

HH: How did you feel about Jol going and all that business?

TT: Not that upset. Two fifth place finishes fair enough. But I didn't think he was pulling up any great trees there. Look, nobody could have foreseen his success at Hamburg but the German league is totally different game to the Premiership. I think that there was a lot of personal stuff betweeen Jol and Levy, you know? Like it was over a bird or over a motor. There was more too it than just the football. Some people are painting him better than he was because of the state we're in now, you know? But that Ramos has got to turn things round and no excuses. £100,000 a week he's on and he's turning out s***. And people are asking if he speaks English. £100,000 a week he should be out there with the best language people and taking the press conferences and all that.

HH: Couldn't agree more. There's no reason why Gus should be doing the press. What about Hughton?

TT: He was a good as a player, you know what I mean? But you got to ask questions when he's been alongside all those men who got the tin tack and he kept himself in there all that time. No great shakes just seen as a safe pair of hands. He kept his head down and basically has been very lucky with the ride he's had.

HH: I can't see anybody for 1000 miles to shall we say 'succeed' Ramos. I think there's a good reason why any of these managers that are free at the minute are free. They're on the dole. You know what I mean?

TT: Yeah. Well I'll tell you a name, that Joe Kinnear.

HH: Eh?

TT: He's a Spurs old boy and some people make light of him but they forget the job he did at Wimbledon and the job he did there with the s*** he had. He had his work cut out there. He's a man who can the best out of players.

HH: Like Rednapp in the respect he can 'talk' to footballers?

TT: Yeah, but not a c*** like Rednapp who's just there for the money and himself. I think Kinnear's been overlooked to be honest. Well see, won't we.

HH: Okay. Best stadium for atmosphere?

TT: That's a tricky one. Depends what the game is. 18,0000 in at Cardiff and it can be rocking on a Tuesday night. Anfield can be special when it gets going. A European game at The Lane when we really need to win is hard to beat.

HH: Who get's your goat out of the TV pundits?

TT: That little c*** off Soccer AM. What's his name? That little rag with the highlights?

HH: I can't remember his name either. Chelsea isn't he. All Prada and a non stop smile.

TT: Ha ha I can't f**ing stand him anyway.

HH: Tim Lovejoy.

TT: That's him he's s***. Got to be others too (laughing) Can't just give it all to him. Andy Townsend. All that ITV lot. Townsend, McCoist and Robbie Savage. Don't rate any of them. Anyone off ITV, then.

HH: Tottenham Massive got good reviews and I know loads of peolpe who enjoyed it. So when are we getting some more then?

TT: The deal is done and I'm writing now. It'll be out before the World Cup.

HH: Listen, that was great. Maybe you can drop in again along the season and let us know what you think?

TT: My pleasure.

 All together now... Ch ch ch ch changes..

The genie is out of the lamp. What greets you is not a Disney character with mutli coloured pantaloons but the grainy image of a changling. He's thin, he's white and he's positively duke like.

"You know the drill. Three wishes and if I might ask you not to dawdle - I've a screen test on the other side of the city in an hour." He sounds like Phil Cornwall.

So you can make three changes to THFC. You may wish to install a new manager. You may wish to wallpaper the walls. It's your call...

Three changes. 

Keep 'em punchy.

This from Benny Blanco, a reliable and credible poster on Spurs Odious...

"I was staying in the same hotel as the Spurs team in Krakow and spoke to Comolli. He said that Huntelaar was never coming as he wanted to stay at Ajax and that Arshavin was not on for January as the Russians did not want to sell. He described the transfer window as 'hell'."

This is at best, spin. 

What I do know is that the initial price for Arshavin was €25 million. That was from the mouth of the Director of ZSP, so the idea that the Russians didn't want to vend is cobblers.

There were then numerous tales in the press since that price - describing the frustrations in the deal from both ZSP and Arshavin's agent.

But no remote hint that the player was off limits. Shame on you Damien.

Or is this your way of saying that the Russians didn't want to suffer the silly low offer and the painful negotiations from there on in you threw at them? If so, say so. You took a dogs age to bank the money from the sale of our best players and left us with a team that appears not to work very well.

You're the Director of Football. Increasingly there is a queue forming of good folk who like to read your forthcoming book, 'Would You Like To Know What The F*ck I Did Last Summer?'.

This comes from a couple of sources now and all I can do is pass on on good faith that which I believe to have worth. The second source is new to me - a poster of in excess 5000 comments on the Spurs forum GloryGlory who goes by the name of 'Solaar'.

The name in the frame then is  Mr. John Fredriksen.

In a nutshell, 114th on the Forbes List. Shipping magnate extraorinaire. Estimated net worth $8 Billion. 

To make an immeadiate football comparison of gelt girth for you, Roman Abrmaovich's etimated net worth is $23.5 Billion.  

Of course there are many issues here and non more pressing than  - does this genetic hybrid of Sir Patrick Moore, Jack Nicklaus with just a dash of Ron Atkinson billionaire - have any daughters?

Yes. Twins Catherine and Cecile, 24.