Tottenham fans get a bad rep. While not viewed as tough as those kicking about at The New Den, they’re seen as stubborn, loyal and not about to change their ways for anybody, especially not the threats of the FA. “We’ll Sing What We Want” said the T-shirts on sale outside White Hart Lane on Sunday but they weren’t doing a roaring trade. The reason? Perhaps because contrary to popular belief, most Spurs fans understand that some chants are offensive and are happy to change their behaviour accordingly…
There’s been a massive debate about the Y word and the Spurs faithful across the media over the past few months. However, sitting in the crowd on Sunday at the wholly frustrating Newcastle game, I can honestly say that the whisperings of the word were short-lived and not taken up by the rest of the stands. No longer were we the yid army, instead we were just Tottenham, super Tottenham from the Lane as we’ve always been.
In fact, sitting all around me on Sunday were the most comical of crowds, choosing to ignore the team hitting everything directly at TIm Krul and instead concentrating on concocting new chants for our clutch of fresh signings.
“It’s difficult to get the word Chiriches into a song isn’t it?” debated the man with the flat cap one row up from me. “I tried it, impossible,” concurred his mate, both hoping to make our new Romanian centre back feel loved.
“What about this though,” babbled another eagerly. “I’ve got a great one for Lamela. Ready? ‘Everywhere you go, always take Lamela with you’,” he sang, while his bearded friend nodded his approval. “Love it – bringing a bit of Crowded House to the stands,” he replied deadpan. “Now all we need is for AVB to play him,” the triumphant lyricist replied of our struggling Argentinian winger.
On Sunday we had a few bursts of ‘Jermaine Defoe, he’s a yiddo’ when he was introduced on 70 minutes, but apart from that the Y word lounged quietly in the back of the stands watching the game with the rest of us. I hope it stays that way: most Spurs fans are not out to offend but it’ll also take time for the word to wriggle totally free. While we wait I only hope that Lamela gets the start he merits, if only so we can crack open the Crowded House…