The future under Daniel Levy looks bright!
The future under Daniel Levy looks bright!
By Peter J Arnold
The news that Pochettino could be
coming back to us is good news all around. I can understand why he was
initially dropped as Levy wanted a more upmarket name in the hope of enticing
big advertisement to his stadium, and you cannot get any more a prominent name
than Jose Mourinho. Sadly it did not work out, so Levy once again turns to Poch
(hopefully).
Ever since Levy and the board decided
to bulldoze White Hart Lane into oblivion and replace it with a Palace (an
Entertainments Palace) for all sorts of ambitious money-making schemes, there
had to be sacrifices along the way (at the beginning). First, the team had to
be cut to its barebones, then ticket prices had to go up, and the transfer
spending had to be curtailed (all for a good course).
The new money-making stadium went over
budget, and now that has to be recouped. This means that Tottenham will not
compete on the same level as Chelsea, Liverpool, United and City for many years
to come. So, for many years – probably about 10 or more – we will just have to
be observers to the Premier and Champions League races. But do not fear fellow
supporters, the cups that everybody has a chance of winning (the minnow FA
& League Cups) will be there for us to challenge for. And we are no
strangers to the FA Cup and League Cups'. In the last 30 years, we won two League
Cups and an FA Cup. For a team that has been punching above its weight, we
should congratulate those behind their successes.
On top of that, there is the Europa
Conference league for us, which is within our grasp and not that far away is
the Europa League. So once we start climbing the league table ladder again, we
can set our sights on the Europa League. So plenty to look forward to with Levy's
tight hold on the transfer money.
As for the League and European
Champions League, well, that will have to be a dream. Do not forget that we
have never won that competition in our history, and the closest we got was
under Pochettino (who was under Levy's supervision). Even the so-called great
double side could only manage to get to the semi-finals before being beaten by
Benfica in 1962. As for the League, we have managed to capture that title twice
in our history, the first time was 1951, and the second was part of the double
team's conquests. That so-called great team only came close once again to
winning the League Title, and that was in 1963 when they were second to Everton,
who won it that year. So even the great Bill Nicholson or Arthur Rowe could not
reproduce their one finger-touch of the title.
Our most significant moment in history
was indeed at the beginning of the swinging sixties (the double) with a few
other minor trinkets thrown in along the way, so when you put all that into
perspective, any chance of rising above the past (and it will not be that hard)
will be through Levy, our money-making stadium and the team that will be
eventually built under Levy's administration. But patience will be the name of
the game. After that? It will not be long before we have a reconstructed
European Super League and even a World Premier League that will allow teams
like us and the other big five to compete with the elites in the world. Cup Finals
will be – in future – held in luxury stadiums surrounded by wealth, and the
opportunities to make even more money will be beyond our wildest dreams.
Now I am no HG Wells, but what I can
tell you, looking around at how we have advanced in my own meagre lifetime, is
that technology is the future for sports fans.
As people become more prosperous (more
affluent), there will be more luxury stadiums for their pleasure (like the
Tottenham stadium). However, those who cannot live as their richer brothers and
sisters will still take part, but through high tech facilities, such as
superior Goggles/ or TV screens, which will make you feel that you are at the
stadium. At a price, you can watch the games you could not afford to visit in
person and in the comfort of your own homes. The future is bright, and people
like Levy will be the ones to take us there.
Money has always been the power that
makes the earth circle a bit better and enhances our lives. It is the money men
and always has been the money men (& women) and those with a vision that
has got us where we are today.
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a
matter of vision and planning. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a
thing to be achieved by the powerful, wealthy and visionaries.
How far all that will be in the future
is anybody's guess, and whether I will see it or not, I cannot say, but it will
come. Those reading this in horror just think of the Luddites and their failure
to resist the inevitable. Luddites? Who?
TO END THIS ARTICLE, all I can say is
enjoy the ride, enjoy our luxury stadium, and while enjoying the moment, look
around you and think of the possibilities that the future can bring?
By Peter J Arnold
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