Jeff Stelling mocks Tottenham after ‘stupid’ message from the club
Tottenham have been mocked online by Jeff Stelling after a “stupid” message from the club as they struggle to win a trophy.
Spurs have had a miserable second season under Ange Postecoglou, sitting 12th in the Premier League, having finished fifth in the 2023/24 standings.
Tottenham have been riddled by injuries this year, but with most of the squad returning in recent weeks, the North London club are now on a three game win-streak, making them the Premier League’s most in-form side.
Spurs secured their third win in a row against Ipswich on Saturday (22 February), with Djed Spence having missed portions of the season with an injury.
Despite a topsy-turvy season that has seen Postecoglou consistently rumoured to be fighting for his job, Spurs decided that the most pressing matter to contend with is the matter of their name.
In an email to broadcasters the club made clear they do not want to be referred to as “Tottenham“, instead preferring “Tottenham Hotspur” or just simply, “Spurs”.
Tottenham have ‘bigger fish to fry’ and should worry about trophies instead
Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday morning (24 February), Stelling and Ally McCoist spoke about the request that Tottenham had made to broadcasters.
Stelling began by asking the former Scotland international (9.56am): ”Ally, do you think this is exactly the kind of change that Tottenham should be focusing on to bring a trophy to the club?”
After putting extra emphasis on the word Tottenham, Stelling’s question left McCoist in stitches, as the former Rangers striker tried to give a composed response: “Listen! You’re asking a man that has to concentrate and write down every day in life that it’s ‘Nottingham Forest’, cause I keep making that mistake and they’ll kill me when I get there! But no, I think they’ve got far bigger fish to fry than worrying about that.”
| Tottenham’s most recent competition wins by competition: |
| First Division (1961) |
| FA Cup (1991) |
| League Cup (2008) |
| UEFA Cup (1984) |
Stelling then said: “It’s a guarantee, it’s a guarantee that you are gonna get called a lot, lot worse than ‘Tottenham’ by saying stupid things like that, for goodness sake!”
The stance is not a new one for the North London club, having first announced they were no longer just “Tottenham” in 2011.
The decision seemingly comes from a desire to grow the club’s global presence, with Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United all cited as clubs who are referred to by full name, or the second part of their name, rather than the area they originate from.
Global presence for Tottenham limited if they cannot win trophies
Football Insider Verdict
You can change your name as much as you like, but ultimately, an international fanbase stems from a team’s success on the pitch.
The reason for the global explosion of international fans for United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea is not because of the catchiness of their name, rather it came from winning competitions like the Champions League and the Premier League.
Tottenham’s choice to remind broadcasters of their preferred name, shows a disrespect towards their current fanbase, as they focus on where they want to go, rather than being proud of where the club comes from.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy looks set to sell the club, and he may have made the move in a last-ditch attempt to get a bidder to meet the asking price he has set for the club.