An Interview with Paul Stewart.

Paul Stewart signed for Spurs in 1988 for £1.7 million pounds, he had previously played for Man City scoring regularly in the season they were relegated. Turned into a midfielder by Terry Venables he became a massive part of our side. Allowing Gazza to express himself more freely, Paul scored important goals from midfield. None more so than the equaliser in the 1991 FA Cup Final. Here is Tottenham Hotspur Banters interview with one of my favourite players, Paul Stewart. Paul’s book can be bought from the link below. It’s a superb book, a great present for a spurs fan to get for Christmas .

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0757XQ32D/ref=nodl_

AH: You started your career at Blackpool moving between midfield and centre forward, you then  moved to Man City who were unfortunately relegated in your only season there and then joined Spurs in 1988 at the same time as a certain Paul Gascoigne, what made you join Spurs?  Was anyone else interested in you at the time?

PS: I actually played as a striker at both Blackpool and Man City and signed for Spurs as a striker, I ended up in midfield by coincidence as I was playing in a game for Spurs and we had a player sent off, so it was a choice between Gary Lineker and me who would drop back, Links was never going to do a job in midfield so I was the other option, and ended up doing really well so Venners kept me in there! I suppose I’d have to say that Terry sold the club to me at our first meeting, the plans he had and the players that were already there and the ones he was looking at bringing in i.e, Gazza

AH: Did Gazza signing at the same time as you take the pressure of you a little or did you feel more pressure to try and prove you were as good or better than him?

PS: It wasn’t that really, I was bought as a Striker and naturally I was under pressure to score goals, I’d scored 30 in all comps the season before at Man City which prompted Terry and Spurs to pay £1.7 Million for me.

AH: You made your debut as a striker at Spurs 1^st October 1988 in a 2-2 draw against Man Utd missing a stoppage time penalty, what are your memories of your debut?

PS: Well I guess the penalty would by my memorable moment of my debut, I earned the penalty and I’d taken them for Man City and Blackpool so it was a chance to get off the mark early on in my Spurs career, unfortunately I grabbed it off our regular penalty taker Terry Fenwick and as you know missed it as it came back off the bar, I got a rollicking in the dressing room off Terry and didn’t take another!

AH: You scored 12 goals that year in your first season, but subsequently moved back into a midfield role alongside Gazza, Nayim and Paul Allen, was that your preferred position?

PS: If I’m honest, my preferred position was striker, but after playing alongside the players above in particular Gazza, I realised that if I win the ball and give it to Paul, then he would do something magical, it just became natural and a very good gig for me given the talent alongside me.

AH: What are your memories of the 1991 semi final win against Arsenal?

PS:Being the first semi to be played at Wembley, and against our arch rivals, we were so up for the game, Arsenal had dominated the league and beaten us regularly in the Derby’s, so we went into the match as under dogs, we had heard a whisper that Arsenal had already recorded there cup final song, which infuriated us even more, this actually turned out to be hearsay but it had already had the desired effect, I remember we dominated the match and of course who could forget that free kick Gazza scored!! One of the best scored at the old Wembley ever.

AH: We had all the turmoil around the club during this time, with Scholar and Sugar battling for control of the club. There were rumours everyday of us going broke and Robert Maxwell buying us, how did that affect the players in the run up to the cup final?

PS: Honestly, it didn’t we were kept out of it, I think the players were so focused on the final, anything off the field was not in the equation, I do remember that the players including myself really liked Scholar, as he was very approachable and travelled with the team to away games!

AH: You scored the equaliser in the cup final, what else do you remember about the build up to the game? Did the players ever doubt they would ever win it, even when Gazza went off?

PS: I remember it like yesterday, and as I’ve written in my book, I had come on a long journey to get to that point in my career, that I was going to make sure nothing would get in my way, yes it was disappointing Paul going off, but you have a choice, do you lie down or do you give it your all, I believe I did the latter, and managed to get us back in the game with my goal, which then ignited the rest of the lads!! To go on and lift the trophy

Id like now to allow some of our followers to ask you a few questions, firstly Lisa Wild,

Lisa Wild: Who would be his all time favourite Spurs player?

PS: Easy one, Gazza!!!

Mark Heeley: Who was the best manager you played for and why?

PS:My first manager at Blackpool Sam Ellis, because he taught me that to succeed you need to work hard, Peter Ried at Sunderland as he was a players manager and if you give your best that’s all he would ask of you, and Terry Venables, because every day was interesting in training and I believe he was head and shoulders in terms of coaching in the 90’s

Mark Spry: Do you regret leaving Spurs when you did and going to Liverpool?

PS: In truth no! I was a northern lad and I was living in London away from my family, so I was given the chance to return home to one of the biggest clubs in the world, unfortunately I was struggling with my own demons, and the move didn’t work out, but that was nobody’s fault but my own!

Allison Brailsford: Do you feel slightly healed by opening up or has it made you feel worse?

PS: I have to leave that for other’s to answer, something like this does not heal over night, the support I have received from the nation is overwhelming, but I guess knowing that speaking out has helped so many others, then that’s what has made it all worthwhile!

Jeannie Dunsby: Id like to say you have survived your worst days, what is your vision of your future now?

PS: To keep working with the governing bodies such as the FA and EFL and Premier league, so that something like this can never happen to our future children and grandchildren, then look at all regulated children’s activities and make sure safeguarding is high on the agenda! 

Finally Id like to talk about your book, its a brutally honest account of your life so far, some of its not easy to read, but I feel its absolutely a must read. People need to know this has happened so as we don't keep making the same mistakes, and allowing these people to infiltrate our every day life.

AH: What prompted you to tell your story now?

PS: Simply in the hope that it would help others somehow come to terms with what has happened to them and hope that they seek help and not go down the destructive road I did.

AH: Ive read your book and personally I couldn’t help but feel angry at what had happened to you as a young boy, I have two young sons myself and it really stuck home with me that these people we trust abuse their positions in such ways, do you think there are enough controls in place now to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

PS: That is what we are endeavouring to do, by collaborating with the powers that be, I would say that since coming forward in November 2016 that regulations, procedures and polices are far more stringent, but I also believe that we should never become complacent.

AH: I also got a sense of closure from it from you, I know the memories will never fade, but it felt like you could now move on with your life, would be correct?

PS: I think I owe it to my family to try and move on, although it’s not something that is fixed over night, I know through my actions I have caused them a lot of pain and suffering, which is all laid bare in the book, but I believe now that they understand me a little more as do my friends, the book was a chance for me to to tell my story and I think you will agree it is more than just a football autobiography, my hope is that others read it that have suffered and don’t take the same path as I did to devastating effects, but seek help, as far as myself, I take one day at a time!!

AH: By writing your book has it opened up more dialogue for people to ask for help who have experienced something similar?

PS: I hope so, from the messages I have received sine I came forward it would appear that I have been able to help many others, which is what I did it for so you could say that it has achieved its purpose! Again I have to let others decide that!

Paul finally thank you for doing this, its been a pleasure to talk to you about your time at Spurs, you've been honest and more than generous with your time in doing this for us. I wish you well for the future, the love and support from this page, from our followers, has been overwhelming for us to see as I'm sure it has been for you. Good luck Paul and if you're ever in London let us know because we would love to do a video one if possible.