Russ Pegrum Fan Interview

The return of the fan interview! This ones a little special. I've been Facebook friends with Russ's mum for a while along with numerous other Spurs fans. Its through her posts about Russ that I came to hear of his story and realised what a real inspiration he is. Life has dealt him a real shitty hand but he always seems to be so positive about his life. So I reached out and asked if he would want to do a fan Interview with us, and share some of his memories about Spurs. He agreed and below is his Top 10 moments as a Spurs fan. Enjoy. 

My name is Russ Pegrum, I'm 48 y o and I'm currently fighting (and losing) to bowel cancer. I'm still enjoying life and supporting Spurs helps with that. Well, sometimes.

In no particular order I have chosen 5 goals and 5 other memories.

1. Harry Kanes goal against Arsenal. The one he smashed in from way out by the corner flag. No more explanation needed.

2. Gareth Bales volley against Stoke. Power, accuracy and incredible agility to get his leg up like that.

3. Heung Min Sons goal vs Burnley. The pace and stamina were incredible. Definitely one of my favourite ever players. He won the Puskas award for that goal at the end of the season as well.

4.Glenn Hoddles chip vs Watford. Apparently Glenn thought he was having a shocker that day but the goal was typical Hoddle. Absolutely majestic.

5. Gazzas free kick vs Arsenal in the FA Cup semi. The fact that it was a semi final AND against Arsenal made it even better.

6. I was not happy when we signed William Gallas from Arsenal. Why would we want an Arsenal reject. But one midweek evening against opposition I can't remember he got injured. It took a few minutes to get the sub ready and during that time Gallas put his body on the line, throwing himself in front of everything even though he was playing on 1 leg. That was the night Gallas won my respect!

7. UEFA Cup final vs Anderlecht. I remember 2 fairly ordinary games but an exciting penalty shoot out. Mickey Hazard told a cool story recently. Apparently Graham Roberts told the other players he would take the first penalty so they would go 1-0 up and immediately put pressure on Anderlecht. How's that for confidence!

8. Signing Rafael VdV from Real Madrid for a measly £8m. I thought it was a wind up. What a signing and it came out of nowhere.

9. Lucas Mouras hat trick against Ajax in that Champions league semi. One of the few times I've seen my dad shed a tear. (Believe me he wasn't the only man shedding a tear that night, Tony)

 

10. Beating Villa 2-1 at home on Sunday. Purely because the last time I saw Spurs actually win live was a pre season friendly against Inter. They won 5-1 and I think Darren Bent scored 3.

Some great memories there Russ so thank you. Some of those are I my top ten as well, watching Gazzas freekick go in, in a pub in Camden with all my wife's Arsenal supporting family was a highlight! Being allowed as a kid to stay up late and watch that Anderlect game then buzzing all day at school the next day, just brilliant.

If anyone wants to do one let me know in the comments and I'll contact you. 

The League That Noone Wants

 The more I read about this Super League the more convinced I am it will happen. It'll happen because before this statement, all the infrastructure, the TV rights and the planning had all been completed. These aren't stupid owners, these are very successful business men who have made fortunes doing what they do best. Investing in projects and taking them to the next level. 

They don't care who scored the most goals, who played the most times, how long you and your family have supported the club. To them you are a cash cow who will put money into thier product no matter how badly they treat you, and they know it as well.

The media, Sky, BBC, Bt sport are throwing thier dummies out thier prams because they see the cash cow disappearing. They've had thier pants pulled down and they don't like. The bully has become the bullied. 

Sky's bias towards Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City is legendary and not for good reasons. They created transfer deadline day, graphs showing how much money was being spent, reporters outside grounds. You created the project, pushed that project and now its turned on you and you don't like. Well tough. Get used to it because the tide has turned. 

YOU started it. You went behind the FAs back and held clandestine talks to grab the TV rights away from testrial TV stations. You did this with every sport you could. 

YOU hid it behind a paywall and robbed a generation of following sport because their parents couldn't afford it. 

YOU created the haves and the have not, the greed that is now inherent in our game.

YOU whored the Premier League around Europe and the world saying it was the best in the business and everyone wanted to be in it, look at all the money we have.

Then you sat back and watched the money roll in, incredibly smug in the pot of gold you had created. You looked down on the rest of us struggling to follow the game that was ours.

But you had poked the wolves nest, slowly but surely you invited them into the chicken coop. First letting Ambramovic buy Chelsea, what fun you had telling everyone of player after player that he bought.

Then the Glaziers bought Man utd, what great people they were and how wonderful that Americans were taking an interest in your product, how you loved it. 

Then the Mansours got hold of Man City. Robinho bought on deadline day. Headline after headline. Isn't this brilliant look how clever we are, look how much money they are spending on the game, doesn't it look wonderful. 

Then UEFA decided to mess about with the European Cup, let's make sure all the big clubs are always in it, let's give them 4 places each year, that'll keep them happy. We'll make it almost impossible for a team without money to get in it, the money we give to those competing will keep the riff raff at the door. We don't want them, we want the so called elite and no one else. 

The problem was they sat and they waited. They watched it grow and grow. Watched as more and more money entered the coffers and when the time was right BAM!!! They struck and now you are so far out of your league you have no idea what's hit you.

The Superich invaded. They bought the clubs, they control the game now and theirs nothing you can do about it. How upset you are about this, how dare they take your prized toy away from you. Who do they think they are?

They will make this like American sport. Two conferences, teams going into the playoffs, an overall champion. No relegation, a closed shop that only the richest can attend A salary cap, players being paid hundreds of millions a year. Disney, amazon and others buying the rights. Sky and others scrapping around for the odd game here and there, the odd highlight if they are lucky. How the tables have turned. 

Sky broke, the Premier league broke, a second class tournament that no one cares about. Every league winner will always have an asterix next to thier achievements because these clubs walked away. The question will always linger, "Would they have won it if Liverpoo/Man ud etc had been in it?" The answer is well never know  forever tainting that achievement.  All that history gone forever. They just don't care. It's that simple. 

The fans will gripe and moan but as the older generations like me die out the young ones will know no different. Like today all they know is the Premier League and Champions league. Remember when you bought FIFA and got all the players? Then EA started charging you for them, people moaned but now it's the norm. You pay your £60 then hundreds more to unlock players that were once free. Yet every year you go back and do the same thing again and again. This is exactly the same but on a far grander scale. 

This is the biggest dose of Karma I've ever seen. The TV companies thought they controlled the game, and for a while they did. They told us when to watch and what to watch and we lapped it up like the good children we are, so very grateful for SKY allowing us to watch our teams. 

Let me play devils advocate. Think about this, would you rather your club be in it or out of it, because if you say out your an old fossil like me. They don't want us, we don't spend enough money, oh we buy the season tickets but we don't buy the 5 course meals or bring in the corporate clients. We are the ruffians they want to leave behind, and they will.

They want the kids, the younger more hipper generation. The ones who will pay the streams and think nothing of it. You won't care about tradition and such forth, they just want to watch what they are told is the best league in the world. Who says so? Why those wonderful TV companies that's who!!

Stamp your feet and make your protests unfortunately it won't change a thing. It will happen no doubt about it. Its just a question of when it starts now. 

RIP football you were so much fun whilst you lasted.