KZN fans celebrate as Tottenham Hotspur end 17-year trophy drought in fine style

The Tottenham Hotspur Football Club ended an extremely lopsided season by ending a 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League final against old foe Manchester United in Bilbao last Wednesday.

Spurs shares immediately skyrocketed on the financial markets after the win, while the Manchester United shares plummeted.

It was a scrappy and uncharacteristic performance by Spurs, who are known for an attacking front-foot football philosophy, but who literally went defensive and effectively “parked the bus” after Brennan Johnson scored the opening goal just before halftime.

The key moments in the match was Johnson’s strike, and an acrobatic clearance off the line by Dutch International Micky van de Ven, which could have completely turned the game had the ball snuck through.

This title also ends a 41-year European trophy drought for the London club, with the last Europa title coming in 1984 against Anderlecht via a penalty shoot-out.

This title brought much joy and a distinct sigh of relief for the multitude of long-suffering Spurs supporters across the globe, who have been the subject of much banter and ridicule due to their perceived recent lack of success, although the club is entrenched in a rich, successful history, boasting a multitude of domestic and European cups, along with two league titles.

The KZN Spurs Official Supporters’ Club turned up in great numbers at the Riverside Hotel, and created a real carnival atmosphere for the evening.

“It was a nervy game and a real emotional outburst when the final whistle was blown, confirming us as champions. The most satisfying part was seeing the true emotion and joy, especially amongst the older generation of Spurs supporters,” stated Club Chairman Viren Ramprith.

He further went on to say that he hopes that this is a springboard for much greater things to come, as the club now have a winning mentality, and has given his full backing to under-fire manager Ange Postecoglu to continue in his role as he develops a young, vibrant and energetic squad, with immense potential.

Tariq Bhajan, a Club Executive, further added: “(Coach) ‘Big Ange’ has given me one of the best nights of my Spurs life, and I feel that if he is backed by Daniel Levy and the board in the upcoming transfer window with the recruitment of a few key experienced personnel in the right areas, he could go on and achieve great things with our beloved football club.”

The fan-base, though, remain divided over the future of Postecoglu, both locally and abroad.

* For more information about the KZN Spurs Official Supporters’ Club, please contact Megan Pillay on 0828871921, Aslam Ismail on 0837915374 or [email protected]