Just another reminder folks that we have TWO SIGNED COPIES of Adam Powley and Martin Cloake’s new book “The Spurs Miscellany” to give away in our latest competition on State of the Game!

Entry is limited again to registered members of the State of the Game forums but don’t worry if you aren’t already a member, just take 30 seconds and REGISTER FOR FREE, it’s that simple.

When you register just answer the following easy question by sending a Private Message (PM) to me (Alan) on the forums with your answer and name and you will be entered into the draw on Monday 23rd October 2006 at 5pm for a chance to win one of the two prizes.

QUESTION: Gareth Johnson writes an excellent Tottenham Hotspur column for State of the Game called “He’s Got No Hair and We Don’t Care” in tribute to current head coach Martin Jol. Which League Cup winning Spurs star of the 1970s was the “He’s Got No Hair…” song originally sang to?

Just PM the answer to me and you’ll go into the hat. Simple.

Adam and Martin have put together a fantastic collection of miscellaneous facts and stories about Spurs throughout the club’s history and it makes fascinating reading for both Spurs fans and other football fans alike.

Check out “The Spurs Miscellany” at Amazon.co.uk for more reader reviews and some more info and then register for the State of the Game forums and get your answer in quickly to stand a chance of having one of these two copies delivered to your door (UK based members only unfortunately at this time.)

Good luck!

AH
Admin, SOTG

Tom Brogan rounds up his three part series on Celtic’s often overlooked 1970 European Cup adventure

Having disposed of Leeds United in the semi-final Celtic were immediately installed as heavy favourites for the final. Their Dutch opponents, Feyenoord hadn?t endured quite as many tough matches as Celtic in the earlier rounds, although they still had their significant triumphs.
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The official word seems to be in from Rangers fans if fans forums are be believed. Paul Le Guen is rubbish and David Murray is a dick.

Well, no-one?s saying there isn?t room for criticism. We have made our worst start to a league campaign for 23 years after all.
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While Chelsea have backtracked on their latest dossier of “evidence” that they wanted to hand in to the FA on the exact reasons why Stephen Hunt kneed Petr Cech on the head we are now getting the official story of what went on with the actual ambulance crew who came to ferry Cech to hospital after his condition deteriorated in the dressing room.
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I won’t pretend that I didn’t sit watching some of the CSKA Moscow - Arsenal highlights with a smug grin after hearing the Goons had been beaten 1-0 behind the Iron Curtain and it got even better as I saw chance after chance go begging for the French Londoners before Theirry Henry finally nestled the ball in the back of the CSKA net.
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That great defender of goalkeepers’ rights and champion of wives and children, Jens Lehmann, has been speaking out today about the need to protect goalkeepers more and prevent some of his fellow professionals ending up in a wheelchair after a collision with an opposing player. Now we know why he carries on like a big Teutonic pushing jessie when the opposition have a corner and he is forced to withstand the threatened assault of an opponent standing in the six yard box - he’s only thinking of his wife and kids after all.

I don’t like Jens Lehmann. I think he’s been afforded far too much leniency in his time in England for a series of assaults on other players which would have been punished with long bans if carried out by some others with “certain reputations” such as Wayne Rooney and Edgar Davids and still this isn’t enough for Lehmann. After Petr Cech’s injury at the weekend I can understand goalkeepers being a little worried but it should be remembered that this was a freak accident and is hardly commonplace at any given time during a normal Premiership season. In fact I can’t recall a similar injury of that magnitude at all over recent times never mind a slew of them.
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It’s October competition time on State of the game and we have TWO SIGNED COPIES of Adam Powley and Martin Cloake’s new book “The Spurs Miscellany” to give away!

Entry is limited again to registered members of the State of the Game forums but don’t worry if you aren’t already a member, just take 30 seconds and REGISTER FOR FREE, it’s that simple.

When you register just answer the following easy question by sending a Private Message (PM) to me (Alan) on the forums with your answer and name and you will be entered into the draw on Monday 23rd October 2006 at 5pm for a chance to win one of the two prizes.

QUESTION: Gareth Johnson writes an excellent Tottenham Hotspur column for State of the Game called “He’s Got No Hair and We Don’t Care” in tribute to current head coach Martin Jol. Which League Cup winning Spurs star of the 1970s was the “He’s Got No Hair…” song originally sang to?

Just PM the answer to me and you’ll go into the hat. Simple.

Adam and Martin have put together a fantastic collection of miscellaneous facts and stories about Spurs throughout the club’s history and it makes fascinating reading for both Spurs fans and other football fans alike.

Check out “The Spurs Miscellany” at Amazon.co.uk for more reader reviews and some more info and then register for the State of the Game forums and get your answer in quickly to stand a chance of having one of these two copies delivered to your door (UK based members only unfortunately at this time.)

Good luck!

AH
Admin, SOTG

John Charles remains a colossus in the minds of all those fortunate enough to have seen him play the game and, two years on from his death aged 72 in 2004, remains so - even in the minds of those able only to read of his exploits on the field. The Gentle Giant, described by many as the finest centre-forward and centre-half ever seen, can be looked upon to this day as arguably the most eminently successful of all British footballing exports to the continent. Loved and admired by all who saw him play, the Welshman described by Jack Charlton as ?half the team in himself? has a place in the annals of Leeds United for all time, but it is perhaps in the minds of his adoring Italian public that he looms largest of all, and in the hearts of those devoted to Juventus he lives on as a king.

In Italian football, history is paid its dues and young and old alike, whether fan or club official, know their respective clubs? stories in a way that puts some (but one hopes not all) of their English counterparts to shame. In 2001 Charles was bestowed an unheard of honour when he became the first foreigner to be admitted to the Italian hall of fame, ahead even of Maradona and Platini. On a visit to the Stadio Delle Alpi that same year his ears rang to the chants of ?Giovanni! Giovanni!? from the massed tifosi, and a walkabout in the small town of Biella, nestled an hour from Turin at the foot of the Alps, prompted scenes of near hysteria as adults and children alike greeted him as ?Il Re! Il Re!? The King?
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For the first time ever, I’m going to quote what someone said sitting behind me in the County Ground. It was a 6-year old child, banging on the seats and clapping with the chants, with the football knowledge of a small dog trapped in a bass drum it’s entire life.

He said: ‘I thought Swindon were rubbish. But now they’re good.’

A few days ago I said that Wisey taking away the day off from the players was a bad thing. But I saw it work today. The first 5 minutes, as in any game, were scrappy. But then we found our rock. And boy, did we dive from it.
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The gambling boffins over at Football Punter have been hard at work analysing this weekend’s games and have came up with several top tips in both the English Premiership and Scottish Premier League this weekend.

Get all of their sage advice on the web’s top free football betting tips website - Football Punter.