Sunday, November 21, 2010

Arsenal 2 Tottenham Hotspur 3

One fan talked of how the win had comforted him through the pain of his dog dying. 

Others were struggling to get out of bed for their Sunday league game, weighed down by a mother of a hangover and sleep deprivation.

Yesterday history repeated itself, although it took seventeen years to do so.

Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal or the team many Spurs fans refer to as 'the scum' 3-2 at the Emirates.

One fan described how, "The carnal scenes that followed were akin to something from the Roman Empire as grown men kissed and hugged each other in complete abandon. Shirts were dispatched by the players into the crowd and supporters danced on seats singing “We’re not going home” which they didn’t for a good twenty five minutes after the final whistle."

After the match Tottenham fans were cordoned off by the police and taken on a slow march around Highbury, including a circuit of the old stadium.

Fans were thus afforded all the time they needed to ensure their songs of celebration resonated through the physical fabric and minds of their old enemy.

Strength in numbers brings out the provocative in us all. Walking around Finsbury Park mosque, one of the touring crowd unleashed the Star of David.

The Spurs connection with Jews has often been commented on. Many Spurs fans refer to themselves as the Yid Army although no-one is sure quite why. One obvious link is the number of Yiddish speakers in Stamford Hill, an area which border's on Tottenham's south side.

Yiddish refers to a Germanic language spoken by Eastern European Jews. According to Wikipedia, 'There are well over 30,000 Yiddish speakers in the United Kingdom, and several thousand children now have Yiddish as a first language'


On the subject of football

Check out Tottenham's Ghanain fans' World Cup celebrations.

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