TOTTENHAM TIL' I DIE... A REVIEW...
ComeOnSpurs.com 11-1-2010
Amidst the frantic melee in Tottenham's manic retail outlets, there lurks a book that will be worth the usual pre-match scrum down! 'Tottenham 'Til I Die' offers the perfect reflection of the liquid humanity that flocks to the Lane on a regular basis, and the stories of anguish, togetherness and humour that have chequered our lives as fans.
My own football life has gathered a large and cherished [and dusty] collection of books from which I should qualify for my own official Tottenham anorak. I digest and remember news about my team, yet rarely stop to consider that I'm not the only suffering or celebrating disciple of the boys in lilywhite who have captivated our minds and hearts. Why? Why do we do it, and why does a mere football team mean so much for so many?
On reading this delightful salutary tome to our inconsistent heroes, I became overwhelmed by the depth of emotion that surrounded every entry. Entire lives had been affected by 'our' fortunes, and misfortunes. Yet, amid the plethora of devoted children, those who'd married and then divorced in the name of loyalty, and dedicated lives in devotion to travelling the World in pursuit of Glory, Glory, one man stood out.
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Emad Nimah's story jumped out from the traditionally swaying crowd - like Hoddle's famous Watford chip, a Lennon sprint into attack, or even a jinking, swerving Greaves' shake of hips culminating in the inevitable goal.
This is a man who was held hostage for over three thousand days during the Iraq-Iran conflict. Under the threat of sixty lashes, or worse, for merely listening to a radio set, Emad gambled with his own safety, possibly his life, merely to grasp any isolated Tottenham news on the distant airwaves!
Caught on a [medium] wave of Tottenham passion during an early-sixties', UK education, the heroic Emad suffered at the hands of a dominant regime, while images of him clutching a small radio to his ear in search of news from the Lane are as endearing and emotive as anything I've ever heard in this great game of ours.
If you're tired of reading about the poor, under-privileged kid from the streets of nowhere, who now drapes himself in models and bling, or the dubious, spurious exploits of those self-appointed terrace 'heroes', or enjoy people-watching as much as the anoraked, billy-no-mates who's writing this review, then this book is for you.
Personally, I regularly cringe at the repetitious predictability of our current book genre, but Tottenham 'Til I Die has certainly renewed my faith in the only people that matter in our fantastic game... our fans!.
