Former Spurs defender Graham Roberts explains how Tottenham’s integration of international players has impacted some of the club’s most distinguished traditions and rivalries.
Roberts is held in high regarded by older-generation Tottenham fans as a legend.
He played for the club during an era of success in the early 1980’s, winning two FA Cups and one UEFA Cup with the side between 1980 and 1984.
During Roberts’ days on the pitch, Tottenham, along with the majority of other British football clubs, was predominantly a British side fielding players from all corners of the British Isles.
The former centre-back tells how the camaraderie amongst British players back then was strong, with an almost family-like sense of togetherness, but with the side having become more internationally diverse over the years this old-school player culture has considerably diminished.
“The Tottenham side has changed a lot because of how British football has changed and become more international,” he says.
“Back when I played for Spurs we were mostly British lads and living in each other’s pockets. We would all go out to eat together.
“This doesn’t happen so much now, with a mixture of nationalities the team isn’t so close knit.”
The former Spurs hard-man says certain traditions amongst players such as rivalries with opposition sides, have gone out of the window. He used the historic antagonism between Tottenham and their north London nemesis Arsenal, as a prime example.
“There used to be a massive rivalry between Tottenham and Arsenal, both on and off the pitch.
“I know it’s still very much the case amongst supporters but I don’t think there is the same kind of grudge on the pitch nowadays.
“The foreign players just don’t seem to understand what historical rivalry means to the supporters of the club they play for, which is a shame as it takes away some of that tradition from the fans.”
Graham Roberts’ autobiography, ‘Hard as Nails,’ is available to purchase on Amazon