And Still Ricky Villa by Ricky Villa

Author:Ricky Villa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-10-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

CONTENDERS AT LAST

I would like to go on record as saying that Garth Crooks was an excellent striker.

Signed from Stoke City in the summer of 1980, he arrived at White Hart Lane as part of Keith Burkinshaw’s ongoing attempts to revive the fortunes of Tottenham Hotspur. That process had begun in earnest following the club’s promotion in 1978, when Ossie and I were joined in our new surroundings by John Lacy, a central defender lured across London from Fulham. The following year saw Terry Yorath added to the squad, with the former Leeds United man providing a welcome dose of experience in a side that was beginning to feature a promising crop of youth-team products such as Chris Hughton, Paul Miller, Micky Hazard and Mark Falco. Signs of a revival had been evident but, as the manager needed no reminding, they were all too sparing.

After two seasons back in the top-flight – both of which had finished with his side occupying mid-table positions of 11th and 14th – Keith was determined to build on the promising foundations at his disposal and develop a stylish team capable of mounting a serious challenge for honours. The acquisition of Garth, for £600,000, proved to be a highly astute piece of business. Another forward, Steve Archibald, was also signed that summer, and the two formed a deadly alliance almost immediately. Their goals were a crucial feature of the success that Tottenham enjoyed in the first half of the 1980s, and Garth was most definitely an integral part of the team. A prolific striker, he possessed that wonderful attribute of blistering pace that was valued by colleagues and feared by opposing defenders in equal measure. He did have weaknesses, of course. He was my regular tennis opponent during my time at Tottenham and, unless my memory is being conveniently selective, I often got the better of Garth. In fact, I’m not sure he ever beat me. But, while hitting the net on a tennis court was a regular source of irritation, his knack of doing exactly that on a football pitch – as he did 22 times in his debut season – made him a popular character at the club.

If you’re wondering why I’m lavishing such praise on my old friend, the reason is simple: Garth Crooks claims that I killed his career. And, I have to say, I can see where he’s coming from. At the sharp end of the 1980/81 season I stole the limelight from Garth on a night that would otherwise have belonged to him. Twice.

That campaign of 1980/81, my third as a Spurs player, was an unforgettable one for everybody associated with Tottenham Hotspur. The previous two seasons had been something of a struggle. The team was constantly changing – the line-up was often altered after a defeat, of which there were several – the performance levels of individual players varied wildly and, as a result, we failed to establish any sort of consistency. For the first time in my football career, I was going into games without being certain that my team could win.

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