DAVID PLEAT

David Pleat and t-shirts - Pleatees isn’t it.

During the 90’s we’d sack managers more often than other clubs and in the interim, Spurs stalwart, kerb-crawler and undisputed prince of the English language David Pleat who would always step in as Caretaker Manager. He loves the club and during his brief spells in the WHL dugout there was always a dizzy, “it can’t get much worse than this but who cares” feeling about it. The thing about Pleat is that he represents a time at Spurs when things were pretty dire from a footballing perspective, but in many ways it was more fun to support Spurs than it is now. It was a daft, yet deeply nostalgic era where the occasional genius (Sheringham, Ginola, Klinsmann) would feature in a line up alongside a team of lead-footed clowns. It was the hope that killed us.

Pleaty has always had a special way with words and was once referred to by Jack Straw as the “Charlotte Brontë of association football”. He famously coined the phrase “caught red handed” when a ketchup sachet fell out of his pocket while meeting the queen at the opening of Fleet Services. As a TV and radio commentator Pleat exhibits a cavalier disregard for player name pronunciations. Some call it disrespectful, but we see it as the mark of a creative pioneer with a boundless enthusiasm for our beloved game. 

If you ever feel stuck in a rut, a Pleaty quote is the perfect tonic. Here are a rip snorters to kick start your day: 

“A game is not won until it is lost”

"There's always been a fierce rivalry between Spurs and Tottenham”

“Ronaldo has been compared to the incomparable George Best”

“He is an interesting player - short back legs”

Good luck out there Spurs fans and remember “When you've got a mountain to climb you may as well throw everything into the kitchen sink”.

Up the Pleat. COYS 

David John Pleat (born 15 January 1945) started off as a player, then became a manager and eventually a commentator. He had two spells as manager of Luton Town football club (during which time he was accused of kerb-crawling in a carpark), and four as manager of Spurs (three as Caretaker Manager) between 1986 - 2004. 

We all kind of love David Pleat because he epitomises the nostalgia that we all feel for Spurs. So Pleatees it was - a combination of Pleat and Tees.