For those of you that missed it, we’ve got not one but TWO reports courtesy of ETP and BennyCat along with numerous videos. Simply check out the links below.

ETP’s Report
BennyCat’s Report
Videos on Facebook

SiHK will grow and grow and it will become whatever you all decide it to be but for now I have to move on although I am sure Hong Kong hasn’t seen the last of me yet and if any of you are in Shanghai then let me know

I will miss my SiHK family of that there is little doubt.

FACT.

If you are a Spurs supporter in Hong Kong then come and watch the game with us - we won’t ignore you we promise. Anyone is welcome (as long as you are Spurs of course) and it promises to be a packed house so don’t be shy. Spurs in Hong Kong is an open house and everybody is welcome. We look forward to seeing all the usual suspects as well as some new faces. See you there…

Football is a tumultuous game and football fans can sometimes have short term memories. The recent run of results for the last 2 months have been disappointing. Not exactly poor, but flaccid, inconsistent, disinterested. A string of 1-1 draws against Middlesboro, Blackburn, Wigan and Bolton epitomised this mediocrity. The heavy defeat at Birmingham may have been put down to overblown Wembley celebrations taking their toll, but the second-half mauling at home to Newcastle was inexplicable and surely unacceptable in all Lilywhite eyes. Wins over Portsmouth, Reading and West Ham, and a thrilling 4-4 draw with Chelsea complete a run since lifting the League Cup of Won: 3, Drawn: 5 and Lost: 3. Not good, but certainly not terrible.

This run of results has frustrated many and left sections of Spurs’ support questioning the team’s chances next season of returning to the 5th place finishes achieved under Martin Jol. The press and blogosphere are abuzz with rumours of whole-sale changes amongst the playing squad and murmurings that the players don’t connect with Juande Ramos.

But let’s step back and look at the whole season to provide a little more perspective. Spurs got off to a terrible start, universally attributed to the board’s undermining of Jol and not-so-private courting of Ramos. The manner of this farce was shameful, but whether the ultimate decision to appoint Ramos was correct will be seen next season. The League Cup win and securing a UEFA cup place again were obviously positives, but so too was the team’s league form at the beginning of the Spaniard’s tenure. Underperforming ‘favourites’ were dropped, Spurs began to win matches and Jermaine Jenas played himself into the England team. Taking the team from the relegation zone to comfortably mid-table was an achievement of sorts, and there is every reason to expect a much higher finish when Ramos has a full season, and pre-season with which to work. Ramos’ league results are W:10, D:9, L:7. Compare that to Jol’s contribution this year of 1-4-5 and the argument is strengthened for what a full season under Ramos could achieve. Ramos’ form extrapolated over the full season would amount to 57 points, suggesting that it’s a fissure to be bridged to reach the top 4, not a canyon.

The calls for replacing whole swathes of the team and squad also seem alarmist. This is the same group of players that finished 5th last season minus Jermain Defoe and bit-part players such as Mido, Hossam Ghaly and Danny Murphy. Few would disagree that Alan Hutton, Jonathan Woodgate, Luka Modric and a fit-again Gareth Bale clearly improve not only the squad but also the first XI.

Some signings are needed to push on beyond 5th place, not least either keeping Dimitar Berbatov or securing one of the high-calibre forwards being touted, such as Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o or Valencia’s David Villa. A goalkeeper is also a high priority, along with an experienced central defender to cover the assumption that Woodgate and King won’t always be available. The other ideal signing would be a central midfield player in the Edgar Davids mould; a player who disrupts the opposition without sacrificing too much creativity, such as an audacious bid for Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso, who may be available following the Rossonieri’s capture of Mathieu Flamini. Three or four key signings like these would strengthen the team sufficiently for a strong campaign next year.

There are several other reasons for optimism. Tottenham are one of the richest clubs in England (in fact the richest club in the world not playing Champions League football) and have the transfer kitty to attract the necessary personnel, as well as the attraction of being London-based. It would appear that the board are also becoming more flexible with wage structures if there is any truth in Woodgate’s reported salary and the new contract on offer to Berbatov. Daniel Levy has shown business nous in many transfers and sponsorship deals

The club still have a large number of followers both in loyal supporters filling White Hart Lane each week and a global fan-base purchasing the merchandise and demanding the television coverage that now, like it or not, provides significant funding and an enhanced brand.

Crucially, the man running the team seems to possess the leadership and coaching skills to drive the players towards success. Ramos’ Spurs destroyed Arsenal and outplayed Chelsea to win the Carling Cup, as well as dominating the home game against Champions Elect Manchester United. With Liverpool due to visit White Hart Lane this Sunday, Spurs may have got results against all four of England’s current Champions League representatives. This must surely instil confidence and belief.

Spurs’ 07/08 season is ending in mediocrity, not disaster. There are plenty of signs to suggest that 08/09 could see Ramos’ new Tottenham hit the ground running.

As usual sign up is available in the forums, all Spurs fans in Hong Kong are welcome, just sign-up to the forums and get your name down. If you’re not interested in playing but just want to watch(yeah really) then by all means come down and give us a cheer. There’s plenty of space in the stands believe me!

Our results from the previous games were, let’s say, mixed. The game against the Parent’s Team in Tai Po couldn’t have gone better apart from us possibly scoring more! We came away with a final score-line of 6-1 with myself(2), James(2), Number 10 and Bennylee being the scorers.

The Easter Monday Tournament was a different affair with us surprisingly not even scoring nevermind winning. We didn’t play bad but didn’t really get a hold of the games. We lost 3-0 and 1-0 against Gebo Too FC and Bear Foot FC respectively. Ignoring the results, we had a massive turnout with 20 or so players turning up along with a bunch of supporters.

After we’d finish our last game and taken some photos - coming soon - we went on to play some local kids on a public concrete pitch. Great fun and one of the rumours coming out of the SIHK camp is that Danny Boy was put on his arse by girl after she megged him. I don’t know how true this is but it probably is.

Last Sunday, 30th March, we had a SIHK vs SIHK down at the Happy Valley carpets. We were a bit short of numbers and ended up playing 5 vs 6 - blues vs whites. Some have said that the blues, although a man down, were the superior team but in the end Tottingham Snr tipped the balance for the whites with him scoring the winning goal. Congratulations to John for becoming the first of the Tottingham’s to score for SIHK.

So it’s been a busy but fun few weeks for SIHK and let’s hope it continues!

COYS!

On Easter Monday, 24th March, we will play in a three team Invitational Cup at Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. We will be facing Bear Foot FC and Gebo Tooo FC. Hopefully a win here can make us all feel a little better following Thursday’s penalty drama.

Then the following Sunday, 30th March, we will be back in the familiar surroundings of Happy Valley. Our opponent is unknown but will be confirmed asap.

No date for the Ar5ena1 Supports Club game so keep your eye on the forums.

Predictably, the match began in attritional fashion, with an early slugfest for midfield superiority. Even in those early stages though, it was clear SIHK was the more professionally-honed outfit. With the likes of Edman, Kinson, Stu and yours truly rotating in defence to repel everything hoisted to CSC’s lanky Crouch impersonator, and the midfield buzzing with the energy of Linesmann, Tony, Benny and Sam, the ball was our plaything and CSC had no answer to the link-up play of FatYid and James. Even with an Abramovich associate in the shape of the nitpicker of a referee (rant alert: telling off ETP for a trademark hard-but-fair sliding tackle but neglecting to do the same for any of Chelsea’s more blatant hacks), CSC did not appear to have any answer to our neat triangles and off-the-ball movement.

It came as no surprise that we soon took the lead, with the impressive Waddle9 slaloming round the keeper to ease one over the line. John et al on the touchline led the celebrations. After another spell of pressure, a very presentable chance which fell to FatYid could have seen us go two up but instead, on the cusp of half-time, CSC grabbed a fortuitous equaliser. The ball was hoiked over from a corner kick, taking a bounce before being swept home. 1-1 and very much game on.

If fears began to abound that there would be a trademark Spurs capitulation on the horizon, they were happily unfounded. SIHK took the lead midway through the second half with a goal which must have been crafted in Bill Nicholson’s dreams. The scrapping Linesmann seized on a loose ball and set Waddle9 free with a slide-rule pass. Opening up his barrel-chested frame, Waddle9 curled the ball around the advancing keeper and wheeled away in celebration. It was Classic Crooks, Vintage Villa, Archetypal Archibald. In making the pass, the virtuoso Linesmann was clattered into and immediately substituted, his ankle having been turned. But the pain he felt must have been considerably less than that of the CSC squad after this dagger-strike of a goal.

A third goal was soon ours, with FatYid plundering the goal his efforts had deserved with a rasping strike. The cherry on the whipped cream on the icing on the bagel. As CSC poured forward in search of goals, SIHK held firm and recorded a famous victory, after a mind-frazzling 15 minutes or so of added-time.

This was as good and as polished a performance as SIHK has given since its inception. The defence allayed pre-match scare-mongering on this very board by communicating loudly and effectively, with Edman and Sam organising and cajoling great efforts from their counterparts, and yours truly doing a passable impression of a Tourette’s riddled Larry David. In midfield, energy levels never dropped and the link-up play was superb throughout. An unselfish performance from James, holding up the ball with his usual aplomb, was another highlight, and made the touchline shouts of “HK’s Darren Bent” seem slightly uncharitable. Chris and Dannyboy put in their usual good stints and shored up the flagging backline. Paul provided a late cameo which was vital as legs tired. CK played a great game as our “sweeping keeper”, showing the kind of alertness that Ramos probably dreams of as he trawls Youtube looking for a new custodian.

A famous victory for SIHK over the South West London Infidels and one which the CSC faithful are sure to want to put right the next time the SIHK roadshow comes to the Valley. Naturally we won’t let them. Because – nyah nyah – we won and bragging rights are now ours for life. To be fair the game was played in the correct (if not entirely Corinthian) spirit and we must thank all those involved for putting together a great day of football.

And so to the Jockey, for some well-earned Diet Cokes. In the immortal words of Edman, with SIHK set to face the horrid Arsenal miscreants in the next Clash of the Supporters Clubs, we are most certainly “not yet finished”. Rumours that those very words were heard being howled from the central changing rooms after some soap slipped from his grasp are, as yet, unsubstantiated.

- Just/ETP

P.S. thanks to John for the support and Edman for the energy-ejaculating supply of post-match beers.

A report will be on the way but in the meantime here’s some pics courtesy of Kinson, 1, 2 and 3.

On a rotten day weather-wise, SIHK convened on their bogey pitch to take on their bogey team, Sam’s Soldiers. Not an auspicious beginning. Despite the poor conditions, SIHK turned out in force and claimed another record - that of being the first time the laggardly lot had turned out in full before the match kicked off! Clearly the talking to from Number10 after the last late turn-out was key to their renewed sense of punctuality. So early indeed were they, that Number10 was able to instruct the team on a full (sorta) warm-up prior to the game, and an in-depth tactical talk-through prior to kick off (another first!).

However, calamity struck. Sam’s Soliders were two men short, and as a result both Craig and Sam were enforced to join the beleaguered lot to ensure the game could commence. The next part will be difficult for me to type, but I have to, in my position of journalistic integrity, utter the factual yet abhorrent words. Craig, who had been wearing his spurs shirt, was forced to don a shirt of another colour provided to him by Sam’s Soldiers. That shirt was an ars*nal yellow away shirt….

I’ll just give you all a moment to retch with disgust, but, believe me, for those who had to witness it, it was far, far worse.

Oh and things reached a whole new depth of depravity as the game progressed, but I’m getting ahead of myself here…

Fortunately, one of Sam’s Soldiers turned up 5 minutes into the game and Craig was rescued from the dark side (after being thoroughly disinfected), lamentably Sam was forced to remain with the Soldiers to enable them to continue the 7vs7 they needed. And it was HE, yes Sam himself, who chose to put on the now discarded Arsenal away shirt.

Another moment of communal retching.

The game itself started well for SIHK, who were playing some nice stuff as they had been well aware of the damages of starting slow, after going 4-0 down at the beginning of the last game against the same opponents. Nonetheless, their pressure didn’t pay off and it was The Soldiers who scored first, with a low drive skidding off the wet turf under CK.

The heads didn’t drop and the equalizer came quickly, a loose ball buried into the bottom left-hand corner by DannyBoy who had been restored to the midfield after a poor performance in defence in the previous game. SiHK took the lead shortly after, a nice ball laid off to BennyCat by DannyBoy and the Feline One made no mistake with a calm side footer that rifled past the keeper, for his first goal in SIHK colours!
The moment of infamy, which will surely go down in the darkest days of SIHK history, however ended this brief moment of ecstasy.

A goal for the Soldiers to equalize scored by none other than the Ars*nal shirt clad Sam.
A goal scored vs a team in Spurs Shirts, by a man in an arsenal shirt who CELEBRATED his goal. Rumors of a badge kiss have been unsubstantiated and largely dismissed. The likelihood of this is about equal to that of DannyBoy being tackled by a girl…bit worrying that.

Fortunately, SIHK were in no mood to allow this unfortunate incident been the defining moment of the game and fought back with the vengeance of true heroes. CK was resolute in goal, BennyCat, Tony and Edman were IMMENSE in defence, tackling everything and anything that had the ball, Linesmann and BennyLee interchanged between defence to attack in the wide areas at will, whilst Craig, JamesY and Number10 dovetailed nicely in the center. Cameron was an immaculate BMJ impersonator on the sideline, his very presence clearly spurring the team on.

Consistent scorers Craig and JamesY were quickly on the score sheet, both getting a couple in this game. Stand outs were Craig rounding the keeper with ease to slot home and JamesY powering an immaculate shot into the corner. DannyBoy got another with a volley, and an early candidate for best/worst celebration of the year, as after a David Pleatesque stumble and a sort-of roll forward he lay on the ground. Only to be squashed by BennyCat.

Linesmann, who had a fine game throughout, scored his first goal for SiHKFC with a bullet header, much to the delight of everyone. Even Cameron made his first appearance in the lilywhite and was close to scoring himself.
The Soldiers were distraught, lost their bottle and were simply outmatched in all areas. The final score ended 8-2.

A true glory, glory night for SIHK.

P.S. Edman had three assists for three goals.

Big thanks to Lou, James, Harvey and Sean for the videos.

James’ photos are here and here.
Harvey’s photos are here and here.
And Lou’s are here.

Thanks to Waddle9 for these beauties:

If you look closely in the last photo you see the Spurs In Hong Kong flag. Great work ETP!

And check out this massive shot from wuntun.

Will update as more videos and photos appear.