Max: What was your favourite Tottenham moment?
Micky: “Ooo, there are many many many favourite Tottenham moments. I must confess, if I had to pick one, I would say winning the UEFA Cup Final at White Hart Lane in front off our fans – I thought it was a really incredible memory. I also played in the FA Cup in Wembley, and obviously that was very special as well. But I felt winning a major cup like the UEFA Cup in front of your own fans in your own ground tops the lot. It was a fantastic moment.”
Max: You also got the assist for Tottenham’s goal in the final. That must have been pretty special?
Micky: “Yeah, I assisted both goals in both games. You know, a special memory involves the fact that you’ve played well. If you haven’t then it might not be as special. But because I played well in both games, it had so much more meaning.”
Max: Am I right in saying that you’re a Spurs fan? Tottenham’s season has seen mixed emotions, but it’s looking like Tottenham are getting back on track. Would you say Tottenham will get top four this season?
Micky: “Absolutely Through and through. I would say we can [get top 4], and our present form is certainly showing the signs that we’re capable of that. Obviously when a new manager comes in, it takes time to get across to the players on what you want and for them to understand what you want. Even though there are big money signings, and he’s been a good manager, it takes time to get used to one another. So, the signs are good. We’re two points off fourth, and when you look at the whole form across the season, to be only two points off fourth certainly looks good for the future and this season. Suddenly we’re finding a bit of form. We beat Chelsea 5-3. How many teams put five past Chelsea? So we’re certainly on the right path. As long as we sustain the tempo, and the pace of our football, then there’s no reason why we can’t get top four, because we’re certainly good enough.”
Max: Would you say winning the Europa League is more likely than getting the top four?
Micky: “I’m a great believer in saying that you go for everything – you win. The first priority of any football club should be to win something. Once you’ve got over that line it can lead to other trophies. Our first priority surely should be ‘getting over that line’. If we can win the Europa League, if we can win the League cup where we play Sheffield United in the semi final, it’s possible. For me, winning a trophy is the be all and end all. The game ultimately is about the glory. Winning the trophy is glory. While I accept that in modern day football the finance of the Champions League outweighs winning a trophy – not in my mind. These players should want to finish their careers saying ‘I’ve won this, I’ve won that’, not that ‘I finished fourth’.”
Max: I was about to ask you, many teams have that mentality where they rather finish in the top four than win a trophy. Would you say that’s completely different to the time when you were playing football?
Micky: “Totally. Each and every player that played in my day would rather win a trophy. I’m sure it’s no different today, although I would say that chairmans and boards at certain clubs are pushing to get the top four because financially it’s more beneficial. However, I’m certain that deep in the minds of the players, they would much rather win trophies. Ultimately when you win a trophy, it’s one of the most special days of your life. You’re certainly remembered. You go down in history as a cup winner at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club or whatever other football club you win that trophy for. Who remembers players who finish fourth or third?”
Max: How did it feel going to Tottenham at such a young age? Was it hard settling in?
Micky: “I joined Tottenham at the age of 12. I came down for 2-3 years at Tottenham before I turned 16 just for weeks here and weeks there. It never felt difficult. When I came down full time at the age of 16, it was incredible tough. I’ve never been away from home. I came from a big family. So it was very very tough, I got very upset. It took me almost 18 months to get myself settled in. Almost during that period, I ran off to home six or seven times because I was so homesick. But in the end we got there, and it proved to be the perfect decision.”
Max: Was there any reason why you were homesick? Of course being away from your parents must have been tough mentally. But do you think the club could have done more to fit you in?
Micky: “No. The club were absolutely amazing. They paid for me to go out and in the end they said to me: ‘We’ll pay for you to go home every tenth day’. When you consider how much trains costed, the food, the expenses, the taxies to and from stations… Every tenth day they sent me home for five days to help me overcome home sickness and settle in. And this went on for two years! It was an incredible statement by the club, doing this for a 16 year old boy showed how much they valued me, and how much they were prepared to help me settle in. The club were magnificent to me. My heart was still in Sunderland, my family was there, my brothers and sisters, my mum and dad, my aunt and uncles, my grans and granddads. It was very tough, but thankfully thanks to Spurs’ patience I settled in the end.”
Max: You moved to Chelsea in 1985, you played with Paul Canoville. I had an interview with him recently, where he said that sometimes the stadium was a little scary due to the problem with racism during the 1980s in football. Did you see this happening?
Micky: “No. I used to travel with Paul to work as he just lived round the corner to me. I was not aware of any racism whatsoever, but then that would be me. I don’t concern myself with it, I’m oblivious to it because I’m not racist. Sometimes in football some people called me names. They called players in my team names, it’s just to gain a psychological edge to put you off your game. It was just part of the game as far as I was aware. I wasn’t aware Paul felt like that.”
Max: Who would you say was the best player you played with at Tottenham?
Micky: “I would have to say Glenn Hoddle or the Osvaldo Ardiles. Glenn was probably the most naturally gifted footballer I have ever seen in my lifetime. Ossie had the best footballing brain I have ever seen in my lifetime. They were different but both incredibly talented and incredibly good players. Both had different strengths. I would have to say Glen and Ossie were the two best players I played with – or at that time saw in the English game.”
Max: In that case, who would be in your five a side Tottenham team?
Micky: “It would probably be… Tony Parks was extremely good in the small goals. He wasn’t the tallest of keepers, but he had an incredible spring and was able to move his feet quickly over a short space. Then I would put Glenn Hoddle without any shadow of a doubt. Glenn Hoddle was probably the best five a side player in the club. So I would be in the best five a side team. Ossie would be in there, and probably Steve Archibald as he was lightning quick. He had a great touch. When it’s five a side, you need to be quick, sharp, have a great touch, you need to be able to change pace and direction quickly. So I would have: Tony, Glenn, Ossie, me, and Archie.”
Max: I’m a big fan of Non-League football, and you’ve managed a Non-League side during your managerial career. How important do you feel Non-League football is?
Micky: “Well I think it’s very important. It may not be as important to the professional game as it once was, where you saw many top players being born and bred in the non-league game. It’s still got a massive place in our game, not everybody can be a professional. Just because they’re are not professionals doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to play football. That’s what the non-league does. It gives players who are not quite good enough to play league football a chance. Some actually are, but they don’t find their path till later on (Rickie Lambert, for example). It gives a place to youngsters to go and play at a reasonable level and fulfil their dreams. I think it’s very important, particularly for younger players.”
Max: Rickie Lambert, he went through Non-League. Many others have seen a similar path.
Micky: “Ian Wright! Les Ferdinand. Many players starting playing in the Non-League then became English internationals. Graham Roberts, he came from Weymouth to Spurs for £35,000. There’s a never ending list off Non-League players who went on to play in the top leagues. Less so today, but in actual fact there has been a signing recently – a Non-League player from really low down the scale in the Kent league. He got signed by a league club, I think it was a Premier League club. It does happen, but it happens a lot less than it used to.”
Max: The FA haven’t put as much money as I would have thought they would, do you agree that they should put more money into Non-League football?
Micky: “I manage a Non-League club. We’ve been very fortunate, as we’ve been handed some grants – when you get grants you feel absolutely delighted and you can make headway on your pitch and your stand etc. If you look at the recent weekends, many Non-League games have been called off. We’re very lucky at my club, we put a draining system into the pitch which will stop most games getting called off when it rains heavily. We must remember the importance of Non-League football and what it does. It does so much for young footballers, it gives them a place to come and play. I would always advocate more investment in the Non-League.”
Max: What do you think of the Ched Evans situation. Many people are saying he shouldn’t be able to play football again, and many others are saying he’s served his time so he should be able to play again. What are your views?
Micky: “I don’t know much about the case, so I can’t say what he did or didn’t do. But my views are that part of punishment is rehabilitation and we must give people the opportunity to be rehabilitated. Otherwise we risk sending them very back to the same place. He got found guilty, he served his punishment. This isn’t just about wether he should be allowed to play football or not, it’s wether or not he’s aloud to get a job again. If he’s not going to be employed in football, who’s going to employ him? Part of that punishment is to rehabilitate him. Welcoming him back to society as a good living person is part of that. If we don’t allow him into the society at whatever job he chooses, then the rehabilitation didn’t work. We risk him in going back to the life of whatever he wants to do, e.g. crime.
For me, he’s served his punishment – he should be allowed to play football. What he did was wrong and disgraceful, but if I had a brother who did something wrong and served his punishment and then wasn’t allowed to carry on the rehabilitation, I’d be very upset. He’s been punished, lets rehabilitate him and keep him away from danger. Lets say there’s a thief and he’s been punished. If nobody gives him a job, then he will go back to stealing because he cannot earn any money.”
Max: You became a cab driver after playing football, and I have to ask, how did that come about?
Micky: “It came about by accident. My friend was doing it, he asked me if I wanted to join him and I enjoyed it a lot. I had a lot of knowledge about London, I know it like the back of my hand. I sort of did it as a favour to my friend, and then he quit and I carried on and enjoyed touring London and see the sites. In the end I left. It came about by accident rather than something I planned. For me, this was one of the biggest achievements in my life.”
Max: You got picked for England; do you feel there’s a big difference now and 30 years ago when you got picked for England?
Micky: “You have three good games now and you get picked. I look back at my first full season at White Hart Lane. I won the FA Cup, played in the League Cup final, Semi Final in the Cup Winners Cup, finished fourth in the league, I scored eleven goals, I was up for Young Player of the Year and all I got picked for was the England U21s. Nowadays, you break into the team and score three goals, play great and get picked for England. It’s a lot easier to get an England cap today comparing to 30 years ago.”
Max: In terms of the meaning of playing for England, do you feel it has changed?
Micky: “No, I’m confident that it hasn’t changed. I’m fairly confident that people want to play for their country, the odd player doesn’t – but I’m sure that happened in my days too. I think it’s an honour to play for your country, and I think most players now feel the same.”
Max: If you had to describe Tottenham in five words, what would it be?
Mickey: “Five words? Wow. I think that would be impossible because it goes so far, it’s much deeper than you can actually put into words. It’s… It’s something that grows and grows. It comes from deep within. It keeps hold of you and it just doesn’t let go. All I can say is that my two sons both have season tickets at Spurs. I’m confident my grandchildren will follow suit, and their children and so on. As a generation, we will be forever Lilywhite.”
Max: What year will Tottenham win the league…?
Mickey: “*laughs* It’s not something we can predict. I was luckily enough to play in a team where we should have won the league two or three times but never did. It’s a very difficult thing to achieve. We are not quite ready to win the league, but we’re getting closer. I think that the stability of having a manager over a long period will help the cause. I think we have to get Champions League football in consecutive seasons. When you’re in the Champions League it attracts the best players in the world. Getting into the Champions League is the first thing. I would hope that within my lifetime we will see Tottenham win the Premier League. We’re not going to win it this year, but I would say that if we keep building and growing, with the new stadium, the incredible training ground, four or five years of that and we will be in contention to win the Premier League.”
Max
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