‘We are a big joke club’
Of course relegation is not unprecedented but, in a sport defined by The Premier League Years that says football began in 1992, only those with memories stretching back to Spurs’ last relegation in 1977 have any inkling of what might be coming.
They also flirted with the drop in the 1990s, but the difference today is that Tottenham is a global financial powerhouse, so the stakes are immeasurably higher. The supporters’ strained relationship with a club they feel increasingly disconnected from only makes the emotional toll worse.
“I don’t like people feeling sorry for me,” says Matt Bush. “I’d almost rather people abuse us. It’s this new kind of pity for us that I absolutely hate.
“An Arsenal-supporting colleague saw me come into the office and he just looked down. I said, “Come on, just give it to me” and he said: ‘I’m sorry but I can’t do it to you.’ And that’s worse. We are a big joke club. There’s no pride in it anymore.”
For those young enough to be facing this without battle scars, the possibility of relegation is as much a shock as it is traumatic.
“I had a positive relationship with Spurs,” says student Jake Gee. “But now I can see how I’ve actually fallen into the pattern of disappointment.
“I’ve found that part of being a Spurs fan is having to defend yourself as soon as you say you support Spurs. It took me a while to comprehend what was going on because I would always say: ‘I’m a Tottenham fan.’ And everyone’s reaction would be: ‘Of course you are – you’re such a Tottenham fan.’ And now I’m getting to grips with that.”