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.
‘We are a big joke club’
“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.”
Arsenal title, Spurs relegation: the ‘ultimate nightmare’
It’s even tougher for the old hands, having been conditioned to expect the worst but never really believing it would happen. Spurs fans are like Charlie Brown running up to kick the ball, thinking that this time it will be different and Lucy won’t pull it away at the last minute and leave them sprawled on the floor.
But the triumph of hope over expectation is a luxury they can no longer afford. The pain of potential relegation in the same season Arsenal win the title will be too much for many.
“Supporting Spurs builds up a certain type of mentality,” says Dean Wallman. “You assume things can go wrong at any moment. You don’t feel secure being 3-0 up in injury time. If you score a goal early in the game, you think: ‘It’s too early.’ It’s that psychology that the club has and supporting the club has given it to me over the years. I’m a third-generation supporter, so in some ways I’m glad I haven’t passed it on to my children.
