The Barclays Women’s Super League have announced a kick-off change to our trip to Aston Villa on Sunday 15 February after being selected for television coverage.
Our kick-off time at Villa Park now moves to an earlier time of 12noon UK – previously scheduled for 2pm that day.
The clash with the Villans will also be televised live on Sky Sports.
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The Spurs family lost one of the all-time greats on Wednesday with the sad news of the passing of legendary former striker Martin Chivers.
We spoke to some of his former team-mates to hear their memories of a ‘wonderful player’ and a ‘gentle giant’...
Phil Beal
“Me and Chiv go back a long way, and I would say we got closer after we’d stopped playing. He went his way and I went mine, but when I came back from America he was doing corporate hospitality at the stadium and he got hold of me and asked if I would come along and join him. We built up a big friendship. Sometimes when I would be heading back down south to where I live, he and his wife Julia would invite me to stay at their place and go home the next day. He’d shout out, ‘Julia, would you come to the door? The lodger is here!’
“As a player, he was the type of person where he could still take criticism on the field. I’ll always remember a little thing when we played the European final against Wolves, the first leg. Bill Nicholson and Eddie Baily had a quiet word with Mart about pulling his weight. We heard that and when we went back out for the second half – Chiv always brought this up – he was in the middle, I was on one side and Mike England was on the other. We both said ‘come on Chiv, just get on and show what you can do’ and he did by scoring two goals! If we felt he wasn’t on top form, we could say ‘come on Chiv’ and he used to put has hand up in acknowledgement and say ‘yes, alright’ because he knew. You’ve always got to take criticism as well as praise and he did that brilliantly, he acknowledged any criticisms and just got on with it, which is a good thing. He would always say we were like a family and that’s why we were successful. Everybody got on with each other and I think that was proven over the years.”
Steve Perryman
“I’m going to use a Martin word, because he did about four or five years of punditry and the word he would always use was ‘wonderful’. He’d say ‘that was a wonderful pass’ or ‘that was a wonderful moment.’ And Martin was a wonderful player. He scored on his debut but after a while he got injured and he suffered with that – he found it very difficult to get back to where he was. But with Bill Nicholson and Eddie Baily, they were always pushing you for more. They pushed and pushed Chiv. I think in a way he reared up against it, he was a very quiet and studious man, but eventually they saw some light, he recovered his career and I’d say he became the best centre-forward in Europe for two years. In the end, I think Martin appreciated the fact that he was pushed, cajoled and driven to get back fit.
“He had such a large frame that those two teachers of his game (Bill and Eddie) thought he didn’t use it enough, they wanted him to use it more. He was so big but very light-footed, he covered the ground and was so powerfully quick, and that’s what came to the forefront in those special two years. He helped to get us two League Cups and the UEFA Cup and I’ll always be grateful to him for that. When you think of the European final against Wolves, the two goals that he got and the two goals at Wembley against Aston Villa to win the League Cup in 1971, he was almost unplayable.”
Pat Jennings
“He was such a lovely fellow. He was like a brother. We thought the world of each other and then, wow, what a player. The whole team was really close. Just the goals he scored in so many matches… and in the big, important games as well. He scored the two goals and won the match for us in the League Cup Final in 1971 and then the unbelievable goal that he scored in the UEFA Cup final, first leg against Wolves away. The second goal was an unbelievable strike from distance and that’s what Martin was capable of.
“Another big night was when we needed to beat Leeds to stay in the First Division. Martin had just come back from a terrible knee injury, he came back into that game and scored a goal that night.
“He was one of the first to do what we all do with the legends at the stadium, the meet and greets on matchdays. He’s been doing it all these years, right the way back to near when he retired. We’re all so close because we’ve been together for so many years, we’re just like a family.”
John Pratt
“My memory of Martin is of a gentle giant who had phenomenal pace and two great feet. I don’t know whether he really liked heading the ball but he scored a lot of good goals with his head – put all that into one and you’ve got an extremely good player. He subsequently did the hospitality at the club and he was as he was – a gentle giant.
“The goal I’ll always remember is from the Wolves game, the UEFA Cup final at Molineux, his second goal. I saw his leg come back, we were near the half-way line, I thought ‘he’s not going to hit that!’ and as he did, I said ‘flipping heck!’. The ball went egg-shaped, he hit it that hard! I’d just made a tackle so I was picking myself up but the ball went to him and it was a great goal from Chiv – something that happened many times. He was predominantly right-footed but he was enormously good with his left and that was a problem for every defender he came up against because you couldn’t show him one way or the other. For a man of six feet-plus, he had phenomenal pace as well.”
Alan Mullery
“There’s one story I’d like to mention and it’s from when we became a bit older. I saw Martin was coming towards the end of his career, he’d got a bad knee, he wasn’t playing so I said ‘come to Brighton’. He came down, I said ‘how’s the leg?’ and he said ‘still bad!’
“I said ‘you’re playing!’ and within no time he’d scored a goal. He was obviously known for scoring goals, he was a goalscorer… and a very good one!
“As a person, he was a very nice man. We had a few goes around on the circuit, doing the talks with supporters and he was always good. The last time we got together was in London, a big dinner and everything. He was great. He knew everything about Tottenham and about Southampton, where he’d signed from. I can’t believe he’s gone, I thought when I heard the news that it just couldn’t be right.”
Our Emirates FA Cup campaign gets underway on Saturday as we take on Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, kick-off 5.45pm. If you’re attending, please read our travel update ahead of planning your journey to N17.
Frequent services are anticipated through White Hart Lane, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale before and after the game.
A reminder that parking enforcement measures are in place on matchdays. An extended Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) operates in Haringey and Enfield, so supporters are strongly encouraged to use public transport to travel to the stadium.
Supporters with Blue Badges can park within the CPZ – but are reminded that the Blue Badge Holder must be present with the badge. Invalid badges can result in PCNs or vehicles being towed.
Supporters can stay up to date with the latest travel news via TfL.gov.uk and nationalrail.co.uk, and receive real-time updates via the Spurs Matchday Info channel on WhatsApp.
Stay up to date - Spurs matchday info on WhatsApp
You can stay up to date with important matchday information – including real-time travel updates – by following our Spurs Matchday Info channel on WhatsApp.
Simply click here or search for Spurs matchday info in your WhatsApp Updates section.
Stations
Please note that Bruce Grove and Silver Street stations will be closed for two hours post-match on Saturday.
White Hart Lane
On the Weaver line, 6 services are expected to call at White Hart Lane in both directions before the game, and 7 trains per hour afterwards. Services operate between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town/Cheshunt.
Supporters travelling to Liverpool Street post-match are reminded that Northumberland Park services have greater capacity and frequency to those at White Hart Lane, and the journey time should be shorter as there are fewer stops.
White Hart Lane is a fully accessible station.
CLICK HERE to view the northbound Weaver line timetable...
CLICK HERE to view the southbound Weaver line timetable...
Northumberland Park
If travelling on Greater Anglia services, we recommend using Northumberland Park as it is a shorter distance to the stadium than Tottenham Hale.
Northumberland Park is also recommended for supporters heading to Liverpool Street after the game as it will have a higher train capacity than White Hart Lane.
The following services will be in operation through Northumberland Park on Saturday evening:
Pre-match northbound: 9 trains per hour
Post-match northbound: 9 trains per hour, including 2 Stansted Express services
Pre-match southbound: 12 trains per hour, including 4 Stansted Express services
Post-match southbound: 12 trains per hour, including 4 Stansted Express services
CLICK HERE to view the full Greater Anglia timetable...
Tottenham Hale
Tottenham Hale is a fully accessible station and is served by the Victoria line and Greater Anglia services.
Supporters travelling on the Victoria line are encouraged to use Tottenham Hale rather than Seven Sisters as it is a shorter journey to and from the stadium. Victoria line services will operate every 2-3 minutes in both directions before and after the game.
There will also be 12 Greater Anglia services per hour operating in each direction through Tottenham Hale, including 4 Stansted Express trains each way. We recommend using Northumberland Park for Greater Anglia services as it is a shorter distance to the stadium than Tottenham Hale.
Seven Sisters
Victoria line services will be operating every 2-3 minutes in each direction before and after the game.
Pre-match, a diversion route will be in place at Birstall Road for pedestrians entering Seven Sisters station for interchange between the Victoria line and London Overground services. This is to avoid congestion on the northbound platform.
We encourage supporters to consider using Tottenham Hale for Victoria Line services as it is a shorter distance to the stadium than Seven Sisters.
Queue management
Queue management systems will be in place at all stations for the safety of all passengers and staff.
At each station, the queue management staff are in contact with the Station Managers who will confirm when platforms are clear to enable more passengers to enter the station. For the safety of all passengers and staff, supporters are kindly asked to cooperate with station staff and always follow their instructions.
Shuttle buses
The Club operates a free Shuttle Bus service from Wood Green (Piccadilly Line) and Alexandra Palace (Great Northern) stations to the stadium.
The Piccadilly line is expected to operate with services every 2-3 minutes in both directions throughout the day.
The Great Northern line will operate 6 northbound trains per hour through Alexandra Palace before the match and 7 trains per hour afterwards. Southbound, 6 trains per hour will operate before the game and 7 trains per hour afterwards.
CLICK HERE to book your place on a Shuttle Bus...
Cycling
Extra parking facilities for dockless bikes are available in the surrounding area, making cycling to the stadium easier than ever. Here’s a list of locations where you can start and end your journey:
High Road
Cedar Road
Ruskin Road (North)
Ruskin Road (South)
Church Road
Brereton Road (North)
Brereton Road (South)
White Hart Lane
Vicarage Road
Lansdowne Road
Scotland Green
Pembury Road (North)
Pembury Road (South)
Bike stands also remain available at Tottenham Community Sports Centre and St Francis De Sales School, which are both located on the High Road. Dedicated bicycle parking is also available on-street around the stadium.
Although our Bag Policy still applies, stewards will be briefed regarding cyclists’ need to carry helmets, puncture kits and removable seats into the stadium.
CLICK HERE to read our Bag Policy...
Controlled Parking Zone
A reminder that parking enforcement measures are in place on matchdays. An extended Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) operates in Haringey and Enfield, so supporters are strongly encouraged to use public transport to travel to the stadium.
Supporters with Blue Badges can park within the CPZ – but are reminded that the Blue Badge Holder must be present with the badge. Haringey Council staff actively check Blue Badges at all games, and invalid badges can result in a Penalty Charge Notice or your vehicle being towed.
Please see here for further details.
Road closures
Please note, our major event day road closure measures will be in place.
TfL bus services will return to normal operation as soon as possible after the local road closures are lifted.
To turn things around, do you need to bring players in?
Thomas: “I think there's a couple of things in it. I think the last five games we've played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it's been consistent, good competitive performance - through the roof, no, but good competitive, consistent performances. That's what you need in a long season. Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got. Probably eight, nine, 10 points and if you get that from those games, it's different. So, that's what we're focussing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it's my job to deal with all the scrutiny. No problem, I can face all the questions. I'll take all the blame. I'll take all that. Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good. We deserve more from that. So, we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it's a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So, we just need to keep doing that. The next thing is, it's almost, as you say, the perfect storm - and in a storm, someone is building fences and hiding them behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it.”
In terms of bringing in players, is that imperative?
Thomas: “Oh, I forgot to answer that. I will repeat my answer. We're working very, very, very hard to see if we can improve the squad. Johan, Fabio, Vinai, everyone in and around the club, recruitment department is doing that. January is a very, very, very difficult window. Very important to get short-term success and long-term success. Everything is linked. So, players we are bringing in, it's because we think they can improve the squad and the team.”
Any positive team news on the horizon – Destiny and Dom?
Thomas: “Yeah, both of them trained. Both of them are getting closer, definitely. Dest a bit closer than Dom, obviously, because he's only been out for five weeks-ish. So, that's of course, less than six months. But both of them are positive and improving.”
Is it unhelpful to see a club captain talking out against the club or about the club?
Thomas: “I think, especially in football, the most important thing is to keep the noise out. Then you can see there's this situation with the post from Cuti and there could be others where it's maybe not that positive or a lot of people speaking. When we want to attract players, we need to tell our, as close to possible, unbiased story and a good story about this fantastic, beautiful club and why you should come to the club. I'm pretty sure that the clever players and clever agents can look through if there's a little bit of noise. I think it's very important to stress that even though there's noise, the club is very aligned. Johan, Vinai and I are very aligned, ownership is very aligned. We know it's a tough spell that we need to get through.”
Was Cuti trying to protect you as well, in a way?
Thomas: “Yeah, could be. I have a very good relationship with Cuti. He’s done very well. Long-term success is everyone is aligned - me, players, captain, leadership, everything, which we are.”
It seems from Cuti Romero’s post that he’s not aligned with certain key figures at the club…
Thomas: “I think it's, as I say, that I can't. You probably need to ask him. It's not that often he does do the press, so you need to wait until you speak to him, but what I know is he's been here for five years, that's one thing. What I just know is that I look at where I've been here for seven months and I see a very aligned club, so it's just up to us to prove that.”
You've only won 11 of 30 matches and the team are 14th in the table after 21 games - do you feel you've shown enough to deserve more time? Do you feel that you're going to get more time?
Thomas: “No doubt about that. I'm going to put it this way. Would we have loved to be higher in the table and get more points? 100 per cent. We work very hard every single day to make sure we perform well and land in the best possible position in every season. The thing we need to look at is the game on Saturday. The FA Cup is a good opportunity against Villa, a very good team is flying at this moment in time, but it's a good opportunity to progress in the FA Cup, a tournament that is very important for the club, for the fans. We've won eight times in history. I'm working hard with the staff, with the players, with the leadership. This is just a tough spell. We'll get through this.”
Have we seen enough in 30 games from an attacking point of view to justify you getting the time that you want?
Thomas: “We definitely want to do more. I think we've scored enough goals, not enough, but acceptable amount of goals.”
Is the style of football entertaining enough?
“That's absolutely right. It's a fair question. That frustration of course I share is the ethos of the club. It's something we've been working very hard on. I see myself as above average intelligence. I'm very aware of that. My teams have always produced chances and scored goals and this team will do the same. I think it's fair to say that we may be lacking a bit of some of the tough, free-floating offensive players that we had here in the last season. That's part of the challenge. Then part of all the bits that we need to work hard on every day to improve is another area.”
Thomas Frank gave an update on Dejan Kulusevski’s recovery from a knee injury at his pre-Villa press conference on Thursday.
The Swedish playmaker has been sidelined since April, missed our UEFA Europa League triumph in Bilbao in May and has yet to make an appearance in Thomas’ time in charge.
Thomas said: “We know it's a complicated injury. If there's one person who can accelerate that, it's Dejan. He's a top pro and has got a top mentality. The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. He got an injection to help that 10 days ago. We know in three to four weeks if it's settled and when it's settled, hopefully, he’ll be on the grass and from there, we’ll see what’s happening.”
Thomas Frank unfortunately has bad news on the extent of Mohammed Kudus’ injury.
Speaking at Hotspur Way on Thursday afternoon at his pre-match press conference ahead of our FA Cup third round tie against Villa on Saturday, Thomas gave an update on the winger, forced off early against Sunderland on Sunday.
Thomas reported: “Kudos is unfortunately a bigger one to the tendon in the quad, so that's one where we expect him back after the March international break.”
The March international break is from 23–31 March. We are scheduled to play Forest at home on 21 March, with the FA Cup quarter-final scheduled for the weekend of 2/3 April.
Our Head Coach paid tribute to one of our longest-serving players, Ashleigh Neville, as her eight-and-a-half-year spell came to an end on Thursday afternoon to join Leicester City.
Joining us in the summer of 2017, Ash went on to make 191 appearances, scoring 16 goals, for us in all competitions during her nine seasons at the Club, which included milestones of helping us reach the Barclays Women’s Super League for the first time in 2019 and being part of our historic run in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final in 2024.
Despite only working with her for six months in his tenure, Martin couldn’t have spoken any more highly of the experienced defender as she embarks on her new chapter in her career.
“Eight years. One badge. Countless memories,” Martin said.
“Ash leaves this football club as more than a player, she leaves as an icon, a leader, and a true fan favourite.
“Her commitment, bravery and consistency have defined an era. Week in, week out, she represented this club with honesty, intensity and pride, setting standards on and off the pitch and inspiring those around her.
“Ash’s journey here is one that will always matter. She helped shape the identity of this team and leaves a legacy that will be remembered long after the final whistle.
“As she takes the next step in her career, she does so with the respect, gratitude and best wishes of everyone connected to this football club.
“Thank you, Ash.”
Watch | Bethany England's emotional letter to Ashleigh Neville
Thomas Frank reports that Rodrigo Bentancur’s hamstring injury ‘looks like a bigger one, unfortuately’ after the midfielder’s late withdrawal at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.
Rodri was forced out the action with only four minutes remaining at the Vitality, one of two fresh injuries alongside Lucas Bergvall, who was also forced off early, this time after 57 minutes.
Speaking at Hotspur Way on Thursday afternoon at his pre-match press conference ahead of our FA Cup third round tie against Villa on Saturday, Thomas gave us this update. “Lucas is being assessed today – we’ll know more later today with him. Same with Rodri. Rodri has a hamstring injury, looks like a bigger one unfortunately. We don't know the time frame, that we also will know later.”
Thomas was also asked for the latest on Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie. “Both of them trained, both of them are getting closer, definitely,” he said. “Destiny is a bit closer than Dom, but both of them are positive and improving.”