The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Wednesday, December 29

Hi, all!

At the top today is defender Ashleigh Neville.

Ramble of the Day

If it feels like a long year for Tottenham it has been — the men’s team play 60 matches and the women’s team play 29. It feels like we saw a little bit of everything in 2021 as a result, from a women’s team whose stock is only rising under Rehanne Skinner to a men’s team who are only just leaving a wayward path under Antonio Conte. (A wayward path might be a natural thing if you have four managers in a season.)

I won’t weave together much more of a narrative between the two teams, I mostly just mention it to ask a question: In an inconsistent year, what was your favorite Tottenham moment of 2021?

I had to think about it for a moment, and then it hit me — my choice is the FA Cup tie at Marine FC from January. I pick it not for the result or performance at all, instead focusing on this site’s initiative to be a matchday sponsor. It was at first a simple idea that was supposed to deliver a cool result. What it ended up being was a beautiful collaboration between supporters and a grassroots club.

I remain floored to this day that you readers raised more than $12,000 for Marine FC, money that went into getting Carty Free on the butt (kind of) and towards Marine’s charity initiative. It was cooler than any of us could’ve envisioned, and really made the cup tie special.

The way I see it, you readers carved out an amazing and unique legacy in this sport. Your passion was represented by a shorts sponsorship during one of the biggest competitions in the world. Even better, it went back into the community through free coaching courses and food for the elderly. It is the definition of special, and I l can’t imagine another cup tie will feel this way.

tl;dr: What was your favorite Tottenham moment of 2021? For me, it’s the FA Cup tie at Marine FC.

Stay informed, read this: Salamishah Tillet on the lessons she took away from three Broadway plays told from the point of view of Black people for The New York Times

Links of the Day

Everton-Newcastle was postponed after a combination of COVID-19 cases and injuries left Newcastle without enough players for the match.

Barcelona signed Ferran Torres from Manchester City.

Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell will undergo surgery to repair his ACL.

Everton became the first Premier League club to back #HerGameToo, an initiative to tackle sexist abuse in the game.

A longer read: Nicky Bandini on the unplayed match between Udinese and Salernitana, which could be Salernitana’s last in Serie A unless the club finds new owners for the Guardian