The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Friday, January 28

Hello, all!

Should we make guesses on whether or not Tottenham’s men’s team will actually sign anyone this window? (I’ll guess one signing, right at the very end of the window.)

Ramble of the Day

I have an announcement to make: Next week will be my final week writing the Hoddle.

I will share the details later (andmost likely on Twitter), but I have accepted a full time job in sports media. Details about the new Hoddle writer will also be shared at a later date.

When I asked Dustin to consider me as Cartilage Free Captain’s new Hoddle writer four years ago, I don’t think I knew what I was getting into or what to expect. I don’t think I had the ability to predict the way the Hoddle would evolve, how I would evolve with it, and the lasting impact interacting with all of you would have on me.

I’m the type that needs to give myself a little pep talk before making big decisions, so this was a pretty ambitious task for me to take. I’m glad I did take that leap, because there’s a valuable consistency the Hoddle brought me over the years. During a period of time that has seen our lives change dramatically because of a pandemic, the Hoddle was at times one of only a few constants I could rely on. It gave me a platform unlike any other to be myself in my writing — to have fun, to be weird, to be serious when I wanted to be. The Hoddle allowed me to explore my creativity and the constant stream of ideas that pop into my head regularly. I’ll miss having a place to stick them daily; my Twitter account will have to suffice.

It also provided me the greatest opportunity the internet can bring: interaction. The thing I was most nervous about before my first ever Hoddle was introducing myself to all of you. After all, I was supposed to be making content that worked at a digital, Tottenham-focused water cooler. Somehow, we found more in common than just Tottenham. I have had so much fun talking about food, collaborating on a playlist after Mauricio Pochettino got fired, and being recognized by someone at Flannery’s Bar after the miracle in Amsterdam. It gave me a new way to connect with Tottenham, and reinforced my belief that the best thing about following a sports team is finding people you celebrate and commiserate with.

I’d like to thank you all for making the journey worthwhile and then some. Like I said, if you’re still looking for my wide-ranging commentary, I will try to fill my Twitter account with them. I’ll make sure to visit the comments section, too. After four years of checking the Hoddle first thing in the morning, I probably built a lifelong habit of scrolling to the comments.

tl;dr: Next week will be my final week writing the Hoddle, so here’s a thank you for putting up with all of my random thoughts over the years.

Stay informed, read this: Thuc Nhi Nguyen on allegations of racism against members of UCLA’s gymnastics team for the Los Angeles Times

Links of the Day

The EFL extended Derby’s deadline to show proof of funding by a month.

A Madrid court rejected UEFA’s attempt to remove the judge presiding the European Super League case.

Transfers: Aston Villa signed Calum Chambers from Arsenal; Manchester United signed Signe Brunn on loan from Lyon, Jade Moore from Orlando Pride, and Diane Caldwell on a free; Manchester City signed Julie Blakstad from Rosenborg; Aston Villa signed Rachel Corsie from Kansas City Current

A longer read: Shireen Ahmed on detrimental bans on on hijabs in football and other sports for the CBC