There was a player from back in the old days who was awful but the fans loved him becuase he tried so hard. He also had a really unfortunate surname, something like plum or knobb. Anyone know who he was?
a-ha my good friend Rich (a Watford fan no less) has reminded me that the player in question was John Pratt. Here is a lovely testimonial I found on the web
I do feel sorry for those reading this who never saw Pratt actually play, as they may come away thinking he was a 'good' player. Believe me he wasn't. He was bloody awful. Pratt seemed a reasonable squad player when surrounded by the likes of Peters, Chivers and England. When they left and he took centre stage, we were relegated. Pratts best years coincided with Spurs worst...no coincidence. All this talk about "Spurs through and through" and "run all day for Spurs" is cobblers basically. I'd run all day for them too but then I'm no footballer and we'd get beat. Tottenham had several "run all day" men in 1977 which is why we went down...and Pratt was the prime example of this type of all-effort, no-talent player. His shooting was spectacular when it came off but usually his wild lashes went high into the paxton road seats and were accompanied by howls of laughter. Spurs only got back on there feet when he was dropped, though even this took a while was McNab and Hoddle were only kids in 78 when we came up and Ardilles and Villa needed a season to find there places in the side ( or the side around them). Even Pratts timing for a testimonial was poxed with luck. The season we were out of divison one he got Arsenal to come up and thus give us our only NL derby that year. 24,000-odd turned up! Two years later an equally loyal but poor servant in Terry Naylor got only 6,000 for his game v. Palace but there wasn't a fag-paper between them talentwise. And as for his management skills...Shreeves 86 season was too terrible for words at times. Poor Shreeves was a good coach but poor manager (as history has shown) and his coach, Pratt, seemed more interested in getting a game than doing his job. I am proud to say I gave Pratt dogs abuse from up on the shelf and can honestly say I've never seen anyone take so much stick for so long by so many. He must have had skin thicker than a rhinos arse! Along with Moores, Daines, Armstrong and Young, he typified the rubbish that was mid-seventies Spurs. Long may they be forgotten. ps. One of my favorite memories of Pratt was in the late seventies when, in the warm up before kick-off, there was the usual chanting the names of those on the pitch. After the "Hoddle, born is the king..." and "Peter Taylor on the wing" stuff, out came "oh Johnny, Johnny, Johnny Pratt, Johnny Pratt..." ( sort of to the tune of "I am the mucic man"), and Pratt turned to the shelf and gave us all a clap as it (apparently) came to an end. Then, the shelf, in there thousands, burst into the second verse "oh wank, wank, wank, wank, wank..." Pratts head dropped and he returned to his one-two's with Perryman whilst, high on the shelf, we wet ourselves laughing! Happy days!
Great website dedicated to the one and only JP, so many memories of him, mostly shooting 30 foot over the bar. I try to remember that the great Bill Nick had him in his side, so he must have done something for the team. I think what he brought was that he was probably so pleased to be playing among such greats that he was prepared to run around like a headless chicken all day, trying to win the ball. Something some of our more illustrious stars weren’t prepared to do, and very team needs shall we say a work horse and JP was certainly that.
My abiding memory well I have been to many many testimonials over the years and his was the only one I can remember where the guy getting the testimonial was booed. Magic stuff you just cant buy it.
Martin Leonard
"..during one Tuesday night (Spurs trainee and future drummer for Bow Wow Wow Dave Barbarosa) had his thumb dislocated in a training exercise by John Pratt."
OK I'm bored at work on a Friday afternoon. I've done some more research and discovered this website that tells you what former spurs players are up to now.
Can the legendary Mark Falco now be working for Pratt?!??!!
Anyone as old as me will remember some of Billy Nick's signings. Believe me the worst was a fellow from the gooners who we swapped for Jimmy Robertson (one of the 67' cup final goal scorers) for David Jenkins. What a supreme cock up that day was. 2 goals was he managed, and not much else.In later times there was good old John Lacy. One summery day when the poor lad could not get a thing right, some wag near me in the crowd shouted" for F++ks sake somebody mark Lacy". Priceless.