The vision of Daniel Levy
By Peter J Arnold
When Daniel Levy/ ENIC took over our club from Alan Sugar, Tottenham supporters started to dream. We were finally going to enter the group of great elites they thought and expected. Daniel Levy reinforced their expectations by stating that he wanted to restore the Glory days of Tottenham Hotspur FC, as we had lost our way for many years.
But it was not just a case of restoring our Magnificence, it was a case of building from the foundations upwards. And that was not going to be achieved overnight.
Daniel’s first priority was with the stadium, not the squad. That had to wait. In the meantime, managers were picked to keep the club in a good financial position and, at the same time, keep us as high as possible. In the background and meantime, plans were underway to demolish White Hart Lane and create an amphitheatre that would take everybody’s breath away, not only for our Spurs supporters but throughout the world.
Initially, this was a 30 to 40-year project. While all this was in motion, the club could not spend the sort of money that the other select clubs had, so managers were brought in and quickly rejected as they tried and failed to compete with the limited resources they were given. In the interim, the demolition of White Hart Lane was in progress.
As Levy ruthlessly employed and then sacked managers, a wave of growing anger grew through some supporters. Granted, not all, but a sufficient amount cried foul. But Levy was focused, onwards and upwards were his only thoughts as he ploughed on.
Weeks turned into years, years turned into decades under Levy’s watchful eye. Gradually a magnificent arena started to rise out of the ashes of an out-of-date stadium that was not fit for purpose. In other words, a Phoniex began to rise from the ashes of past triumphs.
As soon as the wonderments of the new stadium started to dissipate, no improvement to the team/ squad and managers going through Levy’s hands like water through a sieve, the roar of “Levy/ ENIC out” started to rise like a cacophony of opinions fighting for position, echoing around the stadium and to the even more unqualified wider listeners, who had no understanding of how business, combined with football, worked.
I understand that our fans look back at our old stadium with fond memories as it was part of their youth and was like a comfort blanket). Still, society must move on if it wants to survive, just as the club had to move on from their earlier grounds until they finally moved to White Hart Lane in 1899. Even though WHL had been redeveloped many times over the years, it eventually became too small to accommodate the club’s and its owners’ ambitions.
Unlike the old stadium, the new stadium can draw in different acts/ events to entice the multitude. Primarily money was needed to pay off the club’s debts, then COVID struck and pushed back Levy’s plans to reinvigorate a stagnating squad.
Daniel Levy had a lot on his plate, however, after sacking Pochettino, followed by Mourinho, and putting in place a new director of football, Fabio Paratici, it was time to move to the next level, as initially envisioned
As Antonio Conte was unavailable at the beginning of the season (2021/22), a temporary replacement was needed, even though it was not officially announced as such. Nuno was brought in and eventually sacked and replaced by Antonio Conte. Now phase 2 of Levy’s vision was put in place to restore the glory days of Tottenham Hotspur FC and put them among the selected for top honours.
Even though all debts have not been paid off yet, Levy believes it is time to brush off his many pristine rich-executive-director-disguises and show the world which one he wants to be conclusively recognised as “The Giver”.
Of course, I understand the fans are sceptic, but that scepticism will soon dissipate once Levy, Conte and Paratici show the world what they are made of and start bringing in the trophies and money for the paying and baying public. In other words, for the General admissions and the Premium wealthier audience.
If that is achieved, then an outstanding debt of gratitude will be owed to Daniel Levy & Joe Lewis (ENIC), Partici and Conte. Some fans have even talked of a statue in honour of Daniel’ Mr Tottenham’ Levy when he restores our rightful place amongst the influential.
As Denis Waitley (American motivational speaker) once said, “Don’t dwell on what went [before]. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energy moving forward together towards an answer.”
Or from one of my favourite quotes comes from Martin Luther King Jr “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
If Tottenham had stayed at the old and antiquated White Hart Lane ground, we would have fallen behind the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United. We would have been more like the poorer version of North London, the Arsenal and other clubs like West Ham United, Brighton, Wolves etc., just teams to make up the numbers in the Premier League. Fodder for the wealthier cream of the crop. Fighting off relegation and trying to grab the coat tails of the elite’s above them for the few crumbs that fall their way.
Remember our motto: ‘Audere est Facere’ is a Latin inscription, the literal translation meaning ‘to dare is to do’. And that is what Daniel Levy has… Dared to do!
So let us finally end with this quote: “If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward.” By John Wooden (an American basketball coach).
By Peter J Arnold
My name is Peter, and I have just joined this wonderful Spurs website, and I am looking forward to writing down my football thoughts and then presenting them to you. Agree or disagree; all views are valid and should be respected.
It was the famous philosopher Voltaire who said, “I might not agree with you, however, I will defend your right to say it”. Free speech. I am a journalist by trade for a local news outlet. I’ve been a Spurs supporter since the 90s.
