- Feb 1, 2005
- 19,120
- 6,003
- Staff
- #1
“I think this is a perfect partnership for Tottenham” spoke that familiar West Country accent, “as the British International School of Kuala Lumpur (Spurs’ new partners in a pioneering relationship that brings the Premier League club to one of Asia’s most football-mad countries and gives hundreds of kids the chance to train The Tottenham Way and maybe turn into a star of the future) has at its core the principles of respect, honesty and community, which are values we also share at Spurs.”
Clearly Gary Mabbutt had done his research, visiting the website of KL’s most prestigious international school and speaking to the Headmaster ahead of the launch. As in his playing days, Mabbutt remains the consummate professional.
I spoke with the man who made 482 appearances in the Lilywhite shirt, memorably winning the UEFA Cup with us in 1984 and lifting the FA Cup as captain in 1991, and asked him a selection of questions on behalf of SpursCommunity. I can report that he is every bit as lovely as his reputation suggests and his piercing blue eyes still beam when he gets onto the subject of the club he loves and now represents as Ambassador.
BO: Hi Gary. It’s great to see you here in KL. Welcome to Malaysia
GM: Thank you very much. Good of you to say. It’s a shame it’s such a short visit.
BO: The partnership (THFC are launching the first academy of its kind in Asia) is very exciting, a great thing spurs are doing.
GM: Yes, it is. When you’re involved with something with the club you don’t want it to be a half-cocked affair. The club have backed it and done a lot of work to put it in place. It’s all about money, the branding, the fanbase. It’s like our Champions League games. All Champions League games go to a possible 2.4 billion people. Now if we picked up a million fans during that season and 10% of them bought a Spurs shirt, you’ve got fifty million (pounds) coming in. So, it’s all about developing that. But in my opinion there are good ways of developing that and bad ways of doing it. There are ways of getting finances in in the short term and there are ways of having longevity and creating a long-term programme. And the trouble with football clubs is often that there is no long-term programme as things change all the time: boards, players, managers. We want to put something in place so that no matter what happens at the club, this programme will be there and established and part of the club’s work. We want to make sure we’re doing this the right way. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to make sure we are at the forefront of the footballing world. And doing that means that we build the brand and we build the fanbase.
With kids, the important thing is fun. You’re working with kids the age of five and six and seven and it’s fun. You can do some basics about running and kicking the ball but at that age it’s all about playing games and using football as a fun basis for that. One thing we do is have one ball per person. The more they have the ball at their feet the more they are playing with it and the more they’re enjoying it.
BO: Is this also a good opportunity to grow fans in a part of the world where 80% of football fans support Liverpool or Manchester United?
GM: Yes, absolutely. We talk a lot about the kids but it is branding of the club too. Global branding. The Champions League last year gave us a great opportunity and of course now rolling out these partnerships are doing that. We have huge support in Asia. Our website gets a lot of hits from Asian supporters. So it makes sense to make things more cemented for the fans here.
BO: Is it a problem from a business point of view being in the Europa League compared to the Champions League? Not just getting less money but in reaching these fans?
GM: Well, the finances are so important now. The more money you have the more chance of success you have. That’s why we need a new stadium. Every time Arsenal or Man United play at home they get double the income we get. And you need that income. The Champions League money was great for us last season. But we missed out this time. That’s a shame but I think for the players European football is still so important. And I think for the fans and the players the fact we qualified for the Europa League is a huge bonus. Yes, it’s not the Champions League but it still keeps you in touch with Europe. Next season the players will see the Champions League going on and hopefully that acts as something to spur them on.
BO: Daniel Levy has come out with a very strong statement about Spurs not selling their best players. If that happens is top four achievable?
GM: It’s achievable if we can keep our squad together. We’ve got a great squad and I think we can finish in the top four.
BO: You’ve obviously played with some wonderful players at Spurs down the years, it may be a good squad at the moment but is there a player you’ve played with who would improve the current side? (YiddoJames)
GM: Well, you’re always looking to improve the squad. Central defence I think would be nice. We’ve had terrible problems with Ledley King. Ledley’s the most amazing player. These past few seasons he’s barely trained, he’s just been swimming and played and he’s put in top class performances. But that can’t last forever. We’ve got a number of very good players but I think it would be nice to get a strong partnership going there. And you always look at the strike department. You need to score goals. That was our problem in the Premier League last year. We scored numerous goals in the Champions League, not so many in the Premiership. It would be nice to get a player in who could get you twenty goals a season.
BO: Is there such a player in mind at the moment?
GM: There’s a number of players in mind to be honest. Harry’s got his list, for sure. The thing about Tottenham is, with the Chairman, we don’t like to do too much in public. With all the rumour-mongering and gossip going on, you know? There’s definitely a lot going on behind the scenes at the moment and the team are already back training. They got back yesterday so it’s all about preparing for the new season. What you don’t want is to get to the last week before the season starts and lose two players. It’s important for us to get the squad in place and for the manager to work with that squad. And hopefully sooner rather than later we’ll be adding to that squad.
BO: In terms of outgoings, we all hope to hold on to Luka Modric, do you know the latest on that?
GM: Luka Modric is one of the nicest lads at Tottenham. And then he came out and made some statements that were so ill-advised. You think “That’s not him” but he came out and said it. He said things like “The club are not ambitious enough. The Chairman’s not ambitious. I want to play with players who can win titles.” Suddenly everyone at the club is a bit disappointed. But then it’s that time of year. It’s spin time. A lot comes from agents. I was at Tottenham 16 years. I read ten times I had been transferred!
BO: Where did you go? I missed that.
GM: I went to Man United. I went to Liverpool. I went to Athletico Madrid. I would read the paper and there were a story that “Mabbutt is going to…” and it’s all there to unsettle you or whatever.
BO: As fans we lap it up, though, the gossip. You spoke about the centre-half position and Gary Cahill is a name that has been linked…
GM: Cahill’s the one we’ve been trying for. To be fair, Harry has a list. We like Drogba. We are a team who need a few more voices in the dressing room. We need a few leaders at the moment. You’re only buying someone for one or two seasons, but our aim is top four next season and could he be a part of that? We’re very shrewd in the transfer market though.
BO: Drogba would obviously bring a lot to Tottenham but in Daniel Levy we have an excellent Chairman but someone who has never paid more than two million pounds for a player over thirty. Is that going to continue or do you think Drogba is an exception that Harry can convince Daniel to change his approach for?
GM: I think we showed last year how much the Champions League means to the club. And I think if Harry says he wants Drogba, we’ll try to get him. But Daniel is very shrewd in the market and he is careful how he spends his money. But we have a squad and we have to add to it. We struggled up front last season. In the January transfer window I expected us to go and buy a striker but we couldn’t.
BO: Today we’re looking at one end of the academy, but at the other end there’s a young lad in your old position called Stephen Caulker who the fans and the club have high expectations of. What’s your opinion of Caulker and are there any other youngsters to look out for? (kishman)
GM: Yeah, we’ve got a lot of good lads coming through. A lot were out on loan last season. There’s Kyle Walker, Naughton, Danny Rose who came back, Steve Caulker who’s just gone out to Swansea on loan.
BO: That seems like a good place for his development.
GM: Yes. Especially as they came up. And then there’s Bongani Khumalo from South Africa.
BO: That’s a part of the world where you spend a lot of time. Was that a deal you were able to help with?
GM: Yes. (smiles). We’ve got two South Africans now, Steven (Pienaar) and Bongani. Bongani’s got a chance. When he arrived we sent him up to Preston on loan and he did really, really well. He got injured before the end of the season but he’s fit now and he’ll be going out next week with the squad on the South Africa trip. The academy is an area we are very serious about. There are so many players that you can develop. And the Asian market, well, we can not believe that there are so few Asian stars coming into the Premiership. And it’s something we’ve got to change because there is talent here, there is ability here. So why are there so few top players coming through? We’re a club that when we feel that there is a place where talent is un-tapped we want to be the ones who bring that through. It’s all long-term stuff.
Look at South Africa. We’ve been out in South Africa for seven years and we’ve just got Bongani. That’s one (player) in seven years. And that’s coming out of a place where they’ve had the World Cup and international focus. But if you get one, it’s a bonus. But the other work we’ve done in South Africa, we’ve developed so many players who will come through and be good players in the South African Premier League. We’ve helped them become better players, raised the standard of the league, improved the national team, so that’s what it’s all about.
At the moment we’ve got a very good board who are seeing what we’re doing and they’re backing it. Because these things all cost money but the payback could be far greater and we’re getting the name out there, getting the brand out there, the club name and growing the fan base is what we want to achieve.
BO: Do you have a formal position at the club? (leffe186)
GM: My official role is Club Ambassador. The club has two ambassadors, myself and Osvaldo Ardiles. Ossie does a lot of North and South America and I take Asia and Africa and we share Europe. I’ll be in South Africa next week with the team for their tour.
BO: Having seen both sides of an FA Cup Final result and indeed lead the ‘91 team out, what are your thoughts on the esteem in which the FA Cup is held? (Casparian)
GM: It’s still massive. I’ve never heard a player say “Boss, can you rest me for the FA Cup this weekend?” Footballers just want to play and the FA Cup is still magic. I was very lucky. When I was a boy, my brother and I used to play Subbuteo and we’d play the FA Cup and have the little plastic cup and I won it and paraded around the house lifting this cup above my head. Little did I know I’d get the chance to do it for real as a player. I think it’s still very special.
BO: What is your greatest memory as a player? (tony_parkes)
GM: Well, there was the cup final in ’91 and the Uefa Cup win in 1984. And then there was my England debut at Wembley against Germany, that was special. But I think it has to be the Cup Final. Paul Gascoigne gets injured early on and we go in at half time 1-0 down and we come back and win it. Fantastic.
BO: Which of the players in the current squad do you most like watching?
GM: I think that’s easy. I think Luka. And Gareth Bale when he’s in top form. I like Rafa. I think when Crouchie played we weren’t getting much from him but Rafa arrived and he scored 12 goals and about 9 of those were direct assists from Crouchie. We seem to have players who couldn’t read the knockdowns but Rafa’s on the end of everything. So he’s been a big player for us. And there’s a lot of young players coming through. I think Danny Rose is coming through really well.
BO: Especially since Harry turned him into a left back and he performed excellently at the end of the season.
GM: That's right. He’ll be pushing for that spot at the start of the season. Like most fans though, I think Luka’s my favourite. He’s such a good player. Got Spurs written all over him. (broad smile)
BO: Okay, I have a few partnerships here. Which is the best? Mabbutt-Gough, England-Beal, Roberts-Miller, or King-Woodgate? (Dan Ashcroft)
GM: (long pause) Mabbutt-Gough. It only lasted for one year as well. We hit it off so quickly, we both could play, we both could win the ball, we both could tackle, it was a great partnership. Such a shame it only lasted a year. But we knew that. Goughie only came to us as Dundee wouldn’t sell him direct to Rangers. As soon as he came down he said that his wife wouldn’t settle, so we knew… So it was just for one season.
BO: But what a season.
GM: Oh, yeah, great season.
BO: Do you still watch footage of games you played in? (leffe186)
GM: No. The sad thing is my daughters are twelve and seven, so my first daughter was born in the year I retired, so my daughters have never seen me play. They see me playing charity games, the last one I played was down in Cape Town for Nelson Mandela’s 89th birthday and they had a Fifa World XI which I played in and Pele was on our side and Ruud Gullit and Zubizaretta, Butragueno, Christian Karembeu, so it was a good side but then they were naughty the Africans. I came on at half time at centre back and they had George Weah, LuaLua and Samuel Eto’o! Samuel Eto’o gave me the runaround. He would have done that in my heyday, let alone when I’m a 47 year old bubble!
BO: Did John Fashanu ever apologise? (Dan Ashcroft) And do you think there has been sufficient changes to the rules and refereeing to prevent violence like that happening again? (al_pacino)
GM: (long pause) I think things like that are very few and far between now. The game has moved on. Players realise the danger of it. And no, let’s say he’s not on my Christmas card list.
BO: Would you consider the role of Club President if it were offered to you? (Dan Ashcroft)
GM: I don’t know about that but I was surprised when I got a suite named after me at White Hart Lane. The club ran a poll and asked the fans who the new suite should be named after and they chose me, which was very touching. But it was a bit weird as I thought you should only get that when you’re really old but I rang my mum and she told me I had to accept. It’s very nice.
BO: Thank you very much Gary and to end I’d just like to pass on the appreciation and respect from all the posters at SpursCommunity. You’ve been called a legend, a true footballing icon and a fantastic ambassador for the sport and the club. Thank you.
GM: Best wishes to all of them and thank everyone for their very kind messages.
Clearly Gary Mabbutt had done his research, visiting the website of KL’s most prestigious international school and speaking to the Headmaster ahead of the launch. As in his playing days, Mabbutt remains the consummate professional.
I spoke with the man who made 482 appearances in the Lilywhite shirt, memorably winning the UEFA Cup with us in 1984 and lifting the FA Cup as captain in 1991, and asked him a selection of questions on behalf of SpursCommunity. I can report that he is every bit as lovely as his reputation suggests and his piercing blue eyes still beam when he gets onto the subject of the club he loves and now represents as Ambassador.
BO: Hi Gary. It’s great to see you here in KL. Welcome to Malaysia
GM: Thank you very much. Good of you to say. It’s a shame it’s such a short visit.
BO: The partnership (THFC are launching the first academy of its kind in Asia) is very exciting, a great thing spurs are doing.
GM: Yes, it is. When you’re involved with something with the club you don’t want it to be a half-cocked affair. The club have backed it and done a lot of work to put it in place. It’s all about money, the branding, the fanbase. It’s like our Champions League games. All Champions League games go to a possible 2.4 billion people. Now if we picked up a million fans during that season and 10% of them bought a Spurs shirt, you’ve got fifty million (pounds) coming in. So, it’s all about developing that. But in my opinion there are good ways of developing that and bad ways of doing it. There are ways of getting finances in in the short term and there are ways of having longevity and creating a long-term programme. And the trouble with football clubs is often that there is no long-term programme as things change all the time: boards, players, managers. We want to put something in place so that no matter what happens at the club, this programme will be there and established and part of the club’s work. We want to make sure we’re doing this the right way. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to make sure we are at the forefront of the footballing world. And doing that means that we build the brand and we build the fanbase.
With kids, the important thing is fun. You’re working with kids the age of five and six and seven and it’s fun. You can do some basics about running and kicking the ball but at that age it’s all about playing games and using football as a fun basis for that. One thing we do is have one ball per person. The more they have the ball at their feet the more they are playing with it and the more they’re enjoying it.
BO: Is this also a good opportunity to grow fans in a part of the world where 80% of football fans support Liverpool or Manchester United?
GM: Yes, absolutely. We talk a lot about the kids but it is branding of the club too. Global branding. The Champions League last year gave us a great opportunity and of course now rolling out these partnerships are doing that. We have huge support in Asia. Our website gets a lot of hits from Asian supporters. So it makes sense to make things more cemented for the fans here.
BO: Is it a problem from a business point of view being in the Europa League compared to the Champions League? Not just getting less money but in reaching these fans?
GM: Well, the finances are so important now. The more money you have the more chance of success you have. That’s why we need a new stadium. Every time Arsenal or Man United play at home they get double the income we get. And you need that income. The Champions League money was great for us last season. But we missed out this time. That’s a shame but I think for the players European football is still so important. And I think for the fans and the players the fact we qualified for the Europa League is a huge bonus. Yes, it’s not the Champions League but it still keeps you in touch with Europe. Next season the players will see the Champions League going on and hopefully that acts as something to spur them on.
BO: Daniel Levy has come out with a very strong statement about Spurs not selling their best players. If that happens is top four achievable?
GM: It’s achievable if we can keep our squad together. We’ve got a great squad and I think we can finish in the top four.
BO: You’ve obviously played with some wonderful players at Spurs down the years, it may be a good squad at the moment but is there a player you’ve played with who would improve the current side? (YiddoJames)
GM: Well, you’re always looking to improve the squad. Central defence I think would be nice. We’ve had terrible problems with Ledley King. Ledley’s the most amazing player. These past few seasons he’s barely trained, he’s just been swimming and played and he’s put in top class performances. But that can’t last forever. We’ve got a number of very good players but I think it would be nice to get a strong partnership going there. And you always look at the strike department. You need to score goals. That was our problem in the Premier League last year. We scored numerous goals in the Champions League, not so many in the Premiership. It would be nice to get a player in who could get you twenty goals a season.
BO: Is there such a player in mind at the moment?
GM: There’s a number of players in mind to be honest. Harry’s got his list, for sure. The thing about Tottenham is, with the Chairman, we don’t like to do too much in public. With all the rumour-mongering and gossip going on, you know? There’s definitely a lot going on behind the scenes at the moment and the team are already back training. They got back yesterday so it’s all about preparing for the new season. What you don’t want is to get to the last week before the season starts and lose two players. It’s important for us to get the squad in place and for the manager to work with that squad. And hopefully sooner rather than later we’ll be adding to that squad.
BO: In terms of outgoings, we all hope to hold on to Luka Modric, do you know the latest on that?
GM: Luka Modric is one of the nicest lads at Tottenham. And then he came out and made some statements that were so ill-advised. You think “That’s not him” but he came out and said it. He said things like “The club are not ambitious enough. The Chairman’s not ambitious. I want to play with players who can win titles.” Suddenly everyone at the club is a bit disappointed. But then it’s that time of year. It’s spin time. A lot comes from agents. I was at Tottenham 16 years. I read ten times I had been transferred!
BO: Where did you go? I missed that.
GM: I went to Man United. I went to Liverpool. I went to Athletico Madrid. I would read the paper and there were a story that “Mabbutt is going to…” and it’s all there to unsettle you or whatever.
BO: As fans we lap it up, though, the gossip. You spoke about the centre-half position and Gary Cahill is a name that has been linked…
GM: Cahill’s the one we’ve been trying for. To be fair, Harry has a list. We like Drogba. We are a team who need a few more voices in the dressing room. We need a few leaders at the moment. You’re only buying someone for one or two seasons, but our aim is top four next season and could he be a part of that? We’re very shrewd in the transfer market though.
BO: Drogba would obviously bring a lot to Tottenham but in Daniel Levy we have an excellent Chairman but someone who has never paid more than two million pounds for a player over thirty. Is that going to continue or do you think Drogba is an exception that Harry can convince Daniel to change his approach for?
GM: I think we showed last year how much the Champions League means to the club. And I think if Harry says he wants Drogba, we’ll try to get him. But Daniel is very shrewd in the market and he is careful how he spends his money. But we have a squad and we have to add to it. We struggled up front last season. In the January transfer window I expected us to go and buy a striker but we couldn’t.
BO: Today we’re looking at one end of the academy, but at the other end there’s a young lad in your old position called Stephen Caulker who the fans and the club have high expectations of. What’s your opinion of Caulker and are there any other youngsters to look out for? (kishman)
GM: Yeah, we’ve got a lot of good lads coming through. A lot were out on loan last season. There’s Kyle Walker, Naughton, Danny Rose who came back, Steve Caulker who’s just gone out to Swansea on loan.
BO: That seems like a good place for his development.
GM: Yes. Especially as they came up. And then there’s Bongani Khumalo from South Africa.
BO: That’s a part of the world where you spend a lot of time. Was that a deal you were able to help with?
GM: Yes. (smiles). We’ve got two South Africans now, Steven (Pienaar) and Bongani. Bongani’s got a chance. When he arrived we sent him up to Preston on loan and he did really, really well. He got injured before the end of the season but he’s fit now and he’ll be going out next week with the squad on the South Africa trip. The academy is an area we are very serious about. There are so many players that you can develop. And the Asian market, well, we can not believe that there are so few Asian stars coming into the Premiership. And it’s something we’ve got to change because there is talent here, there is ability here. So why are there so few top players coming through? We’re a club that when we feel that there is a place where talent is un-tapped we want to be the ones who bring that through. It’s all long-term stuff.
Look at South Africa. We’ve been out in South Africa for seven years and we’ve just got Bongani. That’s one (player) in seven years. And that’s coming out of a place where they’ve had the World Cup and international focus. But if you get one, it’s a bonus. But the other work we’ve done in South Africa, we’ve developed so many players who will come through and be good players in the South African Premier League. We’ve helped them become better players, raised the standard of the league, improved the national team, so that’s what it’s all about.
At the moment we’ve got a very good board who are seeing what we’re doing and they’re backing it. Because these things all cost money but the payback could be far greater and we’re getting the name out there, getting the brand out there, the club name and growing the fan base is what we want to achieve.
BO: Do you have a formal position at the club? (leffe186)
GM: My official role is Club Ambassador. The club has two ambassadors, myself and Osvaldo Ardiles. Ossie does a lot of North and South America and I take Asia and Africa and we share Europe. I’ll be in South Africa next week with the team for their tour.
BO: Having seen both sides of an FA Cup Final result and indeed lead the ‘91 team out, what are your thoughts on the esteem in which the FA Cup is held? (Casparian)
GM: It’s still massive. I’ve never heard a player say “Boss, can you rest me for the FA Cup this weekend?” Footballers just want to play and the FA Cup is still magic. I was very lucky. When I was a boy, my brother and I used to play Subbuteo and we’d play the FA Cup and have the little plastic cup and I won it and paraded around the house lifting this cup above my head. Little did I know I’d get the chance to do it for real as a player. I think it’s still very special.
BO: What is your greatest memory as a player? (tony_parkes)
GM: Well, there was the cup final in ’91 and the Uefa Cup win in 1984. And then there was my England debut at Wembley against Germany, that was special. But I think it has to be the Cup Final. Paul Gascoigne gets injured early on and we go in at half time 1-0 down and we come back and win it. Fantastic.
BO: Which of the players in the current squad do you most like watching?
GM: I think that’s easy. I think Luka. And Gareth Bale when he’s in top form. I like Rafa. I think when Crouchie played we weren’t getting much from him but Rafa arrived and he scored 12 goals and about 9 of those were direct assists from Crouchie. We seem to have players who couldn’t read the knockdowns but Rafa’s on the end of everything. So he’s been a big player for us. And there’s a lot of young players coming through. I think Danny Rose is coming through really well.
BO: Especially since Harry turned him into a left back and he performed excellently at the end of the season.
GM: That's right. He’ll be pushing for that spot at the start of the season. Like most fans though, I think Luka’s my favourite. He’s such a good player. Got Spurs written all over him. (broad smile)
BO: Okay, I have a few partnerships here. Which is the best? Mabbutt-Gough, England-Beal, Roberts-Miller, or King-Woodgate? (Dan Ashcroft)
GM: (long pause) Mabbutt-Gough. It only lasted for one year as well. We hit it off so quickly, we both could play, we both could win the ball, we both could tackle, it was a great partnership. Such a shame it only lasted a year. But we knew that. Goughie only came to us as Dundee wouldn’t sell him direct to Rangers. As soon as he came down he said that his wife wouldn’t settle, so we knew… So it was just for one season.
BO: But what a season.
GM: Oh, yeah, great season.
BO: Do you still watch footage of games you played in? (leffe186)
GM: No. The sad thing is my daughters are twelve and seven, so my first daughter was born in the year I retired, so my daughters have never seen me play. They see me playing charity games, the last one I played was down in Cape Town for Nelson Mandela’s 89th birthday and they had a Fifa World XI which I played in and Pele was on our side and Ruud Gullit and Zubizaretta, Butragueno, Christian Karembeu, so it was a good side but then they were naughty the Africans. I came on at half time at centre back and they had George Weah, LuaLua and Samuel Eto’o! Samuel Eto’o gave me the runaround. He would have done that in my heyday, let alone when I’m a 47 year old bubble!
BO: Did John Fashanu ever apologise? (Dan Ashcroft) And do you think there has been sufficient changes to the rules and refereeing to prevent violence like that happening again? (al_pacino)
GM: (long pause) I think things like that are very few and far between now. The game has moved on. Players realise the danger of it. And no, let’s say he’s not on my Christmas card list.
BO: Would you consider the role of Club President if it were offered to you? (Dan Ashcroft)
GM: I don’t know about that but I was surprised when I got a suite named after me at White Hart Lane. The club ran a poll and asked the fans who the new suite should be named after and they chose me, which was very touching. But it was a bit weird as I thought you should only get that when you’re really old but I rang my mum and she told me I had to accept. It’s very nice.
BO: Thank you very much Gary and to end I’d just like to pass on the appreciation and respect from all the posters at SpursCommunity. You’ve been called a legend, a true footballing icon and a fantastic ambassador for the sport and the club. Thank you.
GM: Best wishes to all of them and thank everyone for their very kind messages.
