Sybarite Spurs to face contingent of hoi polloi

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/01/2021 (2058 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The stadium sign, attached to a wood-paneled fence that comprises part of the enclosure that is Rossett Park, reads, in changeable letters, “We Welcome Tottenham Hotspur.”

It’s a modest greeting, but what it lacks in flash and lights it more than makes up for in sincerity. Marine AFC, presently sixth in Division One North-West of the Northern Premier League, the eighth tier of English football, will host Tottenham Hotspur, fourth in the Premier League and Champions League finalists 19 months ago, in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Never before in the 150 years of the competition, the world’s oldest, have two clubs so separated by places and prestige been pitted against one another. And while the result is not in doubt the mere occasion of the match is rekindling the romance so nostalgically associated with the famous trophy, which hasn’t run out of magic dust just yet.

They’ve cleaned the carpets of the wedding hall that will serve as the visitors’ dressing room. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and his travelling contingent will be offered bagged snacks ahead of the tea-time kickoff. On the pitch, manager Jose Mourinho’s team will face factory workers, teachers, garbage collectors and employees of the National Health Service. Should the ball go out of play, it’ll be fetched from a neighbour’s garden.

Unfortunately, the residents whose houses line Rossett Road will be the only folks with a seat, or a tree in some cases, for the 90 minutes. The pandemic has denied what would otherwise have been a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for Marine supporters, never mind an important source of revenue. To help out with the latter, Spurs fans have organized a virtual ticket drive and sponsored the Mariners’ shorts, while The Athletic is advertising on the back of the shirts. Fashion designer George Davies has made souvenir scarfs.

“Without a doubt this Emirates FA Cup tie is the biggest game in our long and proud history,” Marine chairman Paul Leary told the club’s official website, adding that the match “has caught the imagination of football fans from around the world.”

Mourinho, typically business-as-usual, wondered about the conditions in his pre-match press conference, as per the Liverpool Echo.

“What can we expect? We need to see the pitch,” he said. “I always believe that to show respect to these teams is to beat them, to show respect to them is to play with a good team and with a team that takes responsibility, has motivation and goes there to win the game.”

Spot kicks

n At least one Premier League manager is uncomfortable with matches being played as the pandemic worsens throughout the UK. On Friday, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce remarked that it was “morally wrong” to continue as the country tightened its lockdown. Nineteen Newcastle players and staff have so far been affected by COVID-19. The Magpies will visit Arsenal today in the FA Cup.

n One of the more fascinating title races in Europe is taking place in Serie A, where leaders AC Milan and seventh-place Atalanta are separated by just nine points. Among the serious contenders are AS Roma, who have lost just twice since an opening-day defeat at Hellas Verona back in September. Currently third, they’ll host second-ranked Inter Milan on Sunday and will pull level with the Nerazzurri with a win.

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n Victor Font, a candidate for Barcelona president, has claimed the club must drastically reduce its player expenditures ahead of next season. This could involve selling players to make up what he says is an €80-million shortfall, although allowing Lionel Messi to leave on a free transfer would also provide considerable budget relief. It’s just the latest indication that Messi is likely to leave Barcelona in the summer, perhaps for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.

n Today’s Bundesliga showdown between RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund (11:30 a.m., Sportsnet) will go a long way in determining which side, if any, can challenge Bayern Munich in the second half of the season. Leipzig are within striking distance of the leaders — close enough to take advantage of any sudden slip. Dortmund, meanwhile, really have to win at Red Bull Arena to maintain any reasonable hope of contention. They haven’t won back-to-back since the end of October.

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