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Spurs' record in Europe:-
U.E.F.A Champions League
P W D L F - A
12 5 3 4 25 -19
European Cup
P W D L F - A
8 4 1 3 21 - 13
(Semi-Finalists 1962)
European Cup Winners Cup
P W D L F - A
33 20 5 8 65 - 34
(Winners 1963)
UEFA Cup/Europa League
P W D L F - A
122 70 32 20 248-100
(Winners 1972, 1984
Finalists 1974)
Total
P W D L F - A
175 99 41 35 353-166
Europa League Group C
P W D L F-A GD PTS
Asteras Tripolis 2 1 1 0 3-1 2 4
Besiktas 2 0 2 0 2-2 0 2
Spurs 2 0 2 0 1-1 0 2
Partizan 2 0 1 1 0-2 -2 1
A fitting day for our 100th European win
Today (23rd October) will be the actual tenth anniversary of the passing of our legendary manager Bill Nicholson. What a fitting day that would be to chalk up our 100th European competition win in our 176th such game!
There will be some remembrance of Bill tonight, but the club has decided that Sunday's Premier League game will be the formal date of remembering "Sir" Bill.
There is new sadness for the club, and for me personally with the devastating news yesterday of the sudden death of club historian Andy Porter. I shall miss Andy a lot, starting tonight, when I shall not see him outside the club perimeter in Paxton Road before his entrance into the ground. My friends and I will be raising a glass to Bill, and Andy tonight.
Our guests tonight are the current leaders of Group C, Asteras Tripolis from Greece, who beat Partizan Belgrade in the last round of matches, while we were drawing at home to Besiktas. Asteras have little experience of European competition, having first qualified for the Europa League two seasons ago. This is the first time they have reached the Group Stage of the competition, having got past Maccabi Tel Aviv on the away goals rule, when they won 2-0 at home, and lost 3-1 away.
Asteras Tripolis was founded in 1931, but in their early years they went through dissolution, and different names until they reformed under their present name in 1978. They played in a regional (Arcadian) league, before moving up four divisions in the first decade of this century, finally reaching the Super League in 2007-8.
Last season, Asteras finished fifth in their league, and took part in play-offs to decide the final placings of three four teams below champions Olympiakos. They still finished fifth, but qualified for Europa League football.
Asteras are currently in 8th place after just 6 league games
The only Greek team we faced under Bill Nicholson's leadership was Olympiakos in the 1972-3 UEFA Cup campaign, when we reached the semi-final, losing to Liverpool. We beat Olympiakos 4-0 at home (Pearce 2, Chivers, Coates), losing the away leg 1-0. Coincidentally, in that season, we also faced a team from Belgrade (Red Star).
Mauricio Pochettino has said he knows a lot about our opponents, who have a lot of Argentineans in their squad. One of these is 29 year old striker Parra, signed this summer from Independiente, who has already scored three goals for his new club. Another Argentine striker, Barrales, is in his second season with Asteras, and has also scored three of their goals this season, although he managed 6 in 24 league games last season.
Yet another Agentine player, an attacking midfielder, is Martin Rolle, signed on loan from an Argentine club called Arsenal, scored twice in one of Asteras's league games.
It seems that Asteras play an attractive attacking game, and that they will be formidable opponents for our Europa League side, which may feature Hugo Lloris in goal, and as captain, with mostly second choice Premier League players in front of him. Fazio, who is suspended for Sunday's game will surely play, and we may see Vlad Chiriches next to him, in a Spurs shirt for the first time since his embarrassing performance at home to Besiktas.
It's a game that Spurs have to win, in the context of their Europa League progress; to appease those fans who do make the effort to attend the game; and to get that 100th European win on the anniversary of the passing of the greatest Spur ever - Bill Nicholson.
I have to predict a win also, but I doubt it will be easy. I think it may require both Soldado and Kane to play. How about a 4-4-2 with Townsend and Lennon on the wings?
Tonight's referee, and his officials are from Slovakia. The man in charge will be Mr. Ivan Kruzliak. We haven't seen him before, but I can tell you he averages 6 yellow cards in his last three games, one of which was an Under-21 International between Sweden and France.
· 10 years ago today, on the day the passing of Bill Nicholson was announced, we lost 2-1 at home to Bolton.
· How Spurs Odyssey announced the news
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