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The Ossie Ardiles File
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t^T/dream come true was how new
manager Ossie Ardiles described his
return to White Hart Lane. Yet it was a
vision that he had nurtured since the
day that Terry Venables gave him a
free transfer as a player back in May,
1988.
"I always wanted to come back
here as boss and always believed that
I would," said Ossie when he took
over in June. "You could say that it
was my destiny. This club is in my
blood and means more to me than
any other."
When Keith Burkinshaw flew across
the world to snap up Ossie and his
international team mate Ricky Villa in
the ticker-tape wake of Argentina's
World Cup success of 1978, it was the
prelude to an influx of players from
overseas.
Few adapted as well as
Tottenham's Argentinian duo. And
few lasted the pace as well as Ossie
Ardiles.
While the majority just about
completed the requirements of their
initial contracts before returning
home, Ardiles showed a far greater
liking for the challenge of the English
League and quickly became a
sparkling facet of the domestic scene.
Ossie literally skipped through
games in that unmistakable style of
his as he illustrated skills that
transcended coaching and set him
apart from those around him.
He immediately found the ideal
soulmate in Glenn Hoddle, home
grown at Tottenham yet with a similar
ability to light up games. Ardiles, who
had played alongside and against the
best in the world, was instantly
impressed and their subsequent
partnership remains a special memory
for Spurs fans of that generation.
Now they meet again as
managers of London giants Spurs and
Chelsea. With neither seemingly
sharing a negative thought as to how
football should be played, yet already
illustrating the success of their ability
to communicate their respective
styles to their players, both have
proved that a silken touch can
succeed where others opt for steel.
And Paul Gascoigne their natural
successor, although again a vastly
different performer, is back with Lazio
to complete the triumvirate of talent
from our immediate past.
It doesn't stop there. Ossie's
assistant is our former captain Steve
Perryman while Glenn's number two
at Stamford Bridge is Peter Shreeves
who performed every coaching role at
White Hart Lane during the Ardiles-
Hoddle-Perryman era and twice
served the club as manager.
Ardiles had no hesitation in
appointing Steve as assistant
manager. As players and room mates,
the pair had often talked about
working together should one of them
receive the call to return to White Hart
Lane. And Ossie never forgot that
pledge.
Perryman was manager at Watford
and would not have stepped down in
rank for any other club or any other
partnership. Ardiles andTottenham
are different.
He says: "I had a job to do at
Watford and was not looking to
become assistant manager anywhere.
And had it been Spurs or Ossie it
would have been different. Spurs and
Ossie? No contest!"
Now the pair offer the ideal blend
just as they did on the field. At41,
Steve is four months older that Ossie,
but both turned professional in their
respective countries in 1969 and both
share a wealth of experience.
While Perryman spent most of his
playing career and 17 consecutive
seasons here, Ossie has seen service
in four different countries. Ardiles had
10 memorable years at Spurs and, like
Perryman, clearly left his heart here
when the Grim Reaper (Football
Playing Careers Section) finally made
his call.
By the time he left for the States,
Perryman was already at Oxford
United. But by then he had firmly
etched his name into the Tottenham
history books as our
youngest ever
captain, aged 20, and
our record
appearance holder in f8l
each major
competition.
He was also our
most frequent ever-
present (eight League
seasons) and scored at amm,
least one League goal WÊÊtf
in those 17
consecutive -f.
campaigns.
Now he and Ardiles return with
even greater experience. They wore
the white shirt with pride and want
others to do so again. Having been
out there and done it themselves,
should inspire the players in their
charge to show similar fortitude and
an equally determined will to win.
But, even more to the point, Ossie
Ardiles will ensure that they do things
with a bit of style. Because this, as
they say, is Tottenham Hotspur.
By John Fennelly
Full name: Osvaldo Cesar Ardiles.
Born: Cordoba, August 3, 1952.
Career: Instituto Cordoba amateur,
professional 1969; Huracan 1975; Spurs July,
1978; Paris St. Germain on loan July to
December, 1982; Blackburn Rovers on loan
March to May, 1988; Released by Spurs May,
1988; Queens Park Rangers August, 1988 to
February, 1989; Fort Lauderdale June/July,
1989 10 appearances); Swindon Town
player/manager July, 1989; Newcastle United
manager March, 1991 to February, 1992;
West Bromwich Albion manager May, 1992;
Spurs manager June, 1993.
Honours: 43 Full caps for Argentina, first v
Bolivia
20.6.75 last v Brazil 2.7.82, World Cup
winner 1978, Football League representative
(two appearances 1987), F.A. Cup winner
1981UEFA Cup winner 1984.
As a manager: Football League Division Two
play-off winner 1990 and 1993.