Today I'm going back 29 years to 1993 to Tottenham's Premier League fixture against "the Latics" of Oldham Athletic played in front of 26,662 spectators. This was the Premier League's inaugural season and, yes, Oldham Athletic were in it. Should Oldham get relegated at the end of the current season they will become the first former members of the Premier League to be relegated into Non-League football. As I write this they're three points away from safety with just four games remaining and they've played a game more than the two sides immediately above them (Barrow and Stevenage). It's looking bleak for Oldham!
Today's programme cover star is, of course, Gary Mabbutt. Famously Mabbutt played his entire professional career with diabetes and had to manage his blood sugar levels and administer injections to himself in addition to all the physical training and playing of matches that regular professionals do. Mabbutt always struck me as an incredibly nice guy and he performs the role of club ambassador at Tottenham these days. I can't think of a better candidate to be an ambassador than "Mabbsy". Mabbutt also seemed to have the unofficial role of father figure (or child minder) to Paul Gascoigne during his time at Spurs and Gazza adores Mabbutt to this day. Gary Mabbutt started out at Bristol Rovers and was signed by Spurs at the beginning of the 1982/83 season. He burst onto the scene once at Spurs, scoring on his debut and finding himself selected for England within weeks of that debut. In all Mabbutt was at Spurs for 16 years and was club captain for eleven of those. He finished his career with over 750 professional appearances as well as 16 England caps. Following his retirement Mabbutt was awarded the MBE for his services to football. Alarmingly he was close to having to have a leg amputated in 2013 following a disease associated with his diabetic condition and he can no longer run or kick a ball. Even more alarmingly, in 2018 he had part of his foot eaten by a rat whilst in South Africa since he had very little feeling in his foot and awoke to find one toe nibbled down to the bone! Honestly! As I said, Mabbutt is an all around nice guy and, during the recent Covid19 pandemic he personally spent over 625 hours on the phone calling Spurs supporters aged over 70 to check that they were doing okay. What a role model!
Spurs were behind at half time in the featured game with Oldham's goal coming from Darren Beckford midway through the first half. In the second period things were somewhat different however as Spurs turned on the style with two goals from Teddy Sheringham (both penalties), Darren Anderton and substitute Andy Turner for a comfortable 4-1 home win.
At the end of the season, Spurs, managed by the duo of Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence, finished in eighth place in the new-fangled Premier League, 25 points behind Champions Manchester United. Oldham, managed by Joe Royle, narrowly escaped the drop finishing 19th (of 22), level on points with relegated Crystal Palace but, crucially, having a better goal difference by just two goals. Also relegated in that first Premier League season were Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest.
CRB Match No. 833
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