Premier League - The greatest: Tottenham verdict

Eurosport - Sat, 20 Jun 16:22:00 2009

We reveal your comments and the results of the poll to find out who Eurosport-Yahoo! readers think is the greatest ever Tottenham Hotspur player.

FOOTBALL 1989-90 Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker - 0

The first instalment of our weekly summer series gave a shortlist of eight of the great and the good to grace White Hart Lane from Spurs' history, and our verdict was rather different to yours.

While we went for the captain of the famous double-winning side of the 1960s, Danny Blanchflower, as our top man, voters in the online poll plumped for goalscorer-turned-presenter Gary Lineker.

There also plenty of calls for some great names not on the shortlist. We've published a selection of them below.

Eurosport-Yahoo! verdict

1) Danny Blanchflower

2) Glenn Hoddle

3) Jimmy Greaves

Poll verdict

1) Gary Lineker - 31% (5556 votes)

2) Paul Gascoigne - 26% (4677)

3) Jimmy Greaves - 16% (2877)

johnbyrne.furzton - Lots of great players have graced Spurs but none better than the bravest of the brave, Dave Mackay. Tackled like a train and seldom lost a tackle, could score with a rocket shot and constantly drove his team on. Came back twice from serious injury without noticeable decline in ability or enthusiasm.

kathydarlison - One of the most skilful players ever to pull on a Tottenham shirt was Johnny White in the famous push-and-run team of the sixties. The team consisted of nearly all home countries internationals. Sadly Johnny was killed by a lightning strike before he could really cement his reputation on the game. I think that if he had lived longer he would have put all other names in the shade.

djdaveprice - In my opinion Hoddle is the one of the most skilful players ever to pull on a shirt and should have been the central figure of the national side around whom the rest of the side should have been built. He was one of the first to be able to pass a ball 40 yards on to the end of a team-mate's toe and also be able to kill a ball stone dead with one touch every time.

michael - Jimmy Greaves what a player. Hated training, smoked like a chimney but always delivered on matchdays.

seegee59 - How can you discuss great Tottenham players without mentioning Pat Jennings? Only Gordon Banks would consistently rank above him - and that's a topic for debate. Selling PJ when they did proved to be one of Spurs' biggest mistakes.

cuzzinitt1 - I think in the last 50 years that I have been watching Spurs, Hoddle is the greatest footballer. The best passer of a ball bar none, and could score great goals as well. But as a servant of THFC it would be Perryman.

tik_product - Jimmy Greaves for me. If it wasn't for him, England would not have made the '66 World Cup final, and was unlucky to miss the final giving his place to Hurst who went on to score that hat-trick.

Raoul Z - Of the nominated candidates, only Steve Perryman had the humility to qualify as Tottenham's greatest. Steve WAS Spurs during the years he wore the No6 shirt. All the others (except Gazza) were gifted, spectacular, amazing but only Perryman put Spurs before everything else.

Richard A. Owen-Roberts - Cliff Jones was a crucial member of Tottenham Hotspur's 1960-61 Double-winning side and at the time was widely considered as the best left winger in the world.

Eurosport

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  1. Only seen them live since the 80s, and for me it would­ have to GHod; what a sublime passer and eye for goal,­ stunning stuff you sometimes did not even THINK about­ on the park, let alone in a stadium with the pressure­ on at 100mph... I mean, chip a ball over the keepr in­ the box, WHAT ???

    From ispurs, on Thu 25 Jun 12:10PM

  2. Chris Armstrong, Justin Edinburgh anyone­ ........??

    Would probably have to be Ginola, Gazza,­ Hoddle and in that order but when you start there are­ so many ...... Graham Roberts (we could use another­ now. Will never forget when he launched Charlie Nicolas­ into touch at the library), Mabbut and Perryman for­ their service, Ralph Coates for the comb over in the­ wind, Klinsmann - one of only 3 Germans that I like,­ Clive Allen for all the goals that particular year,­ Ardiles for his accent on MOD and ever since, Lineker­ for his cheeky smile, of course Greavsie just because I­ know he deserves to be there and for being a true Yid­ even back then ........

    From El Yiddo, on Tue 23 Jun 8:49PM

  3. what about mabs?

    From Dan, on Tue 23 Jun 1:23PM

  4. GINOLA GOD ON 2 LEGS

    From AmberA, on Tue 23 Jun 9:28AM

  5. What about Tommy Harmer and John WHITE

    From ANGELA C, on Mon 22 Jun 5:09PM

  6. The first choice should be a player who spent the best­ part of his career at Spurs. so that would omit a lot­ of choices, and would then be able to justify a true­ legend.......................COYS

    From Wayne, on Mon 22 Jun 12:36PM

  7. Many Many Many - However I will use this time to give­ my top 10 "Possibly" in my order of­ preference

    C.O.U.S
    Pat Jennings - Steve Perryman -­ Cyril Knowles - Glenda Hoddle - Graham Roberts - Gazza­ - Jimmy Greaves - Garry Mabbutt - Danny Blanchflower -­ Osvaldo Tottingham Ardiles

    moments and memories -­ otherwise we could bedate this for years. But this will­ do me

    From CHRISTOPHER, on Sun 21 Jun 2:43PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Who cares - none of them have won the Premier league so­ they're all rubbish - why are we talking about­ them? talk about the best players not the worst!!

    From michelle.lieberman23, on Sun 21 Jun 2:02AM

  9. Mr. Jimmy Greaves for me stands at the top of the heap,­ but lets not forget the contributions made by the likes­ of Mr Alan Gilzean, Mr Martin Peters, a World Cup­ winner, both the Argies, Mr. Alan"The Tank"­ Mullery, and for a real un-sung hero how about Mr. Tony­ Galvin? True Yids know I could go on, but hey, all who­ have been mentioned have played their part and are­ worthy of mention. (P.S. Mr. Pat Jennings is worthy of­ special mention not just for his service to THFC, but­ for his grace towards this club dispite the disgraceful­ treatment he recieved from the "powers that­ be" at the time. A true Gentleman.

    From a.moss622, on Sat 20 Jun 11:13PM

  10. I have been watching spurs since 1960 and have watched­ them all, and for me Jimmy Greaves will allways be­ number one.

    From Had Enough, on Sat 20 Jun 5:24PM

  11. This is the result of people with no football knowledge­ voting for the name theyve heard the most! not­ justified

    From JACK, on Sat 20 Jun 4:23PM

  12. I think Gary Lineker will be rather embarrassed to win­ this poll. I'm sure he'd be happy to­ acknowledge his prowess as a goal scorer but the­ greatest footballer...I don't think so...I think­ Gary knows his limitations. For him to rank above­ Hoddle and others is just silly.

    From juliansmith916, on Sat 20 Jun 12:37PM

  13. Yes Greaves was one of the greatest but over the years­ with loyalty and consistency you have to be talking­ Mabbutt and Perryman.

    From Howard, on Sat 20 Jun 12:08PM

  14. What are the other teams past and present players are­ you going to involve in your opinion poll ?. Why did­ you not do in alphabetical order like any normal person­ would do.

    From Andrew, on Sat 20 Jun 11:29AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WHO GIVES A SHEEEEEEIT

    From JEEMS, on Sat 20 Jun 11:22AM

  16. wot about mr tottingham himself ?Ossy, not Osbourne you­ muppets ARDILLES.That Rikky Villa wasnt bad­ either,playing here thro the Falklands war-Las Malvinas­ por favour.

    From Frank N, on Sat 20 Jun 11:13AM

  17. Good to see someone has recalled my personal­ "greatest" - Cliff Jones.For his height the­ best header of the ball bar none with the pace to beat­ anyone - and let's have a mention for Bobby Smith,­ gutsy Yorkshire man and the perfect partner for­ Greavsie.

    From j.atkinson144, on Sat 20 Jun 10:51AM

  18. I always find these polls difficult because it's­ hard to make comparisons, I went for Jimmy Greaves he­ was a class act but one other player that should'nt­ have gone unnoticed is Gary Mabbutt, now if we are­ talking about great club players this bloke made 482­ apps for Spurs over 16 years and also suffered an­ horrendous eye injury but still come back and played­ for Spurs, now that's what i call a great player.

    From JOHN, on Sat 20 Jun 10:41AM

  19. Esther you dont and never will.

    From Andrew, on Sat 20 Jun 10:32AM

  20. No mention of Klinsman? Of course Greavsie's­ gotta be up there, and the most he got paid was £25 a­ week. He didnt lounge around during the week between­ games, he was driving a lorry for his brothers­ business!
    Hoddle was wonderfully gifted ball player,­ but he bottled out of too many tackles to make it as­ the greatest.

    From Keith, on Sat 20 Jun 10:25AM
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