The Double Quotes

“His smoking habit followed in the footsteps of Tottenham’s great inside forward Tommy Harmer. Nicholson didn’t allow the players to smoke in the dressing-room before a match so they’d go to the washroom. ‘There were only two toilets,’ recalls Maurice Norman. ‘They were the old-fashioned ones and Tommy Harmer was always in there smoking. The only way to get him out was to light a piece of paper and shove it under the door.’ Harmer was so addicted he’d even slip away for a cigarette at half-time.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Mackay always carried a ball when he came out onto the pitch. And he oozed confidence. As he ran out he’d throw the ball high into the air shouting across to the other team: ‘Have a kick now because you won’t get one when the game starts.’ When it came down he’d kill the ball stone dead. His control was frightening. It was meant to be.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“After the match the Wolves captain Billy Wright came into the Spurs dressing-room. ‘If a team ever beats you lot I’d be choked not to see it,’ he told the players. ‘You’re the finest side I’ve seen.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“But it was Blanchflower who really shone. He covered every inch of the pitch; probed repeatedly for vital openings; and helped his defence with a series of interceptions. He looked precisely what he was: a cultured, classy, stylish footballer.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Nicholson was both stern and critical in training. He knew the weaknesses of all his players and he exposed them so their team-mates could help to cover them in matches.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Tottenham were also one of the first clubs to send their centre-backs up into the penalty area for corners. And when they conceded a corner Nicholson insisted his two full-backs stood about two yards in from either post so the keeper could see the ball if it was coming straight at him. If it was a short corner the defender could move out quickly to challenge; if it was long, he was able to get back and cover his keeper.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Tottenham were one of the first clubs, possibly the first, to put a marker on an opponent taking a throw-in.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Statistics had shown that between a third and a half of all goals came from situations like corners, free-kicks or throw-ins. Spurs spent hours rehearsing their ‘dead ball’ tactics.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“The Tottenham directors soon discovered that Blanchflower was no ordinary footballer. He’d written a weekly column in the Birmingham Argus and had agreed to write a similar column for a Fleet Street paper. He had a feel for words and was a good writer.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Spurs were well supported and it was claimed they were the wealthiest club in the country. Blanchflower thought that perhaps their past thriftiness had set them solid foundations to face the future. And perhaps the mood of the club was changing to face the new demands of a changing football world. Tottenham had never been known for spending big on players, but here they were in a bidding war for Blanchflower.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“He liked Tottenham’s traditions and style of football and there was a strange appeal in their name. (The Hotspur part came from a Shakespeare character called Harry Hotspur.) He was convinced their style of play was more in keeping with the future than Arsenal’s.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“In fact, Mackay had mixed feelings about the whole trip. ‘As a tour it was neither an education nor an adventure, but as a special occasion it was a tremendous success and in Kiev, Moscow and other parts behind the Iron Curtain, I shall always believe we laid the foundation of the team spirit and genuine friendship which has since played a notable part in the success of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“The Russians played in front of their fanatical fans as though their lives depended on the result and some of their tactics were less than ‘friendly’. At one point, the Russian full-back pulled Jones’s shorts down and threw them into the crowd. ‘He did that for a laugh, but also to stop him playing,’ recalls Henry.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“On the Friday morning the Spurs party left Moscow and flew south to Kiev, capital of the Ukraine. After the disappointing weather in the Russian capital they were more than happy to arrive on a wonderful sunny day. The players were confidently told that the good weather would last throughout their stay and the visit to Kiev turned out to be the highlight of the tour. The people in the sun-drenched city seemed more relaxed than those in Moscow and the extensive beaches stretching along the banks of the River Dnieper were crowded with sunbathers. ‘They were a different sort of people,’ recalls Medwin. ‘They weren’t near Moscow and so didn’t feel the same pressure. It was a different way of life there. They enjoyed themselves and it looked a bit more glamorous.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“Jones and Medwin were among those who appreciated the cultural experience. ‘It was about the fall of St Petersburg, and Nureyev was brilliant, magnificent,’ says Medwin. ‘I had respect for his fitness.’ However, some of the others struggled to come to terms with this new brand of sophisticated entertainment. ‘I remember Jim Iley coming down to us from the back,’ recalls Jones, “What’s up, Jim?” I asked him. “I can’t hear what they’re saying,” he told me. “What are you talking about?” I said. “It’s a ballet. They don’t say anything”.”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season

“In Italy in 1957 we put up the first wall at a free kick. The Italians couldn’t believe their eyes. We just stood 10 yards from the kick. It had taken them long enough to get out of their own half. It did have its teething problems though. The referee had never seen it before either, so when the Italian picked up the ball and moved it five yards away from the wall and shot into the net he gave a goal!”
― Ken Ferris, The Double: The Inside Story of Spurs' Triumphant 1960-61 Season