Is Gascoigne Going To Have a Crack? The Spurs Nostalgia Podcast

Gareth Dace
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Soccer

Take a deep dive into Spurs nostalgia with this podcast about Spurs in the 90s. Episodes will include ex-player interviews, season reviews and deep dives into some of the fascinating events in a chaotic period in the club's history. The podcast is presented by Gareth Dace - author of two Spurs books that cover the 1980's and 1990's in detail. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 12h ago

    The Forgotten Final: Spurs, Leicester and the 1999 Worthington Cup

    Tottenham Hotspur 1 Leicester City 0. One goal. Ten men. Wembley. A trophy. Joined by Bardi from The Extra Inch, Gareth revisits the 1999 Worthington Cup Final and asks why Tottenham's victory over Leicester City has become one of the most overlooked triumphs in modern Spurs history. We explore the build-up to the final, the significance of the League Cup in the late 1990s, David Ginola's magical season, Robbie Savage's role as pantomime villain, Justin Edinburgh's controversial red card and Alan Nielsen's dramatic winning goal. Along the way we dive into Wembley memories, 90s football culture, schooldays, A-levels, Oasis, Sky Sports and what winning a trophy actually meant to Tottenham supporters after years of frustration. Featuring: • David Ginola • George Graham • Sol Campbell • Alan Nielsen • Robbie Savage • Darren Anderton • Stephen Carr • Leicester City A nostalgic journey back to one of the defining days of late-90s football. #TottenhamHotspur #WorthingtonCup #90sFootball #FootballHistory #THFC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Oct 21

    98/99 Season Review (Part 1): George Graham, Ginola and the Road to Wembley

    The 1998-99 season began with anger, uncertainty and white handkerchief protests directed at Alan Sugar. It would end with a trophy at Wembley. In Part 1 of this season review, playwright and Spurs supporter Martin Murphy joins Gareth to relive one of the most fascinating campaigns in Tottenham's modern history. We discuss the collapse of the Christian Gross era, George Graham's controversial arrival from Leeds United, the rise of David Ginola and the League Cup run that changed the direction of the season. Along the way we revisit: • White Hart Lane protests • Alan Sugar's ownership • Christian Gross • George Graham • David Ginola • Jurgen Klinsmann's legacy • Manchester United • Liverpool • Tottenham's route to Wembley Part football history, part coming-of-age story, this is late-90s football in all its chaotic glory. Find out more about Martin's 'The Ghost of White Hart Lane' play - THE GHOST OF WHITE HART LANE — BRUISED SKY #THFC #90sFootball #DavidGinola #GeorgeGraham #FootballHistory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Oct 14

    The Man in the Raincoat

    October 1998. Tottenham Hotspur appoint George Graham as manager. On paper, it made perfect sense. Graham was one of the most successful managers in English football. A league champion, cup winner and one of the most respected coaches of his generation. There was just one problem. He was George Graham. Former Arsenal captain. Former Arsenal manager. The man who had rebuilt Spurs' fiercest rivals into champions. For many Tottenham supporters, it felt unthinkable. Nearly 30 years later, the appointment remains one of the most controversial decisions in the club's history. In this special documentary episode of Is Gascoigne Gonna Have a Crack?, Gareth explores the extraordinary story behind Graham's move across North London, examining the rumours, negotiations, outrage and contradictions that surrounded his arrival at White Hart Lane. Featuring contributions from journalist Henry Winter, Tottenham historian Julie Welch, broadcaster and supporter Jason McGovern, Arsenal supporter Luke Freer, former Arsenal physio Gary Lewin, Leeds author Roc O'Dean and archive audio from Darren Anderton, this documentary asks a question that still divides opinion today: Did Tottenham Hotspur sacrifice part of its identity in pursuit of success? A story of rivalry, loyalty, football culture, morality, nostalgia and change. The Man in the Raincoat: The Controversial Appointment of George Graham #Tottenham Hotspur, #Spurs, #George Graham, #Arsenal, #North London Derby, #White Hart Lane, #Premier League, #Football History, #Football Culture, #Alan Sugar, #David Ginola, #Leeds United, #Tottenham Podcast, #Spurs Podcast, #1990s Football Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 7

    David Pleat Interview

    David Pleat joins Is Gascoigne Gonna Have A Crack? for an in-depth look at one of the most turbulent eras in Tottenham Hotspur history. Returning to White Hart Lane in 1997 as Spurs' first Director of Football, David found a club struggling for direction after years of drift under Alan Sugar. In this fascinating conversation, he reflects on working alongside Christian Gross and George Graham, the challenge of rebuilding the squad, the return of Jurgen Klinsmann, the controversial appointment of George Graham and the heartbreaking departure of Sol Campbell. We also discuss recruitment in the late 1990s, scouting before modern analytics, Sergei Rebrov, Paolo Tramezzani, Robbie Keane, academy development and the lessons football has learned – and failed to learn – over the last 25 years. For Spurs supporters, this is a rare chance to hear from one of the key figures behind the scenes. For football nostalgists, it is a vivid snapshot of how Premier League clubs were run before sporting directors, data departments and social media transformed the game. Featuring: • Alan Sugar • Christian Gross • Jurgen Klinsmann • George Graham • Sol Campbell • Sergei Rebrov • Robbie Keane • Glenn Hoddle #THFC #PremierLeague #FootballNostalgia #90sFootball #TottenhamHotspur Buy David's book 'Just One More Goal' here - Just One More Goal: The autobiography of David Pleat : Pleat, David: Amazon.co.uk: Books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Sep 30

    97/98 Season Review - PART TWO

    We open Season 3 exactly where we left Season 2 with a forensic review of the near-fatal 97/98 campaign. I was re-joined by Julie Welch and Rosa as we explored Christian Gross' declining relationship with ALL his players, Jurgen Klinsmann's heroic return but why we still hovered just above the relegation zone. Rosa tells us about her vivid memories of a wonderful Salvation Saturday in South London and there's also a dive into late 90s mainstream culture too. This episode kicks off Season 3. Make sure you check the back catalogue to listen to Spurs' entire 90s journey! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Sep 28

    How English Football Left Spurs Behind 1997-2001

    Season 3 begins with a step back from White Hart Lane and a look at the bigger picture. Between 1997 and 2001, English football changed faster than at any point in its modern history — TV money exploded, foreign managers reshaped the league, Bosman transformed player power, and the Premier League’s first corporate superclubs emerged. To understand why Spurs stagnated while Arsenal, Chelsea and others accelerated, Gareth is joined by Wall Street Journal journalist and co‑author of The Club, Jon Clegg. Together they explore the forces that reshaped English football at the turn of the millennium: Manchester United’s commercial revolution, Wenger’s tactical and cultural overhaul, Chelsea’s foreign‑led transformation, Leeds’ high‑risk spending, and the shifting fortunes of Liverpool, Newcastle, Blackburn and more. This episode sets the stage for everything that follows in Season 3 — the Gross era, the identity crisis, the George Graham shock, the Ginola years, the Worthington Cup run, and the club’s struggle to keep pace with a league accelerating around it. A wide‑angle look at the Premier League’s evolution — and the context behind Spurs’ magic, mayhem and mediocrity from 1997 to 2001. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Sep 25

    If I Can Dream - The Life of Terry Venables with Tim Rich

    Terry Venables has appeared throughout this podcast in fragments — the fall‑out with Alan Sugar, the 1993 dismissal, the echoes of his influence on players and coaches who passed through White Hart Lane. But until now, we’ve never told his story in full. Not the Spurs chapter, not the England chapter, not the Barcelona chapter — the whole story. In this special standalone episode, recorded outside the usual season structure, I’m joined by journalist and author Tim Rich, whose new biography If I Can Dream: The Life of Terry Venables is the definitive portrait of one of English football’s most fascinating, contradictory and compelling figures. Tim takes us through Venables’ extraordinary life: • the South Wales childhood that shaped his imagination • the polymath instincts — singer, novelist, entertainer, coach • the Barcelona years, the La Liga title, and the heartbreak of Seville • the England tenure that ended with the nation wanting more • the business ventures, the insecurities, the ambition, the charm • the Tottenham connection — as player, manager, dreamer, and almost‑owner We talk about the myths, the misunderstandings, the brilliance, and the flaws. We explore the people Tim interviewed, the people he couldn’t, and the parts of Venables’ story that have never been told properly. And we reflect on why Venables remains such a magnetic figure for Spurs fans — even decades after his departure under a cloud. This isn’t a retread of the Sugar–Venables saga. It’s a full 360° look at the man behind the myth. If you grew up with Terry Venables, if you remember Euro 96, if you remember the swagger of 1987–91 Spurs, or if you simply want to understand one of the most intriguing characters English football has ever produced, this episode is for you. And if you want the complete story, Tim’s book If I Can Dream is essential reading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Season 3 Trailer

    Season 3 - TRAILER EPISODE

    Season 3 of Is Gascoigne Gonna Have a Crack? is nearly here — and in this short preview Gareth sets the scene for the next act in our Spurs nostalgia journey. We’ve just closed the curtain on the mid‑90s: Ardiles’ idealism, Francis’ pragmatism, Sheringham’s brilliance, Klinsmann’s fleeting magic, and a White Hart Lane beginning to take on its final familiar shape. Now we step into a new era — one defined by identity, upheaval and the rapid transformation of English football. Gareth explains how Season 3 picks up exactly where Season 2 left off: Christian Gross clutching his Tube ticket, Spurs sliding towards relegation, and the club losing its grip on who it was supposed to be. We’ll revisit the fear and confusion of 97/98 with Julie Welch and Rosa, before moving into one of the most controversial moments in modern Spurs history — the appointment of George Graham. A cultural shock, a clash of values, and a moment where Spurs arguably sacrificed identity in pursuit of stability. In the middle of it all stands David Ginola, the embodiment of what supporters believed Tottenham Hotspur should be: flair, artistry, romance. Season 3 explores that tension — identity versus pragmatism, style versus structure, Spurs versus the direction of English football itself — with a trophy win along the way. Gareth also previews the brilliant guests joining him this season, including David Pleat, Bardi, Pete Abbott, Rocco Dean, Steve Cavalier and more, plus the two “Heroes & Villains” episodes that will close the year: Sugar & Ginola, then Hoddle & Campbell. If you’re new to the show, every episode covering 1989–1997 — season reviews, player interviews, deep dives into the big themes and characters — is available in the back catalogue. And Gareth’s books Hotshot Tottenham and Is Gascoigne Gonna Have a Crack? are also available for anyone wanting even more from the era. Season 3 begins with a macro look at English football between 1997 and 2001, landing next Monday during the international break. Episodes then drop every Wednesday right through to Christmas. A bonus episode with Tim Rich, author of the new Terry Venables biography If I Can Dream, arrives this Friday. Subscribe, follow, and settle in — Season 3 is going to be a journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Take a deep dive into Spurs nostalgia with this podcast about Spurs in the 90s. Episodes will include ex-player interviews, season reviews and deep dives into some of the fascinating events in a chaotic period in the club's history. The podcast is presented by Gareth Dace - author of two Spurs books that cover the 1980's and 1990's in detail. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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