A look at the visit of Spurs for the last ever festive game at the Dell
Of course for the pedants amongst you this was not strictly Boxing Day, in fact unlike other years it wasnt even a Bank Holiday Monday due to Boxing Day falling on a Sunday etc, this was played on a Wednesday evening due to it being selected for SKY TV, probably due to Glenn Hoddle facing his old club and as we would find out a few months later his first love.
Things werent going great for Saints at the time, the perception is that under Hoddle Saints were great, but the reality of this season was that we spent most of the first half just above the relegation zone and as we approached this game, we were sitting 15th on 21 points only two points above the drop zone, Spurs werent doing that much better on 26 points and this was crucial to Saints season as after the Tottenham game came a relegation six pointer at the Dell against fifth from bottom Derby County, they say that the Xmas football programme always sorts out the wheat from the chaf and this year looked no different, the question being come January would we be wheat or chaf.
Saints lined up
Jones
Dodd, Richards, Lundekvam, Bridge
Tessem, Draper, Marsden Davies
Pahars, Beattie
Subs El Khalej, Soltvedt, Rosler.
Another packed house at the Dell of 15, 237 saw a cracking game which was decided in a two minute spell late in the first half, firstly on 37 mins, James Beattie won a challenge with future Saints player Chris Perry out on the touchline, cut inside, took a touch and curled the ball into the net for a superb goal, the previous year Beattie had only started 8 games and another 10 off the bench without scoring a goal, with Marian Pahars and the returned Kevin Davies looking to be the first choices, when Hoddle signed Uwe Rosler, Beattie's days looked numbered, he baarely played in the first eleven games and then mostly as sub and hadnt scored, but after starting against Chelsea and netting a brace, he seemingly couldnt stop scoring, this was the ninth game of the run and it was the ninth goal.
But two minutes later the game was all but won, Pahars crossed from deep and there was Kevin Davies to side foot home off the post to make it two nil and game over for a Spurs side who were very average under George Graham.
Saints hit the post through Soltvedt but couldnt make three, in truth perhaps they didnt want to as already there was talk of Graham being sacked and Hoddle returning to White Hart Lane and a rout at the Dell might just push him over the edge.
Saints would beat Derby a few days later and go into the New Year in 12th place and eight points clear of the drop zone, all was looking good for 2001, a relegation fight now looked unlikely, Hoddle was starting to reap the dividends of his rebuilding plans and of course we had the rapidly rising St mary's stadium to look forward to, what could possibly go wrong !