Fictional Spurs

Crime series starring Adrian Scarborough as a detective (DI Max Arnold) investigating cases in and around Chelsea, with his Detective Constable Jess Lombard played by Lucy Phelps. In “The Blue Room – Part 1” (Series 2, Episode 1), they investigate a murder at an art gallery theft. 

When interviewing an art dealer with DC Connor Pollock (Peter Bankole), Lombard criticises the dealer for using public school Latin.  When leaving she turns to him and says, “Audere Est Facere”.
Outside Pollock says to her, “I didn’t know you knew Latin ?”, to which she replies, “I don’t.  My old man’s a Spurs fan.  It was written on a scarf !”

Series on Disney+/ITV about everyone in the population having superhero powers that features a shape-shifting man who could turn into a cat called Jizzlord (played by Luke Rollason).  In “Magic Bullets” (Series 1, Episode 2), his friends are trying to establish how long he had been able to do this and one of the last things he can remember before he acquired his superpower is Spurs beating Arsenal 4-2 at home.  It is established that the match took place three years ago.

In the final episode of Series 2, biological father – Larry (played by Nigel Havers) – of Simon Cockfield (Joe Wilkinson) tells him that he has won some hospitality tickets to a Spurs game and goes on to quote players who are no longer at the club that he is looking forward to meeting.  He remembers that Simon is a Spurs fan and his son’s face lights up until his father tells him that it will be really convenient to spend the night with Simon before he takes his girlfriend to the match.

Kenny Stowton – a former MI6 agent and working for investigative on-line publication Bitter Pill and played by Sean Delaney (a real life Fulham fan) – featured in this thrilling TV series, being the son of Carolyn Martens (played by Fiona Shaw)

Kenny is killed off in the first episode of Series 3 and at his wake, the tribute photo of him is sitting on a table with a THFC scarf under it.

In Series 12, Episode 3  “Orphan 55” of the long-running BBC TV Sci-fi programme, it involved a pair of security staff called Kane and Vorm.

Now, Kane could easily be a commonplace name of any Tom, Dick or Harry, but Kane AND Vorm together ?

TV drama about the use of editing to “correct” video footage to achieve the right result for the Police and Secret Services featured an expert to give evidence on the technological issued that may lead to videos being doctored and he worked as a consultant working on TV football coverage.  In the scenes featuring Marcus Levy (played by Paul Ritter) there is lots of Spurs memorabilia seen in his flat and footage of him attending a night match outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Two of the main characters in this Edwardian drama about building a viaduct across a Yorkshire valley had somewhat surprisingly familiar names.

The Afro-American who came in with vast experience of building railroads in the USA was named Ralph Coates.

His nemesis, the prodigal brother of the man building the viaduct, was Johnny Jackson.

Coincidence ? … Maybe, but then again …

The lead character was James Nesbitt (a renowned Man U fan in real life) playing a maverick police detective, but his female side-kick, Detective Sergeant Nuri Chohan (played by Amara Karan), was a Spurs supporter, as she explained when detailing the differences between her boyfriend and herself.

The series featured a gang of con artists, who are modern day Robin Hoods, trying to hit those who prey on the vulnerable.  In Episode 1 of Series 8 entitles “Gold Finger”, Dexter Gold (born Dexter Pratt and played by Paterson Joseph) is a gold dealer who claims to give the best prices, but cheats his customers, so they target him to work their con.  During one scene, he can be seen talking about being a Spurs fan, but never goes to the games.

A series of crime novels written by Mark Billingham feature the central character Tom Thorne, who is a country music loving Detective on the Metropolitan Police Murder Squad and supports Tottenham Hotspur.

Ironically, the author is a fan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Martin Fowler had Spurs posters on his wall, while the actor playing him was alleged to be a big Gooner.

Joe McGann plays a former footballer – Charlie Burrows – whose playing days at Spurs were ended early by injury.  He is a widower and has a 12 year old daughter and to provide for her, he moved out of South London to Henley-on-Thames to take up a position as a housekeeper for a female advertising executive Caroline and her young son.  On leaving London, he drives a transit van with a “Tottenham Hotspur” windscreen sticker.
In Series 1 Episode 7 – “Growing Pains”, he is playing football in the garden with his daughter Joanne, pretending to be Spurs in the last minute of the FA Cup Final.
In Series 1, Episode 8 – “Paint Your Wagon”, talking with other local house-keepers, Charlie is asked if he has any complaints and replies “Spurs don’t look too good this year.”
In Series 1 Episode 11 – “Just Like Charlie”, Caroline’s son Tom needs something to take to “Show and Tell” at school and Charlie suggests, “Why don’t you take my old Spurs shirt ?”
In Series 2, Episode 2 – “Common Entrance”, Charlie’s daughter is going for an interview at a private school.  When asked how it went, she replies, “Great.  Miss Cooper (the head teacher) is a Spurs fan !”  He friend asked her how she had got on and she replied, “It was a piece of cake.  Mention Gazza and you’re in !”
In Series 3, Episode 1 – “Bedroom Story”, Charlie’s daughter’s bedroom has a poster of Gary Mabbutt lifting the FA Cup in 1991 on the wall.
In Series 3, Episode 8 – “The Honeymooners”, Charlie goes to a hotel as he is playing in a Tottenham Veterans And Football All-Star Team in a charity match and Caroline goes along to watch.
In Series 3, Episode 9 – “Whiz Kid”, Caroline introduces Charlie to her company’s new Creative Director, who says “Aren’t you the same Charlie Burrows who used to play for Spurs ?  I’ve seen you play loads of times.  Didn’t you once score a hat-trick against Liverpool ?”.
In Series 5 Episode 7 – “The Price is Right”, Caroline is hoping to close a deal for footballer Gary Grant to endorse some trainers and introduces Charlie as “The Pride of White Hart Lane”.
In Series 5 Episode 12 – “Mixed Doubles”, Charlie is playing doubles tennis with Caroline, wearing a Spurs baseball cap.
In Series 5 Episode 16 – “Happy Ever After”, Charlie wants to propose to Caroline and engineers that she goes with him to a football match, where he is surrounded by fans in Tottenham scarves and he is wearing his Spurs baseball cap.  He gets “Marry Me Caroline.  Love Charlie” on the stadium screen, although the ground didn’t look like White Hart Lane, more like Highbury.

Patsy (Stephen Rea) and Andy (Jim Broadbent) are enjoying a few pints in the pub and engage in a conversation on the football of today (while contrasting it with that of the past).

Patsy: Far as I’m concerned, football died, the day Arsenal won the double.
Andy: That’s right. yeah
Patsy: What was they, workhorses.
Andy: Boring buggers hey.
Patsy: Well the Spurs Double team, they was artists.
Andy: They was artists.
Patsy: 21 quid a week they got, can you imagine. what do they get today, millions.
Andy: And they got their backhanders on top of that ain’t they.
Patsy: Poncing round the penalty area with their handbags.
Andy: Primadonnas
Patsy: Ohh, he kicked me ref.
Andy: Brown, Baker, Henry,
Andy: Blanchflower
Patsy: Danny boy
Andy: Yeah.
Patsy: He was the architect of the modern game you know.
Andy: That’s right, yeah.
Patsy: Norman, Mackay, John White, Smith, Allen,
Patsy: Dyson
Andy: Yeah, Come On You Spurs.
Patsy: John White, what a player, aye.
Andy: Yeah.
Patsy: I used to have a little picture of him on my wall, ringed in black.
Patsy: Tragic. what a way to go.
Andy: Struck by lightening.
Patsy: On a golf course.
Andy:  What a waste aye. You want another.

This novel, written by Dick Morland (the pseudonym for crime writer Reginald Hill), is set in a futuristic society where tribal groups are based on football teams and the main character Whitey is a Spurs fan.

In the Episode – The Blackboard Jungle – a member of a class that Tony Hancock is teaching is running a book on the football results and when they ponder on the outcome of matches, he shouts out “What about Tottenham !”