This has been an important season for Tottenham Hotspur, who play West Ham United in the Premier League tonight. I have supported Tottenham for 30 years and it's been an interesting journey of great moments sprinkled amid general anguish.
It hasn't been easy, but there is something appealing about the struggle, the constant hope and disappointment of being bonded to your team.
It is my struggle as a fan, but at least it's my own. What do they say - it's the hope that kills? Maybe there is something boring about winning all the time, but I wouldn't know, I am guessing. I have been conditioned to savour these great times as a Spurs fan right now by learning the hard way. Sometimes I pinch myself at how well we are doing.
My support of Tottenham didn't start auspiciously, with my first visit to the soon to be redeveloped White Hart Lane in April 1988 as a 9 year old resulting in a 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth. I still have the match programme. Children tend to be completely obsessional at that age and it was the case for me.
I knew every player, every statistic and I consumed the club's history. I knew that Tottenham were the first English club in the 20th Century to win the League and FA Cup double in 1961. I knew they were the first English club to win a European trophy, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. I knew they won the FA Cup when the year ended in '1'. I knew of Jimmy Greaves, Glenn Hoddle, Ricky Villa and Irish internationals Chris Hughton and Tony Galvin.
I was lucky enough to witness Paul Gascoigne in the flesh run riot against Manchester United just before the 1990 World Cup. And then it all began to slide, really from the day Gazza injured his knee in the 1991 FA Cup Final. There were very ordinary years, as the club went south under Ossie Ardiles and Christian Gross, while George Graham and Glenn Hoddle couldn't replicate their success at White Hart Lane (a League Cup doesn't count). It wasn't until Martin Jol's arrival that Spurs began to compete again.
So I have as a supporter to thank Harry Redknapp a great deal. His team played highly entertaining football, the 'Spurs way' as we know it. I couldn't help thinking when watching the Champions League semi final how well Real Madrid have done to have players in Gareth Bale and Luka Modric that made their mark at Spurs.
Rafael Van der Vaart and Jermain Defoe provided some golden moments in Harry's era. Two fourth placed finishes in a competitive Premier League and a Champions League quarter final appearance were signs of tangible, exciting progress. Then Harry left and with the sale of Bale and the failure of Andre Villas Boas, there was a fear that Tottenham would do what Premier League Live analyst Mark Lawrenson says they do, which is to 'always let you down in the end'.
The arrival of the former Argentina defender Mauricio Pochettino has turned Tottenham from a flaky team that cannot be trusted when the pressure is applied to a powerful winning unit, encapsulated by last Sunday's North London derby win over Arsenal. I had every confidence going into that game that Spurs would win.
Pochettino has built a young side with a magnificent spine, from the reliable Hugo Lloris in goal, via impregnable defenders Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, the under rated Mousa Dembele, outstanding prospect Dele Alli and goal machine Harry Kane. They have improved in the last 12 months, showing more resilience than when they chased Leicester City and faded badly. 11 wins in a row in the top flight is not to be sniffed at.
Will it be enough to catch Chelsea? Sadly not, in my opinion. The Pensioners are in a good groove and have delivered important wins over Southampton and Everton. Their run in involves home ties against Middlesbrough, Watford and Sunderland. Spurs have given themselves too much to do.
It's frustrating, but we must applaud this Tottenham team which will be playing Champions League football next season.
Playing at Wembley will be a challenge based upon the sluggish Champions League displays in the autumn; keeping players under a strict wage structure of Chairman Daniel Levy will be a challenge, coping with resurgent teams such as the Manchester clubs that have big transfer wells will be a challenge. However, all I want to do is just enjoy where we are at this moment in time.
Spurs haven't finished second in the League since 1963. The 1961 double winning team of Danny Blanchflower and Dave Mackay holds a legendary status, but it is now time for new legends to be created and new memories to be permanent.
Let's hope the club are shrewd in the transfer market, are able to transfer their irresistible White Hart Lane form to Wembley and maintain this momentum to have a right go at winning the Premier League in the coming seasons.
