What of those players who crossed the great divide, and played for both Spurs and Arsenal, surely none can have survived unscathed?
Oddly enough, the picture is more varied than might seem the case on first appearances. Some attract utter loathing, of course, some pity perhaps but for others it hardly seems an issue and at least one player is probably adored by both sets of fans (though smugly we can attest, mostly ourselves!).
Whether it’s more one thing than another has less to do with talent, it would appear, and more to do with personality. Traditional values like integrity, respect and humility play a significant part.
William Gallas
William Gallas managed the feat of representing Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea. A passionate leader (and captain of Arsenal), he (nevertheless) fell out with colleagues he didn’t believe were trying as hard as he was. Perhaps that’s why Spurs bought him in one of those periods when, in our sense of inferiority to Arsenal, we felt we had to have some of what they were having to combat our Spursiness. He never quite supplanted the Ledley King / Michael Dawson partnership but he was a classy defender with excellent positioning and a prodigious leap to make headers.
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