Premier League

TOTTENHAM’S forgotten man Jamie Slabber has revealed how he went from assisting on his Spurs debut to working as a painter and decorator.The Enfield-born striker came through the Lilywhites’ youth set-up and finally got his chance in a blockbuster clash against Liverpool in March 2003.
Jamie Slabber played just one first-team game for TottenhamCredit: Rex
He ended up playing for a host of non-league clubsCredit: Rex
Slabber replaced Gary Doherty in the 79th minute and laid on Teddy Sheringham to score late in the game.
Unfortunately, it proved to be merely a consolation as Spurs lost 3-2 at White Hart Lane.
But Slabber has fond memories of that day as he was handed a taste of Premier League football by then-manager Glenn Hoddle.
Speaking to Planet Football, he said: “I never thought I was close to getting a chance because we had Rebrov, Iversen, Les Ferdinand, Robbie Keane and Sheringham.
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“I thought I was close but didn’t think I’d get the nod. But a few were injured and others suspended and luckily Hoddle threw me in for the last 10 minutes. It was decent, a boy’s dream.
“I wasn’t nervous on the team coach, but I started to get nervous when I was warming up, as you could hear the crowd and people wishing me good luck.
“But when I did get on I couldn’t hear the crowd as I was so concentrated on the game, I was in my own little bubble. We lost the game 3-2 – all the lads said I did alright but that it was time to kick on.
“The manager gave me a special mention, but I had mixed feelings as we’d lost but I’d had my debut for Spurs so I was buzzing.”
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Slabber went back to the reserves after being named as an unused sub in Hoddle’s squads for their games against Bolton and Birmingham.
He was then ruled out for six to eight weeks after rolling his ankle and damaging his ligaments.
And while Hoddle promised him more opportunities in the following campaign, the Spurs head coach ended up being sacked in the summer.
After that, Slabber failed to return to the first team as he was made to play with the Under-19s, before Martin Jol eventually told him his contract would not be renewed.
He left in 2005 and ended up at non-league Aldershot, spending more than a decade playing in the lower divisions for the likes of Grays, Stevenage, Woking, Eastleigh, Sutton and Bromley.
He eventually hung up his boots in 2018, revealing he was forced to go back to work shortly after departing Tottenham.
He added: “You get to an age where you need to give up on the dream and come back to reality; you’re never going to get where you were and you need to do something to get by. I had a mortgage and a young family.
“I got released at 20 or 21, gave it a few more years in the Conference, then at 24 or 25 I knew I wasn’t getting back into league football, so I had to grow up.
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“I went to college to do a painting and decorating course, I did an electrician’s course as well.
“Now I’ve got my own business and I’ve got people working for me, so I’ve not done too bad.” More

NO less than a QUARTER of gaffers currently managing in the Premier League have taken charge of WATFORD.But can you name them all?
A quarter of the Premier League’s current managers have taken charge of WatfordCredit: Getty
The Hornets are no strangers to hiring and firing, going through 22 managers since Aidy Boothroyd’s exit in 2008.
Chris Wilder has become their THIRD boss of the current season after Rob Edwards and Slaven Bilic.
And Watford’s incredible turnover means that 25 per cent of the Premier League’s current gaffers have been in control at Vicarage Road during some point in their career.
The stunning stat was figured out by boffin fans of the Championship side, who are five points off the playoff positions.
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The first manager is none other than Brendan Rodgers, now in charge at Leicester.
Watford was his first gig in the dugout after cutting his teeth at Chelsea.
Rodgers joined in November 2008 and saved the Hornets from relegation.
But he departed in June 2009 to take charge of rivals Reading.
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Next in the list is Everton boss Sean Dyche, best known for his decade at Burnley.
Like Rodgers, he too got his first managerial break at Watford.
Dyche, who had been an U18s coach under Rodgers before becoming assistant to Malky Mackay after his counterpart’s Reading move, finally landed the top job in June 2011.
But despite finishing 11th —  Watford’s best finish in four years — he was shown the door a year later after Gino Pozzo’s takeover.
The next man on the list is Marco Silva, now at Fulham after also managing Everton and Hull.
He joined Watford in May 2017 but was sacked in January 2018 after an “unwarranted approach by a rival”… which turned out to be Everton.
The Toffees ended up paying £4million compensation for Silva, who is now flying high at Craven Cottage.
Fourth up is Javi Gracia, who recently landed the Leeds job.
He replaced Silva in January 2018, eventually leading Watford to top-flight safety and the FA Cup final.
But Gracia was shown the door in September 2019 after a dismal start to the campaign.
Last but not least is former England manager Roy Hodgson.
The icon is back in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, having left the Eagles in 2021.
His two Palace spells sandwiched a rather lacklustre five months spent at Watford last year.
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Hodgson joined on January 25 2022 and was tasked with saving the Hornets from the drop.
But he could not work his magic and decided to retire at the end of the campaign before being lured out of comfort by Steve Parish. More

ARSENAL take an eight-point lead into the international break as the Premier League title race is put on pause for a fortnight.The Gunners’ 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace meant they took full advantage of Manchester City being pre-occupied by the FA Cup.
Mikel Arteta is aiming to win Arsenal their first Premier League title in 19 yearsCredit: Getty
Pep Guardiola is seeking a fifth league title in six seasonsCredit: Alamy
And while Pep Guardiola’s men now have a game in hand, they know they have significant ground to make up if they are to clinch a fifth title in six years.
The defending champions have 11 matches remaining – a run which begins at home to Liverpool on April 1.
Arsenal then return to domestic action by hosting Leeds later on the same day.
But how do both teams’ run-ins look across the final two months of the Premier League campaign?
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How Arsenal and Manchester City’s Premier League run-ins compare
Arsenal’s run-in
Mikel Arteta can take positives from his side’s Europa League exit as it means they now have one sole focus.
That begins with what should be a routine win over relegation-threatened Leeds at the Emirates.
But the following weekend things threaten to get tougher for Arsenal as they head to Anfield to take on Jurgen Klopp’s wounded Liverpool.
That is followed up by a London derby against West Ham – a pair of away games which could prove tricky to navigate.
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A kind clash at home to Southampton follows, but five days later they will then travel to the Etihad for a potential title decider against Man City.
Defeat against Guardiola’s men could derail Arteta’s side three days before they host Chelsea in another blockbuster derby.
And the tricky run continues with matches away at Newcastle and at home to Brighton.
Should Arsenal come through those four games against Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Brighton, they would then be the overwhelming favourites to clinch the title.
That is because their final two fixtures come against Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

Man City’s run-in
Man City’s quest to chase down Arsenal begins at home to long-time title rivals Liverpool on April 1.
If they can come through unscathed, fixtures against Southampton and Leicester follow in what is a promising couple of games to try and pick up maximum points.
But then City are handed the challenge of three successive matches against top-half opposition.
A trip to Brighton is followed up just three days later with the crunch six-pointer at home to Arsenal.
Then within 96 hours of the mouth-watering tussle with the Gunners, they are then on the road again travelling to Fulham.
If City drop below their usual level for any of those games then the title could be in Arsenal’s hands by the time they leave Craven Cottage on April 30.
However, a successful run of form could hand City the initiative heading into their final four matches.
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They begin at home to Leeds, before a trip to Everton is followed up by the hosting of Chelsea.
A tricky final day clash away at Brentford is City’s final task of the campaign – but this team have experience of sealing titles in the final hour, so you would not expect them to slip up if it was all still to play for. More

A PREMIER LEAGUE referee who recently felt the wrath of Erik ten Hag once had a very different job.Andre Marriner, 52, is one of the most-experienced ref’s in the top-flight.
Andre Marriner used to be a postie before becoming a Premier League refCredit: Getty
He has taken charge of 386 Premier League fixtures, dishing out 1,197 yellow cards and 67 reds during that period.
And he is well on the way to becoming only the third official after Martin Atkinson and Mike Dean to reach the 400-game mark.
The Birmingham-born whistler was also on the Fifa referee list from 2009 to 2017.
But away from the bright lights of sharing the pitch with world football’s biggest superstars, Marriner’s working career started very differently.
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After being raised in a council house in Birmingham, he actually only started refereeing as a youngster for a bit of pocket money.
And before becoming a full-time official, he used to work as a postman.
That ended when Marriner was promoted to the list of Select Group Referees who officiate primarily in the Premier League back in 2005.
Eight years later he was picked to take charge of the FA Cup Final and his last outing in the middle was for Chelsea’s 3-1 win at Leicester City on March 11.
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He handed out three yellow cards during that match as well as sending off Foxes defender Wout Faes for two bookable offences.
And just last month he was slammed by Manchester United boss Ten Hag for sending-off Casemiro against Crystal Palace.
Marriner has previously stated that he and the rest of the Premier League’s referees are put under the same sort of scrutiny as “surgeons”.
He said: “I can’t think of any other job where there’s this much scrutiny over decision-making. Maybe a surgeon?” More