HOW RICKY WON THE UNWINNABLE WAR
Decked in blue and white, they chanted his name on the Tube, and on all the buses to the stadium. They chanted it down Wembley Way. They chanted it from the terraces.
“There’s only one Ricky Villa,” they yelled. A year earlier, Spurs’ languid Argentine had scored an FA Cup final ages; a mazy, - through Manchester City’s retreating defence, accompanied for the viewing millions at home by John Motson’s incomparable strangled coo: “And still Ricky Villa…”
With 14 minutes to go, the 1981 centenary final had been won by Villa’s audacious effort; his second of the match crowning a thrilling, see-sawing, five-goal replay. Ossie’s Dream – the cup final ditty from Tottenham fans Chas & Dave, penned in honour of Villa’s compatriot Osvaldo Ardiles – had been realised.
Fast-forward to May 22, 1982. Spurs, back at Wembley to defend their trophy – in their own centenary campaign – are warming up to face Queens Park Rangers.
Chas & Dave have provided the soundtrack once more, although this time with the rather more prosaically titled . But there’s no Ricky Villa. Well, there is, but he isn’t in the starting line-up, and he isn’t on the bench. In fact, he isn’t at the ground, and Ossie Ardiles isn’t even
