Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur have never been the best of friends but this comment from the former Eagles supremo is unlikely to improve relations.
It’s fair to say Tottenham’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday didn’t exactly restore the dwindling magic of the FA Cup.
Second half goals from Ben Davies and Son Heung-Min only briefly threatened to spark the contest into life as a largely second-string Spurs edged by a Villa side high on solidity though lacking in forward thrust or attacking intent at a subdued White Hart Lane.
Though that’s not to say this was the only game lacking in ambience this weekend; Old Trafford was relatively timid despite Manchester United’s four-goal thumping of Reading while the London Stadium was reduced to shell-shocked silence as City raced clear.
Yet, the passive atmosphere and the much-changed line-ups, coupled with the fact that the clash between two of England’s biggest sides was broadcast live on BBC at the expense of, for example, Sutton vs Wimbledon, appears to epitomise the FA Cup in this day and age.
And, via Twitter, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan didn’t need much encouragement to add to the doom and gloom surrounding the unavoidable regression of this most historic of competitions, querying the atmosphere in North London.
Jordan is no stranger to making jibes at The Eagles’ London rivals (he remains as bitter as ever about wonderkid John Bostock’s 2008 exit to White Hart Lane) but even the most ardent Spurs supporter would find it difficult to disagree with him on this occasion.
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