Upstanding Ginola a cut above

It's all about one man, the Queen of England famously remarked about the miners' strike in 1985. So was this game: David Ginola. For many Tottenham fans, me included, being able to watch Ginola is just about the only reason why we pay the sort of money we do for a season ticket. He is probably the most gifted Spurs player since Alfie Conn.

Whatever happened to Alfie Conn? On the way back from Sheffield a few weeks ago a man got on the train with an Alfie-style permed haircut and the whole carriage burst into song, "Alfie, Alfie, Alfie Conn". The poor man didn't have a clue what was going on and that it was a case of mistaken identity.

For a whole week the back pages had debated the issue of Ginola and diving. Andy Gray on Sky Sports used all his technical wizardry to analyse every tumble and, indeed, made a good case in Ginola's favour. To most football supporters, however, Ginola is a cheat, and being foreign simply confirms the view.

Most of us thought we should have had four penalties in the first game against Wimbledon, and the pre-match ritual of a few pints gives us the chance to reaffirm our prejudices.

My mate Bob and I used to pretend to be hooligans in the Park Lane end at White Hart Lane. He once got carried out by the police, taken round the ground and down the players' tunnel. Everyone thought he was being ejected as a hooligan and he was accorded hero status. In fact it turned out that he had been crushed against a barrier and fainted; the police were taking him to the first-aid room.

For us the issue is not whether Ginola dives; of course he does, all footballers do. My joke that he only dives to avoid the land-mines falls flat as the bloke I tell it to doesn't know about Ginola's role in the campaign. It wasn't my joke anyway, I stole it from Gordon Brown.

Predictably Ginola's first touch is greeted by boos from the Wimbledon fans. It's not very vociferous, though, nothing like the stick we gave Teddy Sheringham or West Ham give Paul Ince.

Our main concern is how many goals we will let in with Ramon Vega back in the side. Thank God for Sol Campbell, especially as all the Wimbledon forwards seem to be 6 ft 10 in tall. Despite Vega's presence, George Graham has undoubtedly tightened up our defence and the players look as if they want to win.

The first 10 minutes produce more chances than the whole of the previous week's 0-0 league draw and Ginola seems determined to stay on his feet. Spurs have the ball in the net after a magic moment from him but the linesman - like all fans, I refuse to call him the referee's assistant - rules Steffen Iversen offside. "No way was he offside," I shout, only to be proved completely wrong, as usual, on the Match of the Day slow-motion replay.

No score at half-time and off to the press room for a cup of tea. Why are the press facilities so poor, I ask Brian Woolnough from the Sun. These are good compared with Spurs's, he replies. I decide to shut up and make a note to raise it with Alan Sugar next time I see him.

There are times you have to applaud when the opposition score; Robbie Earle's goal is one of those occasions. The thought then hits you that if we equalise there will have to be yet another game against Wimbledon. Can we face that? Yes, we can. Ginola scores a great goal and I leap in delight, getting funny looks from around the press box. Obviously none of them wants to cover another Spurs-Wimbledon game.

Immediately I wonder if my season ticket is valid for the replay. I'm not sure I want to pay £30 to watch Wimbledon again. But, then, I'm happy to pay £30 to watch Ginola.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Perry, Blackwell, Thatcher, Earle, Roberts, Ardley (Cort 75), Leaburn, M Hughes, Euell (C Hughes 86). Subs Not Used: Kimble, Heald, Kennedy. Booked: Ardley, M Hughes. Goals: Earle 61.

Tottenham Hotspur: Walker, Carr, Freund, Fox (Ferdinand 73), Anderton, Armstrong, Edinburgh, Ginola, Vega, Iversen, Campbell. Subs Not Used: Calderwood, Baardsen, Taricco, Sinton. Booked: Edinburgh. Goals: Ginola 72.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).