BREAKING: Arsenal player mercilessly beaten by own’s teammates- TWO FRONT TEETHS REMOVED
Few footballers in the history of the game have incited as much hatred from fans as Sol Campbell does from Tottenham supporters.
Perhaps only Luis Figo’s highly controversial move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000 can match the seismic impact of Campbell’s transfer from Spurs to north London rivals Arsenal.
As hard as it is to imagine now, Campbell was once a beloved figure at Tottenham, rising through the youth ranks to become one of the world’s greatest centre backs while captaining the team. Yet for those who once idolised him, the former England international is now simply referred to as ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’ – or more bluntly, ‘Judas’. That’s due to the shocking events that unfolded on July 1, 2001, when Campbell was revealed as an Arsenal player.
No one outside of Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, chairman David Dein, Campbell and his agent had any inkling of what was about to happen.
His move from the Lilywhites to the red and white was so unexpected that only two journalists were present when it was announced, believing they had been called to the club’s London Colney training ground for the announcement of former Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard Wright. Instead, the towering figure of Campbell walked into the room.
The rest is history. Campbell had two stints with the club, the first from 2001 to 2006 being especially triumphant as he secured two Premier League and FA Cup doubles, including a historic ‘Invincible’ season in 2003/04.
Campbell therefore unsurprisingly has no regrets about the move even though his mere mention causes shudders in N17. Part of the reason is just how good he was and the fact he chose Arsenal, but the cloak and dagger manner of the announcement and the months leading up to the transfer truly amplified the pain.
