Could Spurs fans take solace from a season in the Championship?
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham last spent a season in the English second tier in 1977-78
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Tottenham Hotspur fans will not want to get relegated. Absolutely not.
Dropping out of the Premier League brings a whole world of uncertainty - from finances to star players leaving and the prospect of not immediately returning. The Championship is an unwieldy beast.
But, and this is a big but, should the worst happen over the next five games and the north London outfit drop into the English second tier for the first time in almost 50 years, supporters will have to look for some solace, reasons to embrace life in a new division.
With that in mind, here are five things fans may be able to look forward to should Spurs fail to beat the drop this term.
No VAR
Image source, Getty ImagesChampionship clubs have turned down the chance to introduce a version of the video assistant referee system for next season
OK this one's obvious - there's no VAR.
You can get lost in the wild emotion of celebrating a goal without wondering whether it's going to get chalked off because Lucas Moura was bundled over in the build-up and had the ball smashed against his tricep by an opposition defender.
And in general, the Championship feels like a throwback to simpler footballing times.
It's considered one of the most competitive leagues in the world, you get packed away stands, games that are impossible to predict, more goals and eight extra league matches to enjoy. What's not to love?
New away days
Talking of away trips. Bored of doing Manchester and Liverpool twice a season? How about Championship-newcomers Lincoln City instead. A different stadium to visit, and a new night out - there's a good Popworld, apparently.
It's a historic cathedral city - Tom Hanks stayed there while filming The Da Vinci Code - and very walkable, so would make a decent day trip if you're not one for cheesy 90s anthems.
Enjoy a weekend in Wales? Wrexham, Swansea and Cardiff could all be on the cards, too. And Bristol's just the other side of the Severn Bridge, by far the biggest English city to never have a Premier League team.
It's a good opportunity for the ground-hoppers among you to tick off some fresh spots.
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Renewed rivalries
On the flip side, if you're a Tottenham fan who enjoys keeping it local, then there are currently four clubs in the London region in the Championship.
Charlton, Watford, QPR and Millwall could be the local derbies on offer, although the Lions do have their sights set on the Premier League next term.
But don't discount Stevenage, hanging on to a League One play-off spot at the moment. Much of the town is made up of Tottenham and Arsenal fans anyway, so it could prove a pretty tasty trip down the A1 to the Lamex.
Another 'Hoddle' might emerge
Image source, Getty ImagesMikey Moore has impressed on loan at Rangers this season
Then there's Tottenham's abundance of promising youngsters - many fans would relish seeing them given a good crack at the Championship.
The club already boast a number of regulars under the age of 21 in Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, while goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has just turned 23. Spurs would surely love to keep hold of those.
Meanwhile, homegrown starlet Mikey Moore has impressed on loan at Rangers this season and teenage centre back Luka Vuskovic has been a revelation for Hamburg in the Bundesliga. Will Lankshear is scoring goals in the Championship, too.
And supporters always want to see local academy prospects flourishing.
Next off the "he's one of our own..." production line could be the much-lauded Luca Williams-Barnett, who made his debut earlier this season, while defenders Jun'ai Byfield and James Rowswell and midfielder Callum Olusesi have also featured.
Indeed, my dad and uncle still talk about being wowed by a young Glenn Hoddle when they first started going to White Hart Lane regularly as teenagers during the 1977-78 season, the last campaign Spurs spent in the second division.
The playmaker turned 20 that season and, despite having featured regularly in Spurs' relegation year, his 12 league goals and majestic displays inspired the north London outfit to promotion at the first time of asking.
Maybe a year in the second tier could see a 'new Hoddle' really come of age?
The start of something new?
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham won back-to-back FA Cups in 1981 and 1982, shortly after returning to the English top flight at the first attempt
In the short term, Tottenham fans might just get to enjoy a league win - something that has not been seen in 2026.
Beyond that, perhaps it could prove a moment to reset and build for the future?
Spurs finished third in 1978 to return to the top flight at the first attempt and immediately signed World Cup winners Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardiles.
Within three years of promotion, the Argentine pair helped Tottenham to back-to-back FA Cup triumphs in 1981 and 1982, before the club lifted the Uefa Cup in 1984.
Indeed that first FA Cup success, Villa slaloming his way through a horde of hapless Manchester City defenders, marked the beginning of a decade in which the club reached six finals, enjoyed five top-four finishes and welcomed stars such as Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker.
Tottenham supporters will not want to get relegated, of course, but history suggests there is light on the other side should the unthinkable soon become reality.
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