Vicario boos show a creeping toxicity is taking hold at Spurs

Reaction to the goalkeeper’s mistake against Fulham was reprehensible but fans have had enough of being let down

- Rob Davies :

In my 35 years as a Tottenham fan, 15 of them as a season-ticket holder, I’ve seen the home atmosphere turn ugly more than a few times.

Chants of “We want our Tottenham back” have resurfaced during times of struggle, while mounting fury at Daniel Levy finally grew too loud to ignore for the Lewis family over the summer.

I remember well the chorus of boos that ultimately sounded the death knell for Nuno Espirito Santo, when he subbed off a lively Lucas Moura against Manchester United. And if you want a deeper cut, I was there in May 2007 to witness the anger and disgust when Hossam Ghaly threw his shirt on the ground after being substituted by Martin Jol, half an hour after coming on.

The game on Saturday night bore comparison with some of those moments. Guglielmo Vicario was subjected to boos seconds after his monumental error had handed Fulham a second, ultimately match-winning goal, six minutes into the match. The jeers came from a minority of fans, but the acoustics of booing mean the chorus does not have to be large to be audible. As the players and the manager have made clear, in social media posts, post-match interviews and, if reports are to be believed, to one another in the dressing room, they heard the boos loud and clear and did not appreciate it.