There’s plenty of respect between former West Ham striker Carlton Cole and Spurs defender Ledley King – but there was no love lost when KEEPUP asked them both to describe the London rivalry before the two clubs meet Down Under in July.
Whenever these two old foes face off, the message is always simple: “You must win, by any means necessary.”
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United is no ordinary derby. The two London clubs first met in September of 1898; West Ham were then known as Thames Ironworks. Almost 125 years have passed since that first encounter – which Tottenham won by three goals to nil – and today, the rivalry rages on.
Their respective home stadiums are no more than 10 kilometres apart – but in July of 2023, the two long-standing foes will travel almost 15,000km to Perth, Australia for one of the most unique instalments in the derby’s history.
Club legends Carlton Cole (West Ham) and Ledley King (Tottenham) made the trip Down Under as it was revealed their former sides would compete alongside Isuzu UTE A-League club Perth Glory in a two-game series at Perth’s Optus Stadium in July.
Glory will take on West Ham on Saturday, July 15 before the two London clubs face off on Tuesday, July 18.
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Born in Croydon, London, Cole’s career began at Chelsea – but he’s best remembered for his 293-game spell at West Ham, which produced 68 goals in all competitions.
KEEPUP asked the 39-year-old the question so many fans of rival clubs love to pose:
What do you think of Tottenham?
“I haven’t really got that many good words to say about them, I’m not going to lie to you,” Cole told KEEPUP.
“When we’re talking about rivalries between West Ham and Spurs, it’s one of the biggest games of the season for West Ham.
“The fans will not let you live a day without saying: ‘Listen, I don’t care what you do. You can lose all the games this season, but just don’t lose to Spurs’.
“That is what it is, because the fans really cannot handle the banter that comes (their) way if you do lose.
“We as players have a responsibility not to lose to Spurs. Obviously we lost to Spurs this season, so it hasn’t been great! And the players have to take that. But being a player and losing to Spurs is never good.”
Spurs have enjoyed playing West Ham in 2022-23; Antonio Conte’s side defeated the Hammers 2-0 at home in February, after drawing 1-1 in the reverse fixture in late 2022. West Ham’s last win over Tottenham came in October, 2021 in the form of a 1-0 win at London’s Olympic Stadium, and the Hammers’ home ground since 2016.
Former Spurs captain King says the outcome of each instalment of the derby is of extra importance to the many families in London where allegiances are split down the middle.
“It’s a London derby. You must win them, by any means necessary,” King told KEEPUP. “With West Ham, the thought when we play them is the two sets of teams are pretty close to each other in terms of their stadiums, their fans, and you often get within the same family a West Ham supporter and a Tottenham supporter.
“It’s all about bragging rights. It always is. When you lose those games, it’s a difficult week after that.
“It’s never nice to lose them games. It’s always been a good rivalry, and it will be great for the fans over here to get an opportunity to see what it really feels like.”
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European clubs have at times descended on Australia for tour friendlies in the immediate aftermath of a domestic season, but in this instance, Tottenham and West Ham will touch down in Perth as part of the preparation for their respective 2023-24 campaigns.
Whether West Ham will be preparing for a Premier League charge or a push for promotion from the Championship is yet to be confirmed; David Moyes’ side currently sit 18th on the Premier League table, and are at risk of losing their place at the top table of English football.
But regardless of the club’s position in the English football pyramid when arriving in Australia, Cole says the objective will remain the same.
“We’re going to come back here and enjoy it, and make sure the fans get their money’s worth and the city gets its money’s worth as well,” he said.
“Glory are going to be coming out of the traps, making sure they leave no stones unturned. They’re going to make it hard for the boys. But it will be a great game. Managers (will be) trying stuff, playing different players, players out of position to try and get minutes… just to get fitter quicker.”
Cole added: “(The fans) better come down, support, make loads of noise, get that atmosphere going, get the juices flowing – and enjoy the (games).”
For Perth, it’s the third meeting with a Premier League opponent in recent years after hosting Chelsea and Manchester United at Optus Stadium in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Glory and Socceroos striker Adam Taggart told KEEPUP that, as a Perth local, he understands the importance of European clubs visiting the state for the sake of growing the game and inspiring young fans.
“It’s massive,” Taggart said. “It’s big for the club. It’s big for all the Perth community. I know everyone’s looking forward to it. Especially myself; I think just being from Perth I understand the magnitude and excitement behind it, for everyone who is from Perth.
“It’s a great chance for Perth Glory to test ourselves against world-class opposition. It will also be great for the spectators and for us boys to watch their game.
“I think as a football fan, first and foremost, I think it brings a lot of attention to the game.
“From that point of view, it’s helping to promote the sport, grow the game and allow kids and all young people playing the sport to really get a taste of what it’s like when you make it to the top.”
