Neil Sullivan says moving from Wimbledon Common to Tottenham opened a completely different world for the goalkeeper in 2000 after twelve years at the club

After twelve years with Wimbledon during the infamous ‘Crazy Gang’ era, goalkeeper Neil Sullivan swapped the down‑to‑earth life on Wimbledon Common for the relative luxury of Tottenham Hotspur in 2000, a move he later described as a completely different world.

From Common to the Lodge

At Wimbledon, Sullivan trained on Wimbledon Common, clearing away dog waste before sessions – a routine he recalled as emblematic of the club’s gritty culture. The contrast with Spurs Lodge, where he later walked in, was stark, highlighting the shift from a modest London suburb to a Premier League side north of the River Thames. Both clubs sit in London, but the Thames separates the modest south‑west district from the north‑side stadium.

“My contract was up at Wimbledon and my agent got me a move to Spurs through his connections,” Sullivan tells. “It was just a different world. I was used to training on Wimbledon Common, clearing up all the dog s**t before we could start.” He remembers arriving at White Hart Lane, where a stranger opened his car door and offered parking – a gesture he thought was a joke, recalling how such treatment would have been unthinkable at Wimbledon. (Image credit: Alamy)

Spurs era and the 2002 cup final

Sullivan was part of the Tottenham side that reached the 2002 League Cup Final, only to suffer a shock defeat to Blackburn Rovers – a loss he still finds disappointing. The final came after Glenn Hoddle had taken over from George Graham, while Daniel Levy had just assumed the chair, meaning the club was in flux. The final, played at the Millennium Stadium, saw Blackburn edge Spurs 2‑1, leaving the Scottish stopper still bitter about the loss.

“Yeah, it was disappointing,” he says. “We’d just had a new manager come in. George Graham got us to the final but then Glenn Hoddle took over. Daniel Levy had just taken over the club, so there were a lot of changes going on at the time.” Sullivan noted the squad possessed quality but lacked the cohesion needed to compete consistently.

Spurs finished in the bottom half of the table that season, despite a talented squad, and entered the final as favourites against a Blackburn side that had won the Premier League within the previous decade. The result underlined the unsettled nature of the team during Sullivan’s tenure.

Towards the end of his Wimbledon spell, the club began talks about a potential relocation, initially even considering Dublin, before the decision to move to Milton Keynes sparked massive fan unrest. Sullivan recalls the move felt wrong, especially after relegation denied Premier League football for the new MK Dons, describing the whole episode as shocking. (Image credit: PA) He concludes that the move, while personally rewarding, was shadowed by the turbulent environment surrounding both clubs.