Crushing divorce for failed legend

But those who dance on his grave today should also know there was a sensitive and caring side to Hoddle. You cannot be as artistic a footballer as he was for England, Spurs and Monaco without having that.

He was easy to mock for those seeking faults. His quirky, quasi-religious beliefs raised eyebrows. His obsessions with the supernatural, with karma and faith healing indicated he was not the most conventional of men.

But take as you find. I met Hoddle when he was a teenager and found him a talented footballer, almost a genius. His love of Tottenham was deep in his persona and his loyalty was strong.

He changed the face of Chelsea when manager there, introducing the system of a first-team coach in the Continental mould that most clubs have subsequently followed.

When he was appointed England coach in 1994, few demurred. He took them to the 1998 World Cup with a brilliant tactical display in Rome but lost the job after a telephone interview, where he expressed views he ought to have kept to himself.

He was sacked then not for footballing reasons but because he had odd philosophies which he could not articulate in a way they could be received sympathetically.

He was badly advised by those he worked for at the FA in regard to a book written about the 1998 World Cup campaign. He made revelations that should have stayed within the privacy of the dressing room, but blame should also be apportioned to the FA official, who wrote it as much as Hoddle.

Looking back, his final Press conference at Spurs after the 3-1 defeat by Southampton on Saturday demonstrated his deep love for the club.

Hoddle has had problems with individuals throughout his career - clashes of personality - but he dismissed claims that he had lost the trust and backing of his current crop of players as 'absolute garbage'.

He said: 'The flak is not something I read. I stopped reading papers after the England game against Italy when I was manager. I am aware it is there. But my hurt and frustration is inside. It is inside the players.

'All I can say is I am prepared to work extremely hard, which I have done since the first day I stepped foot into here. We have ourselves in a run of results that have not gone well for us.

When that happens you have to dig deep and come together collectively.

'The players know they are letting themselves down and letting the club down. We have to put it right. I believe we have the players of quality to do that.

'My own feelings are not for myself but for the club because I want to do so well for it. I am part of the foundations and what I am feeling is a mixture of hurt and frustration.

'I am buoyant enough to take on this challenge. If I am asking the players to show the character to battle this through then where do you think my mind and heart are?

'We are going into this (Carling) Cup game (against Coventry on Wednesday) believing this could be our turning point.'

Little did he know as he spoke those words at around 6.30pm on Saturday that overhead the vultures were gathering.

Some players would have been clinking glasses last night. There won't be too many genuine Spurs fans among them. Hoddle was one of them - Tottenham through and through. He is, as Beattie, the man who delivered the coup de grace, said 'a great coach and tactically brilliant'.

Southampton did more than win a game at White Hart Lane. They brought to an end a great love affair.