A midfielder in a plain white shirt and navy shorts, seen from behind, dribbles a ball along a sunlit pitch in front of blank advertising boards and a blurred crowd.

TransfersThe High Road Herald

Allotment Holder Books Friday Off To Await Madrid Newspaper Decision And Postpones The Guttering

Barry Napier · Transfer Correspondent2 October

The leave was approved on Tuesday, and the report concerned a preference, which is not a signing.

An allotment holder in North London has taken a Friday off work to be near a radio, following a report in a Spanish newspaper that a midfielder would rather join Tottenham Hotspur than Real Madrid.

The midfielder is Mateus Fernandes. According to Diario AS, Madrid made an inquiry, and the player has decided he prefers Spurs, where he is said to expect more opportunities under Roberto De Zerbi. The Herald notes that no contract has been signed and that the word used was "prefers".

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The man, who submitted his leave request on Tuesday, has described the day as "blocked out for developments". It is understood he intends to spend it in his shed, which has a signal.

I could have done the guttering Friday. But if it breaks while I'm up a ladder, I'll be the last man in the street to know.

The guttering, which has been due since the spring, has therefore been moved to a date that the man described as "after the window". A second job, the felt on the shed roof, has been placed behind it in the queue.

Household sources confirm a visit to a garden centre planned for the same morning has been cancelled, and that a name and number shirt has already been ordered with the surname printed on the back. The Herald understands the printing is non-refundable.

The same report links the club with Sandro Tonali, a development the man has taken as grounds for a second, provisional day off in July. He has not yet asked.

At the time of going to press the radio was on, the flask was full and the guttering was still up.

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Two anonymous footballers, one in white and navy kneeling with hands together and one in grey crouching with a hand to his chin, on a sunlit pitch seen from behind.

Paper TalkThe High Road Herald

Supporters' Club Committee Convenes Emergency Meeting To Establish Whether Full Stop Is Binding

Philippa Crane · Media Editor2 October

The committee, which meets above a dry cleaner's on the second Thursday of each month, had been due to discuss the raffle.

The committee of a North London supporters' club met in emergency session on Thursday evening to determine whether the words "full stop", as used in a recent video on the subject of Sandro Tonali, constitute a binding commitment.

The meeting was called at short notice by the chair, who had watched the video twice and the relevant section a third time with the sound turned up.

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It is understood the committee heard that Tottenham Hotspur are working on a deal for the Newcastle United midfielder, that other clubs are no longer being mentioned by the journalist concerned, and that this had been stated more than once. Members agreed that repetition of this kind is unusual and should be minuted.

I'm not saying it's done. I'm saying he said full stop, and nobody says that unless it's a full stop.

The treasurer pointed out that a second midfielder, Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United, has also been linked, and that Manchester United are reported to remain in the race. The committee noted the position and agreed that it was "a lot".

A motion to treat the two transfers as one agenda item was defeated by a single vote. A further motion to treat them as one raffle prize was ruled out of order.

The minutes secretary recorded that the committee had reached no formal view, but that several members had already begun referring to the Tonali deal in the past tense.

The raffle has been carried over to the next meeting.

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