THE TEAM CHRIS COULDN’T PICK...

CHRIS Hughton has to pick his Brighton & Hove Albion side every week – but there is one team selection that has left him stumped.

In journalist Harry Harris’ new book, Down Memory Lane, former Tottenham players, managers and fans were asked to vote for their greatest ever Spurs XI.

Naturally, Hughton was asked to pick a side. The left-back played almost 400 games for the Lilywhites in 13 years, winning the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982 and the UEFA Cup in 1984.

Harris said: “Hughton polled quite a few votes, but the competition was fierce and Nice One Cyril (Cyril Knowles) was a firm favourite at left-back.

“I remember Chris from the day he started at the Lane when I was on the local paper.

“While he was willing to make his selection, he found the process too difficult because of so much choice and opted out. Ossie (Ardiles), who won the FA Cup in the same team as Chris in 1981, felt the same way.”

Among those who voted for the 57year-old ex-Newcastle, Birmingham and Norwich boss were Graham Roberts, Teddy Sheringham and Garth Crooks. The latter described Hughton as ‘a Rolls Royce of a player’. Meanwhile, anyone at Exeter City planning to write a book might want to think again if they’re considering asking director of football Steve Perryman to write a foreword for it. The Spurs legend has written one for Harris’ book, along with Glenn Hoddle, and he hasn’t pulled any punches. “I cannot be honest unless I also state my opinion that I felt he (Harris) wielded far too much influence with certain Spurs chairmen, namely Irving Scholar and Sir Alan Sugar. “I always felt he was in Scholar’s camp when I was a player at the club, and I know they had a very close relationship, so Harry had the inside track. “….As for Sugar, I felt from working on the inside, as Ossie’s assistant, that Harry was a tool for Sugar, and for that reason I took a dislike to the way Harry operated as an ally of Sugar’s.” It’s no wonder the author says in his acknowledgements: “Steve Perryman, whose fierce tackle in his prime is only matched by some of his acidic words about me.”