HistoryWith Tottenham fans still rejoicing after the return of a certain Jermain Defoe, a transfer inwhich Daniel Levy played a big part, I thought it would be a good idea to look back at the Spurs chairmans time at the forefront of a club that had vastly underachieved under previous regimes.Levy has been Managing director of the English National Investment company (ENIC)since 1995, and six years after adopting the role, his company, headed by Joe Lewis, invested a significant figure into the capital-based club, taking 29.9% in return. That same February, Daniel Levy was appointed chairman of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.The new owners didnt hang around, and not long into their reign, they sacked ex-Arsenal bo s George Graham. Not all Spurs fans had forgiven Graham for his connection to the Gunners, andthe general consensus was that it was fantastic to see the back of the last manager installed by Sir Alan Sugar. Fan favourite Glen Hoddle was brought in to take the hot seat, and the Spurs faithful were in a buoyant mood as the club looked forward to a new era.And with ENICs two front men, Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy, investing as much commitment as money in their new-found roles as owner and chairman respectively. The company soon started upping their stakes in the North London club, and started slowly pulling out of other footballing commitments, such as their shares in Glasgow Rangers and Slavia Prague.ManagersAs I say Dennis Schroder Jersey , after the sacking of George Graham, Glen Hoddle took the helm of the club he endeared himself to so much during his illusive playing career. With his last job in football being the England job, when he took over at Spurs, there was not a witch doctor to be seen. Subsequently, his team made a fine start to the season, and went on to reach the League Cup final, only losing out in a tight encounter that saw Blackburn come away 2-1 victors. The Hoddle appointment was a move that grew ever popular with the fans of club, but the Lilywhites continued to underachieve in the Premier League, with fans growing impatient through hunger for the return of the glory years. Near the beginning of the 2003-04 season, though, Hoddle had lost his job after a poor start to the new campaign. I think every fan would agree with the decision, although it would be very reluctant agreement. It was hard to say goodbye to the man who had served his beloved club with 13 years of profe sional football.David Pleat took the role of caretaker manager for the rest of the season, as Levy searched for the man that would bring out the clubs ma sive potential. This was a safe, but also clever and astute, move as he was evidently under the impre sion that nobody with the credentials to take this club where he felt the belonged was going to be available to take the post. But in the close-season, Jacques Santini resigned from his role as manager of the French national team. He was the man that Daniel Levy identified as his man. The Santini appointment was to see new ground being made in the Premier League, with Tottenham adopting a continental approach to the set-up of the football club. Martin Jol was to be Jacques a sistant, and Frank Arnesen was installed as director of football. Daniels decision was met with widespread criticism, but the club chairman believed this was the only way forward.Although it soon came to everybodys attention that it was indeed Frank Arnesen that was dictating the job of managing the acquisition of players, Santini made an impre sive start to the league campaign. Supposedly parking the coach in front of the goal, Spurs grabbed a goalle s draw against Chelsea as just one of a number of impre sive results. It was looking like an exciting appointment, and the atmosphere around White Hart Lane was one of jubilation and the hypothesis that it could finally be Tottenhams year. The new continental set-up was coming to fruition, and one by one, Levys critics were falling silent.But, just 13 games into Santinis reign at the helm of the Premiership outfit, the Frenchman resigned from his position, laying the resignation in the hands of personal problems (maybe he was offered the role of Doc Martin?). In truth, though, it has been widely speculated that a fall out with the Sporting Director was to blame. Thewhole story behind this is Jalen Lecque Jersey vastly esoteric, but if speculation is to be believed, part of the fall out was about Pedro Mendes. A player the manager hugely admired, it was reported that Arnesen was none too happy about the midfielder being played. The news shocked the borough of Haringey, as Jacques Santini was looking like the man to turn the clubs fortunes around.Ever since Martin Jol adopted his position as at Tottenham, he had a hunger and a desire to take the reigns as bo s. And upon the resignation of the previous gaffer, the Dutchman, who had gained himself quite a reputation as an up-and-coming manager in his native league, was handed the job. Jol also made an impre sive start to his role, with his first game in charge ending in a 5-4 lo s to bitter rivals, Arsenal. Neverthele s, it was evident that the new man was going to throw caution to the wind in an attempt to overthrow Santinis defensive approach. That season ended impre sively, with the club mi sing out on European football by no more than two points.And as time wore on, Daniel Levy stood by the early precedent that he had set, of listening to the fans opinions more than any other chairman in the division, a very admirable approach that most fans respected him for. Martin Jols free-flowing football was winning a lot of admirers, and his contract was renewed in the summer of 2005. But that summer was also to be Deonte Burton Jersey plagued with a huge disappointment for Daniel, the departure of Frank Arnesen to Chelsea. Levy clung on for deer life, and doing so secured a compensation package thought to be in the region of 10 million. Ex-Arsenal man, Damien Comoli, came in and adopted the same role, and indeed, the same ethos. That season, Spurs held fourth spot since November, and with Michael Carrick playing out of his skin (and literally out of his shirt, as Manchester United out to practise their dirty tricks in the following summer to land his services for 18m); never once looked like dropping out of a Champions League spot. Until on the last day of the season, when seven first team regulars went down with food poisoning ahead of Tottenhams encounter with London rivals West Ham. Spurs just had to equal Arsenals result and they would have finished fourth. They battled hard, but lost 2-1, with Arsenal beating Wigan in Highburys last match.The 2006-07 season saw the mighty Lilywhites play in the UEFA Cup for the first time since ENIC became majority shareholders. Daniel Levy had installed the man who would become the clubs most succe sful managers in the last ten or fifteen years. Although they never really challenged for fourth spot again this season, Martin guided his team to fifth for the second year in a row. The side also earned themselves a League Cup semi-final tie against their fiercest of rivals, Arsenal. They were also 3-1 up away to Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final, but let the lead slip, and were defeated in the subsequent replay. Jols side also reached the same stage on the European stage; only going down to a world-cla s display from the eventual winners, Seville, managed by eventual Spurs manager, Juande Ramos.Daniel was adhering himself to Tottenham fans the nation over, and had finally installed that long lost sense of stability. But that was all about to change. Rumours were beginning to circulate in the close-season that the chairman was planning on replacing the current manager for Sevilles Juande Ramos. Jol had achieved two consecutive fifth place finishes, and Levy laughed off the rumours, seeming perfectly happy with the current set-up. But all was not well. Problems with his European Al Horford Jersey hierarchy were beginning to show, with new Sporting Director Damien Comoli acquiring the likes of Darren Bent, players that were unwanted by the gaffer.Eventually, a dire start to the 2007-08 campaign meant, in October, Martin Jol was removed from his position at the helm of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. It was just a matter of days before Jols replacement was flown in, and it was indeed Senior Ramos. After guiding Seville from being a lower mid-table La Liga side, into two succe sive UEFA Cups and eventually Champions League football. Daniel knew he was the man for the job, and nobody was to disagree. Some were still wretched over the lo s of the Dutchman, but most excepted the chairmans decision, as they felt Jol could take the club no further.Europe via a league position seemed already out of the question after the poor league start, but Ramos started excellently. He never quite got Spurs playing like his previous free-flowing Seville team, but he did a fantastic job with the players at his disposal. He guided the club to another UEFA Cup quarter final, but undoubtedly gave the fans the best night for some time. And, indeed, the best night of my life so far. Going into the second leg of Spurs League Cup semi-final with Le Arsenal, the scores were level. But it proved to be a magical night, as Tottenham ran riot over their North London rivals, and ran out comfortable 5-1 winners. The players joined Irishman Robbie Keane in an Irish jig upon the full time whistle. But Ramos really proved what a master tactician he was, in the final of the same competition. Playing against Chelsea, the scores were level, and Juande made the bold move to take off Pascal Chimbonda. It was a shock move, but his master plan resulted in a 2-1 victory after extra time.Levy invested heavily once again, in the summer that was to follow. But the European set-up coming under yet more scrutiny. Damien Comoli was bringing in players that Juande didnt want, and this subsequently, you could argue, cost him his job. And like I said, after 2 points in their first 8 games, Spurs were looking like serious relegation candidates. Signs of dre sing room unrest were coming to everybodys attention, with Ramos clearly not getting his me sage acro s with his distinct lack of English, despite having Gus Poyet to translateAfter just 12 months in charge, Ramos had been sacked, along with Gus Poyet, his a sistant. But Levy made the bold move to accept his own mistake, and he sacked Damien Comoli as well, scrapping the director of football role all together in the proce s. It was probably his hardest decision as chairman, Darius Bazley Jersey but he knew there needed to be a change, as the players just werent playing for the manager. Harry Redknapp came in just hours after the sacking, and an immediate turn around was evident. In his first official game in charge, Harry masterminded a superb comeback to draw 4-4 at the Emirates. He has taken Tottenham to a third consecutive League Cup semi-final, and has taken the club out of the relegation zone going into the New Year.TransfersDaniel Levy has always proved a very astute busine sman when it comes to transfer dealings, boasting a first cla s honours degree from Cambridge University in Land Economics.The ten most expensive signings in Tottenhams history are as follows:SeasonPlayerClubDateFee2007/08Darren BentCharlton AthleticJun-0716,500,0002008/09Luka ModricDinamo ZagrebApr-0815,800,0002008/09David BentleyBlackburn RoversJul-0815,000,0002008/09Roman PavlyuchenkoSpartak MoscowAug-0814,000,0002000/01Sergei RebrovDynamo KievMay-0011,000,0002006/07Dimitar BerbatovBayer LeverkusenMay-0610,999,9992007/08Heurelho GomesPSV EindhovenJun-089,000,0002008/09Vedran CorlukaManchester CitySep-088,500,0002007/08Younes KaboulAuxerreJul-078,200,0002001/02Dean RichardsSouthamptonSep-018,100,000Eight of the top ten have been brought in with Daniel in charge. Dimitar Barbatov, it must be noted left two seasons later for almost three times the amount. So he has never been afraid to splash the cash, and has acquired many succe sful talents. He accepted that he made a mistake in leaving the signings in the hands of Comoli, and in the summer he personally flew to Croatia to convince Luka Modric to make the move to North London. Levy has also attracted some of the best young talent going to this club, most notably young John Bostock. So, it seems, Daniel Levy has always aimed to please the fans, and, supposedly being a lifelong fan of the club, has never had any trouble doing it either. He has proved a very shrewd busine sman, as well as a man who knows about football. Although he hardly speaks to the media, Daniel has never been afraid to admit his mistakes. He has also recently released plans to move to a 60,000 capacity stadium, which, still standing in Haringey, has helped to endear him to the Lilywhite faithful. Personally, I think we have one of the best chairmen going.