England's crown jewels up for sale

There is nothing in life without hope. In sports, it's a basic requirement for supporters to cling to some sort of hope for their favourite team's success, either now or in the foreseeable future.

Of course, the sporting landscape is rife with teams who offer only perpetual misery. Often the misery serves as a perverse bond between hardcore supporters and club, particularly in places like Chicago where Cubs fans, who have waited well over a century for a World Series win, are some of the most maddeningly loyal supporters in sports.

While Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed more success than the Cubs over the last century, it's not like the trophy case is overflowing. And yet the north London team remain one of the most popular and well-supported clubs in English football. By all accounts though, hope should have been overflowing coming into this season, if for no other reason than the fact that they had soccer's hottest young property in Welshman Gareth Bale. A scoring sensation, at 23 years of age Bale won both the Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards for the 2012-13 season (he had won the former award in 2011 as well). He was easily the most dynamic young talent Tottenham have seen in over 30 years.

In fact Bale was so good that he's now gone, having been sold this past week for a transfer fee of either €91 million or €100 million (HK$929 million to HK$1 billion) - depending on whether you believe Real Madrid or Tottenham. Bale made no secret of wanting to go to Spain and so far there are no reports of diehard Spurs fans rejoicing over their club having a cash windfall because while €100 million can buy you a lot of things, it won't buy you a Gareth Bale. There is only one of those and you just sold him. And yet there still won't be an empty seat this season at their home ground White Hart Lane, where fans will gobble up all sorts of overpriced merchandise. Once again football fans in Europe are reminded that you can't get particularly attached to any player no matter how great they may be, because when the transfer window swings open loyalty is the first casualty.

Try as I might, I can't find a sporting parallel for the freewheeling, plundering ways of European football. North American sports do have free agency and often there is significant player movement. But it's nothing compared to soccer. Still, teams and their legacy outlast even the most brilliant talent and nowhere is that more true than in the English Premier League.

Take LeBron James off the Miami Heat and they become insignificant because the NBA has become the quintessential star league. When James changed teams from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Heat in 2010 it was not only a show-stopping event, it totally altered the balance of power in the NBA. Cristiano Ronaldo is every bit the transcendent talent and dominant game changer that James is. He was the greatest player in the world not named Lionel Messi when he departed Manchester United four years ago. Yet when Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid it merely seemed like business as usual. United basically shrugged and said "next".

Real Madrid have set the world transfer record several times including, Luis Figo in 2000 for US$57 million, Zinedine Zidane in 2001 for US$90 million, Kaka in 2009 for US$92 million and Ronaldo in the same year for US$125 million, which has now been superseded by their fee for Bale, insist Spurs. Real have reassured Ronaldo he is still the most expensive player in the world, but his petulance was on display again over the Bale transfer.

He announced almost immediately that he was not happy the team had to sell German midfielder Mesut Oezil - the man he says is his greatest ally on the pitch - to Arsenal in order to accommodate the Bale signing. The Madrid dressing room is an egocentric, fractious place in the best of times. It appears, initially at least, it won't be much different for Bale.

None of that will placate Tottenham supporters though. Unlike fans in Cleveland, who at least got a chance to boo James on his return, Bale won't be playing at White Hart Lane any time soon. They can show their frustration by not showing up but they won't because Spurs are in their blood. Most of them know their beloved won't be winning a title this year or next despite the team's swelling coffers because the future has been sold once again.