Jason Cundy shares the funny story behind his Ange Postecoglou mask and explains the real reason he’s got a soft spot against Spurs.
Jason Cundy has shared the story behind his famous Ange Postecoglu mask and why he’s been using it to poke fun at Spurs fans.
Even though Spurs have just won three games in a row, the last couple of years have been quite a rollercoaster for the team. Winning the Europa League but barely avoiding relegation two seasons in a row has been rough for Spurs fans. It’s even harder when you keep seeing clips of a guy wearing a face mask of their former manager Postecoglu and a clown hat!
That guy is Jason Cundy, who played for both Chelsea and Spurs. Some see him as the face of Spurs’ struggles recently, and now he’s explained the real reason behind it.
Cundy became popular online for teasing Jamie O’Hara, another ex-Spurs player, about Spurs’ poor performances. A big part of this fun was the famous Postecoglu mask, which Cundy says was actually a happy accident.
Talking to SPORTbible, Cundy said, “I saw on Instagram that you can buy masks of all kinds of celebrities—Leonardo DiCaprio, Elvis, and more. I had my producer contact them to see if they could personalize them because we now do so much through visuals. We just wanted to joke around and have fun, so that’s why we ordered masks of Ruben Amorim, Arne Slot, and Ange Postecoglu first.
“They came all the way from South America or somewhere far. By the time the Ange mask arrived, he’d already been sacked by Forest, so I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I wore the Slot mask a couple of times but didn’t use the Ange one until Spurs really went downhill, then I pulled it out because Ange used to manage Spurs.”
Although he’s not super proud of how the mask looks, Cundy said he’s grown to enjoy the silliness of it. He thinks the mask’s success comes from a mix of Spurs playing badly, the mask worn at funny angles, and him teasing O’Hara.
“I remember once looking at the monitor and the mask was hanging off my face at an odd angle, and I thought, ‘That looks crazy.’ It just looked so silly. I think with Spurs playing badly and me making fun of O’Hara, no one could take any of it seriously,” Cundy told SPORTbible.
“It felt like every week I pulled the mask out when Spurs lost again. I’d say to Jamie, ‘You’re going down, Jay.’ He even stormed out of the studio a couple of times, telling me ‘You’re supposed to be a professional broadcaster’ while I had a mask hanging off my face. The irony wasn’t lost on me, but people really went crazy for the mask. It’s been nuts.”
The Ange mask has now gone viral, with clips getting millions of views on social media, making Cundy and the mask a well-known duo.
“Everyone asks about the mask,” Cundy said. “As I walk down the street, people say, ‘Are you wearing your mask yet?’ But I don’t carry it with me everywhere! I don’t have it in my back pocket ready to go.”
He also shared that he’s got a few other masks, including some special ones saved for later. “I’ve got Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, and even a Jamie O’Hara mask, though I’m not quite sure what to do with that one yet.”
Some people find it surprising that Cundy seems to dislike Spurs so much, considering he played 28 games for them. He’s talked about being unhappy with how his injuries were handled there. But when asked about his strong feelings, Cundy says it’s mostly just friendly rivalry because he’s been a Chelsea fan since he was a kid.
He told SPORTbible, “My enjoyment of Spurs struggling comes from being a Chelsea fan. There’s a real, deep rivalry between Chelsea and Spurs that goes way back. Sure, Spurs’ biggest game might be against Arsenal—I get that—but for Chelsea fans, Spurs is one of the biggest games of the season. The atmosphere can feel like real hate sometimes.”
Cundy also said that having Jamie O’Hara, a Spurs fan, as his co-host on talkSPORT makes their show even more fun with all their friendly back-and-forth.
“The fact that Jamie is a Spurs fan works perfectly. The dynamic is brilliant because we’re good friends. So when the mic is on and Spurs lose again, and I’m there with the mask, it’s tough for him,” Cundy said.
“It’s all just harmless fun. There’s no bullying or hatred—just some playful banter, and Jamie handles it well.”
Of course, O’Hara got the last laugh when Spurs had their biggest win of the season last month, beating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. It might even be the start of a turnaround as the festive season approaches!