Proposed Acquisition

ENIC PLC
8 February 2001

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT

For Immediate Release

8 February 2001

                       ENIC PLC ('ENIC'or 'THE GROUP')

  PROPOSED ACQUSITION (the 'ACQUISITION') OF A STRATEGIC STAKE IN TOTTENHAM
                          HOTSPUR PLC ('TOTTENHAM')

On 20 December 2000, the Board of ENIC announced that its wholly-owned
subsidiary, ENIC Sports plc had conditionally agreed to acquire 27,356,649
ordinary shares of Tottenham (representing 26.9 per cent. of its issued
ordinary share capital) from Amshold Limited, a company which is wholly owned
by Sir Alan Sugar.  A Circular has today been sent to the shareholders of
ENIC, seeking their approval for this Acquisition, at an extraordinary general
meeting of the Company to be held on 28 February 2001 ('EGM').

At the EGM resolutions will be also be proposed which, if passed, will give
the Group approval in advance for the Group to dispose of some or all of its
interests in Autonomy Corporation plc ('Autonomy') and The Rangers Football
Club plc ('Rangers') at or as close as reasonably possible to the prevailing
market price if and when the Group considers it appropriate to make such
disposals.  The Group's interests in Autonomy and Rangers represent a
substantial proportion of the Group's investment portfolio, and the Group
wishes to have the maximum degree of flexibility in realising value from these
assets so as to be able to finance opportunities which arise in line with its
stated strategy.  This authority, if granted, would continue until 27 February
2002.



Since 30 June 2000 (the date of ENIC's latest published audited accounts) the
Group has sold 1,000,000 Autonomy Shares raising approximately £34.3 million.
The Group continues to hold 3.5 million Autonomy Shares representing
approximately 2.8 per cent. of Autonomy's share capital and which had a market
value at close of business on 7 February 2001 (the latest practicable date
prior to the making of this announcement) of approximately £63.5 million.  The
book value of these shares is approximately £1.2 million.



Based on the last dealing price of Rangers Shares on 7 February 2001 (the
latest practicable date prior to the making of this announcement), the market
value of the Group's Rangers Shareholding is approximately £33.0 million.  The
current book value of these shares is £18.9 million.




Enquiries



Hawkpoint Partners

Paul Baines - 020 7665 4500

Tom Bayne



Holborn

John Bick - 020 7929 5599



ENIC plc

Daniel Levy - 020 7958 9007





Hawkpoint Partners Limited, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The
Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for ENIC plc and no one
else in connection with the Acquisition and will not be responsible to anyone
other than ENIC plc for providing the protections afforded to customers of
Hawkpoint Partners Limited nor for giving advice in relation to the
Acquisition.



The Directors of ENIC plc accept responsibility for the information contained
in this announcement.  To the best of the knowledge and belief of the
Directors of ENIC plc (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such
is the case) the information contained in this announcement is in accordance
with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such
information.