They Played for Spurs and Everton

Tottenham and Everton first met competitively in 1904 when Spurs as a non-League team defeated them in the FA Cup, the last time Everton lost at home to a non-League team.  Only eleven players, however, have played for both teams and there have only been six direct transfers between the clubs but the list does include some prestigious and famous names.

Alex Young, a centre forward, was the first player to be transferred between the two clubs.  Not Everton's 1960s Alex Young, but a version from 1911.  He had played for Everton for ten seasons and had scored over 100 League goals for the side as well as scoring the winning goal in the 1906 FA Cup Final.  He had also won two caps for Scotland but his time with Spurs was short.  He signed in June, 1911 and was gone by the following November.  He scored three goals in his first two games but didn't score again and when dropped demanded a transfer and was allowed to go to Manchester City.  He emigrated to Australia in 1914 but a year later was charged with the wilful murder of his brother and was found guilty of manslaughter.  Evidence had been produced from his football days in England showing that he had been subject to fits of temporary insanity.  On completion of his year three year sentence he was not released immediately on grounds of 'mental weakness'.  He did later return to Scotland.

Last January, Steven Peinaar joined Spurs from Everton but injury problems have, so far, prevented him from making an impression at White Hart Lane.  The South African international had three and a half seasons with the Goodison Park side having signed from Borussia Dortmond in 2007, at first on loan.  He made over 100 League appearances, scoring 9 goals.  He had played for Ajax Cape Town before joining Ajax at the age of eighteen.  Pienaar has returned to Goodison on loan to the end of the season but will not be available to play against Spurs.

As Pienaar was returning north at the end of January, so Louis Saha was moving south to join Tottenham.  He scored twice on his home League debut against Newcastle, having made his first appearance as a substitute at Anfield a few days earlier.  Saha has scored twice, against Spurs, in the last two games at Goodison so, if playing, he will be looking to score against his old team on Saturday.


Bobby Mimms was the second player to join Spurs from Everton, 77 years after Alex Young.  He had played understudy to Neville Southall at Goodison and in February, 1988 Terry Venables decided he could help to resolve Spurs goalkeeping problems.  However, this didn't prove to be the case and he was replaced by Erik Thorstvedt the following year.  His time at Spurs is not remembered favourably by supporters and he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers in December, 1990 where he had a much more successful time.

Pat Van den Hauwe joined Spurs in August, 1989.  He helped Spurs win the FA Cup of 1991 and the title of his autobiography, 'Psycho Pat' sums up perfectly the hard-man full back.  He was signed by Venables for a position which had caused Spurs problems for many seasons.  He had enjoyed success with Everton as they won the League title twice, and the European Cup Winners' Cup as well as reaching the FA Cup final on three occasions.  He brought experience, strength and power to the Spurs defence.  After four seasons and over 100 League appearances he joined Millwall.

Vinny Samways takes the honours as the only player to be transferred from Spurs to Everton.  He developed through the Spurs youth system and after eight seasons with the club he moved north in August, 1994.  He played 193 League games and scored 11 goals in his time at White Hart Lane and was in the FA Cup winning team of 1991.  The introduction of Ossie Ardiles' attacking five formation which included Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Barmby, Darren Anderton and Ille Dumitrescu restricted Samways' opportunities to play.  He failed to settle at Goodison and only made 23 League appearances.  He had periods on loan and then moved to Spain in 1996 where he developed a reputation as a 'hardman', an aspect of his game not previously seen in England.

Famous Names
Other players who played for both Spurs and Everton include Gary Lineker who had three seasons in Spain under Terry Venables at Barcelona after a year with Everton, before returning to England to play at White Hart Lane.

Richard Gough had just over a season with Spurs in from 1986 to 1988 when he captained the side to their only FA Cup Final defeat.  He was a stylish, commanding centre back but unfortunately for Tottenham, his family failed to settle in London and he returned to Scotland to play for Rangers.  Eleven years after leaving White Hart Lane he had two years with Everton.

Paul Gascoigne had his success and heartache with Spurs and then after playing for Lazio, Rangers and Middlesbrough he spent two seasons with Everton from 2000.

Nick Barmby left Spurs in 1995 after developing through the Spurs youth system.  He scored 21 League goals from 89 appearances for Spurs, before moving north to Middlesbrough to be closer to his home.  A year later he joined Everton and four years on moved to Liverpool, a rare occurrence.  He has now been confirmed as manager with his home club, Hull City.

David Ginola joined from Newcastle United and enjoyed three seasons with Spurs, winning the Worthington Cup, and then joined Aston Villa in 2000.  A year later he signed for Everton.