Liverpool 0 Tottenham 0

Spurs, without their manager and a number of first choice players took a hard-earned point from Liverpool at Anfield and having defended for much of the  game could have won it late on with the best chance of the match.

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Liverpool 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Team: Friedel; Walker, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto; Kranjcar (Rose), Livermore, Parker, Modric, Bale; Adebayor (Saha). Subs (unused): Cudicini, Nelsen, Khumalo, Fredericks, Luongo, Lancaster

Brad Friedel

Spurs were satisified with a point at Anfield considering the injuries to crucial players which greatly weakened the team.  Without manager, Harry Redknapp, stranded in London due to fog causing the postponement of his flight to Liverpool, Spurs had also lost Younes Kaboul, Rafael Van der Vaart, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Sandro to injury.  The players who came in as replacements gave their all as the whole team battled to take a deserved point, led by Scott Parker who was everywhere especially during the last fifteen minutes when Liverpool increased the tempo and their efforts to snatch the win. 

In the first half Spurs comfortably repelled Liverpool's attacking threat which mostly involved hoisting high balls towards Andy Carroll.  Michael Dawson stood up well to this test and it was Spurs who had the first shot on target after thirty minutes - a Niko Kranjcar effort which the goalkeeper saved at the second attempt.  

The final fifteen minutes of the half brought a number of attempts on goal without causing either goalkeeper any great difficulty.  A couple of minutes later Liverpool caused their first major threat when a shot from Spearing curled wide with the former Liverpool goalkeeper, Brad Friedel at full stretch.  

As the commentator said, to this point, 'Spurs were coping impressively' and then Friedel had to scramble across his goal to deal with a cross from Johnson.  At the other end, a good run by Emmanuel Adebayor released Kyle Walker on the right and his cross was flicked towards goal by Gareth Bale.  After a long series of passes, Spurs again found Walker whose run and shot was blocked for a corner and in the last action of the half Friedel saved well from Johnson.

In the first half Spurs had been content to sit back and deny Liverpool but after the interval they came under increasing pressure and were finding it difficult to make any forward progress, with Adebayor isolated, and as they looked to threaten Bale was booked for diving.  This seemed to spark Bale and Adebayor into action as Spurs looked more purposeful for a few moments but then Liverpool regained the ascendancy with Friedel being called into action.

With an hour gone, Friedel made a good save, for a corner, from a shot by Kelly and then Agger headed wide from a corner.  Carroll had a header from a corner saved by Friedel.  

Liverpool brought on Luis Suarez with twenty five minutes to play and his introduction lifted the crowd and he was immediately in the action dispossessing Benoit Assou-Ekotto and heading towards goal.  He was then booked for kicking Parker in the stomach, having been on the pitch for only five minutes.

With twenty minutes to go Louis Saha made his Spurs debut replacing Adebayor and he played a good ball to Bale whose shot went wide.  Carroll had a shot over from a cross from the right.  Friedel again bravely punched clear from a dangerous free-kick and earned a free-kick for dangerous play.  

As Liverpool increased their efforts, with six minutes to play, the best chance of the evening fell to Spurs when Bale was put through by a lovely pass from Kranjcar.  Bale had got behind the home defence for the only time in the night to be one on one against Reina but the goalkeeper got a foot to block the shot and the ball was cleared. 

Spurs withstood Liverpool's final efforts to score with Scott Parker putting himself on the line time and time again - to block shots, put in a tackle or get the ball cleared.  As is often said in these circumstances, that was a game Spurs would have lost in the past but it's also a game other 'top' teams would have won, given that late goal scoring opportunity.

Overall, it was a well won point by Spurs, taking into account all the circumstances, and it keeps them just behind United and City but ahead of the chasing pack.  Brad Friedel, Michael Dawson, Scott Parker, Niko Kranjcar and Jake Livermore worked tirelessly throughout the game to deny Liverpool while Ledley King was his usual calming influence, organising those around him in defence.

Scott Parker

The stats from last night show Scott Parker's contribution to Spurs earning a point at Anfield, with many of the blocks and clearances coming in the final minutes at a time in the match when Liverpool were making a fianl effort to take the three points and  and when traditionally Spurs would have wilted under the pressure:

2 tackles
5 interceptions
7 clearances
3 shots blocked
89% passing accuracy

If Tottenham are to put in a challenge for the title then they need to win against Newcastle United on Saturday evening at White Hart Lane and then put together a winning sequence that really threatens the Manchester teams.

Preview - Spurs Record at Norwich

Tottenham play catch up again as they travel to Norwich for an evening kick-off at the end of the second set of matches for the Christmas/New Year period.  Norwich have made a favourable impression on their return to the Premier League following an absence of six seasons.

Norwich City were last in the Premier League in season 2004 - 05, a one season sojourn before returning to the Championship.  They won automatic promotion last season as runners-up to champions QPR and are currently the highest of the three promoted teams in ninth position with 21 points.  They've gained 14 of those points at Carrow Road with four wins and two draws.  Their only home defeats have been against Arsenal (1 - 2) having taken a first half lead and WBA who took an early lead and held out for the next 87 minutes.  In their last home match they defeted Newcastle United 4 - 2 with goals from Wes Hoolahan, Grant Holt (2) and Steve Morison.

Norwich started their season with a draw at Wigan (1 - 1) and followed it with a home draw with Stoke City.  Following defeat at Chelsea and at home to West Brom their first win of the season came at Bolton.  They then won their first home game against Sunderland (2 - 1).  Swansea City lost 1 - 3 at Carrow Road and then Blackburn took a point home from a six goal thriller at Norwich.  Since the home defeat to Arsenal they have enjoyed home success against QPR (2 - 1) and Newcastle.  After a difficult start to life in the Premier League they have shown a resilience, an attacking spirit and a work ethic for which they have been rewarded, especially at home.

Their leading goal scorer is Holt with 7 Premier League goals but Morision is close behind with 6.  Anthony Pilkington has four goals.

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John Ruddy in goal has impressed for Norwich, especially when the team earned a point at Anfield in mid-October, thanks to his display.  Tottenham's Kyle Naughton will be missing from the team as he is ineligible while on loan from Spurs, although he is also suspended for five bookings - convenient.  He has established himself as regular in the team and is gaining good Premier League experience which hopefully will be of benefit to him on his return to White Hart Lane. Norwich are a hard working, well organised team who give their all in every game without any 'star' names.  They are making the most of this opportunity in the Premier League and their manager Paul Lambert knows that they must continue in a similar vein throughout the season to avoid an instant return to the Championship, the fate that befell them when they last won promotion.

Tottenham's Record at Norwich
Totenham have visited Carrow Road on four occasions in the Premier League with a record of three wins and a draw.  The last two matches were on Boxing Day and ended with Spurs winning 2 - 0.  In 2004 Robbie Keane and Michael Brown were the scorers, while in 1994 the goals came from Nicky Barmby and Teddy Sheringham.  The previous April, Spurs won 2 - 1 and Sheringham scored again.  The other goal was an own goal.  On Boxing Day, 1992 the clubs played out a scoreless draw.    

The overall League record:

P  24  W  8  D  6  L  10  For  32  Ag  36

As can be seen, Spurs record in the Premier League matches has improved the overall record which is not too impressive.  Matches have been close but Norwich have had the upper hand.  

In August, 1991 a Gary Lineker goal was enough to earn Spurs the points but the previous April Spurs lost 1 - 2, a few days ahead of their FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.  The most notable aspect of the game was the return of Paul Gascoigne after missing five games following an operation.  Gascoigne was using this game to test out his fitness for the weekend's big match.  That Spurs lost was an irrelevance at the time and that John Hendry scored his first goal on his League debut for Spurs and that Ian Walker and Peter Garland also made their debuts has largely been forgotten.

The first League meeting between the clubs was in season 1935 - 36 in the 2nd Division.  Spurs lost by the only goal of the game on their first League visit to Norfolk in April, 1936.  The following season they won their first League match at Carrow Road - Johnny Morrison scoring a hat-trick in their 3 - 2 success.

Having met in four consecutive seasons up to 1939, the clubs didn't meet again in League football until Norwich won promotion to the 1st Division in 1972 when Norwich won 2 - 1, Martin Chivers scoring Spurs only goal.

Spurs eventually managed a win in March, 1978, their relegation season.  Goals from John Pratt, Gerry Armstrong and Peter Taylor gave them a 3 - 1 win.

On gaining promotion after a year's absence, it took Spurs seven attempts before winning at Carrow Road.  In December, 1994, Tony Galvin and Garth Crooks scored the goals as Spurs won two nil.

Norwich have proved difficult opponents for Spurs teams in the past and the current Spurs team can expect a difficult evening with a team prepared to battle against them in an effort to put them out of their stride.  The good news for Spurs is that Rafael Van der Vaart has recovered from injury and is expected to play.

Tottenham Hotspur Christmas Mastermind Quiz

A few years ago a contestant on the BBC quiz, 'Mastermind', selected Tottenham Hotspur as their specialist subject.  Here are the questions she was asked with an additional one included at the end to make the number up to twenty.

The links will give you the answer or a clue to the answer from information in Tottenham Spurs in History Blog.

Enjoy testing your knowledge on the "Mighty Spurs." 

COYS!

Tottenham Spurs in History Christmas Mastermind Quiz

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1. Which former captain of Tottenham Hotspur said “The game is about glory, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom”?

  Answer

2. Which team did Tottenham play for the first time on the 19th of November 1887 but the match was abandoned 15 minutes from time because of bad light?

  Answer 

3. Who scored the penalty that beat QPR in the 1982 FA Cup final replay?

  Answer
  

4. From which brewery did the club lease the land for their new ground at White Hart Lane in 1899?

(Answer after the last question)

5. Who scored his first goal for Tottenham in November 2006 during their first League victory over Chelsea for 16 years?

  Answer

6. At which ground did they win the 1901 FA Cup Final replay against Sheffield United to become the only team outside the Football League to win the Cup?

  Answer

  

7. What name was given to the style of play that was introduced by Arthur Rowe and helped the club win their first league championship in 1950-51?

  Answer

8.  Which striker became the club’s first £1 million signing when he was bought from Manchester City in 1988?

  Answer

  

9. Tottenham were playing in which competition when their goalkeeper Pat Jennings scored from a clearance from his own penalty area when the bounced over Alex Stepney’s head?

  Answer

10.What was the name of the property developer who became chairman in 1983 and floated the club on the stock market?

  Answer

 11. Which song about a Tottenham defender reached number 14 in the charts when it was released to coincide with the 1973 League Cup Final?  Answer
  

12. In 1994 which one of their former captains served as caretaker manager after the departure of Ossie Ardiles and before the arrival of Gerry Francis?

  Answer
  

13. By what score did Spurs defeat Athletico Madrid in the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup Final to become the first English team to win a European trophy?

  Answer
  

14. Gary Mabbutt, who captained the team to victory in the 1991 FA Cup Final, suffered from which medical condition during his playing career?

  Answer
  

15. During the 1960-61 season Tottenham set the record for the most league goals by any side in the top division since the war. How many did they score?

  Answer
  

16. Who saved two penalties to win the 1984 UEFA Cup Final?  Answer 


  

17. Which inside forward won the FA Cup as a player with Tottenham in 1921, then later manager with Charlton Athletic?

  Answer
  

18. Since 1950 what is the only season the club has spent outside the top division of English football?

 Answer

  

19. Who scored 36 goals for Tottenham in the 1930-31 season to set a record that was not beaten until Jimmy Greaves scored one more in the 1962-63 season?  Answer

20. Which defender who played in 1971 League Cup Final made his debut for Spurs in a pre-season friendly against Glasgow Rangers and scored twice?  Answer

Answer to Q.4: Charrington's Brewery, owners of the land and the White Hart pub on the High Road.

Now you're ready for Mastermind - specialist subject THFC! 

 

Europa League PAOK Salonika 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Tottenham's  Young Team Earn a Point

Spurs managed to gain a point in their first Europa League Group game against PAOK Salonika in Greece.  Numerous injuries and an important Premier League game against Liverpool on Sunday meant Harry Redknapp used a number of young players for this game.

Team: Cudicini; Walker, Corluka, Bassong, Townsend; Falque (Fredericks), Livermore, Carroll, Giovani (Parrett), Kane; Pavlycchenko.  Subs: Gomes, Nicholson, Stewart, Barthram, Prichard

Tottenham's young players aided by a number of senior players acquitted themselves very well in the intimidating atmosphere in Greece.  They played with confidence and effort against a team with considerable European experience and thoroughly deserved their point.  It was only in the last ten minutes that they started to come under pressure from the home side and Carlo Cudicini came to their rescue with three magnificent saves.

Only Kyle Walker played from the team which won at Wolves on Saturday while Tottenham had international experience from Vedran Corluka, Sebastien Bassong, Giovani Dos Santos and Roman Pavlyuchenko to support the young players.  Yago Falque, on loan from Juventus, made his debut for Spurs while the other young players had experienced European football against Hearts in the Qualifying Round.

Tottenham started well and passed the ball about with some style and composure.  The home team gave then room to play and Spurs made the most of it.  Their best moment came when Dos Santos had a shot cleared off the line but shortly after this they were denied a clear penalty for a trip on Harry Kane who was incorrectly booked for diving.  Almost immediately PAOK were awarded a penalty when Cudicini rushed out  and dived at the incoming forward's feet and tripped him.  Lino scored from the penalty high into the net but as he celebrated the referee ordered a retake as a home player had encroached into the penalty area.  This time he tried to deceive Cudicini by putting it low to his left but hit the ball wide.  Justice was done, even if two wrongs don't make a right.

Harry Kane had a header from a Falque cross saved easily by the goalkeeper.  Tottenham were dealing well with any home pressure and causing some problems as they moved forward.

The second half was similar to the first with Spurs quite comfortable although as the younger players tired the passing of the team wasn't so accurate.  In the final fifteen minutes the home team increased the pressure but Cudicini was up to the task and made three good saves - a double save followed by a vital save in added time.

All of the young players played well, they worked hard and will have gained valuable experience.  Harry Kane did well in the first half but having been moved wide after half-time was less effective although he worked very hard.  Falque had good control but needs to get that final pass in as does Townsend who often lost the ball by running into a dead end.  Carroll was composed on the ball but tired late on and Jake Livermore worked very hard in midfield.  Dos Santos had little opportunity to show the skills he displays when with Mexico but the experienced players worked to support the youngsters.

Harry Redknapp's insistence on playing a young team in this Europa League group game brought its due reward so let's hope that the rested senior players can earn three points at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Tottenham's next Europa League game is at home to Shamrock Rovers on Thursday, 29th September.  Rovers lost their opening game to Rubin Kazan by three goals to nil in Dublin.

Tottenham Hotspur's 25 - Man Premier League Squad

The Premier League requires each club to submit a list of 25 players by 2nd September who will be their squad for the coming season although changes can be made during the January transfer period.  Of these 25 players, no more than 17 can be overseas players (not 'home grown') with the other eight being players who have been registered with clubs associated with the FA and FA of wales for three seasons prior to their 21st birthday.

Players at the club who are Under 21 can also be registered and are eligible to play.

The players included in these two lists are available to play in the Premier League, the Carling Cup and FA Cup competitions.  The decision was taken to cover the situation where clubs were playing weakened teams in the Cups and in some selected League games and in the past two seasons both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackpool were fined for this offence.  However, from this season that problem will not occur as a manager can decide what is their best team for each game according to the needs of the club.

Tottenham Hotspur - 25 squad players (Home grown players in blue)

1 Friedel, Brad
2 Gomes, Heurelho
3 Cudicini, Carlo
4 Assou-Ekotto, Benoit
5 Dawson, Michael
6 Gallas, William
7 King, Ledley
8 Kaboul, Younes
9 Bassong Sebastian
10 Corluka, Vedran
11 Lennon, Aaron
12 Livermore, Jake
13 Huddlestone, Tom
14 Modric, Luka
15 Kranjcar, Niko
16 Bale, Gareth
17 Pavlyuchenko, Roman
18 Defoe, Jermain
19 Van Der Vaart, Rafael
20 Cordiero, Sandro
21 Adebayor, Emmanuel
22 Pienaar, Steven
23 Dos Santos, Giovanni 
24 Alnwick, Ben
25 Parker, Scott 

Of the nine players listed as 'home grown', only Ledley King and more recently, Jake Livermore have come through the Tottenham youth Academy.

Tottenham Hotspur - Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)
Angol, Lee(M)
Archer, Jordan (G/k)
Ball, Dominic (M)
Barthram, Jack (D)
Bostock, John (M)
Bush, Mason (M)
Byrne, Nathan (D/M)
Carroll, Tom (M)
Caulker, Steven (D)
Champion, Frederick (M)
Coulthirst, Shaquile (S)
Day, Daniel (D)
Ekong, William Paul (D)
Falque, Yago (M)
Fredericks, Ryan (M)
Gardiner, Thomas (D)
Granger, Billy (G/k)
Hawkins, Ronnie (M)
Jansson, Oscar (G/k)
Kane, Harry (S)
Lameiras, Ruben (M)
Lancaster, Cameron (M)
Lassen, Jesse Waller (M)
Luongo, Massimo(M)
Mason, Ryan (M)
McBride, Paul
McEvoy, Kenneth (M/S)
McQueen, Darren
McQueen, Alexander Luke
Michael-Percil, Roman (D)
Miles, Jonathan (G/k)
Modeste, Oliver (D)
Munns, Jack (M)
Nicholson, Jake (M)
Obika, Jonathan (S)
Oyenuga, Kudus(S)
Parrett, Dean (M)
Pritchard, Alex (M)
Ranieri, Mirko (G/k)
Rose, Daniel (M/Fb)
Sheriff, Ramil (D)
Smith, Adam (D)
Smith, Sam (M)
Stewart, Kevin (D)
Townsend, Andros (M)
Walker, Kyle  (D)
Ward, Grant (D/M)
Yeboah, James (D)
Zapata-Caicedo, Victor(S)

The list includes the latest signings - Brad Friedel, Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor but one surprising name included in the 25-man squad is goalkeeper Ben Alnwick.  He is the fourth goalkeeper in the squad behind Friedel, Gomes and Cudicini and his last appearance in the team was in the final game of season 2009-10 against Burnley in the 2 - 4 defeat.  Since then he has been out on loan at lower League clubs.

Of the players listed in the Under - 21 group, Kyle Walker would be expected to play a major part in the 1st team this year, with many expecting him to oust Vedran Corluka from the full back spot.  Also Andros Townsend has had a few appearances in the Cup competitions while Ryan Fredericks, Tom Carroll and Harry Kane made their debut in the Europa League game against Hearts at White Hart Lane last month.

Some of the players are already out on loan, Steven Caulker at Swansea City, Ryan Mason at Doncaster Rovers, Jonathan Obika with Yeovil Town,  Nathan Byrne at Bournemouth, Adam Smith at MK Dons, Oscar Jansson at Bradford and Mirko Ranieri in Italy.  For that reason it is surprising that Caulker is included in the Tottenham list as he will also be listed with Swansea where he is on a season long loan and clubs can not recall a loanee from a Premier League club.

Some names have been omitted, Souleymane Coulibaly signed from Siena, Cristian Ceballos who had been with Barcelona and Laste Dombaxe.  The first two have been highly rated young signings while Dombaxe made an impressive start with the Academy team last year before sustaining a serious injury which kept him out for the last weeks of the season.

Europa League - Tottenham Hotspur v Hearts

Opportunity for Young Players and Squad Members
 

With a five goal advantage going into the second leg of their Europa Cup tie at White Hart Lane against Heart of Midlothian, Harry Redknapp should have the opportunity to rest some of his first team squad and replace them with younger players and those members of the squad who haven't played so far this season.  It was his stated intention to use the Europa League for this purpose and this would seem to be the ideal opportunity.  Development Squad manager, Tim Sherwood, also indicated that some of his players would be used in these games.

Following the draw which paired Spurs and Hearts, a journalist based in Edinburgh who covers the Scottish club's matches was speaking on Talksport and he indicated that Hearts aimed to put in a good performance but realistically regarded the tie as an opportunity to make some money as they knew that there was a difference in class between the two clubs.  He couldn't have expected his words to be proved so accurate in the first game where Spurs were so in control for all but the opening minutes of the second half.

Hearts will come into the second game determined to make up for their lacklustre performance at Tynecastle and as they play for their pride they will give Spurs neither the time nor the space they afforded them in the opening match.  Redknapp will look to put out a balanced team with younger players supported by some of the experienced members of the squad.

Possible Team Selection
Having lost out to Brad Friedel at Old Trafford, Heurelho Gomes could return in goal behind a back four which could include Michael Dawson as captain.  Sebastien Bassong who looks set to leave the club before the end of the transfer window will probably partner him.  Danny Rose could replace Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left back and look to build on his promising performances in that position at the end of last season.  At right back, depending on Kyle Walker's recovery from sickness which required him to be substituted at half-time on Monday evening, Vedran Corluka or Alan Hutton could come in to replace him.  Hutton who is likely to leave would have the opportunity to play against his fellow countrymen.  Unfortunately, on the team news on the official THFC site, Rose is listed as injured with an ankle problem.

In midfield Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone may get some time as well as Jake Livermore who has looked comfortable in the team and may look to add to his experience with another game against Hearts.  Dean Parrett, the England Under-20 player who ended last season on loan at Charlton Athletic may make another European appearance to add to his two games in 2009 against Shakhtar Donetsk.  Andros Townsend who scored on his debut for Spurs in the FA Cup against Charlton Athletic will probably replace either Gareth Bale or Aaron Lennon in the team.  John Bostock and Tom Carroll will hope to get some game time having been on loan during recent seasons.

Bostock, has made three substitute appearances for Spurs in UEFA Cup games and when he made his debut in November, 2008,  against Dinamo Zagreb at White Hart Lane he became the youngest ever First Team player in a competitive match.  At the age of 16 years, 295 days, he beat the previous record held by Ally Dick since 1982.

Harry Kane

Roman Pavlychenko will probably be given his first start of the season and many hope that young Academy player, Harry Kane will get some time in this game.  Kane has just turned eighteen and has been a prolific goal scorer at every level of youth football.  He has had experience on loan with Leyton Orient and has scored regularly for the Development squad and Spurs XI teams this season.

Spurs look sure to progress to the Group stages of the Europa League and the young players will want to take this opportunity to show their ability and to impress so they will want to do it in style by winning the second leg and not limping there on the back of a defeat to their Scottish visitors.  A win would lift morale following the disappointing defeat against Manchester United and prepare everyone for more difficult games in the next few weeks.

Spurs in History - 31st July

31st July, 1968

Spurs 3 Rangers 1(Pre-season)

It’s not often that a pre-season fixture remains in the memory for long after the final whistle but this game is memorable for the debut of a young centre half who scored two of the goals. Peter Collins had been signed from non-League Chelmsford City for £5,500 the previous January and made his league debut in the opening game of the season, a home defeat by Arsenal.

He didn’t appear again until mid-October where he played alongside Mike England for much of the remainder of the season. He made frequent appearances during the next two seasons but his moment in the spotlight came when England was injured midway through season 1970-71 and Collins replaced him, including a successful League Cup Final appearance against Aston Villa at Wembley.

After this success his opportunities were limited and a serious ankle injury further restricted his progress and he retired at the age of 26 in November, 1974.

Spurs in History - 8th May

8th May, 1979

Bolton Wanderers 1 Spurs 3 (1st Division)

An end of season game with nothing at stake for either team. Spurs had not tasted victory for ten games and were sitting in mid-table while Bolton were to finish six places below them.

This game was the debut of a young forward who had been a regular goal-scorer in the youth and reserve teams. Mark Falco scored on his debut and was to play his part in Spurs success of the early eighties and was Spurs top scorer in seasons 1984-85 and 1985-86. While not a classic goal-scorer he was strong and skilful, working hard to succeed where others had failed and is the only successful young goal-scoring forward that Spurs have produced since Len Duquemin in the fifties. In 162 League appearances, Falco scored 68 goals. He scored another 8 goals in Cup competitions and 13 in Europe.

The other goal scorers against Bolton were Ricky Villa and Jimmy Holmes.

Spurs in History - 15th February

Ian and Roger in their QPR days, the twins were on opposite sides as

Roger made his debut for Spurs at Loftus Road

15th February, 1969

Queens Park Rangers 1 Spurs 1 1st Division

Earlier in the month Spurs had signed Roger Morgan, a left winger from Q.P.R. for £110,000, equaling the highest cash transfer fee between English clubs. Roger and his identical twin, Ian, had helped Q.P.R. gain promotion to the 1st Division and had played all their football together.

At the end of January Spurs had defeated Q.P.R. at White Hart Lane in a game re-arranged from November because of heavy rain. After signing, Roger Morgan had been unable to play in Spurs next match as he was cup-tied so his debut was at Loftus Road against his former club and facing his twin brother. The match was close and finished all square with Spurs goal being scored by Jimmy Greaves, his 30th of the season.

Spurs in History - 10th January

10th January, 1970

Spurs 2 Derby County 1 (1st Division)

From late November to mid February, Spurs were to play eleven League games but would only record two victories, this was the second of them. The poor form was to have repercussions that were not apparent at the time of this match which saw Spurs win with goals from Greaves and Roger Morgan.

However, as results continued to disappoint, Bill Nicholson decided to drop some of the star names. All managed to win back their place in the team but Jimmy Greaves’ career at Spurs came to a sudden and unexpected end and so this was the last League goal that he scored for the club.



10th January, 1914

Leicester Fosse 5 Spurs 5 FA Cup 1st Round

On this day in 1914 Spurs shared ten goals in an FA Cup match with Leicester, Spurs' highest scoring draw in the competition. The goals were scored by Fanny Walden, Billy Minter, Jimmy Cantrell, Bert Bliss (2).

In the replay at White Hart Lane, two goals from Walden and Bliss were sufficient to take Spurs into the next round, an away game against Manchester City. For the replay, centre forward Jimmy Cantrell was injured and was replaced by George Gemmell who was making his debut for Spurs, having scored in his previous four reserve games for the club. This was Gemmell's only senior appearance for Spurs and still remains the only player to have made his only appearance for Spurs in the FA Cup.

Spurs Legend - Jimmy Greaves

Jimmy Greaves - goal scorer Supreme

Jimmy Greaves (Inside forward) [1961 - 1970]

League Appearances: 322 - 220 goals

FA Cup: 36 app. - 32 goals

League Cup: 8 app. - 5 goals

Europe: 14 app. - 9 goals.

England Internationals: 57 app. - 44 goals.

Jimmy Greaves was a prolific goalscorer throughout his career.  He scored a fantastic number of goals for Chelsea's youth teams and made his League debut for Chelsea at White Hart Lane in August, 1957 at the age of seventeen.  As with every debut throughout his career, he scored in that game and earned Chelsea a point in a 1-1 draw.

He went on to score 124 League goals for Chelsea before his transfer to AC Milan in June, 1961. However, his spell in Italy was not a happy time for Greaves who failed to settle and found it difficult to adapt to the strict Italian training regime.  However, despite his difficulties he continued to score regularly for his team in the defensive minded Italian League, including his customary debut goal.  In total he managed 9 goals from 14 appearances.

Some time after his departure to Italy, Bill Nicholson became aware of Greaves being unsettled at AC Milan and of his desire to returm to English football.  Nicholson watched the situation, determined to sign Greaves and add the natural goal scoring skills to his already talented team which had won the 'Double' the previous season and who were now involved in a campaign in the European Cup.  After protracted negotiations, Greaves signed for Spurs for £99,999 as Nicholson did not want him to have the added pressure of being the first £100,000 player.

Jimmy Greaves made his debut for Spurs at Tottenham against Blackpool in November, 1961 and scored a hat-trick, including an overhead kick to set his Spurs' goal scoring record on track.  In that first season he scored 21 League goals from 22 appearances and 9 FA Cup goals as Spurs retained the trophy, including the first goal, after three minutes, in the Final against Burnley.

The following season he set a new club record of 37 League goals and scored twice in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final against Atletico Madrid as Spurs became the first British team to win a European trophy.

Jimmy Greaves was Spurs' leading goal scorer in each season he played for them and helped them win the FA Cup in 1967.

Greaves had made his England debut in 1959 and was a regular member of the team but his greatest disappointment came in 1966 when he missed out on playing in the World Cup Final.  He had missed part of the previous season through illness but recovered in time to claim his place in the England squad for the World Cup.  He was selected for the opening three group games but failed to score and was injured in the third game.  Geoff Hurst replaced him and scored the only goal of the next game and although Greaves recovered from the injury he was unable to regain a place in the team.

Over the next few seasons he continued to score regularly for Spurs but in 1969-70 as Bill Nicholson rebuilt his team he dropped Greaves and a number of senior players after an FA Cup defeat at Crystal Palace.  Although the other players regained their places and went on to be part of Spurs successful team at the start of the 1970s, Greaves never again played for Spurs.

In March, 1970 he was transferred to West Ham as part of the deal which brought Martin Peters to Tottenham.

Jimmy Greaves' last appearance for Spurs was in the FA Cup replay at Crystal Palace on 28th January, 1970.  His last League appearance was on 17th January, a 1-2 defeat at Sunderland.  His last goal was scored the previous weekend at White Hart Lane as Spurs defeated Derby County 2-1. No-one present at White Hart Lane that Saturday would have realised that they were witnessing the end of an era - the final goal scored by Jimmy Greaves for Tottenham Hotspur.

Greaves scored twice on his West Ham debut and despite scoring for West Ham on his return to Spurs on the opening day of the following season, he retired at the age of 31 in May, 1971.

Greaves overcame personal difficulties to make a career in television as a football pundit and is a very entertaining after dinner speaker, recalling the stories of his time in football.

Greaves was a natural goal scorer who remained calm when presented with a goal scoring opportunity and while he may have been criticised for a lack of work rate, it only took one touch from him in front of goal to score the winning goal.  Spurs have never seen a goal scorer like him, he was pure class.

Jimmy Greaves - a true Spurs' Legend.

Spurs in History - 15th October

15th October, 1963

Arsenal 4 Spurs 4 (1st Division)

Dave Mackay

The match was played on a Tuesday evening because of the previous weekend’s International games. Spurs and Arsenal had both started the season well with Spurs second and Arsenal a point behind in sixth. It was an exciting and ‘storming’ game that entertained for ninety minutes. Spurs were 4-2 ahead at the interval with goals from Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith(2) and Dave Mackay.  Greaves had scored after three minutes with Bobby Smith adding a second after twenty minutes.  Ten minutes later Arsenal pulled one back from a penalty. Then followed a frantic final fifteen minutes to half-time as Dave Mackay restored Spurs' two goal advantage, Spurs then had a goal disallowed before Arsenal scored a second but Smith managed to restore Spurs' two goal lead as half-time approached.

However, Arsenal showed never-say-die spirit and battled to the end although they had been assisted by two refereeing decisions in the first half that probably robbed Spurs of the points.  The referee had awarded a harsh penalty when Spurs were two up and then disallowed a goal which would have made the score 4-1 but a minute later Arsenal made it 3-2.  With five minutes remaining Spurs still held the two goal lead acquired by half-time but Arsenal pulled one back and then equalised with only seconds of injury time remaining.

As a newspaper report of the day says, ‘Spurs were robbed!’ Nothing new there!

Team: Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, Mackay, Jones, White, Smith, Greaves, Dyson.

15th October, 1967

Spurs 1 Blackpool 3 (1st Division)

For the previous two seasons Spurs had had two International goalkeepers competing for that position. Pat Jennings, the Northern Ireland International, and Bill Brown, the Scottish International and member of the famous 'Double' team, had shared the appearances for two seasons but as Jennings gained more experience, Bill Nicholson had selected him as his first choice goalkeeper at the start of the 1966-67 season.

The decision was then taken to sell Bill Brown to Northampton Town for a nominal fee.  He was sold two days before the game against Blackpool and then Jennings was injured in training.  This meant a debut for the inexperienced reserve goalkeeper, Roy Brown.

Spurs had started the season well and were undefeated in their previous five home games.  They came into this game following three successive wins while Blackpool were languishing near the foot of the table without an away win to their name.  Spurs went into the game without fullback Phil Beal and centre forward Alan Gilzean as well as Jennings.  Cyril Knowles scored Spurs' goal, the only highlight of the day as Blackpool earned an unexpected victory.

Blackpool's season was an unsuccessful struggle against relegation while following this game Spurs went into something of a slump during October and November.  They recovered to finish the season in third place and win the FA Cup but improved results in this period would have brought greater success.

Unfortunately for Roy Brown this was his only senior appearance for Spurs.  He was later transferred to Reading and also played for Notts County.

Team: Brown,R., Clayton, Knowles, Mullery, England, Mackay, Robertson, Greaves, Saul, Venables, Jones.