Spurs Home Record Against Swansea

Tottenham meet Swansea in the League at White Hart Lane for the first time since season 1982-83.  It will be the first Premier League meeting and only the third game played in the top flight of English football.  They have met on thirteen previous occasions in the League with eleven of the matches being in the old 2nd Division.

Swansea have never won in the League at White Hart Lane - Spurs have won their last ten home matches against Swansea and will be hoping to maintain that record as they endeavour to hunt down Arsenal and a third place finish to the season.  Swansea were difficult opponents on New Year's Eve at the Liberty Stadium and will again be looking to upset Spurs in their first season in the Premier League which sees them in tenth position with 39 points.

Added interest to the game is the media speculation that the Swansea manager, Brendan Rodgers, may be a candidate for the position at White Hart Lane, should Harry Redknapp accept an offer to manage England.  My view on such an appointment is that while Rodgers has had an excellent season with Swansea, I'd prefer to see how he copes next season when opponents have a better understanding of how his team will play.

Home League Record against Swansea 

P  13  W  11  D  2  L  0  For  42  Ag  10  

Last Home League Match against Swansea 

Feb. 1983  1st Div.  Won  1 - 0  Crooks

Swansea were relegated after only two seasons in the 1st Division while Spurs were to finish fourth behind Liverpool, Watford and Manchester United.  Having lost in Swansea earlier in the season Spurs were grateful to the Garth Crooks goal which gave them the three points, heading in from a cross by Terry Gibson.

Previous League Matches at White Hart Lane

May, 1982  1st Div.  Won 2 - 1  Brooke (2) (1 pen)

In their first season in the 1st Division Swansea, after winning promotion in three successive seasons, had a very credible year, finishing in 6th position.  Spurs were fourth behind Liverpool, Ipswich and Manchester United with Arsenal fifth.  Spurs had lost at Swansea in late September but two Garry Brooke goals won them the points at White Hart Lane.  

Dec. 1949  2nd Div.  Won 3 - 1  Bennett, Duquemin (2)

Spurs won promotion as Arthur Rowe's 'Push and Run' side with Bill Nicholson, Ron Burgess, Eddie Baily and Alf Ramsey started out on their way to two successive championships.  Spurs fans were hard to please even in those days as they felt the team had an 'off-day'.  Spurs hit the woodwork twice and had two near misses before Len Duquemin headed them into the lead after fifteen minutes.  Swansea drew level after an hour but two rather fortunate goals, resulting from goalkeeping errors, scored by Les Bennett and Duquemin gave them the win.

Jan. 1947  2nd Div. Won 3 - 1  Bennett, Dix, Whitchurch

Swansea were relegated at the end of the season.  Charlie Whitchurch was a winger who made eight League appearances for Spurs, scoring twice and his goal against Swansea was the second of these.  He played in the next match which was to be his last for Spurs, being released at the end of the season.

Three Memorable Wins

Nov. 1931  2nd Div.  Won 6 - 2  Davies (2), Hunt, O'Callaghan, W.Evans (2)

Spurs and Swansea first met in season 1928-29 and on two of their first three visits to White Hart Lane, Swansea earned a point.  That changed, however, in 1931-32, when they suffered a heavy defeat to a Spurs side which scored 87 League goals that year.  It was a memorable day for Willie Evans who made his debut at outside-left (left wing), scoring twice.  George Hunt, 'Taffy' O'Callaghan and Willie Davis (2) scored the other goals.  It could have been worse for Swansea, Port Vale were the next visitors and they lost 9 - 3.

Dec. 1932  2nd Div.  Won 7 - 0  O'Callaghan, Hunt (2), Greenfield (2), W. Evans (2) (1 pen)

Swansea's next visit was even worse as Spurs headed towards promotion, finishing second behind Stoke City. George Greenfield who scored twice was a young player but having become established in the team, he broke his leg in the next match against Fulham and never fully recovered.  Willie Davies scored 28 goals in the League, eleven from the penalty spot.

Nov. 1935  2nd Div.  Won 7 - 2  Fulwood (pen), Morrison (2), G.W.Hall (3), W.Evans

Swansea were not finding White Hart lane a welcoming ground with their third successive heavy defeat.  Although the personnel had changed from the earlier matches, Spurs remained dominant and were 3 - 1 ahead at the interval.  Willie Davies who had scored twice for Spurs in 1931 was now with Swansea and played on their right wing.  This wasn't Spurs biggest home win of the season as they defeated Southampton 8 - 0 the following March.

Spurs will be looking for a win tomorrow to draw level on points with Arsenal but a win similar to the 1930s results would be very acceptable and enable them to reclaim third on goal difference.  Here's hoping.

7th January - What a Day!

7th January - What a Day!

Spurs have an amazing home record for this day - 7th January.

They have NEVER lost at home on this particular date while the away record is nearly as good, showing just one defeat.

Home Record: P 14 Won 13 Draw 1 Lost 0 For 48 Ag 15
Away Record: P 6 Won 3 Draw 2 Lost 1 For 5 Ag 1

Amazingly, many of the matches are memorable in their own right. The completed home record is:

1888 v St Brides (Fr) Won 3-2

1899 v Royal Artillery (SL) Won 1-0

1905 v Watford (SL) Won 2-0

1911 v Bristol City (Div 1) Won 3-2
(Billy Minter scored a hat-trick)

1928 v Newcastle United (Div 1) Won 5-2(George Osborne scored 4 goals but Spurs were relegated that season – they lost the final four games of the season to unexpectedly drop into a relegation place, having been 8th in mid-March.  Spurs were on a end of season tour in Holland when their fate was sealed)

1933 v Stoke City (Div 2) Won 3-2
(Spurs won promotion at the end of the season)

1939 v Watford (FAC) Won 7-1
(Spurs’ players wore numbered shirts for the first time – another 1st for Spurs)

1956 v Boston United (FAC) Won 4-0
(Spurs overcame non-League opposition and reached the semi-final of the Cup)

1961 v Charlton Athletic (FAC) Won 3-2
(The start of the second stage of the push for the ‘Double’)

1970 v Bradford City (FA Cup Rep) Won 5-0
(Jimmy Greaves’ last FA Cup goals for Spurs)

1978 v Bolton Wanderers (FAC) Draw 2-2(The only blot on a perfect record-the 2nd Division rivals were competing for promotion)

1981 v QPR (FAC Rep) Won 3-1
(Spurs were ‘On Their Way to Wembley')

1995 v Altrincham (FAC) Won 3-0(Spurs overcame non-League opposition and reached the semi-final of the Cup)

2004 v Birmingham City (Prem) Won 4-1
(Dalmat’s two goals and performance were the highlight of his time at Tottenham)

The highlight of the away record for this day is a 2-0 victory at Highbury in 1967 with goals from Jimmy Robertson and Alan Gilzean.

The last time Spurs played on 7th January was in 2007 when they travelled to Cardiff to play City in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.  The result was a scoreless draw.

The one disappointment and black spot is a Cup defeat against Bradford City in 1989.  The FA Cup 3rd Round visit to the 2nd Division side ended with a 0-1 defeat.

May this be a note of caution to the Spurs team playing against Cheltenham Town at White hart Lane this afternoon.  I trust that at the end of the game Spurs' record will still be in tact.

Spurs in History - 7th January

Graham Roberts - Spurs' hero against Fulham - not for the first time or the last!

7th January, 1984

Fulham 0 Spurs 0 (FA Cup 3rd Round)

A scoreless draw in a 3rd Round FA Cup tie against a 2nd Division side may seem rather dull but this was a hard fought contest where Spurs can thank their defender Graham Roberts for helping them to hold out for a replay. Goalkeeper Ray Clemence was seriously injured and in a situation that you rarely see nowadays, Roberts took over in goal and made some important saves.

Having secured the replay, Roberts then scored one of Spurs' two goals in that game as Spurs progressed to the next round with a 2-0 win, Steve Archibald scoring the other goal.

A home tie against Norwich City awaited in the next round.

The injury to Clemence kept him out for much of the remainder of the season, playing only four games and gave young reserve Tony Parks the opportunity to establish himself and to become an instant hero with his penalty saves in the UEFA Cup Final shoot-out against Anderlecht at the end of the season.

Team: Clemence (Crook*), , Stevens, Bowen, Roberts, O'Reilly, Perryman, Brooke, Brazil, Falco, Hoddle, Hazard.

[* Ian Crook was substitute for the injured Ray Clemence but Graham Roberts took over in goal.]



7th January, 1995

Spurs 3 Altrincham 0 (FA Cup 3rd Round)

Spurs progressed comfortably to the next round against non-League Altrincham through goals from Teddy Sheringham, Ronnie Rosenthal and Stuart Nethercott.

Spurs' next opponents were Southampton at White Hart Lane.


7th January - What a Day!

Spurs have an amazing home record for this day - 7th January.

They have NEVER lost at home on this particular date. The away record is nearly as good, showing just one defeat.

Home Record: P 15 Won 14 Draw 1 Lost 0 For 51 Ag 15

Away Record: P 6 Won 3 Draw 2 Lost 1 For 5 Ag 1

7th January, 1939

Following many years of rallying by the board of Tottenham Hotspur, the players wore numbered shirts for the first time, in a 7-1 FA Cup victory over Watford.