They Played for Spurs and Stoke

Stoke City currently have four former Tottenham players in their squad with three of them moving directly from Spurs to the Brittania Stadium.  Previously, it was less common for direct transfers to occur, more often the players appeared at both clubs at some period in their careers.

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As with QPR and Fulham, the Stoke squad contains a number of former Spurs players.  In the preview for the game against Stoke, I mentioned the importance of those players to Stoke's current team.

Matthew Etherington joined Spurs in a joint deal with Simon Davies from Peterborough United on New Year's Day, 2000.  He was valued at £500,000 but failed to establish himself during his three years at the club.  He made 51 League appearances for Spurs (28 as a substitute) - scoring once in the League against Everton and twice in the Cup.  He joined West Ham United in August, 2003 as part of the deal which brought Fredi Kanoute to Spurs.  In January, 2009 he joined Stoke and has helped the club become established in the Premier League, reach last season FA Cup Final and compete in the Europa League.  One of the reasons for Stoke's disappointing performance at Wembley against Manchester City was that Etherington had rushed back from injury and was not fully fit.

Jonathan Woodgate has had his career blighted by injury at Leeds United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Middlesbrough and Spurs.  He joined Spurs from Middlesbrough in January, 2008 for £7.5 million and became an instant hero when he scored the winning goal against Chelsea at Wembley in the Carling Cup Final.  That was the highlight of his time with Spurs as he was often out injured and only made 49 League appearances.  He played only 15 minutes of football in his final eighteen months at the club.  Much time was spent undergoing operations and treatment in an effort to resolve his injury problems.  Since joining Stoke he has appeared in nine Premier League matches but has sat out the midweek Cup and European games.

Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch started his career with the Surs youth team but moved on to QPR and then appeared for a number of clubs including Portsmouth (twice), Aston Villa, Southampton and Liverpool before following Harry Redknapp from Fratton Park to rejoin Tottenham in July, 2009.  He made 73 League appearances for Spurs but only scored twelve goals although it was his goal against Manchester City in May, 2010 that guaranteed Spurs their first season of Champions League football.  Ironically, it was his own goal a year later in the same fixture that took City in to the Champions League.  It was in Europe that he was most effective when foreign defenders failed to cope with his height and as with England he scored more frequently, scoring 22 international goals from 42 appearances.  His early sending off against Real Madrid brought Spurs Champions League campaign to a disappointing end at the quarter final stage.  He joined Stoke at the end of August for a fee of £10 million.

Wilson Palacios has struggled with injury since joining Stoke last August.  Spurs received about £6 million for the player who had joined them from Wigan in January, 2009 for £12 million.  He made 65 League appearances and scored once against Hull City.  In his final season he appeared less frequently in the team as Sandro became more accustomed to English football and competition for places in central midfield became more intense.

Garth Crooks is the last player to move in the opposite direction, coming to Tottenham in the summer of 1981 to join up with Steve Archibald in a striking partnership which would take the team to two FA Cup successes.  He became the forgotten man of the 1981 Cup win as Ricky Villa's goals in the semi-final and final overshadowed his contribution to the success.  He signed for £650,000 and moved on to West Brom on a free transfer in August, 1985, having had a period on loan with Manchester United.  He scored 48 goals in 125 League appearances for Spurs and 27 Cup and European goals in 57 appearances.

Ian Moores joined Spurs from Stoke in 1976 as they battled against relegation.  They failed to avoid the drop but Moores helped the club gain promotion the following year.  He scored a hat-trick in the 9 - 0 demolition of Bristol Rovers but the following season, after two years with Tottenham he joined Leyton Orient.  Following his retirement he went into coaching but sadly died after illness at the age of 43.

Other players who have played for both clubs but not consecutively, are:
Jimmy Robertson scored in the 1967 FA Cup Final win over Chelsea but joined Arsenal eighteen months later and then had five years at Stoke after a time with Ipswich Town.

Ray Evans came through the youth system at Spurs but in the early 1970s struggled to establish himself in the team ahead of Joe Kinnear.  He made 133 League appearances at full back but in January, 1975 signed for Millwall.  He joined Stoke in 1979 after two years at Fulham.

Tony Parks, the current goalkeeping coach with Spurs and hero of the 1984 UEFA Cup Final win made two appearances for Stoke in 1992.  He came through Spurs youth system but in eight years with the club he made only 37 appearances.  His big moment came in 1984 when Ray Clemence was injured and he had the opportunity for an extended run in the team which took them to the UEFA Cup Final penalty shoot-out success.

Gary Brooke who was substitute for the 1981 and 1982 FA Cup Finals had a loan period at Stoke later in his career after leaving White Hart Lane.  Brooke came through the youth system and was a hard tackling midfielder with a powerful shot.  A serious car accident threatened his career and restricted his appearances for Spurs.

Paul Stewart and Paul Allen who played in the 1991 FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest both played for Stoke after leaving Tottenham.

Gerard McMahon, a young midfield player who made a few first team appearances following his transfer from Glenavon in Northern Ireland for £100,000 joined Stoke for £450,000 in 1996 after two years at White Hart Lane.

Hans Segers who came to Spurs late in his career as goalkeeping cover and then coach, had time with Stoke in earlier days.

Two older players who played for both clubs - Joe Brough, a half back, who made two appearances for Spurs in their first season in the Football League in 1908.  He joined from Stoke City having had a season with them and moved on to Port Vale in 1909.

Charlie Wilson was a centre forward who played for Spurs from 1919 to 1922.  He then had six years with Stoke after signing for them in 1925.  He scored 27 League goals in 55 appearances for Spurs before joining Huddersfield Town.  In his time with Stoke he scored 110 goals in over 150 League appearances.

Tottenham's Joy of Winning the Cup 4 (2008)

Tottenham's last Cup winning performance in 2008 came in unusual circumstances as Martin Jol was replaced as manager by Juande Ramos in late October after his team had reached the 4th Round of the Carling Cup which was Ramos' first game in charge.  Victories over Arsenal and Chelsea made it a very special Cup campaign. 

2008 Carling Cup Final
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Chelsea 1 (aet)

Woodgate's Header Wins Cup for Spurs 

Woodgate Celebrates Win

Tottenham recorded their fourth success in the League Cup (Carling Cup) in a season that saw them appoint a new manager in late October and with new players who had only joined the club during the January transfer window.  Victories over 'top-4' London rivals in the semi-finals and Final helped to create a positive feel at the club that Spurs had at last started to close the gap on the the clubs at the head of the Premier League.  It was their first trophy since winning the Worthington Cup in 1999 and fans were over-joyed at the opportunity of another trip to Wembley and another European 'Tour'. 


Road to Wembley:
3rd Round v Middlesbrough (h) Won 2 - 0 Bale, Huddlestone
As they had qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing 5th in the Premier League the previous season, Spurs were exempt from the competition until the 3rd Round.  It took two goals in three minutes late in the second half to see Spurs into the next round.  The introduction of Robbie Keane with twenty minutes remaining livened up Spurs' attacking options and within three minutes he had set up Gareth Bale for the first.  Three minutes later Tom Huddlestone scored the second and Spurs had overcome Middlesbrough's stubborn resistance.

4th Round: v Blackpool (h) Won 2 - 0 Keane, Chimbonda
The first match for Ramos as manager and an early goal from Keane set Spurs off against Blackpool, newly promoted to the Championship.  It required a hard-working performance from Tottenham and the second goal was scored by Pascal Chimbonda with just under an hour played.

5th Round: v Manchester City (a) Won 2 - 0 Defoe, Malbranque   
Jermain Defoe gave Spurs the lead on five minutes but Didier Zokora was dismissed after twenty minutes putting the team under added pressure.  However, they reorganised well and held City at bay and eight minutes from time Steed Malbranque secured victory.

Semi-Final (1st Leg): v Arsenal (a) Draw 1 - 1 Jenas
For the second successive season these two teams were drawn to meet at this stage of the competition.  Ramos decided to omit Paul Robinson for the first time, Radek Cerny taking his place.  Spurs started well and went ahead through Jermaine Jenas eight minutes before the interval.  They should have added to their lead in the second half but with ten minutes left Arsenal levelled.

Semi-Final (2nd Leg): v Arsenal Won 5 - 1 Jenas, Keane, Lennon, Malbranque, Opp. o.g.
What a way to reach Wembley!  Jenas started Spurs off with a goal after three minutes.  The second came courtesy of an own goal from a corner after half an hour.  Arsenal were losing it.  Keane scored early in the second half, Lennon added the fourth on the hour.  With twenty minutes left Arsenal pulled one back (Adebayor) but Malbranque added extra salt in the wounds with the fifth in the final minute. 

Final: v Chelsea (Wembley) Won 2 - 1 (aet)  Berbatov (p), Woodgate 
Ramos restored Robinson to the team and new signings Alan Hutton and Jonathan Woodgate, replacing the injured Michael Dawson, made their first appearances in the competition.  Tottenham started with a purpose taking the game to Chelsea and surprising their opponents.  Slowly Chelsea came more into the game and following a number of free-kicks around the Spurs box, Didier Drogba gave Chelsea an undeserved lead late in the first half.  Spurs continued to create chances and on seventy minutes were awarded a penalty for a handling offence.  Dimitar Berbatov remained calm and slotted home.  Chances continued to be created but missed until in the fourth minute of extra-time Woodgate scored with a header from Jenas' free-kick.  It was then all hands to the board as Tottenham held out to win their first trophy in nine years.


Team: Robinson; Hutton, King, Woodgate, Chimbonda (Huddlestone); Lennon, Jenas, Zakora, Malbranque (Tainio); Berbatov, Keane (Kaboul) Subs: (unused): Cerny, Bent

Tottenham looked to this win under their new manager as a stepping stone to breaking into the top four having overcome both Chelsea and Arsenal to win the trophy.  However, it didn't work out like that - their form dropped off alarmingly after the Final and they finished in mid-table, in the summer they lost both of their Cup winning strikers, Berbatov to Manchester United and Keane to Liverpool and by the following October Ramos was gone and Harry Redknapp had been recruited to ensure the team avoided relegation after taking only 'two points from eight games'.