Spurs in History - 24th June

Trophy Presented in memory of John White (first left)

24th June, 1965

Tottenham Hotspur Win John White Memorial Cup

Macabbi Tel Aviv 2 Spurs 3 Friendly

Spurs played two games during a tour to Israel.

They won both matches and in this final game the home club put up a trophy for the winners, the John White Cup, in memory of Spurs Scottish International who had been killed tragically by lightning while playing golf, the previous summer.

The goals were scored by Alan Mullery, Dave Mackay and Alan Gilzean.

Spurs in History - 21st June

21st June, 1947

Saint-Etienne 0 Spurs 2 (Friendly)

The final game of Spurs four match tour in France. Having lost the first two game Spurs restored some pride by winning the other two games.

Their goals against Saint-Etienne were scored by Charlie Rundle and Les Bennett.

Spurs in History - 20th June

20th June, 1909

Spurs 9 Rosario 0 (Friendly in Argentina)

The penultimate game in the summer tour to South America. While there are records of teams and scorers for the other six games of the tour, there appears to be no such record for this game, other than the score which shows Spurs as emphatic winners over the local opposition.

Spurs in History - 11th June

11th June, 1983

Manchester United 0 Spurs 2 (Royal Swazi Sun Challenge)

Spurs played two games against United in Swaziland, losing the first match by 1-2 a week earlier.

This game was won with goals from Steve Perryman and Gary Mabbutt. A full strength team took part in the tournament which Spurs won in a penalty shoot-out after this game.

Spurs won 3-2 on penalties with Alan Brazil, Paul Price and Perryman scoring.

Spurs in History - 9th June

9th June, 1971

Spurs 3 Japan XI 0 (Friendly)

This was the final game of a three match tour to Japan. A full strength squad won all three games against an All Japan XI.

The first two games had been won convincingly by 6-0 and 7-2. In each of the first two games Martin Chivers had scored twice and in this game he continued to prove a handful for the Japanese defence by scoring again. Spurs other goals came from Alan Mullery who scored two, one from a penalty.

Spurs in History - 8th June

8th June, 1957

Spurs 3 Glasgow Celtic 1 (Friendly in Vancouver)

The nine match tour of North America included four games against Celtic and Spurs had been successful in the first two matches.

Throughout the games Bobby Smith had proved a great problem to the Celtic defence, scoring five times in the first two games. This match was no different as Smith scored his second hat-trick against the Scottish team.

A crowd of 24,198 watched the game, which was the second highest attendance in Canada for a football match. The largest attendance had been during the 1952 tour when Spurs played Manchester United.

Spurs in History - 6th May

6th May, 1979

Spurs 3 Bermuda Select XI 1 (Friendly)

This was the final game of a tour that included matches in Kuwait, Malaysia, Japan and Bermuda. Undefeated during the tour, the team had won the Japan National Cup by defeating Dundee United 2-0 in Tokyo.

However, such was the nature of this game that goalkeeper Milija Aleksic played on the right wing and a number of the backroom staff appeared in the team, including Assistant Secretary Peter Day and physiotherapist Mike Varney. Also four Bermudan players were included as second-half substitutes for Spurs.

The goals were scored by Colin Lee, Chris Jones and Bermudan Alan Marshall.

Spurs in History - 1st June

1st June, 1959

Dynamo Kiev 1 Spurs 2 (Friendly)

Spurs undertook a three match tour of the USSR during the close season. It was their first visit to the country and in ‘The Double’ by Ken Ferris, this Russian tour is identified as the time when Spurs ‘began to lay the foundations of a great side’.

Both Nicholson and Blanchflower began to realise that there was the makings of a great team. Many of the players were already at the club and with a few more signings and a little tinkering, the great team of the early sixties would appear.

Two goals from Johnny Brooks gave Spurs their second victory of the tour and weariness from the excessive travel contributed to their defeat in the final game, three days later.

The tour was a great success, bringing the players closer together and Dave Mackay is quoted as saying, ‘…I shall always believe we laid the foundations of the team-spirit and genuine friendship which has since played a notable part in the success of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.’ Other players, Cliff Jones and Ron Henry support that view with similar comments, ‘That’s where we saw the first signs,’ (Jones) and ‘It all came together in Russia.’ (Henry)

Spurs in History - 31st may

31st May, 1963

NSAFL Invitation XI 1 Spurs 5 (Friendly)

Having won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, Spurs undertook a three match tour to South Africa. This was their first visit to the country and in this first game, Welsh International, Terry Medwin broke his leg during the first half. So severe was the injury that Medwin was unable to play again and in spite of a lengthy battle to regain fitness, he had to retire through injury in the summer of 1964.

Medwin’s injury overshadowed the match in which the goal scorers were Frank Saul, Les Allen (3) and Cliff Jones.

Spurs in History - 28th May

28th May, 1952

Saskatchewan F.A. 1 Spurs 18 (eighteen!) (Friendly)

The second game of the North American tour threw up this record score. Conflicting details of the scorers and half-time score exist but Spurs official handbook for 1952-53 states that as Spurs were 14-0 ahead at half-time, the teams exchanged goalkeepers and Ted Ditchburn’s display ensured that Spurs only scored four in the second half.

In other records, Sid McClellan is credited with scoring nine goals, Les Bennett (3), Len Duquemin (2), Dennis Uphill (2) and Chris Adams (2), although these don’t match the statistics and account given in the Handbook.

Spurs in History - 24th May

24th May, 1914

Stuttgart 1 Spurs 1 (Friendly)

During the close season Spurs played a series of games in Germany, Italy and Switzerland. They won seven of the nine games, drawing the others.

Details of the tour are sketchy but it is recorded that in Germany the atmosphere was tense and there was general hostility towards Spurs by their German hosts. With the outbreak of the First World War only two months away, almost anything was allowed when Spurs went on to the pitch. So bad was the situation that the Chairman, Charles Roberts, declared ‘no Spurs team will ever again visit Germany while I am still alive.’

And they didn’t, only returning for a tour in 1950, seven years after his death.

It was reported in the Tottenham Weekly Herald of the time that Spurs had returned from Germany, having signed a six-foot tall German centre forward from Berlin called Fred Strechfuss. (Does South Africa 2003 come to mind?) However, by the time the club Handbook was produced at the end of August, no reference was made of this new signing.

Spurs in History - 19th May

19th May, 1957

Spurs 4 Celtic 3 in New York (Friendly)

End of season tours were a feature of the 1950’s and Spurs had been to America for a series of exhibition matches five years earlier. On this occasion this was the only game to be played in America with the rest taking place in Canada.

Celtic took an early two goal lead before Bobby Smith scored. Celtic again went two up, only for Smith to pull one back before half-time. In the second half, Smith completed his hat-trick and Micky Dulin scored the winner.

Spurs and Celtic were to meet on three more occasions in Canada, Spurs winning twice with Celtic winning the final game of the tour.