Spurs' Home Record against Fulham

Spurs need to end their season with a victory over Fulham to stand any chance of Champions League football next season.  Even then, it may depend on events elsewhere, including next weekend's Champions League Final in Munich.

Spurs' final home Premier League match of the season has them entertaining Fulham with Martin Jol in charge.  Earlier in the season Spurs defeated Fulham 3 - 1 in a hard earned victory at Craven Cottage.  They can expect another difficult afternoon as they battle for the points which should ensure a Champions League place next season, as long as Chelsea don't defeat Bayern Munich next Saturday.

Last Season's Result:
Jan. 2011  PL  Won 1 - 0  Bale
This New Year's Day encounter was settled when Gareth Bale headed Rafael Van der Vaart's free-kick into the goal, three minutes before half-time.  It was a hard-earned victory and ensured that Spurs had taken maximum points from the three matches over the holiday period. 

Spurs' Home League Record against Fulham (inc. PL):

P  39  W  21  D  16  L  2  For  67  Ag  30

Premier League Record at White Hart Lane against Fulham:

P  10  W  6  D  3  L  1  For  16  Ag  5

Fulham's first League success at White Hart Lane was in April, 1948 in a 2nd Division match which they won 2 - 0.  It was the second of three home defeats in five days for Spurs.  Their second success came in August, 2003 in their third season in the Premier League after an absence of over thirty years from the top flight of English football, when they triumphed 3 - 0 in what was the penultimate home match of Glenn Hoddle's time as manager.  Defeat to Southampton in the next home game sealed his fate.

Fulham have proved a difficult team to beat since their arrival in the Premier League and Spurs can expect another difficult afternoon against their London rivals with Martin Jol having an extra incentive for success.

Previous Premier League Meetings at White Hart Lane:

Jan. 2010  Won 2 - 0  Crouch, Bentley       

A goal in each half secured the points for Spurs and brought to an end a run of three games without a win.

Dec. 2008  Draw 0 - 0
A rather dour affair with Spurs unable to break down Fulham's well organised defence which wasn't appropriate fare for this Boxing Day game.

Dec. 2007  Won 5 - 1  Keane (2), Huddlestone (2), Defoe
This was the first of three consecutive Boxing Day matches against Fulham and while it was a goal fest for Spurs the others in 2008 and at Craven Cottage in 2009 ended goalless.  Robbie Keane and Tom Huddleston gave Spurs a two goal lead by the interval.  Dempsey pulled one back for the visitors on the hour but Keane responded immediately to restore Tottenham's advantage.  Huddlestone and Defoe completed the afternoon's entertainment.

Sept. 2006  Draw 0 - 0
Spurs were unable to unsettle Fulham's defensive strategy which they'd set out from the beginning in order to get a point.

Sept. 2005  Won 1 - 0  Defoe
Jermain Defoe gave Spurs an early lead which suggested it was going to be comfortable afternoon but it was far from that as Spurs were called to defend for long periods as Fulham sought an equaliser.  This result enabled Spurs to reclaim fourth place in the early season league table.

Feb. 2005  Won 2 - 0  Kanoute, Keane
Spurs struggled to make the breakthrough but after introducing Fredi Kanoute for Defoe with less that twenty minutes remaining the substitute scored the opening goal.  Keane then replaced Mido and he added the second in the final minute.

Aug. 2003  Lost 0 - 3
In a dire performance from Spurs, Fulham were comfortable winners with a first half goal and two in four minutes midway through the second half.

Feb. 2003  Draw 1 - 1  Sheringham (pen)
Ledley King scored an own goal after fifteen minutes but a Teddy Sheringham penalty before the interval brought Spurs level.

Dec. 2001  Won 4 - 0  Ferdinand, Anderton, Davies, Rebrov
Spurs fans had an abundance of goals at White Hart Lane as in the previous match in mid-week they had seen their team win 6 - 1 against Bolton in the Worthington Cup.  Les Ferdinand and Darren Anderton scored before half-time and Simon Davies and Sergei Rebrov added two further goals in six minutes midway through the second half.  Ferdinand's goal after twenty minutes gave him the distinction of scoring the 10,000th Premier League goal.

Previous Meetings:
The previous occasion that Spurs played Fulham in a League match at White Hart Lane was in their season in the 2nd Division in 1977 - 78.  The match was played in September and resulted in a single goal victory for Spurs.  The goal was scored by Chris Jones.

The last match in the 1st Division was on 26th December, 1967.  The Boxing Day fixture ended in a draw with another C. Jones scoring both goals.  It was Cliff Jones who scored as the match ended 2 - 2.  Four days later, the return match at Craven Cottage ended 2 - 1 in Spurs' favour with Jimmy Robertson and that man, Cliff Jones, scoring the goals.  The following October Jones joined Fulham after ten very successful years with Tottenham.

The First Meeting in the Football League at Tottenham
The two clubs had met in their Southern League days but they first met in the Football League in a 2nd Division match at White Hart Lane in April, 1909.  Spurs were fighting to win promotion and this win kept them on track, the goal being scored by Vivian Woodward who scored 22 League and Cup goals in their debut season in the Football League.

Biggest Wins:

Dec. 1919  Div. 2  Won 4 - 0  Walden, Minter (2), Bliss  [Spurs won 2nd Division]

Nov. 1960  Div. 1  Won 5 - 1  Jones (2), White, Allen (2)  [Spurs won 1st Division & FA Cup]

Dec. 2001  PL  Won 4 - 0  Ferdinand, Anderton, Davies, Rebrov

Dec. 2007  PL  Won 5 - 1  Keane (2), Huddlestone (2), Defoe

For the first time in five matches Spurs are not faced with a team battling against relegation and while White Hart Lane has never been Fulham's favourite ground, they have proved difficult to beat and will not give Spurs an inch in this final match of the season.  A London derby against committed opposition will be a real test of Spurs' desire and nerve to stake a claim for a Champions League place next season.  Tottenham will need to match Fulham's endeavour and ensure they take any goal scoring chances that are created - only a win will do, unless there are very unexpected results at the Hawthorns and Goodison Park.   

  

Spurs Record at Bolton

For the third successive match Tottenham face a relegation threatened side.  Spurs lost against QPR at Loftus Road while Blackburn showed no interest but Spurs can rest assured that Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium will put up greater resistance in a must win match for both sides with Spurs wanting the three points to secure their Champions League place for next season.

Travelling 'up north' has never has never been a favourite venue for any Tottenham team and the Reebok Stadium is a ground where Spurs have yet to win in the Premier League.  Their only win at Bolton during the league during the Premier League era was in season 1995-96, just prior to Bolton's move to their new stadium.  The only successs that Spurs have achieved at the Reebok was in a Carling Cup tie in October, 2004 which they won 4 - 3 after extra time (2 - 2 after ninety minutes).

Spurs' Away League Record against Bolton (inc. PL):

P 43  W  11  D  7  L  25  For  52  Ag  76

Premier League Record at Bolton:

P  12  W  1  D  4  L  7  For  13  Ag  23

Last Season's Result: 

Nov. 2010  PL  Lost 2 - 4  Hutton, Pavlyuchenko

Four days after their stunning win over Inter Milan in the Champions League Spurs were brought back down to earth with a bump at Bolton.  Kevin Davies scored twice, the first from an off-side position and the second from the penalty spot, as Spurs found themselves three down with fourteen minutes remaining.  A mini-revival saw Spurs score twice through Alan Hutton and Roman Pavlyuchenko, only for the home team to score late in added time.

Spurs' Last League Win at Bolton

March, 1996  PL  Won 3 - 2  Howells, Fox, Armstrong

Bolton were relegated at the end of this their first season in the Premier League but having earned their first away point  at White Hart lane in December, coming back from two goals down, they again showed fighting qualities in this match.  Spurs were three ahead with little more than a quarter of the game to go but they had to withstand a barnstorming finish from Bolton to secure the points.  David Howells had given Spurs an early first half lead before Ruel Fox and Chris Armstrong scored two goals in five minutes early in the second half.  Bolton's comeback could have been even better but for a last minute goal line clearance by Clive Wilson from a header by former Spurs player, Gudni Bergsson who had scored the equaliser in the game at Tottenham.

Spurs' Other Premier League Results at Bolton

Oct. 2009  PL  Draw 2 - 2  Kranjcar, Corluka

Bolton grabbed the lead after four minutes but Niko Kranjcar brought them level before the interval.  Davies scored his usual goal against Spurs in the second half but within four minutes Vedran Corluka scored with a header from a corner.

Jan. 2009  PL  Lost 2 - 3  Bent (2)

Half-time substitute, Darren Bent, scored twice in three minutes to bring Spurs level in the second half.  Spurs battling against relegation in Harry Redknapp's first season were a goal down at half-time.  Davies then added a second before Bent struck.  Three minutes from time Davies got his second from a corner leaving the Spurs manager furious at conceding another late goal.

Sept. 2007  PL  Draw 1 - 1  Keane

Robbie Keane gave Spurs the lead after thirty four minutes but within five minutes Bolton had drawn level through Campo.

Aug. 2006  PL  Lost 0 - 2

Spurs' season got off to the worst possible start.  Martin Jol's team simply weren't up for the match and Bolton made them pay for their lethargy with two goals in the first quarter of an hour from Davies and Campo.

Nov. 2005  PL  Lost 0 - 1

A Monday evening match which Bolton won with a goal after half an hour from Nolan.  Jermain Defoe 'equalised' almost immediately but was incorrectly flagged off-side. 

Feb. 2005  PL  Lost 1 - 3  Defoe

All the goals came in the second half.  Bolton went ahead with a penalty just after the interval but Defoe equalised with about twenty minutes remaining.  Two goals in the final three minutes gave Bolton the points with Davies scoring again.

April, 2004  PL  Lost 0 - 2

A goal in each half saw Spurs' poor run continue, having taken only five points from nine matches - with only three goals in the last eight games, one an own goal.

March, 2003  PL  Lost 0 - 1

A penalty in the final minute brought the points to Bolton.

April, 2002  PL  Draw 1 - 1  Iversen

Steffan Iversen gave Spurs an early lead but Bolton took a point with a goal twenty minutes from time.

Sept. 1997  PL  Draw 1 - 1  Armstrong

Bolton scored the first goal at their new Reebok Stadium after two previous scoreless draws.  They went ahead with a penalty after twenty minutes but substitute Chris Armstrong brought Spurs level in the second half and Ian Walker played a big part in Spurs taking a point from this match - described in one match report as 'the only Spurs player who can take any credit'.

A Long Time Ago:

Spurs won their first two League games at Bolton.  The clubs met in Tottenham's first season in the Football League in January, 1909.  It was a 2nd Division match which Spurs won thanks to a goal from Bobby Steel.  Both clubs gained promotion at the end of that season but when they met in the 1st Division in April, 2010 in the penultimate match of the season it was a relegation battle.  Spurs triumphed with two goals by Percy Humphreys and that victory saw Bolton relegated but Spurs survived by beating Chelsea the following week.  That result saw Chelsea go down with Humphreys scoring the winner against his former club.  Spurs then lost their next six matches at Bolton.