Tottenham's 1995 FA Youth Cup Team

In season 1994-95 Tottenham's Youth team were losing Finalists in the FA Youth Cup.  What happened to the players in that team?

Tottenham's current Academy players have made a great impression in the Next Gen series competition in which teams from across Europe are playing.  Spurs top their group having drawn at Basle (2 - 2) and defeated Inter Milan (h) 7 - 1, and PSV (a) 2 - 1 (h) 4 - 1.  This raised discussion about the players who had played for Spurs in their last FA Youth Cup Final and so following a little research, we have the details of the footballing careers of a team that obviously showed promise in 1995.

Goalkeeper, Simon Brown left the club in 1999 to join Colchester United.  He spent five season there, making 140 appearances before moving to Scotland to play for Hibernian.  Under fifty appearances in three seasons, saw him join Brentford for two years.  This was followed by a season with Northampton Town and a move to non-league football with Cambridge United.

  

Stephen Carr made his debut for Spurs in 1993 but it was 1996-97 season before he established himself in the team. Having worked his way through the youth system at White Hart Lane he became an important member of the team, attacking from the right and scoring vital goals.  He was a member of the 1999 Worthington Cup winning team and a full international for the Republic of Ireland.  In total he made 226 appearances, scoring 7 goals.  Injury hindered him and he was out for over eighteen months and on his return he had lost some of the impetus he had previously had and as the team struggled he looked for a new challenge in the north east.  He departed saying that he was moving to 'a bigger club' which infuriated Tottenham supporters who had previously idolised him before tiring of his seeming lack of interest.  He was transferred to Newcastle United in 2004 after thirteen seasons at Tottenham for a fee of £2 million.

 

Kevin Maher was a young midfield player with Tottenham who left on a free transfer in January, 1998 to join Southend United where he spent ten seasons as a regular in the team making over 380 appearances, including the Cup games against Spurs in 2006-07.  He joined Oldham for a season in 2008 and the following year joined Gillingham where he played for two seasons.  He is now with Dagenham and Redbridge.

Ross Darcy, a defender who went to Barnet in December, 1999 where he spent four years, including time out on loan with Dover. In 2004 he returned to Ireland to play for Dundalk and then Bohemians.  In the FA youth Cup game against United it was his slip late in the first leg that gave United their goal which cost the team dearly in the second leg.  United levelled the tie in the last minute at Old Trafford and went on to win on penalties. 

Injury problems caused him major difficulties at both Spurs and Barnet.   He was an U-21 international for Ireland.  On leaving Barnet where he had been restricted to only a few appearances because of injury Darcy stated, ' I have been plagued by injuries at both Spurs and Barnet.  I played in the reserves at White Hart Lane and in a couple of first team friendlies and the injury jinx has continued at Barnet.  It's time to go home after nine years over here.  I'm going back to try to find a club back in Ireland.'

Simon Wormull is currently the manager of the under 18 side at Lewes. In his playing days he played for Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the 1995 FA Youth Cup and in the Intertoto Cup. He scored the first goal in the Final against Manchester United at White Hart Lane.  Although he made a few appearances in the lower divisions of the Football League for Brentford and Rushden & Diamonds, the majority of his career has been spent in non-league football, with clubs including Dover Athletic, Stevenage Borough, Hornchurch, Crawley Town, Lewes, Eastbourne Borough and Farnborough.

Simon Spencer made two appearances for Brentford after leaving Spurs in 1997.  He played for the England U-16 team. 

The Dagenham and Redbridge squad also includes their captain, Mark Arber, a defender, who left Spurs in 1998 to join Barnet for £75,000.  He has had twelve seasons in League football making over 500 appearances for five different clubs, including Peterborough, Oldham and Stevenage Borough. 

Stephen Clemence, son of Ray, he progressed to the first team where he made 91 appearances, scoring twice.  In 2003 he joined Birmmingham City where he spent four years before joining Leicester City in 2007.  Injury led to his retirement in 2010 and he has joined Sunderland as a member of their coaching staff with the reserve team.

Peter Gain was a midfield player with Spurs at the end of 1999s who joined Lincoln City for a fee of £15,000 in March, 1999 after working his way through the youth system.  He made 200 appearances in almost six years before moving to Peterborough where he played for three seasons and moved on to Dagenham and Redbridge in 2008. 
  

Neale Fenn made his Tottenham debut in an FA Cup 3rd Round game at Old Trafford, playing along side Rory Allen.  In total he played in 10 games for Spurs, scoring once in a League Cup tie at Carlisle.  he spent much of his time out on loan and joined Peterborough United in 2001, making fifty appearances in two years.  He then returned to Ireland where he has played for five different clubs - Waterford United, Cork City, Bohemians, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers.  He played for the Ireland U-21 and 'B' international team.

Rory Allen made his Spurs debut as a a substitute against Wimbledon in 1996.  He scored four goals for the club before his transfer to Portsmouth for £1 million in 1999.  He retired, aged 25, in 2002, having undergone numerous operations for injuries.  He went off to Australia to watch the Ashes series.  He is now a civil servant in the Foreign Office, according to Wikipedia.

Garry Brady replaced Clemence for the second leg.  He also progressed to the Spurs first team and made 11 League and Cup appearances in season 1997 - 98.  Regarded as a good prospect he transferred to Newcastle United in 1998 for £650,000 but he only made a similar number of appearances there where an ankle injury restricted his progress.  He joined Portsmouth in 2001 but returned to Scotland the next year where he has made a career for himself with Dundee United, St. Mirren and currently Brechin City.

Tottenham have won the FA Youth Cup on three occasions - in 1970, 1974 and 1990.  They have been losing finalists twice - in 1981 and 1995.  From those teams only a very small number of players have progressed to the Tottenham first team and even fewer have become established first team players.  The most successful has been Steve Perryman from the 1970 team who went on to make a record breaking 655 League appearance for the club to become a true Tottenham 'legend'. 

Tottenham Ahead in Premier League Race

Spurs opened the 2011-12 season with two heavy defeats but have managed to recover the lost ground to put themselves in a stronger position compared with the same stage of the season last year.

At present Tottenham are sitting in sixth position in the Premier League  with a game in hand on all other teams around them.  The postponement of the opening day fixture against Everton because of the riots near the White Hart Lane immediately put Spurs at a disadvantage and this was compounded when their next games were against the two Manchester clubs who made a flying start to the new season.  So when all the other teams had played three games Spurs found themselves pointless and at the bottom of the League.

Now, after seven games Spurs have made a remarkable recovery by accumulating thirteen points from four wins and a draw.  Four successive wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool, Wigan Athletic and Arsenal have brought confidence to the team and raised expectations for the season.  The draw at Newcastle United who maintained their undefeated start to the season, could so easily have been another three points but for an excellent strike for the equalising goal, three minutes from time, as the home side recovered from a goal deficit for the second time.

After 7 games (4 away), Spurs are currently in 6th place with 13 points, having played one match less than everyone else.

Last season, at the same stage (3 away), Spurs were occupying 5th position but with only 11 points and having played the same number of games as those around them.

The comparison of fixtures played shows how Spurs are 5 points up on the same matches last season.

Manchester Utd (a)   -

Manchester City (h) - 1

Wolves (a) + 2

Liverpool (h)  -

Wigan Ath (a)  + 2

Arsenal (h)  + 2

Newcastle Utd (a)   -

This season's results show a positive score of 5 points but to maintain that progress Spurs need to win a number of their future games where they were successful last season - at Blackburn Rovers, at Fulham and at home to Aston Villa.  They also need to be positive against Queens Park Rangers to boost the points differential as Spursrecord against promoted sides last year was poor.  They drew with both Blackpool and West Bromwich at home, while Newcastle were the only promoted to leave White Hart Lane without any points.

Tottenham v Rubin Kazan Europa League

The third match in the Europa League Group Stage gives Spurs home advantage over Rubin Kazan who are currently at the top of the Group 1 with four points, ahead of Spurs on goal difference.  Tottenham who have used squad and younger players in Europa league games will need to take this game seriously as Rubin Kazan will provide them with a stern test and any slip up could jeopardise their chances of finishing at the top of the Group.

Last season Rubin Kazan finished third in the Russian League having been Champions in the two previous seasons.  They qualified for the Champions League but lost to Olympique Lyon in the final play-off Round (2 - 4 on aggregate) and so dropped into the Europa League.  They won their first match 3 - 0 in Dublin against Shamrock Rovers and drew their home match with PAOK Salonika 2 - 2.  this match against Spurs is their first in European competition against an English team.  this is their sixth season competing in European competitions since first taking part in 2004 - 05.  In the past two seasons they have qualified for the Champions League Group Stages and were drawn with Barcelona on both occasions.  Last season they drew 1 - 1 at home but lost 0 - 2 in the away match to finish third in the Group and so went into the Europa League where they lost to FC Twente.  The previous year they had a scoreless draw at home to Barcelona but won the match in Spain 2 - 1.  Inter Milan were also in that group and Rubin also drew at home 1 - 1 but lost 1 - 2 in Italy.  They again finished third and so went into the Ruropa League where they reached the Round of 16, only to lose 2 - 3 after extra time to Wolfsburg.


In their last match against PAOK Salonika, Rubin Kazan found themselves  agoal down at half-time but two goals early in the second half put them ahead.  However, PAOK snatched a point with a goal nine minutes remaining.

Former Newcastle United striker and past team mate of Sebastien Bassong, Obafemi Martins now plays for Rubin Kazan and scored their first goal against Shamrock Rovers.  He scored in his first four games against Spurs and was on the winning team each time.  He is best remembered at White Hart Lane for a wonder strike for Newcastle which helped them to a 3 - 2 win in January, 2007.


Roman Pavlyuchenko has played against Rubin Kazan during his days in Russia, scoring twice from the penalty spot.  A former Tottenham player, Sergei Rebrov, finished his playing career with Rubin Kazan.

Previous Meeting with Russian Team
Tottenham Hotspur played Spartak Moscow in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage, Luka Modrić and Tom Huddlestone scored as they came back from 2-0 down at White Hart Lane to draw their only previous match against a Russian side 2 - 2.


Injury Problems for Spurs
Harry Redknapp has injury problems in central defence and with the lack of adequate replacements may have to use first team players, Younes Kaboul and Bassong.  The only possible alternative would be to move Jake Livermore back into defence, a position he has played for the Spurs XI team earlier inn the season.  Carlo Cudicini will return in goal and Aaron Lennon and Steven Pienaar are expected to play as they have recovered from injury.  Pavlyuchenko will probably start while Jermain Defoe could appear as well.  Redknapp will probably have a strong substitutes bench to supply strength if the game doesn't go as planned.  Young Tom Carroll will probably start in midfield where he has performed well in the previoius Europa League matches.  Tottenham will be looking for a comfortable win so that they won't have to take too many of the senior players to Russia at the beginning of November.

Newcastle United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Newcastle United maintained their undefeated opening to the season by coming from behind twice to end Tottenham's run of four consecutive wins.  The loss of Ledley King in the first half made the Tottenham defence less comfortable and Newcastle took advantage to grab a point with a late equaliser.

Newcastle United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2 

Scorers:  Ba, Ameobi             Van der Vaart (p), Defoe

Team: Friedel; Walker, King (Bassong), Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Bale, Parker, Liveremore, Modric; Van der Vaart (Defoe), Adebayor (Pavlyuchenko).  Subs (unused): Cudicini, Townsend, Giovani Dos Santos, Rose

Spurs' Loss of King Allows Newcastle to Come from Behind to Draw

Tottenham missed the chance to move into fifth place in the League as Newcastle twice came from behind to snatch a draw with a goal three minutes from time.  In the first half neither side created any scoring chances with Newcastle content to use the long ball to put the Tottenham defence under pressure.  With Ledley King playing in his fifth consecutive League game Spurs looked quite comfortable and in control against these tactics.

After half an hour King suffered an injury and had to leave the pitch as he always does in these circumstances, quietly walking off having felt another twinge in his injury wracked body.  His departure meant that the defence was less composed as Younes Kaboul and Sebastien Bassong are more erratic in their play with Bassong lacking confidence and appearing to be very unsure of himself.  However, five minutes before the interval, Jake Livermore pressurised the Newcastle defence and the ball went to Emmanuel Adebayor who was brought down for a penalty as he strode into the penalty area.  Rafael Van der Vaart coolly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to put Spurs ahead.

Newcastle upped their game in the final minutes of the half but Spurs scoped with the increased intensity of the game.  Newcastle strated the second half with more purpose and withing two minutes had equalised.  Poor defending on the right by Luka Modric gave Newcastle room to put in a cross which Ba met and although Brad Friedel got across his goal to get his body behind the ball, his momentum carried him and the ball into the net.

Newcastle were encouraged by their supporters but Spurs looked dangerous as the game swung from end to end and five minutes after replacing Van der Vaart, Jermain Defoe put Spurs ahead with a shot from the edge of the box, having taken the ball from Adebayor with his back to goal, he quickly turned his defender and fired an unstoppable shot past Krul.  Tottenham had further chances to increase their lead while Newcastle were dangerous on the break and from free-kicks.  Twice Spurs were in dangerous positions but failed to find the pass to an unmarked colleague.

With three minutes remaining as Newcastle increased the pressure, Tottenham failed to clear the ball properly and Newcastle returned it into the Spurs area and Ameobi hit a fierce shot past Friedel and inside the post.  Spurs weren't finished as twice Defoe was denied.  First a last gasp tackle blocked his shot and from the rebound, Krul blocked his powerful follow-up shot.  In added time Newcastle went looking for the winner but Spurs held out.

That result continued Spurs poor Premier League record against Newcastle United at St James' Park.  They haven't won there since 2004 and this is the third consecutive game that has had a late goal affect the result.  Last year, Aaron Lennon got a late equaliser for Spurs while the previois year it was Newcastle who grabbed a late winner.

The result means that Spurs remain in sixth place behind Liverpool, with Newcastle in fourth.  Spurs have a match in hand over the teams above them.  If Spurs had managed to secure a two goal victory they could have moved above Newcastle into fourth place.

Tottenham's injury problems are increasing with every game.  Sandro was unavailable due to injury while Adebayor played despite uncertainty about his fitness.  The loss of King is a big blow for Tottenham as their defending is so much more composed and controlled with him in the team.  He brings a calm that is missing when he is absent.  With Michael Dawson, William Gallas and King injured, Harry Redknapp has only two fit central defenders, Kaboul and Bassong, and with a possible cover in Vedran Corluka also injured, Livermore may be called upon to fill in in central defence for the Europa League game on Thursday evening.
 

Tottenham's Joy of Winning the Cup 7 (1999)

It was a long time in coming but eventually 'the man in the raincoat' oversaw Tottenham's third League (Worthington) Cup success after only a few months in charge.  The run to Wembley had many memorable moments even if the Final itself was a disappointment, although in the end Tottenham experienced the joy of winning the Cup.

1999 Worthington Cup Final
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Leicester City 0

Last Gasp Neilsen Wins Cup for Tottenham

Nielsen - Scorer and Man of the Match

The 1999 Worthington Cup Final is probably the least memorable of all of Tottenham's Cup Final appearances.  In an extremely dull game where neither side seemed capable of winning and with extra time looming, a goal in the final minute from Allan Neilsen brought an end to all the tedium and ensured another Cup Final victory for Spurs.  George Graham, the manager that no Spurs supporter wanted had brought silverware to the club within five months of taking charge.  Throughout his tenure the nearest supporters came to acknowledging him was by referring to the team as 'the man in the raincoat's blue and white army'.  Tottenham had been reduced to ten men when Justin Edinburgh was harshly sent off but they showed grit against a lack-lustre Leicester City team to score the late, late winner.

Road to Wembley
2nd Round (1st Leg) v Brentford (a) Won 3 - 2  Carr, Dominguez, Vega
By the time this tie came round in mid-September Tottenham had already plunged into crisis when following two disappointing defeats to Wimbledon and Sheffield Wednesday, Christian Gross was removed from his post less than a year after becoming manager at White Hart Lane.  David Pleat took control as caretaker manager until an appointment was made.

Brentford, in the 3rd Division, took the lead midway through the first half although Spurs had been fortunate on a couple of occasions not to concede earlier.  It wasn't until a minute to the interval that Stephen Carr equalised with his first ever goal for Spurs.  Tottenham enjoyed a period of dominance early in the second half and were rewarded when Jose Dominguez scored.  However, Spurs continued to make mistakes allowing Brentford to level from a poor back pass after 66 minutes.  It took Ramon Vega's headed goal from a David Ginola corner with eight minutes remaining to give Spurs the advantage at the end of the 1st leg.

2nd Round (2nd Leg) v Brentford (h) Won 3 - 2  Nielsen, Campbell, Armstrong
Brentford stunned Spurs by levelling the tie in the first minute of the match and could have gone ahead from a long range shot but for an acrobatic save from Hans Segers.  Brentford matched Spurs throughout the first half only for Allan Nielsen to equalise after a shot from Chris Armstrong had been parried by the goalkeeper on 24 minutes.  Sol Campbell gave Spurs the lead within a minute of the restart, following up after a Ginola shot had been blocked by the keeper.  Seven minutes later Spurs had a two goal advantage after Nielsen hit the post and Armstrong was on hand to knock in the rebound.  Brentford weren't going to lie down and scored with fifteen minutes remaining and while Spurs progressed, it was Brentford who deserved all the praise and credit from the two matches.

3rd Round v Northampton Town (a) Won 3 - 1  Armstrong (2), Campbell 
This is the sort of Cup tie that Tottenham don't like but under new manager, George Graham, they made no mistakes although the home team did take the lead after half an hour after a mistake from Espen Baardsen.  On a near water-logged pitch Armstrong equalised nine minutes later and Campbell's goal two minutes after the interval settled Spurs who added a third through Armstrong seven minutes from time.  David Ginola inspired Spurs, working hard to drive them forward against the 2nd Division team, although he saw a penalty that he had earned with Spurs 2 - 1 ahead, saved by the goalkeeper.

 4th Round v Liverpool (a) Won 3 - 1  Iversen, Scales, Nielsen
A trip to Anfield where Spurs hadn't won since 1995 but Spurs were in control from the second minute when Steffan Iversen put them ahead although Liverpool had hit the bar in the opening minute.  After 20m minutes John Scales scored past Brad Friedel (a future Spurs goalkeeper)against his former club and then with an hour gone Nielsen made it three - an unbelievable score line for Tottenham fans.  With ten minutes left Liverpool scored a consolation goal but Tottenham had a victory to savour.

5th Round v Manchester United (h) Won 3 - 1  Armstrong (2), Ginola 
David Ginola was the inspiration behind this Spurs performance and capped it with an outstanding goal to seal the victory.  A weakened United kept Spurs alert but two headed goals from Armstrong early in the second half put Spurs in the ascendancy and while Teddy Sheringham pulled one back with twenty minutes to go, Ginola's 'special' strike ensured their passage to the semi-finals.  This was the only competition that United didn't win in their 'treble' season, foiled by the 'mighty' Spurs.

Semi-Final (1st Leg) v Wimbledon (h) Draw 0 - 0
This match was the third of a series of five League and Cup games between the two teams played in a month.  The first two, played in the previous week had ended scoreless and this one continued the sequence giving Wimbledon the psychological advantage with the second leg at home.  The visitors defended stoutly and although Spurs created the better chances, the stalemate continued.

Semi-Final (2nd Leg) v Wimbledon (a) Won 1 - 0  Iversen
The fourth game of the sequence had seen Spurs triumph with an emphatic 3 - 0 success in the FA Cup replay at White Hart Lane.  This was a typically, physical bustling Cup-tie with both teams giving their all.  From that industry a moment of exquisite skill by Iversen seven minutes before half-time was enough to take Spurs to Wembley.  Ferdinand pressurised a defender to pass back to his goalkeeper but he directed the ball to Iversen who coolly and composed chipped the ball over the stranded keeper, Neil Sullivan - another future Tottenham keeper, and into the net from the edge of the penalty area.  In the second half, it was backs to the wall as Spurs defended their lead with energy.  Not a pretty sight but in true George Graham style, very effective.


Worthington Cup Final v Leicester City (at Wembley) Won 1 - 0  Nielsen
In a match that has long been forgotten by all but Tottenham supporters, Leicester City were set up to deny Spurs time and space but with few attacking ides of their own.  Spurs were unable to take advantage of these negative tactics and were drawn into a game of attrition.  Even when Justin Edinburgh was sent off following a minor altercation with Robbie Savage after an hour, Leicester didn't show any urgency or inclination to try to win the game.  Just as it looked as if everyone was going to have to endure thirty minutes of extra time, Spurs broke on the right and worked the ball to Iversen who powered in on goal and shot, Kasey Keller, yet another future Tottenham keeper, could only parry his effort and Allan Nielsen who was following up, flung himself forward to head the ball into the net.   The 90th minute had come and gone so supporters knew that goal was going to be the winner.  Cue rejoicing among Spurs supporters around Wembley and celebration as Sol Campbell lifted the Cup. It wasn't the greatest of Finals or Cup Final victories but Spurs had the joy of winning another trophy and were back in Europe once again.


Team: Walker; Carr, Vega, Campbell, Edinburgh; Anderton, Freund, Nielsen, Ginola (Sinton), Iversen, Ferdinand.  Subs (unused): Baardsen, Young, Dominguez, Armstrong. 

Allan Nielsen

Allan Nielsen, a Danish international midfielder, joined Tottenham in 1996 from Brondby for a fee of £1.65 million.  He made 96 League appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals.  He made 18 Cup appearances and scored 6 goals, including three in the Worthington Cup - all coming in the Cup winning season with the Wembley winner as the most memorable.  He received the 'Man of the Match' award as Tottenham lifted their third League Cup trophy.  However, the arrival of Tim Sherwood from Blackburn Rovers who was Cup-tied for this competition restricted Nielsen's opportunities at Spurs.  The following season he played fewer games for Spurs so went out on loan and was transferred to Watford for £2.5 million in July, 2000.

Goalkeepers:  Tottenham used three goalkeepers through this competition.  Espen Baardsen had replaced Ian Walker after the two defeats at the beginning of the season.  Hans Segers was called upon for the home tie against Brentford when Baardsen was injured but Walker had reclaimed the position by the time of the Manchester United match.

The Cup run also saw Spurs play against three goalkeepers who would through time become the occupant of the Number 1 shirt at White Hart Lane.  Neil Sullivan joined Tottenham from Wimbledon in the summer of 2000 and Kasey Keller would then replace Sullivan after signing in 2002.  Brad Friedel would join Spurs, aged forty in the summer of 2011 after spending his career playing for Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa.

They Played for Tottenham and Newcastle

Three players who have been among the most exciting to grace the white shirt of Tottenham were signed from Newcastle United.  Other players made the move from White Hart Lane to Newcastle while Ossie Ardiles has been manager of both clubs and Keith Burkinshaw was a coach at St James Park before arriving at Spurs.

Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne and David Ginola

If asked to name three of the most graceful and exciting players to play for Tottenham and these three would be among the first players mentioned.  All three moved to White Hart Lane and had an immense impact on the club.

Chris Waddle signed for Spurs in July, 1985 for a fee of £590,000.  He made 138 League appearances and scored 33 goals.  He made an immediate impression by scoring twice on his debut on the opening day of the season in a 4 - 0 home win over Watford.  He established himself in the England team during his time with Spurs and in 1986 - 87 he was part of the exciting team that David Pleat managed to 3rd in the League and to the FA Cup Final.  Spurs also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup.  In that team Clive Allen scored 49 goals in all competitions and Waddle was a vital part of the 5-man midfield which supplied their prolific striker.

By the summer of 1989, Terry Venables had taken over as Spurs manager and was building an exciting team with Paul Gascoigne and newly signed Gary Lineker to play with Waddle.  It was looking very exciting for Spurs fans but unbeknown to them Spurs' financial position was precarious and when Olympique Marseilles made an offer of £4.5 million for waddle it was too good an offer for both player and club to turn down.  To the great disappointment of supporters, Waddle went to France where he won the French title in each of his three years there and also reached a European Cup Final.  Spurs fans still lament at the missed opportunity of having the three England internationals, Waddle, Gascoigne and Lineker, playing in the white of Tottenham.

When he returned to England, Tottenham were in financial distress and Waddle joined Sheffield Wednesday.

Chris Waddle at Tottenham: 138 Lge App. 33 goals.  36 Cup App. 9 goals. 

Paul Gascoigne was an immense talent who brought exhuberance and an amazing talent to the football field.  He joined Spurs from Newcastle for a then record fee of £2 million, turning his back on Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.  Under Terry Venables he blossomed into the best footballer in England and a regular England international.  He helped Spurs finish third in the League in 1989 - 90 and at that summer's World Cup in Italy, the whole world became aware of his precocious talent as England reached the semi-finals.

The following season he lit up English football as crowds flocked to see the World Cup heroes, Lineker and Gascoigne.  Not put off by the publicity he raised his game and in the second half of the season, almost single-handedly took Spurs to the FA Cup Final at Wembley.  That season he scored 19 League and Cup goals.  He scored seven in the League including an amazing hat-trick against Derby County with Peter Shilton in goal and six in both Cup competitions.

Spurs financial standing was in a critical position and there was much doom and gloom surrounding the club as the banks threatened to call in their debts and put Tottenham Hotspur out of existence.  Against this uncertain background the FA Cup started in January but Gascoigne with outstanding performances and goals to match managed to get Spurs past Portsmouth, Oxford United and Notts County, scoring five goals, to reach a semi-final at Wembley against north-London neighbours, Arsenal.

During the Cup run, Gascoigne had been playing with an operation that required surgery.  This was arranged for immediately after the 6th Round tie, in the hope that he would be fit for the semi-final.  Gascoigne recovered in time and took his place in the team at Wembley.  He was pumped up for that match against opponents who were looking to win the League and Cup 'double'.  Within five minutes he had given Spurs the lead with a free-kick from forty yards.  For an hour he was everywhere and involved in everything that was good for Spurs as they went on to win 3 - 1 and the Final against Nottingham Forest.

In the build up to the Final, Gascoigne became part of the financial solution to rescue Spurs.  A transfer was agreed for him to go to Lazio in Italy for £8.5million but in the Final an over excited Gascoigne made a rash tackle and damaged the cruciate ligaments in his knee.  He was carried off the Wembley pitch on a stretcher and went straight to hospital.  A goal down Spurs re-organised, re-grouped and won 2 -1 in extra time.

Gascoigne was out of football for a year but the deal with Lazio was re-negotiated and in July, 1991 he signed for £5.5 million.  He made 92 League appearances for Tottenham and scored 19 goals.  Gascoigne played for a number of different clubs but never again reached the level of performance he showed with Tottenham in those first three seasons.  His life has been blighted with many problems but he is held close to the hearts of every Spurs fan and it is to be hoped that he will find a purpose in his life and avoid the pitfalls that have so hindered him in the past.

Paul Gascoigne at Tottenham: 92 Lge App. 19 goals.  19 Cup App. 14 goals.

David Ginola was signed by Gerry Francis in the summer of 1997 for £2.5 million.  He was a great favourite on Tyneside and soon became a member of that elite group of players for whom spectators would willingly pay the entrance fee to see them perform at White Hart Lane.  He brought excitement and flair to the rather workman-like team that Francis had produced and his thrilling runs down the left wing, along with his cut-ins to strike at goal stay long in the memory of Tottenham fans as he gained hero status at the club.

Ginola arrived with Les Ferdinand, also signed from Newcastle, to provide the crosses for Ferdinand to score the goals but in his time at White Hart Lane he also added a versatility to his game by playing as a second striker or dropping back into midfield.  Within months of his arrival at Spurs, Francis was replaced by Christian Gross and the team struggled through the season to avoid relegation.  Ginola contributed to their survival with both flair and hard-work and while Jurgen Klinsmann received many of the plaudits it was Ginola who did much to preserve their status.  In the crucial success at Wimbledon, Klinsmann scored four goals but it was the play of Ginola which destroyed the dons defence and supplied the German with the goal scoring opportunities.  That day David Ginola was simply unplayable.

After the departure of Gross, the arrival of George Graham led many to believe that Ginola would be the first player sacrificed by the new manager in his efforts to produce an effective, hard-working team.  However, Ginola probably produced some of his best football at Spurs under Graham and his performances and goals took Spurs to Worthington Cup Final success and the FA Cup semi-finals in 1998 - 99. 

The FA Cup 5th Round tie against Leeds United is memorable for the quality of the goals that Spurs scored in the replay at White Hart Lane. A goal from Tim Sherwood had earned Spurs the replay but Darren Anderton and David Ginola scored two goals of outstanding quality to take Spurs into the quarter finals. Another amazing strike from Ginola which went narrowly past is equally remembered for the reaction of George Graham and the Spurs’ bench as they leapt to their feet in celebration, thinking that it was a goal.

The 6th Round draw took Spurs to Barnsley where they had lost in a 5th Round Replay twelve months earlier but on this occasion it produced a scintillating performance and a wonder goal from Ginola.  An inspirational run down the left from Ginola saw him leaving defenders floundering behind him so he cut in on goal to strike the ball past a bemused keeper.  This was sufficient to overcome the side that had suffered relegation at the end of the previous season.

His performances that season saw Ginola win both the PFA and the Football Writers Player of the Year awards.  In July, 2000 he reluctantly signed for Aston Villa for £3 million, neither the player nor supporters wanted him to go.

His time at Tottenham may have been short, three years, but the memories that David Ginola created are long lasting and he still has an affinity with the club and the supporters.

David Ginola at Tottenham: 100 Lge App. 13 Goals.  26 Cup/European App. 9 goals.

Others have also played for both clubs but none can compare to the Ginola, Gascoigne or Waddle:

Les Ferdinand the current striker coach at Tottenham joined in the summer of 1997 for £6 million and in five and a half seasons made 118 appearances, scoring 33 goals.  Injuries affected him badly during his first three seasons at the club when he only managed 12 goals.  He was part of the teams which reached the League cup Finals of 1999 and 2002.  He had his best period at the club in the third and fourth seasons when he scored 25 League and Cup goals but in the 2002 Final against Blackburn Rovers at Cardiff he was thwarted on three occasions by the Rovers goalkeeper, Brad Friedel, as the trophy headed north.  In January, 2003 he was transferred to West Ham United and scored his first goal for his new club against Spurs.

Stephen Carr was transferred to Newcastle in 2004 after thirteen seasons at Tottenham.  He came through the youth system at White Hart Lane and established himself as an important member of the team, attacking from the right and scoring vital goals.  he was a member of the 1999 Worthington Cup winning team and a full international for the Republic of Ireland.  In total he made 226 appearances, scoring 7 goals.  Injury hindered him and he was out for over eighteen months and on his return he had lost some of the impetus he had previously had and as the team struggled he looked for a new challenge in the north east.  He departed saying that he was moving to ' a bigger club' which infuriated Tottenham supporters who had previously idolised him before tiring of his seemimg lack of interest.

The Managers:

Ossie Ardiles managed Newcastle United from 1991 for a year but it was not a successful time for him as the club struggled against relegation from the 2nd Division.  In 1993, after a successful time at west Bromwich he was appointed manager of Tottenham by Alan Sugar.  the chairman was trying to appease irate fans who were displeased at the departure of Terry Venables.  It was difficult for Ardiles to take over in such circumstances and while supporters enjoyed his attacking team which included Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Barmby, Darren Anderton and Ille Dimitrescu, the team lacked consistency and he was sacked in October, 1994.  Although as a manager Ardiles was not a success, he is still remembered for his successful time as a player at Tottenham.

Keith Burkinshaw arrived at Tottenham from Newcastle to work as 1st Team coach under Terry Neill.  On Neill's departure in the summer of 1976, he was appointed manager and although the club suffered relegation at the end of his first season in charge, the directors decided to give him another chance and he built the successful team of the early 1980s which included Ardiles, Ricky Villa, Graham Roberts, Steve Perryman and Glenn Hoddle.  That team won the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982 and the UEFA Cup in 1984.

Other players who have played for both clubs are Garry Brady, Jim Iley, Mark Stimson, Ruel Fox and Kevin Scott.

Tottenham's Record at Newcastle United

Tottenham take on Newcastle United at St. James Park, a ground where their recent record is disappointingly poor.  Spurs will have high hopes of a better result this year as they have four successive League victories to their credit which has lifted them to sixth place in the Premier League.

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur

Newcastle United have made an impressive start to the season and are currently fourth, three points ahead of Spurs, having played one game more.  They are undefeated after seven games and opened their season with a scoreless draw at home to Arsenal.  They have won their last two home matches against Fulham (2 - 1) and Blackburn Rovers (3 - 1) with Ba scoring a hat-trick.  Away from home they have defeated Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers and drawn at QPR and Aston Villa.  In the Carling Cup they have progressed to the 4th Round with away victories against Scunthorpe United and Nottingham Forest (aet).


Last win in Premier League at St. James Park, Newcastle
21st Aug. 2004 PL v Newcastle United (a) Won 1 - 0  Atouba
Jacques Santini's second game in charge saw him gain his first win, following a home draw against Liverpool the previous weekend.  Thimothee Atoube, one of seven players to make their Tottenham debut against Liverpool, was making his first start at Newcastle playing on the left side of midfield.  The Cameroon international scored with a great right-foot curling shot after an hour.  This gave Spurs their first win at St James Park since 2001.

Premier League Record at St James Park:

                            P 17  W 3  D 4  L 10  For 17  Ag 35

The Premier League record is poor in comparison to the overall League record at St James Park:

                            P 66  W 21  D 18  L 27  For 93  Ag 115

The three Premier League wins were in 2004, 2001 and 1993.

Oct. 2001 PL v Newcastle United (a) Won 2 - 0  Poyet, Anderton

Aug. 1993 PL v Newcastle United (a) Won 1- 0 Sheringham

Newcastle United had just returned to top flight football for the first time in four years and on the opening day of the season, in Ossie Ardiles' first game as Spurs' manager, against a club he had previously managed, it was Teddy Sheringham who scored the goal to give Spurs the three points.

Recent Results:

Jan. 2011 PL  Draw 1 - 1  Lennon

Newcastle had taken the lead on the hour but a spirited Tottenham clawed their way back into the game and took a point when Aaron Lennon scored in the last minute.    

Dec. 2008 PL  Lost 1 - 2  Modric

Newcastle who were relegated at the end of the season took an early lead but Luka Modric scoring his first Premier League goal equalised after half an hour.  A late injury time goal condemned Spurs to defeat.

Oct. 2007 PL  Lost 1 - 3  Keane

A goal on half-time gave Newcastle the advantage which they added to early in the second half.  Robbie Keane pulled one back but a goal with fifteen minutes remaining secured victory for the home side.

Dec. 2006 PL  Lost 1 - 3  Murphy

Tottenham were again hit by a quick start from Newcastle who were two goals ahead after seven minutes with Obafemi Martins who now plays for Rubin Kazan, Spurs next Europa League opponents, scoring the second.  Danny Murphy scored after fifteen minutes but the Newcastle restored their two goal advantage when Scott Parker added a third before the interval. 

Apr. 2006 PL Lost 1 - 3  Keane

Tottenham's pursuit of fourth place in the Premier League and Champions League qualification took a blow when Newcastle scored after two minutes.  Spurs never recovered from the poor start and although Keane equalised after fifteen minutes, Newcastle took control with two goals in five minutes (25th & 30th minutes).

(The full Record of Results is available at Topspurs)

Last Win at St James Park

As holders of the Carling Cup during Juande Ramos' last weeks in charge Spurs defeated Newcastle in the 3rd Round at St James Park.  Jamie O'Hara and Roman Pavlyuchenko scored two second half goals and although Newcastle pulled one back, Spurs deserved their success as the first step on the road to Wembley.  It was Pavlyuchenko's first Tottenham goal following his transfer at the end of August.

Memorable Match at St James Park

In season 1974 - 75 after the resignation of Bill Nicholson, Spurs struggled to avoid relegation.  The game at Newcastle was a very unexpected bright spot in a very disappointing season.  Terry Neill's side had just been knocked out of the FA Cup after losing a replay at home to Nottingham Forest, then in the 2nd Division.  They hadn't won in four league games since defeating Newcastle 3 - 0 at White Hart Lane.  Alfie Conn who had been Nicholson's last signing stole the show scoring a hat-trick while Cyril Knowles who had scored twice in the home win and John Duncan completed the 5 - 2 rout.  Tottenham only avoided relegation with a final game win over Leeds United but the four points taken from Newcastle that season were vital in the survival story.

Tottenham go into the game with a greater confidence than would have been expected after the early season results but want to put their disappointing recent record at St James Park behind them and secure the points to keep them in touch with the teams at the top of the table.  A win would also dent Newcastle's ambitions which have been founded in the early part of the season on results against teams not in the 'top 4 or 5'.  Through avoidance they have got themselves into an elevated position and the match against Spurs will be their first real test so hopefully Spurs will be able to crush some of that Geordie enthusiasm.  Injuries may cause Spurs some difficulties with Emmanuel Adebayor, Rafael Van der Vaart, Sandro, Vedran Corluka and Niko Kranjcar doubtful.

Tottenham's Joy of Winning the Cup 6 (1967)

From mid-January, 1967 through to the end of the season Tottenham went on an undefeated run which lifted them to third in the 1st Division and to the first all London FA Cup Final.  At Wembley they had too much for Chelsea and lifted the trophy for the fifth time.

1967 FA Cup Final
Chelsea 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Unsung Heroes Win Trophy for Spurs

Kinnear, Saul, England and Gilzean

While everyone was looking to Jimmy Greaves or Alan Gilzean to provide the winning goals for Tottenham at Wembley in the FA Cup Final, it was two of the lesser known players who scored the goals that took the trophy back to White Hart Lane.  Wingers, Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul each scored a goal in each half to give Spurs a two goal lead and a late consolation for Chelsea was not enough to spoil Spurs' afternoon as they lifted the FA Cup for the fifth time in their history and for the third time in seven years.  Bill Nicholson had spent a large amount of money to recruit players in his rebuilding programme after the demise of the successful team of the early 1960s.  He had bought nearly an entire team - Pat Jennings, Cyril Knowles, Alan Mullery, Mike England, Jimmy Robertson, Alan Gilzean and Terry Venables had been purchased while Joe Kinnear and Frank Saul came through the youth system.  Only Dave Mackay, Jimmy Greaves and Cliff Jones remained from the team of the early 60s.


Road to Wembley:
3rd Round v Millwall (a) Draw 0 - 0 
Tottenham faced a difficult game against 2nd Division London rivals, Millwall, at their compact, hostile and muddy ground, The Den.  Spurs had chances to win but were relieved to return to White Hart Lane for the replay the following Wednesday evening.  Pat Jennings ensured that would happen with a number of important saves to earn the scoreless draw.

3rd Round Replay v Millwall (h) Won 1 - 0 Gilzean
Millwall made it difficult for Spurs in the replay at White Hart Lane and saw two chances cleared of the Spurs line.  Only a goal scored by Alan Gilzean separated the two teams and that came when Jimmy Greaves intercepted a back-pass to the goalkeeper who blocked his shot but the ball fell to Gilzean to knock in to an empty net. 

4th Round v Portsmouth (h) Won 3 - 1 Gilzean (2), Greaves 

Tottenham had to fight to get past Portsmouth and again found it difficult against opponents they were expected to turn aside with ease.  After a scoreless first half Gilzean headed the opening goal seven minutes after the interval and a minute added the second.  Ten minutes later Greaves scored an exquisite third while Portsmouth had to settle for a late consolation. 

5th Round v Bristol City (h) Won 2 - 1 Greaves (2)
Another tie that Spurs should have won with ease was to prove very difficult.  In a dramatic opening, Dave Mackay could have been sent off but having survived that difficulty, Spurs went ahead through Greaves after ten minutes.  Throughout the half Spurs continued to attack but without adding to the score.  Early in the second half Bristol missed an opportunity to equalise and then missed a twice taken penalty.  Jennings saved the first attempt but the second effort was put wide by a different player.  In the final minute Spurs were awarded a penalty and Greaves showed Bristol how to score and gave Spurs a comfortable lead, if not a comfortable win.  

6th Round v Birmingham City (a) Draw 0 - 0
Tottenham's first sojourn from London and they found it quite a struggle against a very physical Birmingham side.  Neither side deserved to win but Spurs were grateful for a match saving save from Jennings towards the end. 

6th Round Replay v Birmingham City (h) Won 6 - 0 Venables (2), Greaves (2), Gilzean, Saul
Tottenham finally showed their quality to outclass Birmingham and reached the semi-final in style.  Terry Venables put them ahead inside two minutes and added a second after twenty.  Gilzean quickly headed a third and in the second half Greaves scored two more after fifty and seventy five minutes.  The final goal came from Frank Saul with three minutes remaining.  Saul had replaced Cliff Jones in the team for the game at Birmingham.  

Semi-Final v Nottingham Forest (at Hillsborough) Won 2 - 1 Greaves, Saul
The two teams vying for second and third places in the League were drawn together for this semi-final.  Expectations were high and no-one was disappointed with the quality of the football on display.  Forest dominated the early play but after half an hour Greaves put Spurs ahead with a vintage goal.  Spurs were determined to hold their lead and added to it through Saul midway through the second half.  Forest were stunned but roused themselves for a final flourish in the dying minutes and managed to pull one back but it was too little too late. 

FA Cup Final v Chelsea (at Wembley) Won 2 - 1 Robertson, Saul
Cup Finals can sometimes throw up unexpected heroes and so it was for Spurs with their two vital goals coming from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul.  The eagerly anticipated first all London FA Cup Final was an anti-climax and Chelsea failed to do themselves justice with their performance.  Tottenham were comfortable throughout and did what was required of them.  Greaves found himself closely marked by Ron Harris and so proved less effective in front of goal while Spurs prevented Charlie Cooke from having an influence on the game.   

Joe Kinnear had a starring role, attacking from the right full back position as Tottenham became the dominant team.  Towards the end of the first half, Alan Mullery picked up a quickly taken free-kick and ran towards the Chelsea goal.  The defenders, mindful of Greaves, backed off allowing Mullery time to shoot.  The ball was deflected to Robertson who hit it first time and scored.  

In the second half Spurs continued to be in control and added a second when Saul received the ball from Robertson.  With his back to goal, he turned and shot and scored.  'Glory! Glory!' to Spurs.

Chelsea managed a late goal when Jennings misjudged a cross but the Cup had been won by Tottenham for a fifth time.  That made it five FA Cup Finals for Spurs and five wins.  it wasn't the most memorable of Finals or performances by Tottenham but they had done what was required of them and Dave Mackay lifted the trophy and his third FA Cup winners medal. 

Team: Jennings; Kinnear, Knowles; Mullery, England, Mackay; Robertson, Greaves, Gilzean, Venables, Saul.  Sub: (unused) Jones

Frank Saul

Frank Saul had progresses through the ranks at Tottenham and made his debut in the 'Double' winning season of 1960-61 at the age of seventeen.  He made six appearances that year, scoring three goals.  He continued as a useful reserve stepping in when more senior players were injured, including in European games, but never had the opportunity to stake a claim for a regular position.  At the start of 1964-65 he was given that chance and played more frequently over the next three seasons.  Towards the end of the Cup campaign he replaced Cliff  Jones in the team and held on to his place, playing in the four games from the 6th Round and scoring three goals.  

A hero in May but gone by January sums up Saul's career.  In total he made 116 appearances for Spurs and scored 37 goals but when Bil Nicholson looked to sign a new centre forward from Southampton, Frank Saul was used in part-exchange for Martin Chivers.

Bill Nicholson had seen his 'Double' winning team disintegrate with age, injury and death in the mid-60s and his rebuilding had taken longer that expected but the acquisition of Mike England and Terry Venables had added experience to the team.  Jennings, Knowles, Mullery and Robertson were now experienced players and he was looking to these players to provide the basis of his next successful era at Tottenham.  However, it didn't occur immediately and it would be another few years before Tottenham were able to reclaim a position at the top of English football.

Ledley, King of Tottenham

Ledley King has seen his career so restricted by injury that he is now unable to train during the week with the other players and can only make a decision about his availability on the day prior to a game when he meets up with the squad for final preparations.  Under such circumstances one would expect a player's standards and level of play to be slipping but with Ledley King, his performances are as good as ever. 

Ledley King - the King of Tottenham

No player could be more aptly named than Ledley King - he is King of Tottenham.  Restricted by injury problems at the start of another season, Ledley King was unavailable for Spurs' opening two games when the confidence within the club was severely dented by crushing defeats at the hands of Manchester United and City.  Eight goals were conceded and doubts were being raised about Tottenham's prospects for the season.  The defence looked out of sorts and with Ledley King, Michael Dawson and William Gallas injured, there was no experienced player to bring some organisation and stability to the team.

Unexpectedly, Ledley King returned to lead the team at Wolverhampton and giving his usual exemplary performance assisted Spurs to their first win of the season with the additional bonus of keeping a clean sheet.  The importance of Ledley King's appearance in the team cannot be under estimated - he brought a calm to the defence and the other defenders responded in kind and gave a much more confident display.

In order to manage his injury King was not considered for the midweek Europa League game in Greece and so was able to captain the team to an unexpectedly emphatic victory over Liverpool at White Hart Lane where Ledley again used all his experience to frustrate the visitors' expensively acquired strikers by preventing them getting onto the scoresheet.  After, a very discouraging opening to the new League season, Tottenham with Ledley King have now achieved four successive wins and added Wigan and north London neighbours, Arsenal to their hit list.

Ledley King has now been victorious in the last eight games that he has played for Spurs.  He made an unexpected return to the team last May to play in the final two games of the season.  He had been fit to be included in the team at the start of season 2010 - 11 but an injury in October, 2010 kept him out for the rest of the season, until his appearance at Anfield where he had made his debut in May, 1999.  That first appearance had resulted in a 2 - 3 defeat but on this occasion he helped Tottenham achieve a two goal success that ensured their participation in the Europa League.  A week later he played at White Hart Lane as Spurs ensured Birmingham City would drop down to the Championship with a 2 - 1 success.  The two games earlier in the season at home to Wolves and at Fulham where he was injured marked the commencement of Ledley's winning run - a total of eight winning Premier League games.  Surprisingly, the last time he experienced a loss in Tottenham's colours was at home to Wigan Athletic in August.  The undefeated run actually stretches to ten games with two matches in the Champions League included.

14th Sept. 2010 CL v Werder Bremen (a) Draw  2 - 2
18th Sept. 2010 PL v Wolves (h) Won 3 - 1
29th Sept. 2010 CL v FC Twente (h) Won 4 - 1
16th Oct. 2010 PL v Fulham (a) Won 2 - 1
15th May, 2011 PL v Liverpool (a) Won 2 - 0
22nd May, 2011 PL v Birmingham City (h) Won 2 - 1
 10th Sept. 2011 PL v Wolves (a) Won 2 - 0
18th Sept. 2011 PL v Liverpool (h) Won 4 - 0
24th Sept. 2011 PL v Wigan Athletic (a) Won 2 - 1
1st Oct. 2011 PL v Arsenal (h) Won 2 - 1 

Tottenham's best central partnership is simply, Ledley King and one other.  Michael Dawson is such a better player when partnering King and the other less experienced defenders, Younes Kaboul and Sebastien Bassong are so much more composed when they have the ever reliable King beside them.  If Ledley King had not suffered with injuries over the past number of seasons Spurs would probably have claimed and maintained a top four position in the Premier League so much sooner.  In season 2005 - 06 when Spurs missed out on fourth under Martin Jol, an injury to Ledley King in a 1 - 0 win at Everton deprived Spurs of their captain and best defender in the crucial matches at the end of the season.  Without the inspirational leadership of King, Spurs took only four points from the final four games, including the infamous 'Lasagnegate' defeat at West Ham on the last day.

Early in his career King was frequently played in midfield, so comfortable was he on the ball.  It was George Graham who saw him as a central midfield player and it was from that position that King scored the fastest goal ever in the Premier League.  At Bradford City in 2000 he gave Spurs the lead after 10 seconds.  The match ended in a 3 - 3 draw.

Ledley King played in the Worthington Cup Final defeat to Blackburn Rovers in Cardiff in 2003 and it was an unfortunate slip by the central defender which led to Rovers winning goal.  However, King had the satisfaction of returning to the Spurs' team for the Carling Cup Final in 2008 at Wembley when Spurs overcame Chelsea 2 - 1 after extra time at Wembley.

With thirty England caps, King has experienced the joy of representing his country but injury has again denied him on so many occasions.  In season 2010 - 11 he managed to regain fitness for the climax of the season which saw Spurs qualify for the Champions League place for the first time and was selected for the England World Cup squad in Germany.  Maintaining his fitness throughout the preparations for the tournament he was selected for the first game but his World Cup experience was cut short as he went off injured at half-time in that opening match.  He also went to the European Championships in 2004 and played exceptionally well against France in the opening game.  It was only two late goals by France in the final moments of the game that deprived England of victory.  King had kept the French strikers, including Thierry Henry, quiet throughout the match.  In 2006 and 2008 he missed out on selection due to injury.  He scored his first goal for England against Mexico at Wembley in May, 2010.

Ledley King is a player of immense talent.  He is composed in defence, reads the game well and has the pace to recover in a difficult position and make a crucial saving tackle.  As a captain, he is quiet but he leads by the example of his exquisite performances.  He has been a crucial player for Tottenham, coming in to replace Sol Campbell when he joined Arsenal and immediately stepped up to the mark with performances beyond his years and experience.

Ledley King, in his fourteenth season in the first team, has made 251 League appearances (the win at Wigan marked his 250th appearance), scoring 10 goals for Spurs.  For the past five years he and the club have had to manage his worsening injury problems but if he had been fully fit, how many appearances could he have made and how much more successful would Tottenham have been?

So serious has the injury situation been for King that on many occasions it has been suggested that the time had come for him to retire but he has never given up, he has always had a desire to return to fitness and play for Spurs.  He has put himself through difficult times to make it back into the team, constantly training on his own, attending top consultants around the world, under-going surgery on numerous occasions, overcome many disappointments and set-backs and started out on many recovery programmes.  It has often been a long and lonely road but he has always shown great focus and determination along the way.

One can never take it for granted that King will be in the Tottenham team. In normal circumstances he is every manager's first choice but a fitness problem can arise at any time so it is only at the last moment that a decision is taken as to whether Ledley is able to play.  Hopefully, after a fortnight's break for the internationals, he will be available to once again be present in the side at Newcastle on Sunday and maintain Tottenham's current good form at a ground where they have disappointed in recent years.  Everyone will be so much more confident of a good, winning performance if Ledley
King is fit and ready for action on Sunday.

Ledley King, certainly deserves the title of 'King of Tottenham' and as far a Spurs supporters are concerned, 'Long may he reign.'