A Month in
the Illustrious History of Spurs October (Compiled by |
|
1st 1966 |
Fulham
3 Spurs 4 Spurs
had enjoyed a good start to the season suffering only two defeats in the
first ten games. In a remarkable game
at Craven Cottage four goals were scored in the first thirteen minutes with
Spurs first coming from Jimmy Robertson.
In scoring Spurs second goal, Jimmy Greaves took his scoring sequence
to seven successive League games, his best for five years, the third from
Alan Gilzean ended his away famine, not having scored an away goal for
eighteen months. Before the end Terry Venables scored his first goal since
signing for Spurs the previous May. |
2nd 1991 |
Spurs 2 Hajduk
Split 0 European Cup Winners’ Cup 1st Round (2nd
Leg) Spurs entered
this game a goal behind from the first leg which had been played in |
3rd 1908 |
Spurs 0
|
4th 1977 |
Hull
|
5th 1974 |
Spurs 2
|
6th 1962 |
Spurs 4
Arsenal 4 Spurs were third in the League and had thrashed |
7th 1972 |
Spurs 4
|
8th 1932 |
Preston
North End 2 Spurs 6 2nd
Division Following a poor start to the
season this game marked the turning point for Spurs. Having gained only 6 points from the first
eight games Spurs were near the foot of the table. Manager Percy Smith made changes to the team
and they proved very successful. Goals
from Davie Colquhoun, Taffy O’Callaghan, George Hunt, George Greenfield and
Willie Evans(2) gave Spurs victory in this game and set them on their way for
the rest of the season. They went
undefeated for twelve games, including eight convincing victories which took
them towards the top of the table.
Although they couldn’t catch the leaders, |
9th 2001 |
Tranmere
Rovers 0 Spurs
4 Littlewoods
Cup 3rd
Round After the
disappointment of the previous Premiership game where Spurs allowed
Manchester United to overturn a three goal half-time lead, the players showed
a determination and commitment that has so often been lacking in away Cup
games against lower League opposition. Spurs ensured there was no Cup shock
with goals from Teddy Sheringham(p), Darren Anderton, Gus Poyet and Sergei
Rebrov. |
10th 1960 |
Spurs 1
Manchester City 1 This was the first time that Spurs
failed to gain both points during the ‘Double’ season. After winning the opening eleven games of
the season Spurs allowed City to gain a point at White Hart Lane. Spurs dominated the first half and went
ahead through Bobby Smith but in the second half City managed to equalise
against the run of play. Spurs
continued to attack but couldn’t score - their domination reflected in the
game statistics: Spurs had 39 shots to City’s 9 and won fourteen corners to
City’s two. |
11th 1958 |
Spurs
10 Everton 4 The first match of the managerial
career of Bill Nicholson was an amazing introduction to League football. With only three victories and nine points
in the opening eleven games, Spurs season was in danger of becoming a
struggle against relegation. They were
only one place off the bottom of the League when Nicholson took charge and
his first decision was to restore Tommy Harmer to the team. He helped to inspire Spurs to an incredible
victory. They were 6-1 ahead at
half-time and the goal scorers were Bobby Smith(4), Alf Stokes(2), Johnny
Ryden, Terry Medwin, Tommy Harmer and George Robb. No-one realised that this was only an
introduction to the excitement and success that Nicholson was to bring to the
club over the next sixteen years. |
12th 1957 |
Spurs 3
Arsenal 1 A poor start to the season saw
Spurs struggling in the relegation places.
Injuries had not helped Spurs who had gained only 8 points from the
first twelve games and had conceded 13 goals in their previous three
games. Ted Ditchburn, at almost 36,
was recalled in goal for this game and Spurs earned a confidence inspiring
win. Bobby Smith scored the opening
goal and Terry Medwin added the second before half-time. A second Medwin goal ensured Spurs victory
with Arsenal only managing a late consolation, scoring from the rebound after
Ditchburn had saved a penalty. During
the rest of the season Spurs managed to recover sufficiently to climb to
third position. |
13th 1894 |
Spurs 3
West Herts 2 F.A.Cup 1st Qualifying Round This was Spurs’ debut in the
F.A.Cup against the team who would become known as Watford. Spurs first F.A.Cup goal was scored by
Peter Hunter. The other two goals came
from Donald Goodall. The match played at the club’s old Northumberland Park
ground was watched by a crowd of 2,000.
Spurs progressed to the fourth Qualifying Round before losing in a
replay to Luton Town. |
14th 1967 |
Coventry
City 2 Spurs 3 This was Spurs’ first meeting with
Coventry City in the First Division and their first visit to Highfield Road
for eighteen seasons following Coventry’s promotion. The game was entertaining and Spurs won
thanks to goals from Jimmy Greaves (2) and Cliff Jones. It was Spurs third away win of the season
and restored some order as they had lost heavily in the previous three away
games. |
15th 1963 |
Arsenal 4 Spurs 4 The match was played on a Tuesday evening because of the
previous weekend’s International games.
Spurs and Arsenal had both started the season well with Spurs second
and Arsenal a point behind in sixth. It was an exciting and ‘storming’ game
that entertained for ninety minutes.
Spurs were 4-2 ahead at the interval with goals from Greaves, Smith(2)
and Mackay. However, Arsenal showed
never-say-die spirit and battled to the end although they were assisted by
two refereeing decisions in the first half that probably robbed Spurs of the
points. The referee awarded a harsh
penalty when Spurs were two up and then disallowed a goal which would have
made the score 4-1but a minute later Arsenal made it 3-2. With five minutes remaining Spurs still
held the two goal lead acquired by half-time but Arsenal pulled one back and
then equalised with only seconds of injury time remaining. As a newspaper report of the day says,
‘Spurs were robbed!’ |
16th 1965 |
Spurs 5
Manchester United 1 A game that is remembered for the
score line and also for the outstanding goal scored by Jimmy Greaves. He picked the ball up inside the United
half, ran at their defence , going past a number of defenders before rounding
the keeper to tap the ball into an empty net - a classic Greaves goal! All five forwards scored that day – the
other goals coming from Jimmy Robertson, Alan Gilzean, Eddie Clayton and Neil
Johnson making only his third appearance.
Amazingly and unfortunately for Spurs, the return game in December
also ended 5-1 to the home team. |
17th 1885 |
Spurs 5
St Albans 2 Spurs
played their first competitive match in the London Association Cup. Prior to this, all of Spurs games had
been friendlies. Four hundred
spectators attended the game against St Albans, a London-based business
house. The Spurs team included six of
the club’s founder members but the goal scorers were not recorded. Spurs’ Cup success was short lived as they
lost heavily in the next round to the Casuals, one of the biggest names in
football’s early history. |
18th 1989 |
Spurs 2
Arsenal 1 Going into this game with two
successive victories, Spurs form under Terry Venables was showing
improvement. Newspaper reports, at the
time, saw the victory as their most important result under Venables, laying
the North London hoodoo which Arsenal had maintained since his arrival. Spurs won following five frantic minutes
during the first half when a ‘red’ mist descended upon Tony Adams and from two
free-kicks conceded by him, scored both goals through Vinny Samways and Paul
Walsh. Despite a second half goal
conceded, Spurs won with the help of goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt. |
19th 1983 |
Spurs 4
Feyenoord 2 UEFA Cup 2nd Round (1st
Leg) The game matched
Glenn Hoddle against an ageing Johan Cryff in a head to head contest. It was the younger star who was to stamp
his class on the match as Cryff failed to live with Hoddle’s creativity and
control. Spurs were four ahead by
half-time and Glenn Hoddle had played a part in all of the goals. He controlled the game and Spurs were
supreme, going ahead after eight minutes through Steve Archibald. Ten minutes
later a Hoddle cross was headed in by Tony Galvin. Archibald scored his
second five minutes later with Galvin getting his second five minutes before
half-time from a forty yard Hoddle pass. In the second half Feyenoord came
more into the game but Hoddle had displayed his master class and Spurs were
almost assured of qualification to the next round. |
20th 1982 |
Spurs 1
Bayern Munich 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup 2nd Round (1st Leg) Spurs went into this game under
strength due to injuries to a number of key players. Perryman, Hoddle, Roberts, Hughton and
Galvin were missing, being replaced by young players and squad members. They performed creditably with Steve
Archibald scoring their goal after only three minutes and Garry Brooke
hitting the bar. Spurs also had two
possible penalty appeals turned down but in the second half Bayern scored the
important away goal following a poor clearance. The away leg proved too much and Spurs
European campaign ended earlier than anticipated. |
21st 2000 |
Spurs 3
Derby County 1 Going
into this game with only one point from the previous four games, Spurs were
looking for improvement against a Derby team which was struggling at the
bottom of the Premiership without a win to their name. Spurs started brightly and scored within
four minutes through Oyvind Leonhardsen.
However, after putting Derby under further pressure, they failed to
score and Derby equalised six minutes before half-time. Stephen Carr regained the lead for Spurs
scoring on the stroke of half-time with a low shot from 30 yards. A second goal from Leonhardsen after three
minutes of the second half gave Spurs a comfortable victory. Leonhardsen’s day ended disappointingly
with an injury that was to keep him out for the next two months. Pressure was mounting on George Graham with
the fans showing their dissatisfaction at the style of play. |
22nd 1977 |
Spurs 9
Bristol Rovers 0 2nd Division What a memorable game, what a debut
for Colin Lee and what an important game, come the end of the season when
Spurs won the final promotion place on goal difference from Brighton, exactly
nine goals better than the south coast club.
The game got top billing on ‘Match of the Day’ and showed Spurs at
their best. Injuries meant that Lee made his debut two days after signing
from Torquay United for £60,000. Lee
opened the scoring after twenty minutes and headed his second four minutes
later. Peter Taylor scored before half-time and in the second half Lee scored
two more, his strike partner, Ian Moores completed a hat-trick and the rout
was completed with a goal from Hoddle who had created so many chances
throughout the game. This is Spurs
record Football League winning margin. |
23rd 1991 |
Spurs 3
FC Porto 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup 2nd Round (1st
Leg) Spurs were back
in Europe after a six year absence due to the ban on English clubs. Early progress over Stockerau and Hadjuk
Split had set up a potentially more difficult tie against Porto. However, Spurs set about the first leg in a
determined fashion and won with goals from Gordon Durie and Gary Lineker
(2). Although Porto scored an
important away goal, in the away leg, a fortnight later, Spurs defended their
two goal lead to earn a scoreless draw.
The perfect way to progress in a European competition. |
24th 1962 |
Spurs 6
Manchester United 2 Spurs home record in seven games
was five wins, one draw and one defeat.
In those games they scored 29 goals. The rich vein of scoring
continued against United who were struggling in the early season games. Spurs were three ahead by half-time with
goals from Jimmy Greaves and Terry Medwin who scored twice. Unlike in recent times, Spurs didn’t let
the advantage slip and increased the pressure in the second half with
Greaves’ second. Cliff Jones scored
number five and Greaves completed his hat-trick for the sixth. United came back
to score two late consolation goals. |
25th 1989 |
Manchester
United 0 Spurs
3 Littlewoods
Cup 3rd
Round Having struggled
to overcome Fourth Division, Southend United over two legs in the previous
round, only progressing on the ‘away goal’ rule after extra-time in the away
game, a trip to Old Trafford was not something to be anticipated with
relish. However, United’s own form was
poor and Spurs won comfortably with the goals being scored by Gary Lineker,
Vinny Samways and Nayim.
Spurs progressed
to the 5th Round of the competition before losing a home replay to
Nottingham Forest the following January. |
26th 1994 |
Notts
|
27th 1928 |
Stoke City 2 Spurs 0 (2nd Division) A bad day for Spurs. Not only did they lose but they had full
back Cecil Poynton sent off The
reason for this game being remarkable is that the next Spurs player sent off
in a League game was Frank Saul who was dismissed in a game at |
28th 1972 |
Manchester
United 1 Spurs
4 An exciting
score line with all of the goals being scored by Martin Peters. Spurs had lost all of their previous nine
League visits to Old Trafford but they over turned that record in style. United were having a poor season and
although Spurs form to that point hadn’t been great they managed to put on a
stylish display that day to win comfortably. |
29th 1960 |
Newcastle
United 3 Spurs 4 The
demand to see Spurs is illustrated in the attendance at this game which was
17,000 more than any of |
30th 1972 |
Spurs
2 Middlesbrough 1(aet)League Cup 3rd Round (2nd
Replay) In the days
before European football demanded central place in the football calendar,
there were no penalty shoot-outs and Cup ties went to second and third
replays as required. In this tie Spurs
had drawn the first game 1-1 with Boro at |
31st 1962 |
Spurs 5
Glasgow Rangers 2 European Cup Winners’ Cup 1st Round (1st
Leg) This
England/Scotland clash gave Spurs a comfortable lead to take to the second
leg. John White, a Scottish International, was the star of the night in this
hard fought game which was all about pride.
He headed Spurs first goal after four minutes from a Jimmy Greaves
corner but Rangers equalised five minutes later. Another Greaves corner enabled White to
head his second before Les Allen made it three. The Rangers defence were under pressure and
conceded an own goal for 4-1 but almost immediately Rangers managed to score
a second. Ten minutes from time
another Greaves corner saw Maurice Norman score the fifth and final goal. |
Acknowledge the work of Graham Betts in his book
‘Spurs Day – to – Day Life at