Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 4th December 1968

Tottenham on this Day - 4th December

4th December 1968

 

Spurs 1 Arsenal 1 League Cup semi-final (2nd leg) [Lost 1-2 on agg.]

Scorer: Greaves

Jimmy Greaves scores the opening goal at White Hart Lane to bring the teams level on aggregate

 

Tottenham, one down from the first leg at Highbury through an injury time goal, played an unchanged team at White Hart Lane. This was only the second occasion that they had taken part in the competition and Spurs needed to win by two goals while the visitors would be satisfied by a draw. 

 

Compared to the dour struggle of the first match, this was a game of hard, crunching tackles which at times, early in the game, spilled over with some of the nasty incidents that can occur in local derbies.

 

Arsenal started the better amid all the tackles and put the home defence under early pressure as they controlled much of the first half. Mike England, playing at centre-forward, struggled against Ian Ure as Spurs created little, apart from three long-range shots from Terry Venables.

 

After the interval, Spurs showed greater endeavour and took control in midfield which enabled Jimmy Greaves to score his 25th goal of the season. It came as he turned in a chipped centre from Jimmy Pearce with just over twenty minutes remaining.

 

Spurs continued to put the visitors under pressure as they sought a second to secure their place in the Final at Wembley. Bob Wilson kept Arsenal in the tie and just as happened in the first leg, they again struck late to claim the victory. With three minutes left, centre-forward John Radford scored with a header from a corner to reach their second successive League Cup Final.

 

Venables and Arsenal defenders argue

Tottenham battled away in the time remaining but Wilson somehow managed to keep out a late strike from Alan Gilzean.

 

The attendance was 55,932, Spurs’ record home gate for a Football League Cup tie at White Hart Lane.

 

Team: Jennings; Kinnear, Knowles; Mullery, Collins P., Beal; Pearce, Greaves, England, Venables, Gilzean

 

Losing the semi-final was disappointing for Spurs but to lose to their greatest rivals was doubly disappointing, the only joy from the loss came later in the season when Arsenal lost in the Final for the second time, this time to 3rd Division, Swindon Town.

Tottenham’s early years in the Football League Cup

The competition started in 1960-61 but entry was not compulsory and it received a lukewarm reception from 1st Division clubs. Spurs, like a number of other clubs opted out, citing concerns about having too many matches and in that first season, Tottenham were focused on other major competitions.

 

It was not until the 1966-67 season that Spurs finally opted in, with the carrot of the Final being played at Wembley and a place in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (to become the UEFA Cup) for the winning team. The next year they again, didn’t take part as they were in the European Cup Winners’ Cup as FA Cup winners. Spurs have played in the League Cup in every season since 1968-69.

 

For the first nine years they competed in the League Cup, Tottenham’s record is rather unusual. They either won the trophy (twice - 1971 and 1973), lost in the semi-finals (three times - 1969, 1972, 1976) or were knocked out in the 2nd Round (i.e. the first match they played in the competition on four occasions - 1967, 1970, 1974 and 1975).

 

It was only in the 1976-77 season, the year they were relegated, that they broke that cycle and progressed beyond the opening round only to be knocked out before the semi-finals.

 

Tottenham Hotspur in Europe on this Day - 3rd December 1963

 

Tottenham Hotspur in Europe on this Day - 3rd December 

3rd December 1963

Spurs 2 Manchester United 0 European Cup Winners’ Cup 2nd Round (1st leg)

Scorers: Mackay, Dyson

 

Mackay, Brown , Greaves and Dyson search for the rest of the team, enshrouded in thick fog

 Match postponed due to thick fog

The match had been scheduled for the previous Wednesday evening but White Hart Lane was enveloped by fog just before kick-off. One newspaper report described the sudden arrival of the fog which caused the postponement of the match until Tuesday, 3rd December.

 

‘A fantastic blanket of fog wiped out the European Cup Winners’ Cup match at White Hart Lane. A minute before kick-off the game could have been played. Visibility was quite good. Sixty incredible seconds later it was hardly possible to see the near touchline from the stand.’

 

United had defeated Dutch side, Willem II, in the 1st Round while Tottenham as Cup holders, had received a bye to that stage of the competition.

 

Going into the game Spurs were third in the 1st Division table, having drawn at home to Sheffield Wednesday the previous Saturday to fall a point behind joint-leaders Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. United were 5th two points behind Spurs after moving up four places with a win at Sheffield United.

 

Re-arranged match programme

United defended in depth throughout the game and only threatened in breakaways. It took over an hour for Spurs to break them down with a goal from Dave Mackay. Spurs had piled on the pressure roared on by a packed White Hart Lane crowd of 57,447. Cliff Jones started the move with a back-heel to Mackay who rushed in, took aim and smashed in a thunderbolt shot.

 

 This looked like being Spurs' only reward for all their attacking and pressure as United often had eight or nine men crowding their goal area. Three minutes from time a mistake by United full back, Tony Dunne, presented Spurs with a second. He met a long cross from John White and controlled the ball comfortably but then turned to pass back to his goalkeeper. He under-hit his pass which allowed Terry Dyson to nip in crash a shot into the net.

 

The second goal had improved Spurs' position for the second leg at Old Trafford. This was almost the last stand by the 'Double team' against age and injury - Danny Blanchflower had already played his last game - and loss of form.

 

Dave Mackay scores the opening goal after an hour with a thunderbolt of a shot

It was never going to be the same for Tottenham’s greatest ever team, the coming months would see many big changes.

 

Team: Brown; Baker, Henry; Marchi, Norman, Mackay; Jones, White, Smith, R., Greaves, Dyson

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 1st December 1990

• Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 1st December

  1st December 1990

   

  Chelsea 3 Tottenham Hotspur 2 (1st Division)

  Scorers: Gascoigne, Lineker

   

  It could only happen to Spurs.

   

  

  
  Ten months earlier Spurs had won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge through goals from David Howells and Gary Lineker. The defeat on this day in 1990 turned out to be the first game in a long losing sequence. Spurs next win at Stamford Bridge didn’t come until April Fool’s Day 2018 when Christian Eriksen and a Dele Alli double brought a 3-1 victory, a run of 30 matches in all competitions at Stamford Bridge without a win.

   

  The signs surrounding this match were not promising from early on. The team, with manager Terry Veneables, stopped for lunch at a hotel in central London on the way to the game. The team coach was parked illegally, clamped and towed away with the team kit inside. As a consequence, the Tottenham party arrived late, by taxi, at Stamford Bridge, handed in their team sheet late and the match was delayed by 11 minutes. Spurs were later fined by the Football Association.

   

  On the pitch, it wasn’t much better. Chelsea were more up for the contest while Spurs were sluggish and by the time they woke up, it was too late. Tottenham had 18 year old youth international, David Tuttle making his debut in place of the injured Steve Sedgley. Inside five minutes he was left standing when former Spurs youth player Kerry Dixon, opened the scoring.

   

  Gary Lineker did have the ball in the net but it was disallowed for hand-ball. Chelsea were two up at the interval, scoring from close range with a minute to go, after Erik Thorstvedt had pushed out a shot from future Spurs’ signing Gordon Durie, only for Bumstead to score.

   

  For the second half, Mitchell Thomas replaced Tuttle in central defence with another young player, Justin Edinburgh, coming on at right-back. There was little initial improvement from Spurs as Wise struck the bar from a splendid free-kick.

   

  Paul Gascoigne with an even more remarkable free-kick pulled a goal back for Spurs to give them some hope after 54 minutes. Not for long though - two minutes later, a corner wasn’t cleared properly and Durie’s shot from the edge of the box bounced awkwardly in front of Thorstvedt and into the net.

   

  A minute later, Spurs should have been back in the game but Lineker having been brought down by the goalkeeper, put his penalty over the bar.

   

  Paul Walsh replaced Nayim and for the final half-hour Tottenham came to life and as Chelsea tired, Spurs put them under considerable pressure.

   

  A Gascoigne header from a corner was cleared off the line, Lineker was put clean through again but the goalkeeper saved at his feet and he then shot wide from a similar position. Spurs eventually got their second when Paul Stewart’s pass found from Lineker who scored with an acrobatic shot in the 82nd minute but it wasn’t enough to take the points.

   

  For all their late effort, it was too little, too late for Tottenham.

   

  Team: Thorstvedt; Thomas, Tuttle (Edinburgh, Mabbutt, Van den Hauwe; Howells, Allen Gascoigne, Nayim (Walsh), Lineker, Stewart

  
  

  
  

 

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 2nd December 1998

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 2nd December

2nd December 1998

 

On this day, 2nd December, 1998 Tottenham defeated Manchester United at White Hart Lane in a Worthington Cup 5th Round tie to progress to the semi-finals. Two headers from Chris Armstrong and a special goal from David Ginola helped Spurs on their way.

 

Tottenham Hotpur 3 Manchester United 1 Worthington Cup 5th Round

Scorers: Armstrong (2), Ginola

Chris Armstrong and David Ginola celebrate Tottenhm's goals against Manchester United

This victory enabled Spurs under George Graham to progress to the semi-finals of the competition where they were to face Wimbledon over two legs.

 

An injury-hit Spurs' team’s goals against an under-strength United came from Chris Armstrong who scored twice with two glorious headers in the space of eight minutes at the start of the second half. A final spectacular shot from David Ginola, five minutes from time, secured the win.

 

Spurs' first goal came two minutes after the interval. Allan Nielsen clipped a pass onto the head of substitute Ruel Fox who flicked it on for Armstrong to head powerfully past the goalkeeper. Eight minutes Ginola dazzled the United defenders with his footwork before whipping in a great cross which Armstrong met at the near post to head home.

 

Teddy Sheringham pulled a goal back but Ginola finished off United in the 86th minute with a left-foot strike from 25 yards which left the goalkeeper helpless. Spurs second half display had been too much for United.

 

Team: Walker; Carr, Young, Vega, Sinton; Anderton, Nielsen, Calderwood (Fox), Ginola; Iversen, Armstrong

 

George Graham had taken over from Christian Gross in early October and brought some much needed organisation and fight to the team. This was most evident in the Cup competitions as the team went on the win this competition and were unlucky to lose to Newcastle United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

 

Commenting after the win over United, Graham said,

"In our position we can’t afford, like some other clubs, to pick and chose what we want to win. We would love to be in that position one day but right now we’ll take anything we can get because Spurs haven’t won a trophy for too long and it’s about time the fans were rewarded."

 

This was the only competition which United didn’t win that season, going on to lift the ‘treble’ – the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

 

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 30th November 1957

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 30th November

30th November, 1957  

Manchester United 3 Tottenham Hotspur 4 (1st Division)
Scorers: Smyth (3), Opp.o.g. 

Bobby Smith - My Memories SPURS

On this day in 1957, Tottenham travelled to Old Trafford and defeated Manchester United in a 7-goal thriller.

United were in third place in the 1st Division while Tottenham were 13th and without an away win all season, although they were undefeated in their previous four matches.

Tottenham were a goal down early on when David Pegg scored after 18 minutes.

 

Spurs then caused a shock by scoring four goals in the next twenty five minutes. Centre-forward, Bobby Smith equalised four minutes later and then put Spurs ahead from a left-wing cross by Danny Blanchflower. Jackie Blanchflower, Danny’s brother, scored an own goal to increase Spurs’ advantage and Smith completed his hat-trick before the interval with a header from a cross by left winger, George Robb.

Danny Blanchflower was the inspiration behind Spurs’ first half flowing football against a United team which had 17-year-old, David Gaskell, making his debut in goal.

 

Spurs' 4 goals at Old Trafford

In the second half United responded and Spurs were forced on the defensive. Pegg pulled a goal back after 63 minutes and Liam Whelan made in 4 – 3 five minutes later following a free-kick. Spurs held on through the final 22 minutes although they were frequently forced into a kick it anywhere state of nervous tension as the United attacks poured forward.

It was only the goalkeeping ability of Ted Ditchburn and the strength of Maurice Norman which saw Spurs through as they alone kept their heads when all around were losing theirs.

 

Team: Ditchburn; Baker, Hopkins; Blanchflower, Norman, Ryden; Medwin, Brooks, Smith, Harmer, Robb

 

**Tottenham with their 4 – 3 win became the first London club to win at Old Trafford since 1938

 

**Bobby Smith was the first player to score a hat-trick against United at Old Trafford since 1950.

 

**Smith finished the season with 36 League goals to equal the record set by Ted Harper in season 

1930-31, although that had been in the 2nd Division.

 

**Jimmy Greaves broke the record five years later when he went one better to set a new record of 37 goals.

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 29th November 1997

 

Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 29th November

29th November 1997

 

Everton 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Premiership)

Scorers: Vega, Ginola

 

Christian Gross had arrived at White Hart Lane during the month to replace Gerry Francis. Alan Sugar made the surprise appointment by bringing Gross from Switzerland where he was highly regarded as manager of Grasshopper. Outside of central Europe, he was little known and was universally referred to as ‘Christian Who?’

 

Gross arrives at Tottenham with his tube ticket

He arrived for his press interview at the club brandishing a tube ticket after making his way from Heathrow on the London Underground. The press picked up on this and he was frequently ridiculed as he endured a very difficult period at the club.

 

After waiting for a work visa, the Sunday Times reporting that Chris Hughton had been in charge for the home defeat by Crystal Palace the previous Monday, Gross' Tottenham managerial career started against Everton at Goodison Park.

 

Colin Calderwood and Allen Nielsen provided a solid central defensive midfield. David Ginola, expected by many to be omitted from the new manager’s first selection, scored a decisive second goal and gave a man of the match performance as Christian Gross won his first match as Tottenham manager.

With all the doubts concerning the appointment of an unknown manager, Spurs almost went behind in the opening 40 seconds. A very early Everton corner, taken by Nicky Barmby, was nodded down by Duncan Ferguson. It took a deflection to leave Ian Walker flat-footed but with Clive Wison on the line, he was able to clear and avoid the worst possible start for Gross.

 

The match continued in a fast and furious way with little footballing finesse or composure. Barmby chipped a chance onto the bar while Ferguson missed a gift of an opportunity. Spurs shared possession and chances but none of any quality and needed to improve in the second half.

 

After the break, John Scales replaced the injured Sol Campbell. Spurs were the better team with Ginola and Andy Sinton forcing Southall into saves and Ramon Vega missed a great opportunity from a corner. He atoned for that miss in the 72nd minute - following a short free-kick, Sinton put a cross into the box where Ruel Fox backed headed it for Vega to score with a simple header at the back post.

 

David Ginola secures Tottenham's victory at Everton with a scintillating goal

Four minutes later, Spurs added a second. Ginola who had been playing in a free role alongside Les Ferdinand, received the ball near halfway, beat his man all ends up, cut in from the left and beat Southall at his near post with a scintillating shot into the roof of the net.

 

Job done - the perfect start for Christian Gross but it wasn’t so perfect a week later. The win over Everton would turn out to be one of the few highlights of Gross’ time at Tottenham which rather ironically would end with a 1-0 win at Goodison, less than ten months later.

 

Team: Walker; Carr, Wilson; Calderwood, Vega, Campbell (Scales); Fox, Nielsen (Anderton), Sinton, Ferdinand (Iversen), Ginola

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Tottenham Hotspur on this Day - 28th November 2010

Tottenham Horspur on this Day - 28th November

28th November 2010

 

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Liverpool 1 Premier League

Scorers: Opp.o.g., Lennon

 

Ahead of this match, Harry Redknapp’s team were in sixth place in the Premier League with 22 points, 3 places and 3 points ahead of Liverpool.

 

Spurs went into the game on the back of three successive victories in the previous fortnight with success over Blackburn Rovers at White Hart Lane, a win at Arsenal and a midweek Champions League win over Werder Bremen at the Lane.

 

Spurs went into the game with three central defenders out injured - Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate - and they suffered another blow when Rafael van der Vaart departed after twelve minutes. Jermain Defoe replaced him and then after 36 minutes, Younes Kaboul had to go off with Sebastien Bassong coming on from the bench. 

 

Aaron Lennon scored late winner against Liverpool

Liverpool had the better of the first period and went ahead with three minutes remaining to half-time. From a free-kick, Skrtel headed the ball against his own player but reacted quickest to hammer the loose ball into the net from six yards.

 

Liverpool had an opportunity, immediately after the break, to double their lead. Bassong, again, made a crucial tackle on Torres, just as he had done prior to the interval. Liverpool could have put the match out of Spurs’ reach but they left the door open as Spurs had a shot from Gareth Bale cleared off the line.

Showing continued persistence to get back into the match, on the hour, Spurs squandered their best chance to draw level - a penalty awarded for handball when defending a Bale free-kick. With penalty-taker, van der Vaart off and Bale having missed one in mid-week, Defoe took responsibility but put his shot wide. This was Tottenham’s fourth miss of the season from the spot and Defoe’s fifth miss from his previous six penalties.

 

It was Liverpool who eventually delivered the equaliser. Luka Modric was the inspiration, beating two men before delivering a cross aimed for Peter Crouch but cut out by Skrtel, diverting the ball into his own goal.

 

Both teams claimed for penalties in the final frantic minutes but it was always Tottenham who looked the more determined to take all three points. The visitors had lost Jamie Carragher to injury in the 87th minute and it was then that Spurs went ahead. Crouch won a duel in the air from Assou-Ekotto’s high ball, Aaron Lennon picked it up went past a defender and finished coolly in injury time - his first goal in over a year.

 

Tottenham had clawed the match back and were proving very adept at this as they had claimed 16 points from losing positions in the opening four months of the season. That sort of fighting spirit was appreciated by Harry Redknapp with Tottenham in 5th place, six points behind the League leaders.

 

Team: Gomes; Hutton, Kaboul (Bassong), Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Bale, Lennon, Palacios, van der Vaart (Defoe) (Sandro), Modric, Crouch

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