"Ah well, ma'am, you see we all know each other!" (Danny Blanchflower to Dutchess of Kent at the 1961 Cup Final. The Dutchess asked why the Leicester City players had names on their tracksuits and the Spurs team didn't.)
1882 - What was to become Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was formed by boys from
Hotspur cricket club and from St. John's Presbyterian local grammar school, who
used to meet under a street lamp on Tottenham High street close to the site of
the current ground. The first name used was 'Hotspur FC' , named after the Duke
of Northumberland's son Percy, who went by the nickname "Harry Hotspur"
and who's fearless heroics would come to symbolise the character of the club.
The first match was against the Radicals and saw the team lose by two goals
on 30th August 1882, the only other match that season saw Spurs score their
first goal, but lost 8-1 to Latymer. The scorer was not recorded.
1883 - The club was run by John Ripsher. The team played on the Tottenham Marshes
and wore Navy Blue. Spurs recorded their first win on the 6th October 1883 with
a 9-0 thrashing of Brownlow Rovers, and later that month Buckle was the first
reported Spurs scorer in a 3-1 defeat by Grange Park.
1884 - The club was renamed "Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic club".
1885 - Spurs played their first ever competitive match - against St Albans
in the London Association Cup on 17th October 1885, and ran out 5-2 winners
(scorers unrecorded) . A good start to what was to become a famous cup tradition.
The kit had changed to light blue and white halves.
1887 - November 19th 1887 to be precise was the first meeting with Arsenal.
The scum going under their original name of Royal Arsenal we being hammered
2-1 when they whinged to the officials and the game was abandonded 15 minutes
from time, thus establishing their place in history as cheats, and second best
to Tottenham.
1888 - Spurs moved to play home matches at Northumberland Park and charged
an attendance fee for the first time, 3d!
1890 - A moment of madness, or the first gooner infiltrator!, as the kit changes
colour once again -this time to Red shirts and Navy shorts!
1895 - Spurs became a professional club
1896 - Spurs were elected to the Southern League, thankfully changing our colours
from Red, this time to Chocolate and Gold stripes.
1897 - The first of many cup finals - although unlike many of the subsequent
ones, Spurs lost 2-0 to Wellingborough in a Local charity Cup
1898 - The club changed its colours for the last time to the lilywhite shirts
used by the team of the day Preston North End, but retained the Navy blue shorts.
The club also became a limited company and a record attendance of 15,000 saw
the match against Woolwich Arsenal. Typically enough, boring Arsenal spoilt
the day by grinding out a 0-0 on 8th April 1898.
1899 - The Club moved to present site which had a capacity of 35,000. The ground
was almost named 'Gilpin Park' but, having never been officially names, gradually
became known as 'White Hart Lane'. The first match was a friendly vs Notts County,
and after taking gross receipts £115 , Spurs ran out 4-1 winners with
an opener from Pratt, followed by a hatrick for Copeland.
1900 - Spurs become Champions of the Southern League.
1901 - After victories against Preston 4-2 after a replay 1-1, Bury 2-1, Reading
3-0 after a replay 1-1 and West Brom 4-0 in the Semi's, Spurs won the FA Challenge
Cup by beating Sheffield United 3-1 after a replay at Burnden Park, Bolton to
become the only non-League club, ever to achieve this honour. Spurs were unlucky
not to have won the first match at Crystal Palace which ended 2-2 as the referee
wrongly awarded Sheffield United an equaliser. Star of the cup run was Sandy
Brown, who scored in 7 of the 8 matches, including a hatrick in the away win
at Preston, all four in the 4-0 Semi final win against West Brom and in both
finals to register 15 goals overall - a record which will surely never be broken.
1902 - Runners up in both the Southern and Western Leagues
1901 - Winners of the Western League and runners up again inthe Southern League
1908 - Despite only finishing 7th in the Southern League, Spurs were elected
to the Second Division of the Football League.
1908 - The club had gone on a tour of Argentina. on the ship on the way home
one of the amusements was a fancy dress contest, which was eventually won by
two of the Tottenham squad dressed as Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday. Suffering
from some understandable confusion with the story of Long Kevan Silver, they
borrowed the ship's pet parrot. In recognition of their success the bird was
presented to the club by the captain. It survived happily at the club for ten
years, dying on the day that Arsenal were given Spurs' place in the first division
in 1919.
1909 - Spurs win their first ever league match 3-0 against Wolves and take
the division by storm finishing runners up and gaining promotion to First Division
at the first attempt.
1909 - The cockerel and ball first appeared in 1909 when a former player W
J Scott cast a copper centrepiece to perch on the new west stand. Our world-famous
ball-and-cockerel emblem is believed to have its origins in cock-fighting, because
combative cocks were fitted with tiny spurs.
The origin of the cockerel symbol has never been satisfactorily been explained.
Harry Hotspur after whom the club was named wore spurs while leading his troops
into battle. The spurs which were attached to the legs of fighting cocks were
similar and the club's badge in the nineteenth century was a simple spur. Somewhere
along the line a link was made between the fighting cock and the cockspur and
the cockerel took over as the symbol. It became firmly established as the symbol
in 1910 when the cockerel and ball were erected on the roof of the main stand.
The two lions rampant are taken from the crest of the northumberland family
who feature heavily in hte history of the local area.
Our motto "Audere est Facere" is Latin inscription, the litreral translation
meaning "to dare is to do". In other words unless you try you will
never achieve.
1915 - After finishing 15th, 15th, 12th, 17th 17th, Spurs finally are relegation
to Second Division after finishing 20th. After the First World War, the Football League decided to expand the two
divisions from 20 to 22 clubs. Derby County and Preston North End, the top two
Second Division clubs, were automatically promoted. Chelsea, who had finished
above Spurs in 1914-15, were told that they could remain in Division 1, as a
match between Manchester United and Liverpool had been fixed in 1915. No case
was made out for Spurs, and Arsenal (who had finished sixth in Division 2 in
1914-15, behind Barnsley, Wolves and Birmingham) were promoted at spurs’
expense.
1920 - Shenanighans with Arsenal's first division status cannot over shadow
Spurs storming to their first league championship, the second division title,
with a record 70 points.
1921 - The year ends in one again and so it brought our second FA Cup triumph,
Spurs beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at Stamford Bridge with a Jimmy Dimmock
winner on a rain sodden pitch. Spurs had accounted for Bristol Rovers 6-2, Bradford
City4-0, Southend United 4-1, Aston Villa 1-0 and Preston 2-1 in the semi all
at the first attempt.
1928 - Relegation to Second Division with 38 points.
1933 - Promotion again, this time as Division Two runners-up.
1934 - Building of the East Stand completed.
1935 - Relegation to Second Division.
1938 - The existing crowd record of 75,038 spectators established for the visit
of Sunderland in the sixth round of the FA Cup. Spurs spoil the show by losing
1-0.
1950 - Led by Arthur Rowe, Spurs finally gain Promotion to the First Division
by winning the second division championship for the second time.
1951 - One of the greatest seasons in Spurs history, as the push and run side
claim the Football League Championship for the first time.
1957 - Our club shield is believed to date from 1957 when the club celebrated
its 75 anniversary. It was made to decipt the enviroment of Tottenham Hotspur
Football Club.
Bruce Castle which is shown on the top left-hand side is a 16th century building
which currently houses the local history and achieve collection of the London
Brough of Haringey. On the right are the seven trees planted at Page Green by
the seven sisters of Tottenham thus the district known as Seven Sisters.
1961 - The DOUBLE: Football League Champions and winners of the FA Cup, with
a 2-0 win over Leicester City.
1962 - Spurs retain the FA with a 3-1 win against Burnley
1963 - Winners of the European Cup-Winners' Cup. The first British club to
win a major European competition. Jimmy Greaves becomes Spurs' highest League
scorer in one season with 37 goals.
1967 - FA Cup winners for the fifth time, with a 2-1 win over Chelsea.
1971 - Winners of the Football League Cup for the first time, with two goal
from Martin Chivers enough to defeat Aston Villa.
1972 - Spurs won the UEFA cup for the first time with a 3-2 aggregate win over
Wolves. Spurs won the first leg at Molyniex 2-1 with a couple from Chivers,
before a Mullery goal was enough to get us a 1-1 draw back at White Hart Lane.
1973 - A late goal from Sub Ralph Coates is enough to win the Football League
Cup for the second time against Norwich City
1974 - Defeat and disgrace as Spurs lose 4-2 on aggregate to old rivals Feyernoord,
as supporters go on the rampage in the stadium. Spurs are handed a life ban
from Europe, overturned in 1980. Bill Nicholson resigned in the autumn of the
next season, and a young 4 year old watches his first match, as Spurs go down
3-2 at home to Burnley, with John Pratt scoring his first Spurs goal.
1977 - Relegation to Second Division.
1978 - Promotion again secured at first attempt, despite a jittery last week
which saw us lose at home to Sunderland 3-2, beat Hull 1-0 at home with a late
handballed goal from Perryman and a 0-0 draw at already promoted Southampton.
1980 - Old West Stand demolished to make way for new modern structure.
1981 - FA Cup winners for the sixth time. Steve Perryman sets a new Club record
of League appearances by passing Pat Jennings' previous record total of 472.
1982 - New West Stand opened. FA Cup winners for the seventh time in the Club's
Centenary year.
1983 - By finishing fourth in the League, qualified for the UEFA Cup for the
first time since season 1973/74. First football club to float shares on the
London Stock Exchange.
1983 - The current badge depicting the two lions plus cockerel and ball, incorporating
our initials was introduced in 1983 and updated in 1992, the latter version
- excluding the lions - appears on the club kit.
The colours of our shield were further amended to ensure consistency with a
darker blue background to match the badge. The castle and ball switched from
yellow to brown, the trees were given greater definition with the club initials
now black on a white backdrop as opposed to light blue.
1984 - Winners of the UEFA Cup for the second time, after a penalty shoot out
with Anderlecht.
1985 - Playing strip changed to white shirts and white shorts.
1986 - Steve Perryman transferred to Oxford United after making a record 655
League appearances for Spurs.
1987 - Spurs reach eighth FA Cup Final. Clive Allen sets a new Club record
with 49 goals in a single season. Kit returns to white shirts and navy shorts.
1988 - First million plus signing Paul Stewart from Manchester City for £1.5
million.
1989 - The shelf is removed to make way for executive boxes on the East Stand.
Somebody forgot to remove the two massive pillars which blight the stand to
this day.
1991 - Batter Arsenal 3-1 on 14th April 1991 in the unofficial North London
Cup with Gazza's free kick and a couple from Lineker. FA Cup winners a month
later for the eighth time with a 2-1 extra time win over Forest. Gazza, who
had been instrumental in getting us to the final was injured early on and Lineker
missed a penalty as well as having a goal disallowed before we evenually won.
Alan Sugar becomes Chairman and steers club away from impending bankruptcy.
1992 - Founder members of the new FA Premier League. Paul Gascoigne joins Lazio
for £5.5 million - a record.
1994 - 'The Shelf' becomes an all-seater enclosure.
1995 - New South Stand completed. Record signing of Chris Armstrong from Crystal
Palace for £4.5 million.
1996 - New Rights Issue raises £10.9 million to redevelop North Stand,
complete hospitality areas in South Stand and reconstruct pitch.
1997 - Record signing, £6million for Les Ferdinand from Newcastle United.
1998 - New North Stand completed. Increased capacity to 36,257.
1999 - Winners of the League Cup for the third time with a last minute winner
from Allan Nielsen against Leicester City.
2000 - New record signing, £11million for Sergei Rebrov from Dynamo Kiev
2001 - Gooner Graham sacked and the dark clouds rise from the Lane. Heavenly
choirs accompany his replacement Glenn Hoddle as Spurs embark on a new era .................
2002 - Spurs reach the League Cup final with a fantastic 5-1 semi final win
over Chelsea but a below par performance and a host of missed chances saw Spurs
beaten 2-1 by Blackburn Rovers with Christian Ziege scoring Spurs goal. Later
that season, Ziege was to become the first serving Spurs player to appear in
a World Cup final when coming on as sub for Germany in their defeat to Brazil.
2003 - Hoddle sacked and Spurs left to drift under crass mismanagement of Levy
and Pleat
2004/5 - After 9 months of waiting, Santini appointed as manager but then "walked
out" a few months later. New director of Football Frank Arnesen sees his
man Martin Jol replace him as manager, and Frank Arnesen himself leaves for
Chelsea in the summer
2006 - Spurs suffer final day heartache (or should that be gutache) as a poisoned
squad loses 2-1 to West Ham and with in the 4th position held since Nov that
season but a 5th place guarantees the highest premier league finish and a return
to the UEFA cup next season
2007 – Campaigning on four fronts for most of the season, Spurs suffered
springtime knock outs of the league cup (semi against Arsenal), FA Cup against
Chelsea and in the UEFA against Sevilla both in the QF stage and both against
the eventual winners, but a late rally in the league lifts Spurs to another
5th place and UEFA qualification.
2007 – Martin Jol sacked and replaced by Juande Ramos
2008 – Spurs beat Arsenal 5-1 in the semi final of the League Cup, the
first win over the Gunners since 1999 to set up another all London clash in
the final against Chelsea
2008 - Winners of the Football League Cup for the fourth time, coming from
a goal down to beat Chelsea 2-1 after extra time with goals from Berbatov (pen)
and Woodgate, his first for the club
2008 – Juande Ramos sacked and replaced by Harry Redknapp
2009 – Spurs reach the League Cup final but fail to retain the cup by
losing out 4-1 on penalties to Manchester United after a goalless 120 minutes
2010 - Spurs finish 4th in Premier League and qualify for the Champions League
for the first time.
2011 - Spurs top Group A of the Champions League, beating Inter Milan, Weder
Bremen and FC Twente along the way
