TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOOTBALL CLUB – A CONCISE
HISTORY 1882-2009
MAJOR HONOURS (17):
Football League Champions
1950-51, 1960-61. (Runners Up 1921-22, 1951-52 1956-57, 1962-63)
FA Cup Winners 1900-01,
1920-21, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1966-67, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1990-91. (Runners Up 1986-87)
Football League Cup Winners
1970-71, 1972-73, 1998-99, 2007-08 (Runners Up 1981-82, 2001-02, 2008-09)
European Cup-Winners' Cup
Winners 1962-63.
UEFA Cup Winners 1971-72, 1983-84. (Runners Up 1973-74)
OTHER HONOURS:
Football League Division Two
Champions 1919-20, 1949-50.
F.A. Charity Shield Winners
1920-21, 1951-52, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1967-68 (joint), 1981-82 (joint), 1991-92
(joint).
Anglo-Italian League
Cup-Winners 1971-72.
Southern League Champions
1899-1900.
Western League Champions
1903-04.
Football League South 'C'
Division Champions 1939-40.
Football League South
Champions 1943-44, 1944-45.
Southern District Charity Cup
Winners 1901-02, 1904-05 (joint), 1906-07.
Dewar Shield Winners 1901-02,
1933-34, 1934-35.
Norwich Hospital Charity Cup
Winners 1946-47, 1949-50 (joint).
Ipswich Hospital Charity Cup
Winners 1951-52 (joint).
Costa Del Sol Tournament
Winners 1965 (beating Standard Liege 1-0), 1966 (beating Benfica 2-1).
Nolia Cup (
Japan Cup Winners 1979
(beating Dundee United 2-0 in
Sun International Challenge
Trophy (
Peace Cup (
Vodacom Challenge Cup (
Feyenoord Centenary
Tournament (
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR HISTORY:
1882 - What was to become
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was formed by boys from Hotspur cricket club
and from
The first match was against
the Radicals and saw the team lose by two goals on
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
1884 - The club was renamed
"Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic club".
1885 - Spurs played their
first ever competitive match - against
1887 -
1888 - Spurs moved to play
home matches at
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
1899 - The Club moved to
present site which had a capacity of 35,000. The ground was almost named '
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
1902 - Runners up in both the
Southern and Western Leagues
1901 - Winners of the Western
League and runners up again in the 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
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 centerpiece
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 the history of the local area.
Our motto "Audere est
Facere" is Latin inscription, the literal translation meaning "to
dare is to do". In other words unless you try you will never achieve.
1915 - After finishing 15th,
15th, 12th, 17th and 17th, Spurs finally are relegation to Second
Division after finishing 20th, BUT ONLY BECAUSE ARSENAL BRIBED THE FA. After
the First World War, the Football League decided to expand the two divisions
from 20 to 22 clubs.
1920 - Shenanigans 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
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
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 depict the environment 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 Borough 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
1962 - Spurs retain the FA
with a 3-1 win against
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
1971 - Winners of the
Football League Cup for the first time, with two goals 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 Molinux 2-1 with a couple from Chivers, before a Mullery goal was enough
to get us a 1-1 draw back at
1973 - A late goal from Sub
Ralph Coates is enough to win the Football League Cup for the second time
against
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
1977 - Relegation to Second
Division.
1978 - Promotion again
secured at first attempt, despite a jittery last week which saw us lose at home
to
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
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
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
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
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
2000 - New record signing,
£11 million 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
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
2006 - Spurs suffer final day
heartache (or should that be gut ache) 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 Premier League lifts Spurs to another 5th place and UEFA
qualification.
After a disappointing start
to season 2007-08, manager Martin Jol is replaced by Juande Ramos in October.
Slowly but surely, Spurs begin to climb the league table.
2008 January - Tottenham
qualify for their first Major Final since 2002 by demolishing Arsenal 5-1 in
the League Cup Semi-Final in a memorable night at
February - The Wembley final
is won 2-1 in extra time with goals from Berbatov (penalty) and Woodgate.
April - Tottenham once more break
the club transfer record by signing Croatian midfielder Luka Modric.
Summer 2008 – Spurs sign
Mexican Giovani Dos Santos from
October 2008 –
After Tottenham’s worst start to a Football League season (2 points from 8
matches) Juande Ramos is sacked and Harry Redknapp is appointed the new Spurs
manager.
March 2009 –
Another Wembley Cup Final but Spurs lose to Manchester United on penalties after
a 0-0 draw after extra time.
May 2009 – Harry has done
enough to lift Spurs into 8th place in the Premier League and the
club just misses-out on European football in 2009-10.
July 2009 – A fairly quite
summer transfer window sees Ivorian Didier Zokora join Sevilla. Spurs play