In our latest look at Spurs in ‘minor’ competitions we find a good pre-season story that actually moves away from the competitive and focus on two 'friendly' encounters Tottenham played under the banner of the ‘Football League Jubilee Trust’ just before World War 2.

The Football League said ‘It was concerned about the after care of our league players’ and what would become of them after their playing days were over ‘whether by accident or age’  

Although some sources suggest they had to be ‘encouraged’ to act. The Jubilee Fund was set up to with three objectives – To educate young players in the arts and sciences of association football, this would thereby improve the quality of our competition. To equip league players for  adequate occupations  and livelihoods and to assist those incapacitated or necessitous eligible players and their dependents.

In 1938 the Football League instructed each club to play a game to raise funds.  Local derbies were arranged so as to attract a larger gate. Arsenal would entertain Spurs at the start of the 1938-9 season.

Left - sorry for picture quality only copies I could uncover. Percy Hooper watched by Bill Whatley in action 1938.

On the 20th August Second Division Spurs won away 2-0 at their First Division rivals, the goals coming from Morrison and Lyman. The gate was 41,997 and more than two thousand pounds was submitted to the fund.

Right - The 1939 game and Hooper saving a penalty.

Left - Again this is the 1939 game and England international Ronnie Dix has just signed for Spurs.

The following season the League instructed the games be repeated and on the same grounds.
The Tottenham Directors however decided that their own fans would welcome the opportunity to see the game thus the return was at White Hart Lane.

The League issued the programme for these games and used the same cover for the more than forty games played under the Trust's banner. The home team did have some input to the contents.

Right - The line ups from the Spurs game '39.

On the 19th August the clubs met again this time at White Hart Lane. 32,702 watched Arsenal gain revenge with the only goal of the goal.

Below - The programme from the 1938 match.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Other 'minor' competitions can be found at 
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-archive

The Gallery where we gather together some Tottenham images linked by a theme.

On this occasion  as the new season its about to be launched its a look back at last season's league programme.

Top - Hugo Lloris and the Stoke home match.

I've tried to select some iconic moments like this one right and Eriksen's quick goal V United at home. alongside some images worth  recalling.

Above Left - Vertonghen gets to the ball away to Watford. 
Right - Sons goal from Kane's cross home to Huddersfield.
Below - Kane again, this time on the receiving end away to Southampton.

Above Left - The defence at full stretch away to Arsenal.
Right - Wanyama at home to Chelsea.

Above - Dele and his superb  goal away at Chelsea.
Below Left - Walker-Peters on debut at Newcastle.
Right -Nkoudou Bournemouth at Home.

Right - Lamela at home to Brighton.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Previous Galleries  are @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-arts-media

The Tottenham Mysteries returns with a look at an oddity that had puzzled me for a long time, just why Spurs and Celtic exchanged rugs instead of the traditional pennant before their pre-season meeting August 1967. Even the clubs website in 2014, before the two clubs meeting in Finland described that day said ‘exchanged rugs instead of the customary pennants.’ The Tottenham Mysteries decided to dig deeper. 

​Rummaging through endless newspaper archives and various match reports failed to produce any clarification.  In the end an approach to the Scottish club would unlock the information (1).

The rugs were in fact exchanged by the two sides before the game as part of a merchandising enterprise. The rugs presentation was followed by the exchange of the more traditional pennant and if you look at the top image featuring Dave Mackay you can see one rolled up in Billy McNeill’s left hand. It was however the rugs that grabbed the attention as journalists scribbled their notes on to a pad. The rugs were then displayed to the massive crowd, 

The Axminster rugs, 51ins X 27ins in size, were available to the public for the grand sum of five pounds, nineteen shillings and sixpence; post free within the UK from the Pictorial Rug Company of Glasgow.

An attempt to locate this company has since proved unsuccessful so we can only wonder how popular they became.

As for the match itself, Glasgow Celtic entertained Spurs at Hampden Park on 4th August 1967 as part of the celebrations to commemorate the Queens Park club’s centenary. 
​
​It was the first game for Celtic since they had famously won the European Cup in Lisbon the previous summer and Spurs headed north as FA Cup holders.  

​91,708 Scots turned out to welcome their heroes home.  They were then treated to a match that has often been described as a great showpiece of football in Britain.

During the trip Bill Nicholson presented Celtic manager Jock Stein with the Scottish manager of the year award. 

​Left - Pat Jennings  clears a Celtic attack.

Right - Gilzean's   goal, some reports claim this was  a header.

​Spurs actually took the lead in the first minute through Jimmy Greaves getting on to the end of a Frank Saul cross. Celtic leveled a few minutes later and then they took the lead nearing the half hour (both from Bertie Auld).  Two of our own Scots combined when Jimmy Robinson set up Alan Gilzean to make it 2-2 at the break.  

​Spurs fielding the same side as the FA Cup Final then went ahead early in the second half with Greaves getting his second before Chambers leveling the score at 3-3 on the hour. 

Tottenham were involved in another 3-3 draw the following weekend when we shared the Charity Shield with Manchester United. 

Some earlier meetings with Glasgow Celtic are remembered in our Connections- Scotland series and Touring America – Fifties style, articles.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659 
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Notes – 1 – Sincere thanks to Glasgow Celtic for their help and to several of their supporters, in particular Patrick Woods and James Brown, for not just the information but the tremulous efforts they made to track down the detail.   Thanks also  to an old buddy who prefers to remain in the shadows but provided the Tottenham rug. 
Previous Mysteries can be  found @   ​http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-lilywhite-files

The previous glimpses into the world of Tottenham's programmes seem to have been well received  so  I thought for this seasons mid-week diversion when we take a look at something lighter as we  face a kick off sometime in the wee small hours we would explore the subject a little further, hence this aperitif. 

The  articles to follow  have been 'loosely'  themed  whilst this appetizer is more a random 'sneak peak.' Although a number do feature games at the start of the season.  

The top picture is the last home programme from last season and the game at Wembley V Leicester.

Right - Going back to August 1966, and the first season I collected every programme home and away, the visit of Leeds on opening day and the cover featured a different team picture. This season also saw a different  picture with each game,  quite a breakthrough at the time.

Before that the club tended to be less adventurous and  several seasons featured an ariel picture of WHL every week, the angle changing with the new season. I should mention many clubs had similar if not less exciting approaches to their programmes.

Above center and the first Football League match after WW2 saw Birmingham City visit The Lane. The club having moved away from the illustrated cover at the start of the war would adopt a much more text driven approach while retaining the four sided publication.
Above Right - Burnley in 1969, this season the club tended to use the same picture on the cover for a number of matches, I believe I'm right in saying that season they only made about five changes during the season.

Left Lewis Holtby V Hull in the 2013/14 season

From the days of Public trial games as a pre-season entertainment when the first team played the reserves. Above left the first trial game in August 1946. As you can see there would be a second game the following weekend. Above Right and the trial game from the pre-war period.

In the center - taken from a picture,I'm fairly sure of Phil Beal this pic was used throughout  the 67/68 season.  Moving into the seventies and art work took a step back and various designs were used - Left August 1970 and West Ham.

Below - A more recent match and the use of photographs, here from October 2015.  Enjoy the game.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Previous Programme features can be found at
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-lilywhite-files

Planet Spurs returns for a second series in which we try to locate those little tales from the Wonderful World of Hotspur that you might otherwise have missed and which deserve to be recalled.
We will come to these gentlemen in a moment as well as a few thoughts from Bill Nicholson but first this lovely story that surfaced during some research.

It comes from the newspaper, Good Morning, and carried an article on Spurs in October 1943 when their reporter John Allen visited the club. He noticed something  odd in the dressing room and asked George Hardy our trainer why there was no locker number 13?

George is then quoted as answering “Yes, some years ago a certain player kept getting nasty injuries. No sooner did he recover from one hurt and return to the field than he would get another. His pals looked around for a reason, you see he was a gentleman footballer and did not ask for trouble. At last they spotted ‘13’ on his locker. It was suggested he change lockers. He did and his fortunes also changed for the better.  To make sure that there can be no repetition of this locker thirteen has been removed.”

In case you haven’t heard of ‘Good Morning’ it was produced by the Submarine branch of the Admiralty during the Second World War.

Left - Colin Brittan 1950.

Did you ever wonder what Bill Nicholson thought about Cyril Knowles, he once said “When Dave Mackay took part in his first training session at Tottenham he made people sit up and take notice. His influence heralded the start of the Spurs’ glory era.

When Cyril Knowles took part in his first training session at Spurs he made people take notice, but everyone thought we would finish the match with more players on the treatment table than on the pitch.

It was soon obvious that Cyril (right) was going to command respect and few wingers like to play against him.

His tackling could be described in the kindest manner as strong and fearless."

This time last year we looked at the work done by Bill Watson  with the Tottenham players (1) this led one reader to point me towards an earlier pioneer in fitness training for football. Ron Chifney who started work with Tottenham in the summer of 1950 just as Spurs returned to Division One and would go on to win their first title.  It seems Tottenham were one of several clubs starting to look at weight training. Ron was asked to work with some of the younger players and any of the first teamers who were interested.

Three of the senior professionals were keen, Sid McClellan, Ted Gibbons, (left)  and Colin Brittan, although a few others kept a watch of proceedings and some more joined in as the season progressed.  Remember at that time getting fit seemed to consist of road walking, lapping the pitch and possibly up and down the terracing.

Left Ted Gibbons, Made just six senior appearances for Spurs and later joined our coaching staff. His son was also on our books as a junior.
Below - Chifney in front with his three charges.

Some work was done with dumb bells but skipping was as near as you got to sports science.  And that season 1950/51 will be featured in the near future.

Next time - Planet Spurs reveals the secret of one of the clubs most successful penalty takers.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Note -1 - Bill Watson and 'Fit for Footy.' is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/talking-tottenham-fit-for-footy
Previous Planet Spurs can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-obit-of-planet-spurs

Every Picture returns for the new season and (hopefully) we will discover some more Spurs related images that you haven't seen before or at least are worth another viewing. We will be crossing the last hundred years or so looking for great action pictures as well as some off-duty moments.   
Starting the season with Moussa Dembele  against Manchester United.

Next up we have  one of  my favourite  heroes, Jurgen Klinsmann in full flow, possibly against Leicester. 

Below   Tottenham on the attack  at White Hart Lane   in March   1910.   On this day Newcastle would return north with the points

Below Left - this was  passed to me a while back,  brilliant pic,  Juventus away.

Above Right - Martin Peters on keyboards.  Is this  an England recording  session ?

That's Phil Parkes, Trevor Brooking,   possibly Dave Watson   and (fairly sure) Duncan McKenzie.​

Above  - Harry Kane, proving he is in fact human .

Below Left  -  A  Paul Robinson double bill - with the League Cup   and Right  -   On England duty V Portugal 2006.

Proving a Footballers life isn't always easy,  Above Left  - Jenas on kitchen duty   2009.   
Right - Danny Rose away with England this summer.

Don't worry we will soon be home again, The Lane from 1990.

Every Picture will be back next month  and   in the meantime  the previous   articles are @ 
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-arts-media

If you have any  pics you think would fit into then please contact me. 

​COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659 
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

With Tottenham due to play one of the most famous Spanish sides this week in America we take a look back at our previous connections.
One memorable encounter in European action as well as when we met at Wembley Stadium.

When we met in the semi-final of the European Cup Winners Cup in April 1982 it was not the Barcelona we know these days famed for their football this was an era when they were known for their more robust  approach to the contest.

The final of the competition that year was to be played at the Nou camp stadium and they intended to be there. The first leg in North London came just a few days after Spurs had won the FA Cup semi-final and booked their return to Wembley.
The Dutch ref seemed to take a very relaxed approach to the Spanish side’s approach of taking out the Tottenham players at just about every opportunity as they stopped Spurs playing by either sly means or plain blatant thumping.  At one point reports claim a policeman intervened when a fight between players broke out.  Finally they had a man sent off after an hour but it was them that took the lead with a long range shot and Ray Clemance made a rare error letting the ball in. With just over five minutes left a Hoddle free kick was met by Graham Roberts who side footed the ball to pull us level on the night. The Tottenham crowd made in clear what they thought but the Spanish side had got the result and away goal they wanted. 

Left - Roberts scores 1982.

Steve Perryman said that the ref had told both sides to claim down at half time, the Spanish however seemed to carry on in the same manner. Paul Miller later echoed Perryman’s comments both suggesting that despite being the better side they had lost due to their being naive and allowing themselves to be sucked into the mayhem.

One headline the following morning ran Roberts hits back in bloodbath. Manager Keith Burkenshaw said if his side played like that in the second leg there would be a riot and added we heard they were a good technical side, but it never showed.

Tottenham were struggling with a backlog of fixtures due to the weather and still being in three cup competitions, two weeks later went to Barcelona who had a similar approach to the proceedings and when they took the lead just after half time they sat back and defended. The Tottenham players couldn’t find the guile needed to breakthrough and went out of the competition with Keith Burkenshaw saying how proud he was of his team.  There was even a floodlight failure during the game as nothing seemed to go Tottenham’s way.

In July 2009 nearly sixty thousand saw the two sides met at Wembley in a 1-1 preseason draw as part of the Wembley Cup. The Spanish side played well and took a half time lead. Jake Livermore headed our goal seven minutes from time after coming on as a substitute a few minutes earlier.

Left - Modric in the Wembley game

After the game in an interview he was asked what it felt like to score against the best team in the world to which he replied I was playing for the best team in the world.

Prior to that meeting we had traveled to Barcelona in August 1986 where we played Dutch side PSV Einhoven and drawn 1-1 (Falco) in the Juan Gamper Tournament. The following day we played Italian side AC Milan and beat them 2-1 (Falco and Mabbutt).

We have returned to the venue several times in recent years when Tottenham have had a mid-season training break in the city.
Right - During the 2018 trip.

The rest of this series and other Connections can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

These days’ tours are very quick and involve promoting the brand as much as performing.  As we have seen before touring use to be very different.

This time we turn our attention to the summer of 1976 and the games that never seemed to end. 

The Grand tour that year would see Spurs encircle the globe, play in three continents and take a month doing so.  

Terry Neil’s side had just finished 9th in Division One and reached the semi-final of the League Cup but Neil  would leave the club returning to Arsenal and his deputy Keith Burkenshaw would take over in the July. Meanwhile Tottenham however set out on the first leg of a long summer.  The first game arriving on April 27th in Canada just three days after the League season had ended.

We started in Toronto against the Metros–Croatia side and a win, the only goal coming from Ralph Coates. Then leaving Canada where the Olympics would be held soon after we headed west across the pacific ignoring the United States where England were involved in a bi-centenarian competition and arriving in Fiji.
There we played a Select XI running out 4-0 winners, Chivers, Duncan, Armstrong and Jones scoring for Tottenham.

Next stop was New Zealand and two games on the North Island. The first was in Auckland were we beat a local FA XI 5-3.  Duncan (left) 2, Pratt, Neighbour with an Osgood penalty. Then it was on to Wellington and the local FA there went down 3-2, Pratt Armstrong and Duncan.

One of the other main differences with touring in these days is the lack of detail, images and match reports if any rarely stretch past scorelines and various archives were unable to offer much. Even requests to the countries visited for any local papers was unsuccessful.

The rest of the trip saw us travel to a fourth country Australia, starting in Melbourne on the 9th May we beat Victoria 3-1. From there it was on to Newcastle and New South Wales a game that saw us win 5-1. The press describing the game as a Spurs onslaught in which we were 3-0 leaders at the break

19 days after our first game and we played an Australian National XI in Sydney and a 3-2 win, Neighbour, Jones and Coates getting our goals that day. The next stop was in Adelaide and we overcome South Australia 5-2. The last stop and on 23rd May we were in Perth and defeated Western Australia by 4-0. A game which saw Martin Chivers score the only hat trick on the trip.

Tottenham finally went home having won all nine games on the tour, scoring 31 goals and conceding 11.

Martin Chivers top scored with 6, Jones 5, Duncan and Osgood netted four each, Osgood (left) had two penalties.  Coates and Pratt netted three each while Armstrong  and Neigbour scored 2 each with one goal each for Perryman, Young and Hoddle. We also were credited with one own goal.

The Spurs lads were not finished traveling still.  After their holidays they set off for pre-season  this time to Germany playing the first game on 24th July beating Osnabruck 3-1 before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt 1-4 and  Cologne 1-3 before beating Baunatal 2-1 and finishing on August 6th with a 2-0 win over  FV Bad Honnef.

This second tour saw Jones hit five goals, Armstrong2 and one each for Young and  Conn.
Finishing just 15 days before the new season started. During which time we fitted in a trip to Swindon, losing 1-3 (Perryman) and entertaining Royal Antwerp at home in a 1-1 draw (Armstrong).
The following season Spurs finished bottom of the table and were relegated to Division Two.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Previous articles regarding the clubs tours can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-lilywhite-files
Or you can try the Connections series @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index

The Art of Tottenham returns with some more examples of how the artist, professional and amateur, have seen Spurs over the years.
Many thanks to the various people who have sent in items unfortunately I have little information to share re the creators but we are in your debt. If you can shred any light please do so.

We start this new season with the manager and his passion.

Rather a clever winged Kane.

Below Left - Harry Redknapp during his court case, I expect from one of the national papers.

Right - This arrived a while back and was described as a German cigarette card. Its from the 1926-27 season and clearly shows the East side of the ground.

And yes (I seem to remember) the Blues of Birmingham did wear red at some point, So the artist might be right.

Above this rather updated picture of Bill Nicholson originally featured the Double winners and now has a best of from the sixties onwards side.

Left - Woodgate heads the winner in the 2008 League Cup final.

Below Left - The old Team magazine features Dave Mackay as we go into the first ever all London Cup Final in May 1967.
Right - The Swindon Advertiser from October 1907 and the cockerel inst looking too good. We had just lost 0-1 away to Swindon in our Southern League encounter.

Above - More street art from our last trip to Australia.
Left - Ali appears to be in action V Manchester City.
Below - Another from the computer age.

"Art" will be back next month in mean time previous collections can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-arts-media

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

In this article we look at one of the Spaniards who played for Tottenham and another European encounter.

 Getafe came to White Hart Lane in the UEFA Cup in October 2007. At that time teams only met each other once at this point of the competition. Tottenham were having a poor time and it had been decided that Martin Jol would leave the club and the news was leaked just before the game.

The Spanish side had also started the season badly and sat near the foot of the table. Tottenham started the night poorly but Defoe gave them the lead before they equalized two minutes later. 

Just over twenty six thousand were present for the opening group  match and they did their best to lift the Spurs. Possibly summing up how Spurs were faring at the time Defoe and Berbatov both missed good chances and Berbatov had a goal disallowed before the visitors won the game in the seventy minute.
A sad night all-round and only Real Madrid had previously won at White Hart Lane in European competition.  Tottenham would however progress second in the group behind the Spaniards.

Left - Getafe  match action.

Few Spaniards have played for Spurs, one them was Iago Falque, (top, a good prospect when we signed him who has  started as a youth player with both Real Madrid and Barcelona before starting as a senior player with Juventus but was loaned to Bari. 

He moved to Spurs in July 2011.His debut came in the Europa League game away to PAOK of Greece. He waited until the December for his league debut, a late substitute at Everton.

Eighteen months after signing for us he went to Southampton on loan and played one game. He returned to Spurs and scored in pre-season V Stevenage before moving to Almeria on another loan. Here he had better luck playing 22 games as they won promotion. The following season we loaned him yet again, this time to Rayo Vallecano. Then at the start of 2014/15 he moved on a permanent transfer to Genoa having made just eleven appearances for Spurs. Since then he has played for Roma and Torino.

Before he arrived at Spurs he had played for the Galicia ‘national’ team (who are not affiliated to either FiFa or UEFA) against Iran. Galicia is an autonomous community in the North Western part of mainland Spain. He has also played for Spain from Under 17-21 level but has yet to win a full cap.

Did you know – That Dave Mackay made his international debut for Scotland V Spain and he found out he was playing whilst in the bath. The team manager knocking on the hotel rooms door and sticking head around to tell him.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Other International Connections can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index

As  we enter the brief period   before the summer tour  and nothing but the mindless transfer fantasies to occupy us I thought something  lighter to   pass a few minutes. 

Over part of the season just finished on ‘away days’  I posted various programmes from previous Spurs games on that ground.  I wasn’t convinced how well this idea was working until I stopped.

​Clearly a number of people enjoyed them. I tried to use programmes that had a Tottenham or at least an artistic interest. 

This morning here are a few I've gathered together  from the  various images I've gathered over the last few years for previous blog articles that were unused, some others from several people who overwhelmed my inbox with their own collections. Thanks again.   I've selected a few you might like and the quality  is good enough to include.  
So have a quick e   perusal. 

Right -  A 'friendly with Millwall'   October  1953  and 18,000   saw Spurs win 2-0  (Walters and Bennett scoring).

Top - Bradford Park Avenue,   March 1949   and a 1-1 draw (Duquemin).   Bradford  (PA is only used to avoid confusion with City)  left the League and then went out of business  in the 70's but have since reformed.

​I first started reading Spurs programmes as a very young Lilywhite long before I would make that first pilgrimage to N17. I was blessed to have come from a long line of Spurs supporters and a family that kept me well supplied with them as the games were played and later their own collection’s dating back years in some cases were passed on.  If only my school exams had been based on the South East Counties League and our games with St. Neots!  Having since passed them on to the next generation I can only wonder what they might have been worth, but then, maybe passing the flame was worth more.   

Above Left  - Newport  in the Cup 1960 ,  4-0 , Blanchflower Smith  and Allen 2.
Center - The Rams of Derby Oct. 1951- We went down 2-4  Bennett and McClellen. 
Right -  Did  you stop off at Erics cafe  on the way to   Wednesday, never a good ground for us.  and that day we lost 1-3 (Baily).

​I certainly collected my own ‘away’ programmes as a youngest as I and the mighty Spurs toured the country, even though the programmes often contained nothing of interest to the visiting supporter. 

Above   - Chelsea like Spurs used a cartoon on the cover  - this visit from September 1934   sees the cockerel saying this is where we scratched up a couple of points last year (a 4-0 win Hunt hat trick and O'Callaghan).   The pensioner   says he hopes your not up to scratch today.   Sorry Chelsea another 3-1 win , O'Callaghan, Hunt and Evans.

Next - Lincoln away   in August 1948 and the Division Two game was a 0-0.

Below Left - West Brom  -  they used cartoons in the form of adverts for the local brewery for a number of years.   Here we see a 'counter attack'  on the opening day of the 47/48 season and the home side won 0-1.

Center   - Halifax  - St. Valentines Day  1953 and Spurs win 3-0  in  the  Cup fifth round (Bennett 2 Duquemin ).

Above Right - One from  my own collection and I couldn't believe  Wednesday  produced a programme to cover two games!   Hillsborough   would be one of the WC grounds that summer.   Our game was a 1-1 Eddie Clayton scoring.
​

Right - Sheffield again but this time United.   Tottenham defending Champions drew 1-1, John White .

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html


Previous random jottings  on similar lines  can be found listed below. 


Programme’s  -
Rare - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/programme-rarities
Christmas - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-christmas-programme
Reprogrammed – http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-re-programmed
Pirates - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-beware-pirates
Double season - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-double-15-programme-sixty-one
Pre-War Artwork (Hotspur Towers 48) http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-48
Hibernian (1950’s prog) http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-hibernian
(Hotspur Towers 21) http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-21

The Ad Break where we look back at various aspects of commercial enterprises and activities the club and players have been involved with over the last hundred years or thereabouts.

This look starts with our trip to Cyprus for European action and ESPN's coverage.

This appeared in the national press in July 1976.
Don't bother applying two weeks later they appointed Keith Burkenshaw.

Below - Dele gets involved with Pepsi.

While another beverage right. The FA cup wasn't filled with champagne in 1961 it seems Guinness beat them to it prior to the final.

Another image that has so far eluded me is that Cyril Knowles once owned a Fish and Chips shop and there is (somewhere) a picture of him serving up a bag of chips.

It looks like Christian Zeige our former full back is taking his work home with him in this ad for Enterprises Car rental.
Below right - my recent suggestion the ad break was coming to an end (after two years) brought forth a stream of contributions including Hummel sportswear ads this one features Glenn Hoddle

Above Left - I remember this ad from 1966 and knowing the mystery opponent and also the fact that at the time I thought the headline could of been worded differently.
If you don't know the answer is at the end.

Left and Dembele, not so much an advert but at least we know where he goes shopping.

Two older ads, on the left Bert Bliss looks out over the east terracing in 1921 for DeWitts pills. Distressing pains in the back and joints disappear after taking them.
Right - 1960 and Bell Boy bubble gum contained a football club sticker.

Right - Harry Kane and yet another Nike boot promo!

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f -
https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

The Ad break will be back once the new season is underway for a short run in the meantime you catch the earlier articles @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/talking-tottenham-past-conversations
And the mystery man was Spurs goalkeeper from the forties and fifties Ted Ditchburn.

In part 2, we remember our first competitive Spanish encounter which brought our first European trophy as we look at our meetings with Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad. As well as two unusually games England have played.  

Our first competitive meeting with a Spanish club was the final of 1963 European Cup Winners Cup when we faced Atletico Madrid in Rotterdam.  

Tottenham won that first meeting 5-1. Two goals each from Jimmy Greaves and Terry Dyson and one from John White securing the trophy. The full story of that game and that season’s competition can be found in an article from a couple of years ago
@ http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-atletico-madrid

We would meet them again in the Palma de Mallorca tournament in August 1970. Spurs had lost to German side Cologne on day one and the next day they again lost to Atletico, going down in both games by the only goal. It was July 1989 when we returned to Spain, this time for the XVII Trofeo de Madrid competition. Day one again saw us lose, this time to Dinamo Bucharest 1-3 and on day two we again played Atletico and it was another 0-1 defeat.

We would meet them again in the Palma de Mallorca tournament in August 1970. Spurs had lost to German side Cologne on day one and the next day they again lost to Atletico, going down in both games by the only goal.

Left - 1963 and Greaves scores the first goal. Top - Danny Blanchflower with the trophy.

It was July 1989 when we returned to Spain, this time for the XVII Trofeo de Madrid competition. Day one again saw us lose, this time to Dinamo Bucharest 1-3 and on day two we again played Atletico and it was another 0-1 defeat.

The next meeting was in February 1994 when the sides clashed in Jerez. This time we won 2-1. The Spurs goals come from Sedgley and a penalty from Gray.  Our latest meeting came in Australia in July 2016 where once again the Spanish side came out on top by the only goal.

England has played Andorra four times and the two ‘away’ games were both played in Barcelona. The first in 2007 was a European Championship qualifying match. Paul Robinson and Aaron Lennon started the game and they were joined by Jermain Defoe on the hour as England won 3-0. The following year again in Barcelona England beat Andorra 2-0, this time without a Spurs presence.

Tottenham have met the Real Sociedad club twice. The first was in South Korea during pre-season 2005 when we played in the Peace Cup. The two clubs drew 1-1 and Mido scored our goal. 
The second meeting was a year later at White Hart Lane when Spurs won 2-1 in pre-season. Defoe gave us the lead ten minutes before the break but they equalized on half time. In the second half Michael Dawson scored our winner.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

The rest of this series and our other international links can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index

Throughout each season I seem to collect a number of images and bits that don't seem to fit into other articles and they are then gathered up along with those already laying in the files into these little 'collectives' for your perusal over coffee. These sometimes attract more feedback than the articles that take effort, maybe there is a message there. Many of these pics, and much more, arrive via you the reader so a massive thanks to you and more power to your send button, keep them coming. Enjoy.

One such arrival was this wonderful bike, no idea of its heritage. I'm assuming its not a new picture, but you never know. 

Above - Jimmy Greaves appeared in the Royal Mail stamp set to mark the FA being 150, in 2013. It covered eleven of the best British players and Greaves was included alongside Dave Mackay.

Left - Maybe not so much a boob as a curio next. The club wore this shirt badge during the first part of their European campaign that season. 

A number of newspaper articles of the time refer to UEFA as EUFA and other clubs also followed suit.

Throughout the season we ran a number of great stories featuring Spurs from the vaults of various newspapers. Below left and a turnstile operator does hard labour! The Islington Gazette ran this story in January 1911. The game ended 1-1 Tull scoring.

An unused item (above right) from the ever popular Ad break series finds Ledley King and Les Ferdinand doing a promotion photo shoot for vodaphone. I may well be wrong but that looks like the National Gallery so that would put them in Trafalgar Square.

I have used this pic before of Dave Mackay in his Hearts days, but only recently discovered it had been used as a cover for a chocolate bar. Center - We have featured various programmes in the past. This one is a slight cheat - In 1926 WHL hosted the FA Cup semi-final between Swansea and Bolton. Right - If this chap had turned up earlier he would I suspect have been included in one of the Tottenham Toys specials.

In the past we have had several looks at Spurs in the movies and on telly. Another late arrival that wasn't included was Harry and Jamie Redknapp on a quiz show. Maybe you know which ?

Oh and in those I did feature Alan Sugar popping up in Doctor Who, but I'm told I didn't include his Apprentice programme, that's enough to get you fired I reckon.

Some time back as a midweek diversion as we waited till the early hours for kick off I did a piece on chrome badges. Foolishly saying I thought it wasn't as active as it had been. My in-box quickly went into over flow. I'm delighted its still flourishing and have enough badges now to fill every lapel I can muster.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Previous 'collectives' and Talking Tottenham specials can all be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/talking-tottenham-past-conversations

An essential member of the side that won the Second and First Divisions titles.

The outside left, he was just as good with both feet, was described as being speedy with a speedy unorthodox style which allowed him to pop up in a variety of positions across the pitch.

A local boy who won an England schoolboy cap before joining Spurs as an amateur and playing for the Northfleet nursery. Where he won both the Kent League Cup and the Kent League. He signed professional forms in 1939. During World War 2 he joined the RAF and was stationed in Canada.

He returned to Spurs with his Canadian wife but she became homesick and they returned to Canada in 1946 where he worked in a steel works and played for a local side. In 1948 they returned to London and Spurs. He was an ever present in the side that won the Second Division in 1950 and was the team’s top scorer. The following season the team won the First Division title.

Les won six England caps and was never on the losing side. He scored one international goal V France. 

He also appeared for the Football League and appeared for The Rest of the UK V Wales.

At the end of the 1953 season he retired and moved to South Africa where he became player –coach for Randfontein FC.

 In 1961 he again returned to England but a year later his wife died and soon after Les moved to Canada where he passed away in 2001.
In his two spells with Tottenham he played in 224 games scoring 65 times.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

I thought we had exhausted the subject of Tottenham appearing on various magazine covers when it was used as a mid week diversion last season. However since I announced its demise these new titles rattled into the inbox, so thanks to you all who responded. Any new titles or just amazing Spurs related covers welcome. We start this roundup in the current day but will slip back nearly a hundred years and find ourselves in several countries.  Starting with Fantasy Football magazine from the season just ended, surely Harry Kane was in many of your teams.

Next this cover comes from an Italian magazine. The date looks like its 27th November 1947 and Tottenham were in the second division.

Below Left - Christian Eriksen comes under the microscope of the top Danish sports magazine. The story suggests he will be going to Barcelona this summer (so nothing new there) but they claim the fee will be 80 million pounds.

Center - A slightly lower fee would have got you Joe Kinnear in 1969. The Rover (and by then it had merged with the wizard.)

The one title we have featured before was the Lilywhite and here are some more great cover shots. Left May 1973 and Mr & Mrs Perryman. Center Bobby Smith with a cow from August 1961 while right also 1973 Alan Gilzean and Martin Chivers who (I think) are checking out WHL's sound-system.

Left - The Nelson Lee Library features Jimmy Dimmock in May 1922. Inside there was a profile of Jimmy by the sports reporter .'The Rover.'
Sorry I don't have a copy of the Yellow Grip!

Right - We find captain Martin Peters catching up with 'The Captains' comic.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Note - 1 - Thanks to Jim's grandson for this picture and his kind comments on the article.
He runs a twitter site you might like to pursue especially if you like 'old-time'footy' @
https://twitter.com/1930WorldCup

Four previous 'Covers' can be found along with much more 'fan based stuff.' @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/talking-tottenham-past-conversations

Every Picture the series that tries to find Spurs related pictures that you might not have seen before or at least are worth another look. I try and avoid pictures that have been splattered the length of social media, (not always easy as I try and avoid it myself). This does also mean that a number delve back into the clubs distant past and sometimes the quality may not be as good as we would sometimes like.  That's the annual   introduction out the way , Enjoy.

Top image - Erik Lamela on international duty.

Right - At the time of writing rumoured he might leave this summer but here a snow topped Danny Rose.

Below - Ray Clemence in action.

And a little trivia to fill the gaps, did you know Anthony Gardner once wore five different shirts in a game because of a blood injury - including the numbers 49 and 50.

Hotspur was the name of a boys comic from 1933 - 1981.

When he  was in the army Dave Mackay played in the same side as Cliff Jones.

Right - 2010 and Michael Dawson doesn't look totally comfortable with the wrong shaped ball.

Above left - Before the first meeting with Arsenal in the FA Cup, 1949, top comedian Arthur Askey provides the pre-match entertainment.  Right - Jan  1928 and away at Huddersfield, our goalie, Spiers, under pressure.

Back in the gym, and left - Serge Aurier gets in some heading practice.

Right - Nacer Chadli undergoes the pre-season medical.

Right - The lads during the tour to  Russia 1959, the story of that trip is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-russia-1959

Well at least the boss looks like he is looking forward to the new season.

Below - A rosette seller - Celtic V Spurs 1967.

Previous Every Pictures can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-arts-media

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Every Picture  will be back next month.

In this series we will explore Tottenham’s various links with Spain at club and international level, our meetings in friendly and competitive fixtures as well as the players from that country that have represented the Spurs. 
With the World Cup in progress we start the series with a look at some meetings at international level. 
England has met Spain to date on 25 occasions and Spain holds the dubious record of being the only country England has beaten in a penalty shootout in a major tournament.

The last time the sides met was in November 2016 with Danny Rose and Eric Dier playing (Kyle Walker unused substitute) in the 2-2 draw at Wembley when England had been two up going into the last few minutes. The two national sides have been drawn together in the Nations League during the coming season. 
   
When Spain won 0-2 in 2009 their second goal came from Fernando Llorente (top) on as a substitute for his second cap and it was his first goal for the national side.  

The first meeting between the countries was in Madrid (1929) and the home side won 3-4. When the Spanish side equalized the crowd invaded the pitch and had to be cleared by police with swords drawn.  Two years later the teams met in London and England won 7-1.

Left - Martin Peters V Spain 1968.

The first Tottenham men to face them occurred in the third meeting at the World Cup in Brazil in 1950. England’s dreadful campaign finished with a 0-1 defeat in the last group game. Eddie Baily joining Alf Ramsey in the team who had played the first two games in the group.  

The game at Wembley in 1960 saw Bobby Smith score twice, one a real cracker, as England won 4-2. Jimmy Greaves then of Chelsea scored after just thirty seconds. The 1965 game saw Alf Ramsey as England manager in the first of four meetings during his spell in charge.

Greaves, now of Tottenham, scored again in the 1967 game with Alan Mullery also in the team for the first of his three caps against the Spanish team.

1996 - Anderton V Spain at the Euro's

When the teams met in the 1980 European Championship England won 2-1 with Hoddle in the side and Ray Clemence then Liverpool pulled off his only penalty save in an international. Hoddle scored when the sides met again the following year.  The in the  1987 game Hoddle, Waddle and Hodge were  in the side but its Barcelona’s Gary Lineker who scored all four goals in a 4-2 win.

The First Spurs men to face Spain for England - The last game in World Cup 1950.

Standing second from left - Alf Ramsey and
kneeing 4th - Eddie Baily on international debut.

The teams met again in the 1992 European Championship when Terry Venables was England manager. Teddy Sheringham and Darren Anderton were in the lineup but both been substituted in the109th minute as the game ended 0-0 and went to a shoot-out, with England winning.  The Spanish side that day included Miguel Nadel, uncle to the famous tennis player.

Other Spurs players who have turned out for England against the Spanish are Cyril Knowles, Sol Campbell, Paul Robinson, Jermain Defoe (twice), Kyle Walker (twice including his debut in 2011), Harry Kane, Scott Parker and Dele Alli,  whilst Eric Dier also made his international debut against them in 2015.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Other international connections are @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index
Thanks to - England Stats.

As the World Cup approaches we bring up to date the Connections series. Today we have one of the ‘fab four’ and a preseason trophy success as well as our last meeting in European competitive action with a club from that country.

Nacer Chadli Joined us from Dutch side FC Twente in 2013 and played 119 games for Spurs with 25 goals. He made one appearance for Morocco in a friendly with Northern Ireland in November 2011, when he was named man of the match. In the following New Year he switched to Belgium, holding dual citizenship, and has since won over thirty caps as well as being part of the 2014 World Cup squad.

At the start of the 2016/17 season he moved to West Bromwich. During his time at Spurs he was known as part of the ‘fab four’ as we had four Belgium’s on the books.

In August 1965 we competed in the Costa del Sol Tournament in Spain. Having beaten Valencia the following day we played Belgium side Standard Liege in the final. Alan Mullery scored the only goal of the game.

Left - Chadli
Top - Dembele V Gent away

2016/17 saw us met KAA Gent in the Europa League round of 32. We lost the first leg away 0-1. The return was a 202 draw which saw us eliminated. Eriksen gave us the lead but an own goal midway through the first half gave them an away goal. Alli was then sent off after 40 minutes in the game at Wembley. Victor Wanyama made it 2-2 on aggregate before they leveled on the night in the last ten minutes. It was a record 80.456 crowd our largest in a EL game.

Strangely if we had proceeded we would have met another Belgium club in the next round. William Troost-Ekong was with our academy but left for Holland in 2013 and he had joined KAA Gent by the time of this clash although not involved in the games.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Parts 1 & 2 are @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/connections-belgium-1
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/connections-belgium-2

The Connections series is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index

In this last look at art work and the World Cup, along with some trivia surrounding the competition, we start with this poster for the 1974 tournament.

So if you need a break from the high octane atmosphere of the opening games and the tidal wave of exclusive transfer news then take a moment to sit back and enjoy.

North Korea may have only been to the finals once in '66 but that doesn't stop them producing stamps such as this one from 2014.

Below Left -Another stamp this time from Hungary in 1990.

Above right - Not what it seems at first glance,  this was an art college's project from 2006.

Left - 2002 Poster.

When England picked their 22 men for the 1954 competition, they only took 17 with them, leaving the others at home 'on call' but they were not used.

Above Stamp 1974 - The Republic of the Congo. This summers event and Brazil 2014.

Left - Poster 1978 and the ticker tape welcome the Argentine crowds employed for their team.

Below - 1986 and Mexico used the Aztec influence in this poster.

1958 - Wales are unlucky to have been knocked out by Brazil.
When he died Tottenham's Mel Hopkins obituary says he played so well it was the best performance of his career.

Despite no vote occurring it is almost certain that the 1942 finals would have been in Brazil and the 1946 happening in Germany.  The Second World War meant neither were held.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is
@ http://www.indiaspurs.com/keith_harrison.html

Other World Cup as well as the Flying Down to Rio series, The FiFa Files and the Connections series can all be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index