As we look forward to this weeks game in Portugal a look back at the last time we met in the second leg. Like this time we go in 1-3 down but this time there wont be nearly 65,000 lilywhites trying to scream Spurs home. The best two teams in Europe clashed in one of the most famous games played at White Hart Lane.

1962 and after having ten representatives in Sweden four years earlier this time around only two Tottenham players were involved in the World Cup Finals. England being the only one of the home nations to qualify they included in their squad Jimmy Greaves (22) and Maurice Norman (28).

The Semi-Final clash with Benfica is one of those truly defining moments in the clubs history. The two best club sides in Europe at the time were drawn together, the first leg would be in Lisbon on 21st March 1962. The Benfica side were already European champions having beaten Barcelona the season before. They supplied the majority of the national team including Eusebio one of the best players in the world who was known as the Black Panther.

Tottenham were one of the first English clubs to compete in European competition. They have written themselves into the record books as they led the way for others to follow. This article and its companion 'Audere est Facere'
are a brief record of their adventure and glory.

This article started life as a small paragraph somewhere else but as I checked the detail I became more enraged by the man at its center. In his article (1) last August Suraj identified one Henry Norris as the key figure in the events that led to the hatred with Arsenal. As Monday is the 95th anniversary of the climax of those events I thought you might appreciate some more information on the man at the center of the storm.

We have met Sporting Braga twice in European competition. The first time was 1984/5. Tottenham were defending the trophy they had won the previous season. Sporting were our first opponents in the September. The first leg away was a 3-0 win. All the goals came in a fifteen minute spell Mark Falco put us one up after a half an hour and them two goals in the four minutes, (Falco again and Tony Galvin), before the break left us with a good lead to defend back in London.

When Tottenham meet Benfica in the Europa League next week it with be the sixth time we have met Portuguese opposition, from four different clubs, in European competition.
The most famous encounter was the European Cup Semi-Final in 1962 and we will look at that epic clash later in the week. In addition several Portuguese players have worn the Tottenham shirt along with other connections.

Having explored the campaigns of England and Wales, on this our second trip to the 1958 Finals, we turn our attention to the Scotland and Northern Ireland sides.

Scotland did not have any Tottenham players in their number. However Dave Mackay from Hearts and Bill Brown, Dundee, were and each would join the Spurs within a year. While Danny Blanchflower led the Northern Ireland side.

We jump forward 28 years for the next part of our look at the history of the World Cup and the Tottenham effect. Its 1958 and the 6th World Cup was held in Sweden and its the first Finals to have international television coverage. Tottenham fans will have an interest in four of the competing nations as for the only time all four of the British sides qualify.

We discover the first Spurs captain of a competing team and the first Tottenham goal scorer at a Finals tournament. We also reveal how it benefited Tottenham back home. In this the first of a two part look at the tournament, we look at the campaigns of England and Wales.

When we talk about the 'legends' there's a debate about best games, greatest goals etc. Most professionals are simply hard working and honest and then along comes one game that whenever their name is mentioned it springs to the mind and defines their career. 

Ronnie Rosenthal won three championships and a number of caps and yet for Spurs fans he will be remembered for one special game and one special hat trick.