Talking Tottenham used to appear regularly as a magazine mixture of news, trivia, quotes, twaddle and everything Tottenham. Trying to be a little different from endless other blogs and possibly not always totally serious. My loyal readers, yes both of them, felt that some of the piffle was worth preserving before it finally disappeared into the recycling bin of eternity. So blame them for this collection not me. Before we take a random dip into the archive however lets pop into the bosses’ press conference and it seems we have arrived just at that ‘please not the Real Madrid question again!’ moment.

France the nearest country to Tottenham outside of the United Kingdom has provided a number of opponents for the club but we have only toured there four times. Although maybe only one of those trips warrants the title tour. France where so many Spurs players will be this summer for the Euros. In this series originally played for last summer we explore how the clubs have changed over the years.

The Euro’s take place this summer and in this short series we will attempt to uncover the various Tottenham links to the European Championships or the European Nations Cup as it was originally called until 1968. The idea of a competition was first floated in 1927, three years before the first World Cup but it wasn’t until 1960 the first competition was held. In the earlier competitions the Tottenham links are concentrated on the four British sides but as foreign players became more common in the English game then the links spread across the continent. In this first article we look back at competitions in 1960 & 64.

Percy Smith took over as manager in January 1930 after over one hundred people applied for the Tottenham managers post following Billy Minter stepping down. The Board interviewed at least eight men, before appointing Percy Smith from Bury. After the events described in ‘The Forgotten Years’, Percy started to rebuild the aging side he inherited which had finished 12th in Division 2 the season before. The lowest point in our history, still better than many clubs can claim. The Thirties as a decade included promotion and relegation, as well as a variety of stories worth recalling. It was however overall a most disappointing time for the club. Smith’s first full season did get off to a flyer with a 7-1 win at home to Reading and two days later defeating Burnley 8-1.

Once after an international game with Turkey there was a dinner for both the teams. Dennis Law bet Dave he would not climb on the table and walk along it. Dave quickly agreed, climbed up and did so.

It was only as he reached the top of the table he realized that the officials from the two FAs were sitting there watching him. Thinking quickly Dave told the Turkish guests that this was an old Scottish custom which the team captain did to honour their visitors.

Another collection of images from around White Hart Lane taken from across the ages and we continue the story of those early days in our new home carries on from where we ended - The Marsh Lane. Although the stars in this case are clearly the images.

This time we concentrate on the northern end of the ground, the Edmonton End as it was commonly referred to for years later becoming known as the Paxton Road, which itself has now disappeared under the work now underway for a new stadium.

The media like to make much of the fact Tottenham went a long time without winning at Liverpool, 73 years in fact. However never letting the facts get in the way of a good story they even suggest we played there 73 times, which isn’t the case. It still may not be a story to warm the cockles of the heart but at least lets put the story straight. Here are all  the facts I could uncover regarding Tottenham and the Titanic.

It’s the small things in that life that pass almost unnoticed at the time but later you realize the ramifications have rippled through the years and affected very aspect of your life.

Such was the case when a young lad just arrived in London got down from the night train picked up his suitcase and found his way to Tottenham High Road. Luckily the Weekly Herald captured the moment eighty years ago this week.

It was mid morning on the 16th March 1936 when a young William Nicholson walked through the gates at White Hart Lane. The arrival was noted in that week’s edition of the Weekly Herald.

We recently featured a three part series, Tottenham Hotspur Kit History.

I’m delighted that the author Tony Sealey has agreed to do a question and answer session on some of the points raised by the readers from that series and indeed it’s very pleasing that so many people took an interest in the series.   

We look back at another competition that Spurs have played in over the years. This time it’s a competition that was born out of disaster and died from apathy. It did however give one Tottenham legend a swansong at the Lane as we reached the semi final.

The competition, when it is remembered, is more often referred to as the title the sponsors called it, The Super Screen Cup. Let us look back at some events from the 1985 /86 season.

The competition was born from the UEFA ban on English clubs competing in European competition after the Liverpool fans behaviour at the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985 in which 39 Juventus fans died when a wall collapsed. This was the latest in a number of incidents involving English fans and UEFA introduced the ban which many expected was coming to rid itself of what was popularly known as ‘the English disease.’ Although the English shouldn’t be given all the blame

Whilst the first Austrian to play for Tottenham is our current player Kevin Wimmer the connections go back over a hundred years. We have met clubs from that country in European action twice and played an unusual European tie in the country. There is also ‘the finest game I ever saw’ and we discover a sprinkling of links from the international stage as we turn our attention to another of the countries that will be in action in this summer’s European Championships.

Where we try and uncover images relating to Spurs that deserve another airing and not the usual suspects that resurface regularly. Set Five starts with an off-duty moment.

The top picture dates back to 1962  and the publican of the White Hart (sorry can’t remember his name) that stood at the top of what became Bill Nicholson Way was a western gun enthusiast, cowboy dramas were on the telly every night in those far off days. I think he actually held a record for 'quick draws'.

The Almanac reaches March and we recall just a few some stories from earlier years that maybe otherwise would slip under the radar, as well of course some that can’t be left out. There are some great games to remember as the season gets towards the business end as well as the usual first, lasts, trophies, records, lots and lots of goals, European action and a few birthdays. 
Which brings us to young Erik Lamela, Coca who turns 24 on the 4th.