The Almanac where we try and dig out a few stories and dates that might slip past us otherwise but as the season gets underway there are several really ‘must includes.’  We have some birthday boys, trophies and goals.

This being September we must start on the 5th of the month and 1882. The nearest we have to an official formation date, so happy 134th birthday Spurs.

Tottenham played their first ever game in the Football League at 5pm on September 1st 1908. The visitors to White Hart Lane that day for the Second Division game were Wolverhampton Wanderers the holders of the English (FA) Cup.

To prevent any author bias of what happened next I’ve drawn this article from the match report from the London Daily News. Which will demonstrate how much football has changed…. or has it.


To help clarify the report I’ll start with the team, it was Hewitson, Burton, Coquet, Morris,
D. Steel, Darnell (left), Walton, Woodward, McFarlane, R. Steel and Middlesmass.

Tottenham its players and ground have featured on the TV a number of times over the years away from the more likely ‘match day’ programming. While Spurs have formed part of the backdrop in other shows.
Here we gather together a few of their TV and Radio appearances. As well as the comedies the lads turn up in quiz shows, soap operas, chat shows, and even detective stories.
 
They have had a role in many TV comedies, many having appeared on Indian TV at some point, as well as the radio versions. In ‘Two Point Four Children’ the late Gary Olsen, a massive Spurs fan, played the role of ….
a massive Spurs fan.

Another competition briefly encountered was The Texaco Cup during the 1971-72 season. The competition was devised for teams who had not qualified for European competition.  In that first season teams from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland as well as the Republic Of Ireland took part, the latter withdrawing after one season due to political pressure.
Tottenham’s brief campaign started at home to Dunferminline.

The Scottish club Dunferminline came to the Lane and were beaten 4-0 win. Martin Chivers scoring a hat trick and Mike England the other goal. Just 16,388 turned up at the Lane to watch.

The second leg two weeks later and Spurs eased to a 3-0 win. Chivers adding one more and Martin Peters scoring twice. The Scots seem to have embraced the game as 19,000 turned up despite the first leg result or maybe to glimpse the famous English players.

The Spurs Collection draws together various artifacts and suchlike relating to Tottenham Hotspur. Apart from the famous ones like the 'Nicholson' gates and The Cockerel there are many other items gathered over the years which are worthy of your inspection.

Today's assortment  includes some brought back from the club's travels and others presented to players. As well as a couple which may raise a smile or just be of passing interest.

As we continue to look back at The Lane and its wonderful history we remember when international football’s first visits came to the ground. We mix in a little trivia with the images of White Hart Lane taken over the years and then squeeze up please as there are a lot of  people who have wanted to watch Spurs play over the years.

White Hart Lane first saw international action on September 21st 1901 when a team of touring German players playing as the German Association met an FA XI made up of amateur players.

The players have over the years enjoyed their celebrity by dashing into the recording studio and sharing (or inflicting) their musical talents with the fans. Here for the first time In one collection are all your favourites.

I normally manage to keep my footy and music separate but lets gather round and we will see what we can find and get those toes tapping. 

I suppose we should start with Chas ‘N’ Dave as they are the most well known. Local rockers Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock, have recorded a number of tunes with and about their heroes. 1981 saw them record ‘Ossies Dream / Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur’ Possibly Tottenham’s best attack on the music world as it managed number 5 in the top 20.

We look back to the summer of 1909 when Tottenham accepted an invitation from the Argentine FA to tour the country. This would involve playing two exhibition games with fellow tourists Everton, who had just finished runners up in Division One, and playing games against local sides. The side had just completed its first season in the Football League and won promotion to the top flight. The trip would be Tottenham’s third trip abroad and it started in a most bizarre manner and would end on a similar note.

The new season is upon us and the members of the clan are grouping together. Replica shirts have been aired and are in evidence. The word 'believe' is heard above the mumbled conversations. 

Be it at 'The Lane' or in front of a TV screen or within earshot of a radio almost anywhere the Tottenham fans are coming.

A salute to the Tottenham faithful.

A few people have reported difficulties in locating previous articles referenced due to some technical problems on the website. Whilst our team attempt to correct the issue this article will act as a guide to the clubs Double winning season 0f 1960/61.

The long wait for the new season ended on August 20th as Everton arrived at White Hart Lane. Bill Nicholson sent out a team that day that had never played together in a competitive game and the two well matched sides remained even until the last five minutes of the game although Dunlop in the Everton goal had been the much the busier of the keepers and had kept them in the game.

Then Bobby Smith saw a gap in the blue wall and as he went into the box he was brought down. Before the referee could blow the ball ran loose to Les Allen who slid home the first goal of the season. Two minutes later and with the tension lifted Spurs attacked again, John White centered from the right and Smith stooping headed home for a 2-0 win. More than fifty thousand had seen Tottenham launch their campaign.

The last weekend before the new season commences and I wondered if you might like something lighter before the battle begins.

As a companion piece to the recent ‘Spurs and the Olympics’ there are various tales, not Tottenham related, from the Olympic football competition you might enjoy that emerged from the vaults at FIFA and the IOC.

Featuring The Czar of Russia, the final where a team walked off, the one that run out of money, the Olympic Turn, nobody seems happy with the ref, the Mysore connection and Adolf Hitler, (something for everyone).

With some fave images from previous games.

Every Picture Tells A Story where we try and find images that deserve another run out. This latest set and I said there was a connection when it ran on social media. It wasn't a competition and I would of been surprised if anyone actually picked up on it.

As I compile the articles I've noticed a number of them come from the lens of one man. The famous Monte Fresco who was the Daily Mirrors top sports photographer for many years. He was also a Spurs man. Whilst he covered the whole world of sport he left us a legacy of brilliant Tottenham images.
 
This top image he comes around in front of the camera and gets his hands on the FA Cup in May 1981 with Gareth Crooks

In part 2 we discover that Tottenham have played several Olympic teams over the years and we look back at the last Olympic's in London, but before that we remember Tottenham’s first two Gold’s and a Silver medal in the Games. We find an amazing penalty story as Tottenham’s contribution to the Gold Medal winning sides of 1908 and 1912 came under the leadership both times of Vivian Woodward who captained the Great Britain side.

With the European Championships behind us and the new season still beckoning it provides us the opportunity to consider the Olympic football competition that will shortly be underway in Rio. In this two part article we will look back at some of the Tottenham connections over the last one hundred years. Be it the last Olympiad in our own backyard or the first ever football event, Spurs have been there. We have won Gold’s; at one Games we won the Gold and Silver! There is the Spurs man who carried the flag in the opening ceremony and we recall the matches at White Hart Lane and there is even weightlifting!

There is a new beginning as the new season starts. As well as lots of goals, birthdays, firsts lasts hello and goodbye as well as some trophies. Its the Almanac as we reach August.

One bigger new beginning than most occurred on the 14th (2004) when manager Jacques Santini gave debuts to seven players on the opening day.

The 15th in 1987 saws us play Coventry City on opening Day, having met them in the FA Cup Final in the last game of the previous season.

While a new beginning for Brad Friedel in 2011 on the 22nd meant he became our oldest debutante at just 40 years and 96 days.