Billy was actually born in Woolwich and played a couple of games for Norwich before signing for his local side where he played for their reserves in a game against Spurs but after just three months moved  to Reading in 1906. There he was their top scorer in his first season and was top again the following year until his move to Spurs. The deal which also brought Ernie Coquet to North London cost Spurs £500.  Billy would stay with the club until his passing in 1940.

In his time at Tottenham he scored 101 goals in 334 games and become the first Tottenham player to reach the 100 goals for the club in first class games (2). Top scoring for Spurs three times his 95 goals came in the League and he was our record scorer until overtaken by Jimmy Dimmock in 1930. The first of those goals coming on his debut V Millwall.

The latest chapter in our salute to White Hart Lane takes us back to the east side of the ground.

Danny Blanchflower once talking about the Shelf said how opposition teams coming out of the tunnel faced that massive stand with its white frame and the roar of the crowd echoing back off the wall must have been intimidating.

Even Cliff Jones spent time on the Shelf.

Another look back at Tottenham’s involvement in another competition and its a  brief look that finds us checking out The London five –a– side competition which was first held in 1954 and continued for the next 29 years, with breaks.

Sadly there is little detail available. Even the Evening Standard that sponsored the event failed to provide any information. Here however is what I’ve uncovered including our victory in the tournament.

The inaugural tournament was held at the “Empress Hall” Earls Court, and in that first year Spurs overcame Arsenal in the semi-final before losing to Charlton in the Final. 

The home game nearest to our 125th anniversary fell on Monday 1st October 2007. The evening saw the club present a number of the clubs greatest players to the fans along with various celebrations to mark the event.

It was however not a good time for the club and certainly not an enjoyable period for the fans. Aston Villa were the visitors that night and did their best to spoil the party in a season that Tottenham had not started well.

With this week’s League Cup campaign starting with Gilingham this week sees a return to White Hart Lane for Justin Edinburgh who was a Spurs player for ten years. 

Justin first came to the clubs attention when he was part of the Southend team that beat us in a League Cup second leg  game which saw Spurs progress on the away goals rule.  Tottenham took him on loan before he returned to Southend and helped them win promotion before joining Tottenham permanently in the summer of 1990.

He featured for the first team in pre-season games and made his debut again in the League Cup V Hartlepool that season.  He was a member of the FA Cup winning side that season.  He would go to play 276 games for Spurs, (1).

This day in 1925 saw a ten goal thriller at White Hart Lane. The visitors were Huddersfield Town who had won the two previous First Division championships and would go on to retain the trophy again that season come to the Lane unbeaten.

The 1925-26 season had seen a change in the offside law. Forwards now only required two players between them and the goal rather than the previous three.

The day saw high winds and heavy rain which made controlling the ball very difficult but the sides delivered a game that was reported as being ‘the type of game that thrilled.’

One of my all time favourite players is releasing his autobiography this week. Cliff Jones who was pure magic to watch and would have the stands on tip toes as he blasted through a defence. He was so fast he could catch pigeons and could out jump a salmon.

A short tribute to the man who always had time to talk to the kids at White Hart Lands gates and is still regularly at the Lane on match days.

 In this our third look into the world of toys and Tottenham. We find another board game. We take a look back at some table top games over the years and a few cars for the boys to zoom around the carpet.

This top picture takes us back to the world of Subbutto.  A finger flicking game which is still going strong and there are even tournaments for players to complete in. You could add all-sorts of extras to your home pitch including working floodlights, supporters and trainers. Ah the old rug rat days.

We mentioned that small play figures certainly date back to 1904. In this article we bring the various sets together for the first time. I know these days everyone is surgically attached to their play-stations or whatever but will it ever match up to the imagination?

Tottenham are about to play their first Champions League game of the season and with the ‘home’ games being held at Wembley Stadium we take a look back at our relationship with that ground.
Despite opening in 1923 the then named Empire Stadium did not see Tottenham play until 1961. I also slip in a little Spurs / Wembley trivia.

It is fifty years this week since Tottenham played their first game in this competition on a cold wet 14th September 1966 at Upton Park where the home team won by the only goal after Alan Gilzean was sent off.  Having been booked for disputing a throw in he was then dismissed (we think) for suggesting that there was a handball which the referee missed. The ref wouldn’t give a reason after the game.

To mark that anniversary a quick overview of our relationship with the competition.

We continue our salute to White Hart Lane and this weekend sees the anniversary of a very special match.

Tottenham’s debut in the First Division got off to a slow start with defeats away to Sunderland and Everton. The third game was the first Division One game at White Hart Lane when Manchester United were the visitors on the 11th September 1909.  

This article draws ‘quotes’ from several newspaper accounts. A series of press photos from this game have appeared in a previous article (3). 
Possibly you may find more interesting than the reports are the newspapers descriptions of White Hart Lane.

The Tottenham Mysteries where we examine those stories that appear incomplete or where different sources over the years seem to contradict each other in order to try and clarify the position.

One of the major areas of ‘discussion’ falls on the goal scoring records. Today we open the file on the career of Billy Minter or as we refer to it here at the Mysteries, the case of “The Lost Goal Mine.”

A slightly different Talking this time around as we ask have you ever found yourself reading something and thinking that’s not right?  When it comes to footy stats you would think it’s just a simple case of adding figures up, after all we keep being told it’s a simple game. The truth is however slightly more confusing.
For example, I recently went to check some figures regarding our European campaigns were correct and found myself going through three different sources and each had different totals.

In our latest part of our celebration of White Hart Lane in its last season in its current format. Two former players share with us their memories of the ground. 

While a former chairman recalls how the ground was developed during those early years.

There are some more attendance records that were set at The Lane and a little more trivia. As well as a few more images from across the years featuring White Hart Lane.

Every Picture is where we try and find a few images that you may not have seen for a while and are certainly worth another airing.

With this set falling on the anniversary of the clubs formation no real theme this time just a celebration of the club over the years.

Happy Birthday Spurs

After several months of frantic preparation Tottenham’s new ground was ready for the new season and it was officially opened on 4th September 1899 when the oldest club in the Football League, Notts County, and then in the First Division, were the visitors on what was  described as a warm afternoon with a crowd estimated at 5,000.  

After a ceremonial kick-off by club chairman Charles Roberts the crowd enjoyed a home victory. While the press took the opportunity to consider the new surroundings. 

The month of September opened with a game that was described as their most telling display. ‘With White, Blanchflower and Mackay they had a trio to dictate the course of any game.  Their accuracy was faultless their invention inspired. They slowed the game and accelerated it at will’ (1)’.  The author claims the first thirty minutes were flawless and could have been used as an instructional film for any international side. Great praise indeed as, Spurs put on a pyrotechnic display that made the watchers blood race and the hair stand on end with excitement (1). It was the home game against Manchester United and once again Spurs started fast and were a goal up in five minutes.