As a special end of year treat I have drawn together the links between Tottenham and India. Whilst there may not be too many I hope you enjoy those that I discovered. We include the two Tottenham first teamers born in India. As well as Indian VIP’s at the Lane, the Spur who played Test cricket in this country and the one who umpired a test match. We also have those who have coached and played here and mention of the only time Tottenham have met an Indian side.

Its that time of the year when India Spurs rolls out its seasonal spectacular, yes it’s a Tottenham Christmas III - A Lilywhite Awakens. What an amazing title for this years blockbuster reflecting the mood and progress of our own dear lads. In fact its such a good title you watch some low budget film will steal the title. I’m sure you have all read the first two titles in this series (1). So wrap up warm and join us on our walk down a glistening White Hart Wonder Lane as we look forward with anticipation whilst warming our hands on the glow of memories from Christmas past.

One of the true giants in Tottenham’s history, Bobby Smith was a member of the great Double side in 1961 scoring 33 league and cup goals. He also won the FA Cup (62) and the European Cup Winners Cup (63). His final tally of goals for Tottenham was 208 which place’s him second in the all time goal scorer’s chart. Along the way he set a number of other goal scoring records.

Bobby born in Yorkshire in 1933 and after leaving school he worked down the mines with his father. Bobby was an apprentice blacksmith fitting the shoes for the pit ponies. Turning out for his local youth team he started as a right back, it was only when the center forward did not turn up one week he moved up front. He joined Chelsea as an amateur but he became homesick and returned north. His father did not want him to spend his life in the mines returned him to London and he turned professional and made his first team debut at 17.

Welcome to the latest roundup of some of the better bits from Talking Tottenham just in time to take your mind of dreadful weather and brighten up your festive / new year celebrations, (sound of party poppers).

So as we used to introduce TT every weekend - And in a packed complication programme tonight, we have guess the waxwork, great Tottenham haircuts of our times, once again (well twice actually) the club follow where India Spurs lead, there are some of your favourite silly pics, a few quotes and I recall what happened when I ran into Peter Crouch.

Lets Talk Tottenham.

The European Championship finals will be upon us this summer and in the period running through to the competition Connections will look at some of the teams taking part. We start with one of the countries that have few Tottenham connections but does have a rather surprising one for you to watch out for next summer.
 
Tottenham have not met an Albanian side nor have they signed any players from that country. Despite that the forthcoming European Championship finds us looking at their bench and their assistant manager is Paulo Tramezzani, our former Italian player.

Throughout the run of Talking Tottenham we have featured a number of Tottenham’s  ‘celebrity’ fans, nearly 150 in total were identified with still more on the waiting list to be included. I tried to identify people who while well known in the UK may not enjoy “Celeb” status in India but be at least where a passing talking head on the TV. At the same time a couple of these mean little to oui but may be known to you, I expect that’s down to me rather than any failing on their part. Some celebrity’s don’t like to wear their colours on their sleeves for fear of upsetting their own fickle following and some are happy to sing along on match day. As I can’t fit them all into one the builders are currently working on a second box and that will be ready shortly.

In part 2 of the Forgotten Years we discover a goal scorer record breaker as we top the Football League for the first time. There is a major change in the laws and we lose our England captain to injury. There is also a change in manager but not our fortunes. However the 1925-26 season could not have got off to a better start with a 1-0 win away to Arsenal.

left - Tottenham 1924.

In the final part of the Forgotten Years the club’s special training plans don’t go to plan and the club is involved in one of the oddest Cup ties in its history. There is also the most stunning end to the season in the history of the Football League.
Billy Minter's spell in the managers chair is short lived but eventful. His first full season in charge came in the 1927-28 season.

That Cup run that year saw us win at Bristol City (2-1) and at home to Oldham (3-0). We then won 3-0 at Leicester in the Fifth Round. The draw for the quarter finals saw us travel to Huddersfield. In the last five years they had been champions three times and runners up twice in the League.


Left - Action from the Bury game September 1929, a 2-2 draw.

After the triumph’s of the previous few years described in 'Tottenham and the Roaring 20's', including the highest ever finish in the League by a London club, the first London club to win the FA Cup since we won it 20 years earlier as well as another semi-final, Tottenham slipped away from the top but the remainder of that decade still produced a number of tales worth recalling including the first time we ever topped the Football League table. There was the most bizarre end to a season in the League’s history. In the Cup we had one of the best ties ever seen and also one of the oddest. There was also a reprimand from the FA and a major change in the Laws of the game.

Left - Two of our greatest legends Arthur Grimsdell and Fanny Walden.

Ted Ditchburn is one of the true legends of the club having played over 400 games for the club, (only Perryman and Jennings have played more).
He won both Second and First Division titles with the club. Along the way he set a record that is unlikely to be broken of playing in 247 consecutive league appearances, including being ever present for five seasons (1). 
Noted for his skill and reflexes as well as an excellent positional sense he is one of the finest goalkeepers to have played for Tottenham. 

The Almanac for December continues and as well as festive joy we have a new manager who will bring us trophies, fog and floods, we seek Winter sun and go top of the table, Then we have problems with the press, hit lots of goals and celebrate a few birthdays.
 
We start on the way to the Double and on the 17th in 1960  - A very foggy day nearly sees the game called off but nothing was stopping Tottenham that season as we win 3-1 at Everton.

The Almanac falls open at December where we recall some of the events in and around the club over the years that might otherwise slip past us. This month we start with the national team coming to White Hart Lane. There are first, fast and record goals, new managers and players and more than our share of trouble. 

Left - Ledley King who turns up a couple of times.