Bill nicholson - part 3

"My respect and admiration for him just grew the more I saw of him. He knew more about the game than anyone I ever met, and knew how to convey it. He was the complete manager. I cannot speak highly enough of him….

Bill was the main man, he was Tottenham through and through. He knew more about the game than any of us, he ran the club from the boot room to the Board room, and he gave us values and leadership. You have to respect that….

To Bill the fans were the most important people at the club and he made sure we gave value for money.”
                                      - Cliff Jones

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The start of his 16 year reign as manager started with a 10-4 win over Everton. The following week we won 4-3 at Leicester City. After three draws and three defeats on the road this was their first away win of the season. They then took one point from three games as Bill slowly got the team playing his way. The team finished the season 18th (out of 22). The following season we finished third, two points behind the winners.

On top of his Tottenham duties during those early years he continued to work with the England Full and Under-23 sides.

In the summer of 1959 Tottenham undertook a tour of the USSR. A trip that Bill felt played a great part in building a team spirit for the great years that lay just ahead as he rebuilt the Tottenham team that would win the Double in 1960/61.

1. On the training ground where he was happiest, early 1960's

He blended his side with the steel to match the style with amongst others John White, Bill Brown and Dave Mackay. His Double winning giants, the first team in the modern era to achieve the feat, set a number of First Division records as they led the table from Day 1 and were never headed. Their record of 11 successive victories at the start of the season still stands, not just in England but across the top Leagues in Europe. They were unbeaten in their first 16 games.They won 31 of the 42 League matches, 16 away from home.

The team used only 17 players all season. They reached 50 points in 29 games. As well as their own records the 66 points and 33 from away games both equaled the records set by Arsenal in 1930/31. That season we scored 115 goals in the League conceding 55. Winning their first ten away games.

In a Daily Express interview on August 14, 1961, Nicholson said: "Now that we have the Charity Shield to place between the FA Cup and the Football League Challenge Cup, the boardroom looks nice and tidy.

2. April 1961. Double winners. Bill gets to wear the Chairman's hat

We are not being big-headed when we say we have done the cup and league Double, but we must have a new target, to win the European Cup. It has not been done before by any team from this country. Neither has any team from Britain yet reached the final, a state of affairs we mean to change."

The 1961 /62 season saw Jimmy Greaves added to the team as we won the FA Cup again and finished third. We also reached the Semi-Final of the European Cup. 1963 and we were League runners up and were the first British team to win a European Trophy destroying the holders and favorites Atletico Madrid 5-1 in the Rotterdam Final.

Bills legacy stretches throughout English football. His success had shown that English clubs could be champions in Europe. Many copied his ideas and many mangers sought his advice.

3. With Tommy Harmer

 In that period only two English teams competed in Europe each season. If the current qualification process had been in place at that time we can only wonder where the Tottenham adventures would of led.

4. On the coach after the 1967 Cup Semi-final with goal heroes Jimmy Greaves and Frank Saul

Bill then set about rebuilding the aging Double team finishing outside the top six once before his second great team emerged in 1966/67 with the likes of Pat Jennings, Alan Gilzean and Mike England. The team that saw us win the FA Cup in the first ever all-London Final, for the third time in seven years and finish third in the League.

A season that if not for a dreadful spell of games in October/November could have been another Double. As we lost only one of our last twenty-eight matches.
Bill continued to attract the top players to Tottenham twice breaking the British transfer record with the signings of Martin Chivers and Martin Peters. We won the League Cup in 1971 and when we repeated the success in 1973, we became the first team to win the trophy a second time.

5. 1973 Tottenham the first team to win the League Cup twice.

In between in1972 we won the UEFA Cup becoming the first British team to win two different European competitions. 1972/73 saw us reach the Semi-final of the UEFA Cup. The following season we were the beaten finalists in the same competition, but still became the first British side to play in three European finals.

Times were changing. The crowd problems in the UEFA Cup Final deeply upset him.

 An interview (1) I read suggested he was disillusioned with some of the younger generation not being as dedicated as he thought they should be, agents and the growing financial influence were all factors. In August of that year Bill announced his intention to retire as manager, agreeing to stay on until his replacement could be appointed.

It seems most likely that Bill thought part of his job was to ensure the succession. He may have even thought he had the Board’s support to do so. He clearly believed that Danny Blanchflower was the ideal candidate and even spoke to fellow Irishman Johnny Giles about the assistants post. Danny was very much his own man, the polar opposite to Bill, he would still have his good friend to sound out ideas with.

6. With Danny Blanchflower

Danny had however already upset several Board members in the past with his outspokenness. One Board member said ‘If he had applied we would of considered him but he didn’t.’ Bill was upset his opinion had not carried the day. Whatever the truth Danny was overlooked and would later have a decent managerial career at club and international level before devoting himself to being a journalist. The fans were stunned having had Bill for as long as they could remember when the Board decide to appoint Terry Neill, an Arsenal legend, and who was the manager of the mighty Hull City who were not even in the top flight. Bill finally stood down on September 13th 1974. He would return to the club he devoted his life to in 1976 when the second most successful manager in our history Keith Burkenshaw took over.

Notes -1- Fairly sure this was with Ken Jones of the Daily Mirror, who was Cliffs cousin.
A list the acknowledgements will appear at the end of the series. Images - Top- My Football Heaven, 1-Daily Mail, 2- Getty Images, 5- Daily Mirror, 6- Press Association,

About the author:
Keith Harrison, Nilgiris, TN
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