This trip we are going back to the beginning and one very small link to Tottenham. The idea of a world tournament was discussed at the first meeting of FIFA in1904. I suspect that none of the delegates realised that when the first competition finally took place 26 years later it would involve unfinished stadiums, a ref who couldn't tell the time and a one armed hero.

I was interested to note the number of royal connections with the club whilst having a wander around this week.
Lets start by looking at actual fans. You should be aware if you read my twaddle on a regular basics that King Harald V of Norway follows the Spurs (2).
What you may not know is that Mark Phillips, Olympic Gold medalist and former husband to Princess Anne and their son Peter are both Tottenham supporters. Also to be found in the Royal Box, HRH Sheikh Nader Bin Salman Al Khalifa, the nephew of the King of Bahrain.
I've also been informed, that we also have a royal supporter in the King of Malaysia King Syed Sirajuddin. I will try and confirm that one.

With the Tottenham fan base growing in India everyday many of the fans may not be familiar with the name Tim Sherwood. Tim who is one of the team who have taken charge of the first team for the time being played for Spurs from 1999 to 2003. He rejoined the club on the coaching staff in 2008 and was lately appointed Technical Co-ordinator.  

3 -  Origins
In the last part of this series we look at how it all started. Today people in all corners of the world follow every aspect and kick of the FA Cup but that wasn’t always the case. In fact it actually struggled for life in its first season. Let me briefly take you back to London in 1863. At that time there were a number of versions of the game with different teams using different rules.

1 - The Magic.

A short three part series looking at why the FA Cup is so special. One of the truly magical days in the footballing calendar is going to occur in the next few days. The draw for the Third Round of the Football Association Challenge Cup or the F.A. Cup or as its known simply THE Cup. No other trophy can drop its name and retain its identity. That’s the magic that encompasses this competition. The oldest and most famous cup competition in the world. Its history stretches back more than a 140 years to before Spurs were formed. It has its own special pageantry and customs that are known to millions around the globe.

Congratulations to Jermain Defoe who is now Tottenham Hotspur’s top scorer in European competition. His penalty (his first in Europe) at home to Sheriff took him to 23 goals, one ahead of Martin Chivers.
 
Important Note- There appears to be some confusion over Jermain’s European record.
I’ve seen several variations, even some normally reliable sources providing conflicting  information (1). The goal information provided here has been kindly verified by Andy Porter, the Clubs Official Historian. I thank him for his time and kind assistance. That is in addition to UEFA’s view (2).

International boundaries have changed a great deal over the years and many new countries have appeared with the breakup of old ones. One of the countries affected more than most was the Soviet Union / Russia.  I’ve tried to look at some of the connections with how the boundaries were at the time.

1973 /4 saw us visit the former Soviet Union to play Dinamo Tbilisi in the UEFA Cup 3rd Round. Ralph Coates scored a great with a screamer in the first half in a 1-1 draw. Back home we eased to a 5-1 win.

There is always something very special about European action under the floodlights and the days before groups and it was ‘do or die.’ Tottenham led the way and were one of the first to triumph in Europe. 

As we prepare for the first European game of the season for those India Spurs readers who have experienced it live and those still dreaming of that day.  feel that magic. 

Tottenham currently have a Argentinean manager and two players from that country registered with the club. Our most famous link goes back to 1978 but we actually have connections with the country dating from 1909.