Connections - Russia

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.

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That night all our goals came from headers Chivers and Peters 2 each and Chris McGrath 1.  We of course played Tbilisi again this season in the qualifying round. With the international upheaval over recent years they are now in Georgia.

Our Russian opponents in 2011/12 were Rubin Kazan who we met in the group stage of the UEFA cup. At home Pavlyuchenko scored against his countrymen for the only goal. The second game saw us lose 0-1 in an uninspiring game. Cudicini in goal that night saved us from a worse score. This was the game we played without a manager. Harry Redknapp having undergone surgery a few days before watched on TV at home.

Another meeting we had with a Russian club was in the 2009 Europa League. At that time UEFA had groups of five teams each playing each other only once. Spartak Moscow were the visitors in our last group game. Goals from Modric and Huddlestone saw the game ending in a  2-2 draw.  This was good enough to see us through to the round of 32. Where we were eliminated by the former Russian team Shakhar Donetsk.

Spurs players who played against them in their various guises at full international  level for their countries include Ossie Ardilles (Argentina), Ronny Rosenthal (Israel) Erik Thorstvedt (Norway) Pat Jennings )Northern Ireland)   and for the Republic, Chris Houghton, Robbie Keane, Joe Kinnear, Gary Doherty and Tony Galvin. As well as Steve Archibald and Colin Calderwood Scotland) Gareth Bale,  Cliff  Jones and Chris Gunter all for Wales and Gudni Bergsson for Iceland. 

Roman Pavlyuchenko played for Spurs from 2008 to 2011. He was involved in 109 games. Starting 67 and 42 as a sub. Scoring 41 times.  During his time as a Spur he earned 16  international caps for Russia along with another 8 goals.

Super Pav divided the fans, some loving him whilst others being driven to distraction. His very laid back look could give an impression of being uninterested in the proceedings. Possibly not assisted by the famous coaching advice he was given by then manager, Harry Redknapp ‘To run about a bit‘.

Like many great strikers he could drift out of games before suddenly bursting into action often with devastating effect. Although he wanted to start, the substitutes role seem to suit him with his laid back approach, when introduced against a tiring defence. The scorer of some simple tap-ins he was capable of shots from all angles out of the blue surprising the defence. His pair against Birmingham on the last day of  the 2011 season included such a strike from outside the box which ensured their relegation. 

His most vital goal for the club could well of been our second goal in our 3-2 defeat away to Young Boys in the 2011 Champions League  play-off round.  We started dreadfully and went 3-0 down.  It looked like we might go out of the competition at the first step. Bassong scored a goal before ‘Super-Pav’ struck. An incredibly suburb shot  brought us back to 3-2 and his goal that night gave us the leverage to get back into the tie in the second leg and qualify for the group stage.

We took Croatian international Stipe Pletikosa on loan from Spartak Moscow in 2010/11. His one first team game was in the league Cup.

Players with Spurs connections who have turned out for England over the years include the first meeting between the two countries first meeting in 1967 when manager Alf Ramsey played Cyril Knowles for his first cap, Alan Mullery and Martin Peters. Peters scoring in the 2-2 draw. Peters also played for England again the following year in the European Championship. Peters was in the Ramsey side in 1973 with Martin Chivers who scored. Graham Roberts won his last cap against them in 1984.  Chris Waddle  scored the only goal of the game in the Tbilisi stadium in 1986 alongside Hoddle and Lineker. Gary Linker captained and scored against them in 1992, When Paul Stewart came on as a sub. Peter Crouch has made two substitute appearances V Russia. Whilst Roman Pavuchenko played two games against England, one as a sub. In 2007 he scored two goals, one a penalty against Paul Robinson in the England goal.

Several players have played against the country at other levels whilst at Tottenham. England B and Gary mabbutt, Les Ferninard (scored on his only game at this level), Ian Walker and Darren Anderton. Under 23’s saw Steve Perryman turn out and the Under 21’s Sol Campbell, Vinney Samways and Stuart Nethercott.






One of our earliest Russian connections strangely came in May 1959. At the that time political relations between Russia and the Western countries were at their coldest. Yet Spurs who had ended the season 18th out of 22 teams headed to the Soviet Union for a short tour. The team contained a number of the players that would become the Double winning team two seasons later.

We Beat Torpedo Club of Moscow 1-0, Dynamio Kiev 2-1 before losing to a CCCP Select XI 1-3 in Leningrad.  It was during this tour that the manager Bill Nicholson famously took the team to see the world famous Bolshoi ballet. The Torpedo Club played a return friendly at White Hart Lane the following November which we won 3-2.


About the author:
Keith Harrison, Nilgiris, TN
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