Every Picture Tells A Story - Set Six

Every Picture is the series where we look to dig out a collection of various Spurs linked images from across the years that I think deserve an airing. Some you may have seen but hopefully not too recently.

Thus the series does tend to avoid more recent photos as they are more likely to have been scattered across endless social media. If you have any that fit into that category do get in touch. 

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That top picture and its 2006 as Robbie Keane who gets himself airborne when we visited the Arsenal back in 2006.

Next up there we find Ricki Villa and Ossie Ardiles recently arrived from Argentina in 1978 and the club arranged for them and their families to have English lessons.

Whatever happened, their English is better than my Spanish.

Come to think of it I know more Latin than Spanish, very handy.

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It’s off to Norfolk next and its 1994 and the game this match at Norwich in dreadful weather. Now here comes the question, I thought at first because of the weather it was the Boxing Day game which we won 2-0. Then I tried to make out who the players were, that’s Sheringham and Dozzell, both who played. The player further away could be anyone in this pic but I thought it looked like Samways. He did play along with the other two on our other visit that calendar year. That wasn’t until April 2nd, a 2-1 win. A quick check with the BBC (no end to the depths of research) and that day was in fact very cold, with heavy rain, hails and snow!  So unless anyone else can remember that far back! Let us know. 

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Next up and staying in Norfolk we find Ted Ditchburn enjoying a well earned rest. Here at a holiday camp in Norfolk in 1952. Spurs had finished that season in second spot on April 30th before sailing to North America for a ten game tour which ended on June 18th before sailing home. No wonder he looks comfy in that deckchair. Ted is also featured singing in Every Picture, Set One,  showing off his singing skills. Note the knee injury.

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Forward to 1967 next and in the build up to the FA Cup Final.

The Tottenham’s press photo shoot includes the lads giving Pat Jennings plenty of shooting practice.

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The next pic finds some other visitors to this country. The Nigerian FA toured England in 1949 becoming the first team from a commonwealth country to do so (1). The eighteen man squad was made up various bank clerks, teachers and train drivers, playing nine matches in total against various amateur sides and representative teams.

On the 5th September they were the clubs guests at our game with Sheffield Wednesday. We won by a Len Duquemin goal to nil as Tottenham ran away with the Second division championship by nine points from second placed Wednesday that season.  

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The Nigerians were only used to playing 35 minutes each way so were surprised when they were faced with 90 minutes. I wonder how many goals were scored in those extra minutes. The side was described as having an intricate and exotic style of play.  Some of their players preferred to play barefoot or with ankle straps rather than boots especially on hard surface, like the Indian Olympic team the year before and the Ugandan team that toured a couple of years later.  One of the party would later return to the UK and play for Peterborough and QPR.
The team also brought a large amount of food with them. This was to help supplement the post-war rationing that was still in force in England, this included yams, rice, peppers, and shrimps.

Etim Henshaw their captain speaking just before his death in 1989 said “Football in the 1940s was a wonderful game. We just played the game because we loved it and we grew up kicking the ball around whenever we could. It was in our blood. It wasn’t our job. Sometimes it seems that today they only care about putting the ball in the net. We played because we loved to play and because it made us feel free. We were amateurs, but were more dedicated than the present day professionals. We played for the love of the game and were a bit more competitive than the present day footballers.”
 

Its David Howells next and the 1991 Cup semi-final played at Wembley sees us beat Arsenal 3-1.

Here we find David being fouled by Lee Dixon.

(well that was a surprise).  

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The England team played several games in May during May 1972 including the European Championship quarter final with West Germany (2). Here we see four of the squad, Rodney Marsh, Bobby Moore as well as our own Martin Peters and Martin Chivers.

Not quite sure why they are dressed as City Gents, possibly because of the German game? This pic often carries a reference to The Avengers, a TV show where the hero wore this kind of outfit. A quick check however says that it ended in 1969, so it looks like we will just stick with the City Gent. Anyone have any other thoughts?

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It’s back to 1934 and its White Hart Lane next. The lads are trying out the new rubber boots and screw in studs, the latest in sports science, on a cold frosty morning. Now this pic has also been labeled as the 1950’s.

But looking at the clothing and it doesn’t look like the 50’s players I lean towards the 34 caption.  A quick look at the 34 team pics and that Les Howe, 4th from left. Once again a pic worth a look and if you know better the in-box awaits.

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Then we come more up to date and 2009 finds Peter Crouch with one of the younger lads training with the club.  A young Harry Kane looking to pick up some tips.  

Nice to see the Club re-tweeted this pic for me.

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If you have any interesting pictures, preferably Spurs, but any footy that you think might be of interest to the other readers do drop me a note. Every Picture runs on Facebook in the first instance and then each set is gathered together to help prevent its disappearance back into obscurity.  The complete set version tends to have a little more comment if possible. So do feel free to keep an eye on the links below and be the first to see them along with ‘other stuff!’  Every Picture set Seven will be with you in the not too distance future.

Hope you enjoyed this set, as it has taken forever to try and load and the pictures keep jumping all over the place. They do appear first on the links below so follow them for the first glimpse plus more.
 
COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f- peter shearman (old non de plume)
You can my full archive at -  View Full Bio
 
Notes -1 – The 1948 Olympic teams don’t count as that wasn’t a FA tour of the country.
2- See Spurs and the Euro’s.