Hotspur Towers- Spurs and the Euros, 3

The fourth Championships (1972) were held in Belgium. The country only being awarded the tournament after qualifying for the finals. Neither of the other two countries that had been candidates (England and Italy) reached the finals. The tournament had grown this time around with Iceland the only country not to enter.
Tottenham had players represent five different countries, one of who would reach the quarter finals. UEFA planned to use the Home International as a qualifying group again but the British sides insisted upon being separated.

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Mike England appeared in two games for the Welsh team as Wales were drawn in Group 1 and their first game was a 0-0 at home to Rumania and this was followed by a defeat in Swansea to Czechoslovakia. They then won away and home to Finland. Defeats to the Czechs and the group winners Rumania followed leaving them in third place.
 
Northern Ireland also finished third with the Soviet Union topping their group. They started with a defeat in Spain before wins in Cyprus and then at home. Losing away to the Russians before drawing at home with both them and Spain rounded off their competition. Pat Jennings playing in all but the first game.
 
Scotland once again featured Alan Gilzean (below) but in only one game in what would be his last international. They also finished also third behind Belgium in their group. Starting with a win at home to Denmark they followed up a with defeats in Belgium, Portugal (Gilzean’s game) and Denmark. Before winning their last two games at home.

The Republic of Ireland ended bottom of their group. Joe Kinnear appearing in two of the games. The first as a substitute in the defeat in Sweden. The second another defeat away to Italy.
 
England, still under Alf Ramsey, started their group with a win in Malta. Alan Mullery captaining his country for the only time that game with Martin Peters scoring the goal and Martin Chivers alongside him making his debut.

Top picture - Chivers, Mullery and Peters in Malta.

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England then beat Greece at home 3-0  in the first game between the countries. Chivers scored the first goal which was his first for England. Mullery was alongside Peters and Coates came off the bench.  This was followed by a 5-0 win over Malta. Martin Chivers scoring two more. Also playing were Ralph Coates and Martin Peters.
 
Next came a 3-2 win in Switzerland, at St Jacob ground in Basle where this seasons Europa League final will be played. Chivers added one more to his tally. Scoring in the 12th minute to make the score 2-1. Peters winning his 50th cap and Mullery were also playing.

en they drew at home to the Swiss with the only Tottenham player, Chivers coming off the bench in the last few minutes. This meant England still had not qualified when they traveled to Greece for the last game. They won 2-0, Chivers getting his fifth in qualifying as they topped the group. Martins goal coming in the last minute. Peters also played.

right - Pat Jennings

England were drawn with West Germany in the two legged quarter finals. The first game at Wembley resulted in a 1-3 loss. England conceding two goals in the last five minutes.

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The return leg in West Berlin was a 0-0 and England were out. Chivers and Peters playing in both games. The final saw West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3-0. Meanwhile back in N17 Tottenham had finished 6th in the League but won the first ever UEFA Cup Final.

The next championships in 1976 again saw every member of UEFA but one enter, Iceland took part but Albania failed to enter. The same format was in place and England were drawn with Czechoslovakia, Portugal and Cyprus. The England manager was now Don Revie and he failed to select one Tottenham player for England in his time as manager. There are two moments worth noting in their campaign. When England beat Cyprus 5-0 at home McDonald scored all the goals equaling Willie Hall’s England record (1) The other is the away game V the Czechs was abandoned in the 17th minute due to fog at 0-0. The rearranged game the following day saw the home side win 2-1.
 
Wales topped group 2 over Hungary, Austria and Luxembourg. Mike England played in two of the games. The second was his last cap and he scored the second goal in a 5-0 win over Luxemburg. Wales would lose 3-1 over the two legged quarter finals to Yugoslavia.

Pat Jennings played in all six matches for the Northern Ireland side as they finished runners up to Yugoslavia. Scotland with no Tottenham players finished third in their group.

Joe Kinnear was in the Republic of Ireland side that started with a 3-0 win at home to the Soviet Union and then drew away to Turkey. He then played in the defeats to Switzerland and the Soviets (his last cap) before missing the last two games and the Republic finished runners in the group.

left - Mike England
 

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This was the last time the hosts actually had to qualify for the finals. These were held in Yugoslavia and in the final West Germany met Czechoslovakia. The game finished 2-2 after extra time, the Germanys equalizing in the 89th minute. The penalty shootout would see the Czechs win 5-3.  Meanwhile back in N17 Spurs had finished the season in 9th place

.COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f- peter shearman (old non de plume)
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Notes - 1 - Hotspur Towers - Willie Hall