Hotspur Towers - Terry Medwin

A flying Welsh wizard normally found on the right winger but he could play across the forward line. In his last season before joining Spurs he had played center forward and been Swansea’s top scorer.

Terry was the first Spur to score at the World Cup Finals when he scored the winning goal in a first round playoff match V Hungary in 1958. He won 27 international caps at Spurs with six goals to add the three caps from his Swansea days.

Terry, an ex-schoolboy international, had joined Spurs from Swansea City in 1956 for £25,000 and made his debut on the opening day of the 56/57 season scoring the first two goals of his sixteen goals that season in 39 games as we finished runners up in the League

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He described moving to Tottenham as coming to London and playing the London Palladium. At Spurs he first played under Jimmy Anderson but most of his time at the club Bill Nicholson was the manger whom he described as “an absolute gem, a true Yorkshireman and a lovely man as well.” He also said it was very hard to get praise out of him.

Bill on the other hand wrote that “Terry was one of the whole hearted enthusiasts who played a major part in the Double era. He played fifteen times in the Double season scoring five times."  Writing in 1984 Bill also said “Terry was one of most pleasant people I ever come across in football. He was always happy and cheerful” describing his play “a strong runner who could cross an accurate ball and score.”

As well as his World Cup record (3) Terry also was the first Tottenham man to score in the European Championships (1) when he scored, amazingly against Hungary.

Left scoring in Sweden in the 1958 World Cup.

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Possibly his biggest regret during his Spurs days was the Benfica game in 1962, (2).  “We had a couple of goals disallowed in the away leg and that really cost us. We played superbly in the return at home, won 2-1, should really have had another penalty and couldn’t find that third goal. That was a sad night. We all felt we could have won the European Cup.”

Jimmy Greaves said of him ‘he was a very correct player, a student of the game who did everything with care and accuracy. His ball skills were of the highest order. He was a menace to defences with his quick pace and he used to get up and head the ball well.’

Terry could deliver crosses with either foot and was described to me as a gifted player, he could consider himself unlucky to be a Tottenham at the same time as Jones (who went to the same school) and Dyson. He would have been a first choice at any other club in the country. 

Terry made 210 appearances for the club, including five in Europe, with 72 goals for Spurs. The winner of a FA Cup medal in 1962 which he described as the best moment of his time at Tottenham. “Playing in the 1962 FA Cup winning team against Burnley, to me it was especially sweet after missing the previous year's Final against Leicester.”

Sadly Terry broke his leg on tour in South Africa in 1963 just days after the European Cup Winners triumph. “We flew to South Africa. We trained the next day, just a light one, ticking over and then flew down to Cape Town where the game was being played. Cliff came in from one side to head the ball, I came in from the other side, the full-back had his eye on the ball and I ran past him but the goalkeeper turned and came right across me. I can remember the crack. It was terrible, a nasty one. The muscles never really recovered. I was in a full plaster for about 12 weeks but couldn’t get back.” Despite working hard for two years Terry’s playing days were over.

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He later managed in non-league football and worked with several clubs. Terry was part of the Welsh national set up in the early 1970’s. 

Terry was admitted into the Tottenham Hall of Fame along with the rest of The Double side in 2004. He still follows the fortunes of his old team these days from his home back in South Wales.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
Or you will find it under - peter shearman (old non de plume).
You can my full archive and Bio at -  View Full Bio

Notes –
1 – Spurs and the Euros, 1 - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-spurs-and-the-euros-part1
2- The Benfica game can be found at - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/benfica-62-1st-leg and
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/benfica-62-2nd-leg
3 - The story of his World Cup goal can be found at - http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/flying-down-to-rio-flight-five