Planet Spurs - 9

Two of our players are marooned in Scotland, our skipper is in court and the schools are closed because Spurs are coming to town. As well as the goalie who went on strike. So as you prepare for the weekends game and need a break from the usual internet waffle then maybe Planet Spurs is for you.

We seek to bring to your attention some of the stories that might otherwise escape your attention and are well worth retelling as we explore the annuals of our clubs rich tapestry.

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The Football League team was unofficially used as an ‘England trial match’ until November 1947 when the first Welshman ever to be chosen to play was our own Ron Burgess. He and Ted Ditchburn headed to Glasgow where they trained at Ibrox Park in kit borrowed from Rangers. The match itself was at Hampden on the Wednesday afternoon and the FL won 3-1. The coming weekend would see Spurs playing at Burnley so they were told spend an extra night there and meet up with the team in Manchester.
It was then it started to snow. When it came time for the boys to head south they found all the trains cancelled. Snowbound north of the border! They tried to organize travel by road but they were also closed. The phones were still worked so they rang WHL (with some difficulty) for advice. At last good news! Burnley was also snowbound and the game was off. It wasn’t till the Monday that our two lads could return home. Ron described this period as ‘five of the most boring days either of us had ever spent.’

Each Planet we have included a team picture, but hopefully something slightly different and in this edition we select one  taken on the day we won the Double.

Nine of the team celebrate.
Danny Blanchflower like to shower instead (I'm told).
The missing man is Maurice Norman who was in the treatment room.

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Another Spurs skipper is featured in this next story and the latest in our look at 'Spurs and the Law' tales. July 1916 and Bobby Steel was fined fifty shillings at the local police court. He was found guilty under the ‘no-treating‘ order. Bobby had treated his brother-in-law who claimed to be a teetotaler to a glass of Sherry. The magistrate fined him saying it was a common delusion that Sherry and Port Wine were tea total drinks.  Showing football still knocked the war off the news-page's, the story below this in the paper informs us a German U-boat had been seen off the coast. No-treating was brought in during WW1 to ensure people did not drink to excess and effect the war effort.

Then and Now - Above left - Manchester United away October 1913. The Spurs goalie is Arthur King. Arthur was a regular in the side until January 1914 when he was dropped following the 5-5 draw with Leicester. He asked for a transfer but there were no offers so he walked out on the club and lived in Scotland until his contract ran out. Right - Harry Kane joins the 100 Club.

It must be a schoolboys dream to have your school closed so you can watch Spurs play. That’s what happened when in December 1902 the ‘famous Tottenham Hotspur football Club’ traveled to Margate for a game against players selected from local sides.
The team known as the Flower of the South and recent FA Cup winners were expected to bring their full strength Southern League side. They would be traveling by train in a special saloon upon arrival a local JP and Head of Margate College would provide them with their tea.
Local schools would be closed for half a day and schoolboy admission would be 3d. Other prices were two shillings for the stand and one shilling for the enclosure. A chair would be an extra 6d. The Spurs ‘who need no recommendation’ are currently 5th in the League having won five of their nine games.
Having checked several databases I’ve so far been unable to track the result of this game.

I make no apologies for these stories being "old" as they are great stories and deserve to be retold. If you do know any tales of regarding the current side that hasn't been splattered across the media then do let me know.

Left - Captain with a criminal record - Bobby Steel. His story and his two brothers is @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-spurs-steel

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COYS
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f - https://www.facebook.com/keith.harrison.9659
My profile / archive is @ -  View Full Bio

Previous Planets can be found @
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/the-obit-of-planet-spurs

Top Ted Ditchburn - As seen in the Sunday Empire News

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