Hotspur Towers - Platform 13

We remember the night Spurs ran in ten before half time on their way to their record win, in February 1960 in a FA Cup 4th round replay.  Three men scored a hat trick that evening, the only time that's happened in a competitive game in our history. All this in front of more than sixty four thousand.

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That year we had beaten Newport County away in the last Round 4-0. In the 4th we were drawn away again this time to Crewe. They were laying in 17th place in Division Four. We were leading Division One and would eventually finish third.

The game at the Gresty Road ground finished 2-2. Cheered on by a record crowd (a record that still stands) the home team twice came from behind and nearly won the game except for an incredible save by Bill Brown at the end and they hit the woodwork. Our goals came from Les Allen and Cliff Jones.

Fans who traveled on the day told me they were not impressed. It seems that Bill Nicholson wasn’t either.

As the team would come out firing in the replay. Tottenham made one change for the replay Hills coming in for Baker at Right back.

The faithful must of known something was going to happen as the gate was the biggest home attendance of the season. An astonishing 64,365 were at the Lane on that Wednesday evening. Even more surprising that the weather was dreadful and it rained all night.

1. Les Allen, 5 goals on the night.

2. Bobby Smith, Four goals and still not top scorer

3.

Tottenham clearly wanted to make amends for the earlier performance. It took just three minutes for Bobby Smith to score.
Tottenham scoring in the 3rd, 11th and 13 minutes before Crewe pulled one back.
Spurs then netted in the 20th, 21st, 29th, 35th, 38th, 40th and 43th. 10-1 at half time.

At half time Bill Nicholson told the team 'well done lads but don't ease up keep on playing football.'  Smith was probably was stunned that he when on to get four goals that night and still wasn’t top scorer. Les Allen hit five. Cliff Jones was brought down in the box with ten minutes to play and Danny Blanchflower the usual penalty taker called Cliff forward to take it and complete his hat trick and get the last goal.

The other scorer was Tommy Harmer. Harmer the Charmer was a gifted player and known for his tricks. Once when someone tried throwing a pair of his boots away as they were worn, he stopped them saying he had hundreds of back heels left in them.

When we were 12-1 up Crewe pulled one back (74th min) and Spurs had two disallowed on the night. 

The Railwaymen, as they are known as Crewe is the major interchange station in the North West were never in the game. Later the Crewe goalie, David Evans, remembered  “We had done well to get a draw in the first game but the replay was just shooting practice for them. It felt like we didn’t have any outfield players on the pitch!  We just didn’t compete and Spurs were magnificent. Fortunately, after half-time, the rain on the heavily sanded surface slowed them down a bit!” 

4. Bobby Smith makes it three

Later he told reporters he feared seven or eight and didn't know where the other five come from, as he was quoted "And I did not feel too good about it."

There is a story about that night that I will take it on faith that its true. For the return journey the Crewe team left Euston Station in London from platform 13 and when they reached Crewe they stopped on platform 2.

5.

6.

Cliff Jones recalled that Spurs played well that night, but they were a fourth division side and it was too be expected and possibly Spurs were not as good as some of the papers headlines read the next morning.

Les Allen gets no 9

Tottenham were actually criticized in some corners for embarrassing Crewe.

I have to side with the players who were suppose to play keep ball for half an hour and what would those paying at the gate have thought.

Cliff and Bobby Smith were actually stopped in a restaurant a few days later and told they were a disgrace for making Crewe look so bad. Cliff said he was speechless, but Bobby found a few.

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