Spurs and The Auld Enemy

With the focus moving to international games during the summer break we turn the spotlight on to the oldest international fixture in the world which is revived this week and its Tottenham connections. 

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In November 1872, that’s ten years before Tottenham were formed England traveled to the West of Scotland cricket ground to play Scotland, it was 0-0. Since then the sides have played 113 times and the English lead in the series 48-41.

Starting in the white corner, Tottenham players have featured in this fixture throughout its history but one of the more memorable dates is April 1961 and just as the Double loomed large for Spurs England beat Scotland 9-3.  Our top scorer for the country Jimmy Greaves scored a hat trick and Bobby Smith added two that day while on the receiving end was their club colleague Dave MacKay who scored for the Scots, he appeared three times in this game.

1961 England leave the field left Bobby Smith and Jimmy Greaves

Greaves played this fixture five times adding one more goal. Whilst Smith made three more appearances.
One of those was the 1963 meeting when those three were joined by Maurice Norman (2 appearances) while in the blue Spurs also provided John White and Bill Brown.

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One of the strangest connections was back in 1905 when one of the linesman at the game at Crystal Palace was G. Wagstaffe-Simmons one of the clubs directors and the author of an early history of the club. That day the Scots wearing primrose and pink hoops fielded Peter McWilliam who would become our manager and Alex Brown who would later play for Spurs and later still be convicted of murder (1).

The game in 2013 and the 150 the anniversary of the FA is marked with a match which sees Kyle Walker become the first Tottenham man booked in the tie and Alan Hutton (then Aston Villa) plays  for the Scots.

Right - Mackay here in April 62.

The first Spurs player involved in the  clash was Victorian superstar Vivian Woodward who scored on his international debut (he would make five appearances in the tie) at the Bramhall Lane ground in Sheffield in April 1903, although the Scots fought back to win the game.

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There was also a strong Tottenham present in April 1921, just weeks before leading Spurs to the FA Cup triumph England were captained for the first time by Arthur Grimsdell, in just his fourth game for his country. In the side that day were three Spurs players making their international debuts, Bert Smith, Jimmy Dimmock and Bert Bliss. Grimsdell had made his international debut the year before in the same tie in an England win by 5-4. Within a fortnight of that game all the home nations resigned from FIFA.

The only time the two sides have met in a major tournament was the European Championships in 1996 at Wembley. Sheringham Anderton and Campbell play but its Glasgow Rangers Paul Gascoigne that scores the goal of the game against Scotland which included Colin Calderwood and former Spur Gordon Durie. The England manager that day was Terry Venables.

Gilzean

Another  England manager Alf Ramsey played for England in the fixture four times as a Spur and managed the national team on twelve occasions. While future Tottenham managers Jack Tresadern and Joe Hulme both played in the tie.  

 The 1967 match doubled up as a European qualifier and the Home International game. Greaves and future Spur Martin Peters both played in the 2-3 defeat.

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This was England’s first loss since they won the World Cup the year before. The Scots celebrated by proclaiming themselves World Championships.  

1971 and Tottenham’s Peters and Chivers 2 score the goals as the English win 3-1. Peters scores again in the 1973 game and appears in the game five times as  a Tottenham player.

Walker in last years meeting

During the eighties, Gary Mabbutt come off the England bench (1983) to join Graham Roberts and Glen Hoddle, (who would score in the 1986 clash).

When the Scottish goal came from Grahame Soulness. While the 1989 meeting saw Chris Waddle score at Hampden Park.

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When the team meet in the play off for the European Championships in 1999 the teams are presented to Martin Peters before the second leg and Sol Campbell plays in both games.

George Hunt scored on his international debut in 1933 and two years later Walter Alsford became the first player to graduate from our Northfleet academy to win an England cap.
Other famous names to feature over the years include Fanny Walden, Tommy Clay, Jimmy Seed and Alan Mullery. 

While in the Blue corner, it is amazing that no Spurs man features until 1959. Although Sandy Brown could feel aggrieved to have his appearance wiped from the record books in 1902 after the game at Ibrox is married by a crowd disaster and removed from the records (2). The aforementioned Peter McWilliam, one of our greatest managers featured as  player in the game on five occasions.

Left - John White

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The first Scot to grace the game was in Dave Mackay. His first cap after moving south was against the Auld Enemy in 1959.  He would appear twice more in the fixture. White and Brown would feature three times in the game while later Alan Gilzean also appeared three times (twice as a Spur).

The last man to play for Scotland during his time at Spurs was Colin Calderwood in the 1996 game at Wembley when England won 2-0. Other players who have worn the Lilywhite and played for Scotland (but not necessary at the same time) in the fixture include, Steve Archibald, Richard Gough, who scored the only goal of the game in the 1985 meeting before joining Spurs and won one cap against them after signing for us.

Neil Sullivan and coach Joe Jordan both played in this tie. Alfie Conn won two caps, both at Spurs the second being against England. Alan Brazil won 13 caps, two at Spurs and his last cap was as a substitute V England in 1983. 

As the two sides prepare to meet in this weeks World Cup qualifier, the first meeting in the group last year saw  Kyle Walker, Eric Dier and Danny Rose  (left) all featured in the tie, while Harry Kane was on the bench as England won 3-0.  

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COYS
Keith Harrison.
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Top - Gascoigne fires past Calderwood for the goal of the tournament - Euros 96.
Notes - 1 -The Tottenham Murderer -
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-tottenham-murderer
2 - The Ibrox disaster -
http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-sandy-brown-and-the-ibrox-disaster

Tottenham Connections to both England and Scotland  as well as other countries are featured @ -http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-the-international-index