Talking Tottenham - Stars & Cars

The next chapter of our Talking Tottenham’s summer of fun takes another look at a subject that gathered a reasonable amount of interest first time around and that was the Tottenham on the move special.  Since then I’ve gathered a few more pictures and stories of Spurs and transportation over the years which I trust meets with your approval. As we motor towards the new season there is also another dip into the trivia files to pass the journey.

---

John White was known as joker, one of the pranks he has been credited with was filling the hubcaps of his teammate’s cars with small stones and sitting back watching them trying to fandom out what the noise was when they drove away.
 
Paul Gascoigne wasn’t quite so cunning, once when he noticed one of the ground staff on top of the club’s van tying some down he jumped into the vehicle and drove off out of the gate and down the road with the lad clinging to the roof.

Our record breaking goalie, Ted Ditchburn drove an American Cadillac at a time when few players had their own cars and this earned him the nickname 'Dillinger'. It was quite common for players in the 1950's for to travel to the ground by bus.

I knew someone who swears he once gave up his seat so Tommy Harmer could sit down. I wonder if the conductor made them pay his fare? 

‘Rumour has it’ that Ditchburn, did not process a driving license at that time.

Left - Loved this bumper sticker.

Below, right - That's Jimmy Greaves, no he isn't late for training, Here he is practicing for the World Cup rally in 1970.

---

Kyle Walker talking about his arrival at Tottenham, “When I first moved down, you know about Spurs and Arsenal rivalry, I was advised, ’Don’t buy a red car!’ I’m a Sheffield United fan and I love red and white. So, I come to work on a push-bike,  a white one.”


Since that first article Steve Perryman has confirmed the story that Bill Nicholson didn’t like his players driving red cars, Bill always drove a blue car. His dislike of red even extended to the colour of the players  ties.

---

At the 1960 Christmas party Bobby Smith was given a toy petrol station as his present, as he had a reputation for borrowing his team mates cars and not filling them up with petrol when he returned them.

left - Ricki and Ossie on arrival in the UK, 1978.
(Not sure about Ricki's parking).

Below- Bill Brown making his escape from the ground.

---

And talking of Bill Nic, John Fennelly who has worked at Tottenham for many years recalls one day when he was giving Bill a lift. John was in the High Road outside the ground and Bill said they should do a U-turn! John said the traffic in both directions was its usual very heavy self but Bill well into retirement at that time got out of the car and walked into the middle of the road put his hands up and stopped the traffic in both directions like a later day King Canute.  As the High Road came to a halt John expected the various drivers to make their thoughts known  instead called out how’s it going Bill? And wanted to engage him  in conversation.

---

Left - Striker Chris Jones, winds down the day after a game with some elbow grease.

I have to say, I’ve read , but cant promise you, that Danny Blanchflower was one of the first people to  use a personalized car number plates.

Roger Hoy who played for us a few years after also had a personalized number plate, I’ve since been told he later become a church minister, happy to hear from anyone who can confirm/deny either of those stories.

Top pic - From summer 2105 and the sponsors car at the pre-season competition in Munich.

---

Right - Long after he was the pin up boy of English football Vivian Woodward became a framer.

Below - Grace 'Darkie' Nicholson was famous for being seen around the area on her bike.

---

That is all the traffic stories (well actually I have two more but I am saving them for another day) so instead I'll just drop the bucket down the trivia well  and see what comes out.

They  say footballers talk with their feet, here is why with a few pundits are caught off guard - 
Glenn Hoddle, has made a few slips in his time, ‘ I think in international football you have to be able to handle the ball’ and  “there is a lot of work that has been put in that hasn’t been put in”  while on another occasion, ‘Getting picked gives you half that confidence or 50% of it.”

Not sure how he drove with his foot in his mouth but there is a great Glenn / motor picture coming up later this week.
 

---

Right - Just to show how times change.

Glenn strikes again he has also been credited with these  - As a manager he came out with “we changed it to a back four and went 4-3-3’ and “ I have a number of alternatives and each one gives me something different’ not to mention this insightful ‘With hindsight its easy to look at it with hindsight.’
 
Then there was the brilliant ‘I have never heard a minutes silence like it’ and ‘ When a player gets to thirty so does his body.’

Changing topic - In October 1974 Mike England and John Pratt both conceded an own goal in the first half in the game V  Burnley.  In the second half they both scored for Spurs but we still lost 2-3..

---

Left - I suppose we better have a parade type pic - so this is the FA Cup winners in 1962.

Talking of own goals. The first own goal in the Premiership was scored by Terry Phelan of Manchester City in the game with Tottenham. This gave Spurs a 1-0 win in 1992.…Alan Mullery (in his Fulham days) once conceded an own goal in a game after just 14 seconds.
 

---

If you have any good ‘traffic’ tales or images do get in contact.  That first trip across the parking bays can be found at Talking Tottenham 46 - @ ----http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/talking-tottenham-46

There are more 'traffic' pics in the old archive so we will revisit them again in the meantime in case you missed it last week we had Talking Tottenham - The Motion Picture, 
So we must be due a commercial break so do watch out at the links below.
 
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