Touring North America - Fifties Style

Touring has changed beyond recognition over the years and it wasn’t until 1952 that we first visited North America, 44 years after we toured South America. Even then the original plan had to spend the summer in South Africa. That summer would be the longest tour in our history and involved beating Manchester United twice in two days whilst scoring 12 goals.

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The meetings with United whom we had just finished runners up behind in the league started in  Toronto on the 14th June and Spurs won 5-0 with Spurs having five different scorers, Walters, Bennett, Duquemin, Baily and Medley. Then the teams traveled together to New York where they met the following day. The only game in the USA on that trip and Tottenham’s first ever in the ‘Big Apple.’

Spurs again won the match this time,
 7-1 at the Yankee Stadium. Len Duquemin scoring 4 and Bennett 2 and McCellan scoring the other.  The game had been kicked off by the British Consul and United actually took the lead. The press tell us bothgames were played in temperatures in the nineties.
Right - Ron Burgess before the game at Yankee Stadium, Top image, team same game.

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Outward bound 1952

Prior to that the tour had started with a 7-0 win over Toronto & District and followed up six days later with an 18-1 win Saskatchewan FA. Ted Ditchburn played for the home side in the second half but his mates shown no mercy scoring eight times. Sid McCellen (below) scored nine goals that day.

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The side moved on to Vancouver and a 9-2 win over the local FA side. On to Victoria and a 7-0 romp against the local FA side. A second game V British Columbia back in Vancouver ended 8-2. Calgary was the next stop and 11-0 V Alberta before Winnipeg and a 5-0 victory. Then came the two United games followed by a last game in Montreal V Quebec and a 8-0 win.

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In the ten games played Spurs had rattled up 85 goals and conceded 6. The goal scoring was led by Les Bennett 20,  McCellan 18,  Duquemin 14, Walters 11 and Baily 8 all clearly having enjoyed the trip.

The team traveled home on the Empress of Canada having left England on May 12th and returning June 27th.

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The ship out this time 1957

Five years later in the summer of 1957 (and again having finished runners up) we returned this time starting in New York and a 4-3 win over Glasgow Celtic (who had just won their League Cup) on 19th May, Spurs were twice behind by two goals before Bobby Smith noticed a hat trick.

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There followed games against local sides, Essex County All-Stars 8-1, Ontario all-stars 7-0, and Alberta 6-1. The team reached Vancouver and again met Celtic and this time a 6-3 win.  We stayed in the city and lost to the local all-star side 0-2.

Right - leaving the field V Celtic

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Calgray 1957

Moving on to Winnipeg Spurs got back into rhythm and a 12-0 win Spurs were seven up at the break after the game each player was presented with a buffalo on a wooden base after the match.  Then it was on to Toronto and Celtic for a third time and a 3-1 win.

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The teams then moved onto Montreal and a fourth meeting which Celtic won
 0-2 to close the tour. At half time the score was level 0-0 and Bobby Smith was withdrawn with an injury. He had scored eight goals against them on tour and one Scottish account claims the Celtic were delighted to see the back of him.

Bobby notched a personnel tally of 18 goals on the tour as Tottenham had rattled up 46 goals in the nine games. Bobby Stokes chipped in with ten.

Tottenham would make their next trip in the summer of 1966.


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Keith Harrison.
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