Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
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| Full name | Tottenham Hotspur Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Spurs, Lilywhites | |||
| Founded | 1882 as Hotspur F.C. | |||
| Ground | White Hart Lane | |||
| Capacity | 36,310 | |||
| Owner | ENIC International Ltd. | |||
| Chairman |  Daniel Levy | |||
| Manager | Harry Redknapp | |||
| League | Premier League | |||
| 2008–09 | Premier League, 8th | |||
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Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, (Template:Pron-en), commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.
Tottenham Hotspur were the first club in the 20th century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960–61 season. In 1963, Spurs became the first British club to win a major European trophy - the European Cup Winners' Cup. In the 1970s, they won the Football League Cup on two occasions and were the inaugural winners of the UEFA Cup in 1972. In the 1980s, Spurs won several trophies: the FA Cup twice, FA Community Shield and the UEFA Cup 1983–84. In the 1990s, they won the FA Cup and the Football League Cup and in 2008, they beat Chelsea in the final of the Football League Cup. This victory means that Tottenham have won a trophy in each of the last six decades - an achievement only matched by Manchester United.
The club's Latin motto is Audere est Facere (lit: "To Dare Is to Do"), and its emblem is a cockerel standing upon a football. The club has a long-standing rivalry with near neighbours Arsenal and matches between the two teams are known as the North London derby.
History
From formation to Nicholson
In 1882 the Hotspur Football Club was formed by grammar school boys from the bible class at All Hallows Church. They were also members of Hotspur Cricket Club and it is thought that the name Hotspur was associated with Sir Henry Percy (Sir Harry Hotspur) who was "Harry Hotspur" of Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 1, and who lived locally during the 14th century and whose descendants owned land in the neighbourhood. In 1884 the club was renamed Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Club to distinguish itself from another team called London Hotspur.
At first Spurs played in navy blue shirts. The club colours then varied from light blue and white halved jerseys, to red shirts and blue shorts, through chocolate brown and old gold and then finally, in the 1899–00 season, to white shirts and navy blue shorts as a tribute to Preston North End, the most successful team of the time.
In 1888 Tottenham moved their home fixtures from the Tottenham Marshes to Northumberland Park where the club was able to charge for spectator admission. An attempt to join an aborted Southern League, instigated by Royal Arsenal (later Arsenal), failed in 1892 when they were the only club of the 23 applicants to receive no votes. They turned professional just before Christmas 1895 and were then admitted to the Southern League and attracted crowds nearing 15,000. Charles Roberts became chairman in 1898 and stayed in post until 1943.
In 1899 Spurs made their final ground move to a former market garden in nearby High Road, Tottenham. In time the ground became known as White Hart Lane, a local thoroughfare. Tottenham were the considerable beneficiaries of the escalating unionisation of the northern professional game in the 1890s. Both John Cameron and John Bell, formerly Everton players came to play for Tottenham as a result of the conflict caused by their organisation of the Association Footballers' Union, a forerunner of the Professional Footballers' Association. As a direct result of this in 1900, Tottenham won the Southern League title and crowned this achievement the next year by winning the FA Cup - becoming the only non-League club to do so since the formation of the Football League. The cup was presented to Spurs captain Jack Jones with coloured ribbons on, tied there for the first time by the wife of the Spurs director, Morton Cadman, thus starting the long held tradition of tying ribbons in Cup competitions, which continues to this day.
Tottenham won election to the Second Division of the Football League for the 1908–09 season, immediately winning promotion as runners-up to the First Division. Their record between 1910–1911 and the Great War was poor and when football was suspended at the end of the 1914–15 season, Tottenham were bottom of the league.
When football resumed in 1919, the First Division was expanded from 20 to 22 teams. The Football League extended one of the additional places to 19th-place Chelsea (who would have been relegated with Spurs for the 1915–1916 season) and the other to Arsenal. This promotion - Arsenal had finished only sixth in Division 2 the previous season - was controversial, and cemented a bitter rivalry (begun six years earlier, with Arsenal's relocation to Tottenham's hinterland) that continues to this day. Tottenham were Division Two Champions in 1919–20 and in the following year, on 23 April 1921, Spurs went all the way to their second FA Cup Final victory beating Wolves 1–0 at Stamford Bridge.
After finishing second to Liverpool in the League in 1922, Spurs experienced a steady decline, culminating in 1928's relegation. Spurs were unable to advance beyond the quarter finals of the FA Cup, getting that far three years running 1935–1938. On 3 September 1939, as Neville Chamberlain declared war, Spurs were seventh in the Second Division. League Football was abandoned for the "duration".
Following the war, football was an extremely popular interest attracting thousands of supporters each week-end. By 1949 Arthur Rowe was manager at the club and developed the “push and run” tactical style of play. This involved quickly laying the ball off to a team-mate and running past the marking tackler to collect the return pass. It proved an effective way to move the ball at pace with players' positions and responsibility being totally fluid. Rising to the top of the Second Division,by 1949-50 they were dominant champions.The next year, Tottenham ran away with their first ever league title, winning the First Division Championship in 1951. Playing heroes at the time included Alf Ramsey, Ronnie Burgess, Ted Ditchburn, Len Duquemin, Sonny Walters and Bill Nicholson.
The years following this period of success were tough for the Spurs, as age, injuries and other teams adapting to Spurs revolutionary style of play meant a struggle for the once dominant champions.They finished second in 1951–52, grabbing second on goal average as a young Manchester United team beat them to the title. A bad winter, and the terrible state of the White Hart Lane pitch, even by the standards of the day, contributed to this. In 1952–53, the Spurs only finished tenth, as age began to wear down the great "Push and Run" team. 1954 was notable for the signing of one of Spurs most celebrated players, Danny Blanchflower, for a record £30,000. Also in that year, Spurs experienced FA Cup heartbreak, with an Alf Ramsey error gifting Blackpool the goal that knocked out Spurs.
By this stage, Arthur Rowe had begun to suffer from ill health. He resigned in 1955, with mid-table finishes and boardroom dissent, along with Rowe's health, contributing to his departure. Long time club servant Jimmy Anderson took over. The 1955–56 season was a disaster, with Spurs nearly being relegated, and finishing eighteenth, just two points from relegation. However the next season, the club experienced a revival, finishing second, though eight points behind the winners, the "Busby Babes" of Manchester United. Third the next season was embodiment of the revival. But ill health now meant Anderson had to quit, being replaced by the now legendary Bill Nicholson. But eighteenth in the league in his first season in charge didn't signal the success that was to follow in the sixties
The 1960s and 1970s
Bill Nicholson had joined Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice in 1936. The following 68 years saw him serve the club in every capacity from boot room to president. In his first game as manager on 11 October 1958, Spurs beat Everton 10–4. This was their record win at the time and a sign of things to come. He subsequently guided Tottenham to major trophy success three seasons in a row in the early 1960s: the double in 1961, the FA Cup and European Cup Semi-final in 1962, and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. Key players included Danny Blanchflower, John White, Dave Mackay, Cliff Jones, Jimmy Greaves and Terry Medwin.
After 1964, the "Double" side began to disintegrate due to age, injuries and transfers. Nicholson rebuilt a second successful team with imports like Alan Gilzean, Mike England, Alan Mullery, Terry Venables, Joe Kinnear and Cyril Knowles. They beat Chelsea to win the 1967 FA Cup Final and finished third in the league.
Nicholson added the League Cup (1971 and 1973) and the UEFA Cup 1971–72 to Tottenham's illustrious history before he resigned at the start of the 1974–75 season due to both a poor start, and his disgust at seeing rioting fans in Rotterdam in a UEFA Cup final, which Spurs lost.
Nicholson had won 8 major trophies in 16 years and his spell in charge was without doubt the most glorious period in the club's history. However, what he left behind was an ageing squad and Spurs could no longer claim to be a true force in English football. Nicholson wished to select his replacement and lined up a 'dream team' of Johnny Giles and Danny Blanchflower to take over, but the Spurs board ignored his advice and appointed ex Arsenal player Terry Neill, who narrowly avoided relegation at the end of 1974–5. Never accepted by the fans, Neill left the club in 1976 and was replaced by his assistant Keith Burkinshaw that summer.
Tottenham slipped out of the First Division at the end of the 1976–77 season, after 27 years in the top flight. This was soon followed by the unwise sale of their Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Pat Jennings to arch rivals Arsenal, a move that shocked the club's fans and proved to be a serious error. Jennings played on for another eight years for Spurs' rivals, while Tottenham took until 1981 to replace him with a goalkeeper of genuine class in Ray Clemence from Liverpool.
Despite relegation, the board kept faith with Burkinshaw and the team immediately won promotion to the top flight, although they came mighty close to missing out. A sudden loss of form at the end of the season meant the club needed a point in the last game at Southampton. To great relief, the game ended 0–0 and Tottenham won promotion. In the summer of 1978 Burkinshaw rocked the football world by signing two Argentinian World Cup stars Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa which was the kind of transfer coup never seen before in British football. But it took time for a new team to be forged into a successful unit.
The 1980s
Spurs opened the 1980s on a high with an FA Cup replay win over Manchester City, 3–2, thanks to Ricky Villa's memorable and remarkable solo goal. They lifted the FA Cup again against QPR the next season, and were in contention for four trophies, including the First Division title in which they threatened Liverpool at Easter but ended up fourth. Liverpool also denied Spurs the Football League Cup in extra time and Barcelona won at home in the Cup Winners' Cup semis after a 1–1 draw at the Lane.
Key players such as Steve Archibald, Garth Crooks, Glenn Hoddle, Osvaldo Ardiles, and long-serving Steve Perryman inspired Tottenham to UEFA Cup glory in 1984, but several weeks before this victory Burkinshaw announced he would be leaving at the end of that season. Spurs had lost a manager who won three trophies in four seasons and managed a remarkable run that was arguably their finest team since the early 1960s side that had won the double, retained the FA Cup and become Britain's first winners of a European trophy.
New manager Peter Shreeves and owner Irving Scholar took over with Shreeves managing to a third place finish in 1984–85 and slumping the following season, while Scholar attempted to restore the club's financial fortunes. They had looked like strong contenders for the league title for most of the 1984-85 season, topping the table at Christmas [3], but they were later leapfrogged by champions Everton and runners-up Liverpool. Their final position of third place in the league would have booked them a UEFA Cup place, but on 29 May 1985 the Heysel disaster which saw 39 spectators crushed to death by a wall when Liverpool fans rioted at the European Cup final saw all English clubs banned from European competitions indefinitely. Tottenham, along with the other teams barring Liverpool (Everton, Manchester United, Southampton) and Norwich City) appealed to have the ban changed to cover Liverpool only, but to no avail. This ruled Tottenham out of the UEFA Cup for the 1985-86.
Luton Town manager David Pleat was appointed the new manager, and for much of 1986–87 it looked as though it would be a very successful season. Playing with a five man midfield (Hoddle, Ardiles, Hodge, Allen, Waddle) backing lone striker Clive Allen, Tottenham remained in contention for all domestic honours, sparking hopes of a unique domestic treble. Dreams of this treble ended in the League Cup semi-final when they lost to eventual competition winners Arsenal,[1] they missed on the first division title, and as favourites for the FA Cup over newcomers Coventry, stumbled 3–2 in a disappointing end to one of the most exciting seasons in the club's history. The close season of 1987 also saw the sale of Glenn Hoddle to AS Monaco, and a year later goalkeeper Ray Clemence retired.
Pleat quit in October 1987 following allegations about his private life. He was succeeded by former player Terry Venables, who had built up an impressive managerial record - two promotions with Crystal Palace that had taken them from the Third Division to the First, promotion, an FA Cup final appearance (where they lost to Tottenham in 1982), a fifth place league finish and a UEFA Cup appearance at QPR, and most recently the Spanish league title and a European Cup final appearance with FC Barcelona. However, the Spurs side that he inherited with a quarter of the 1987-88 was struggling in the league and could only manage a 13th place finish - placing them below unfancied sides including Wimbledon, Coventry City and Luton Town. [4]
Determined to get Spurs challenging for honours again, Venables paid a national record £2million for Newcastle United midfielder Paul Gascoigne in June 1988, and also signed striker Paul Stewart from Manchester City for £1.7million. In February that year, Venables had also boosted his attack with a £500,000 move for Liverpool striker Paul Walsh. Spurs made a shaky start to the 1988-89 season, being second from bottom at the end of October [5] but improving to ninth place by the turn of 1989 [6] and finishing sixth in the final table. [7]
July 1989 saw the arrival of White Hart Lane of England striker Gary Lineker from FC Barcelona for a fee of £1.1million. [8]
1990s onward
In 1990, a slump in the property market left chairman Scholar on the verge of bankruptcy, although they had done well in the league the previous season, finishing third in a title race in which Liverpool finished champions and Aston Villa were runners-up. Spurs had also finished one place above neighbours Arsenal. The ban on English clubs in European competitions was lifted for the 1990-91 season, but only one place in the UEFA Cup would be granted to the English league - meaning that Aston Villa took that place as league runners-up and Tottenham missed out. [9]
Venables joined forces with businessman Alan Sugar to take over Tottenham Hotspur PLC and pay off its £20 million debt. During the 1990-91 season, influencial midfielder Paul Gascoigne became a transfer target for Lazio of Italy and when the takeover deal was nearing completion, it became clear that the multi-million pound sale of Gascoigne would clear much of the club's debt.
The 1990-91 season was one of the most eventful in the club's history, quite apart from the financial crisis and Gascoigne transfer speculation. They began the league season in fine form, ending October still unbeaten from 10 games and third in the league behind Liverpool and Arsenal (also unbeaten). There were high hopes that the league title was on its way back to White Hart Lane after 30 years. [10] However, the winter saw a downturn in league form and by the end of February Spurs had sunk to eighth and had lost seven of their previous 15 games. [11] They failed to recover their league form and finished 10th in the final table. [12] However, they performed well in the FA Cup, and reached the final. They went a goal down in the 16th minute when Stuart Pearce put a goal past them for Nottingham Forest, and a minute later Paul Gascoigne suffered cruciate knee ligament damage when making a reckless tackle on opponent Gary Charles. Paul Stewart equalised for Spurs in the 55th minute, and an own goal in extra time by Forest defender Des Walker made Spurs the first team to win eight FA Cups - a record which was matched by Manchester United in 1994 and surprassed by them in 1996. It is still their most recent FA Cup triumph to date. [13]
When the extent of Gascoigne's knee injury was confirmed, it became clear that he would be out for most if not all of the following season. His transfer to Lazio was put on hold, and Gascoigne injured his knee again in a nightclub incident five months after the FA Cup final - putting paid to any chances that he would play a game in the 1991-92 season. It also ended his hopes of playing at Euro 92, but by the end of the 1992 close season his knee had recovered and he completed his move to Italy for £5.5million. [14]
In 1991-92, Venables became chief executive, with Shreeves again taking charge of first-team duties. Spurs were competing in Europe that season, in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, reaching the quarter-finals where they were edged out by Dutch side Feyenoord. [15] On the league scene, they were very disappointing. Gary Lineker, who in November confirmed that he would be leaving Spurs at the end of the season to play in Japan, scored 28 goals and was voted FWA Player of the Year. But these goals were not enough to prevent Tottenham from underperforming throughout the campaign, losing 20 games as they finished a lowly 15th behind the likes of Sheffield United, QPR and Wimbledon. [16]
The 1992-93 season saw Peter Shreeves axed as head coach and replaced by joint head coaches Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence. Spurs became founders of the new Premier League, created by the Football Association as replacement for the Football League First Division as the highest division of English football. Determined that they would be competitive again in the league, Tottenham made a number of major signings. They paid a club record £2.1million for Nottingham Forest striker Teddy Sheringham, £750,000 for Southampton defender Neil Ruddock and £1.75million for Portsmouth's highly rated 19-year-old winger Darren Anderton. Although Spurs never looked like winning the league in 1992-93, they avoided a season of struggle and finished eighth, with Teddy Sheringham being the division's top scorer with 22 goals (one of them being for Nottingham Forest). [17] They enjoyed a good run in the FA Cup, losing 1-0 to Arsenal in the semi-finals. [18]
June 1993 saw Terry Venables controversially dismissed from the Tottenham board by chairman Alan Sugar, whose decision was overturned in the High Court but then reverted on appeal.
The departure of Venables saw Tottenham return to a conventional management setup after two seasons of a two-tier structure. Taking charge of the first team was former player Ossie Ardiles, who since starting out in management four years earlier had enjoyed mixed success with his controversial tactical approach which was centred on attacking football - it had seen promotion with Swindon Town and West Bromwich Albion (though the promotion at Swindon Town was cancelled due to financial irregularities which occured before Ardiles was appointed) but had almost resulted in Newcastle United falling into the third tier of the league. At Tottenham, it brought little success. Instead of progressing on the eighth place finish and FA Cup semi-final appearance the previous season, Spurs took a step backwards as their defence leaked too many goals and relegation was soon becoming a real possibility. In the end, they achieved survival with a 15th place finish, but were soon under investigation for financial irregularities which had allegedly taken place in the 1980s when Irving Scholar was still chairman. In June, they were found guilty of making illegal payments to players and received the heaviest punishment ever dished out to an English club - a £600,000 fine, 12 league points deducted for the 1994-95 season, and a ban from the 1994-95 FA Cup. However, the points deduction and FA Cup ban were later quashed on appeal, although the fine was increased to £1,500,000.
However, Ardiles was determined that Spurs could succeed in 1994-95, and began the season by signing two players who had appeared at that summer's World Cup - German striker Jurgen Klinsmann and Romanian winger Ilie Dumitrescu - to bolster an impressive forward line which already including Teddy Sheringham, Darren Anderton and Nick Barmby. [19] But Spurs still struggled as the 1994-95 season got underway, and Ardiles was dimissed on 1 November 1994 with the club standing 17th in the relegation zone (they would have been 11th at this stage but this was when the points deduction stood at 6 points, reduced on appeal from the original 12, before being quashed completely). [20]
Ardiles was replaced by Gerry Francis, who rescued the club's flagging season and saw them climb to seventh place in the league - just missing out on a UEFA Cup place. When the FA Cup ban was lifted, Spurs thrived, reaching the FA Cup semi-finals where they were defeated 4-1 by eventual trophy winners Everton. [21] Klinsmann was top scorer at the club with 29 in all competitions, but frustrated by the failure to qualify for European competition he turned his back on the club in move back to his homeland when he signed for Bayern Munich. [22]
Over the next two years, Francis added the likes of Ruel Fox, Chris Armstrong, Les Ferdinand and David Ginola to the ranks at White Hart Lane, while players including Teddy Sheringham, Ilie Dumitrescu and Gheorghe Popescu departed, but his wheeling and dealing failed to deliver European qualification, let alone a major trophy or serious title challenge, as they finished eighth in 1996 and tenth in 1997.
Francis was finally ousted in November 1997 after Spurs were crushed 4-0 by Liverpool - a result which left them 16th in the Premier League. [23]
Christian Gross, coach of Swiss champions Grasshoppers, was appointed. He failed to turn around the club's fortunes, however, and the team battled against the drop for the remainder of the campaign. Legendary striker Jürgen Klinsmann was re-signed in December, but initially failed to recreate the form of his first spell at the club. Four goals in a 6–2 win away to Wimbledon in the penultimate game of the season was, however, enough to secure survival.
Gross, despite having finished the last season on a high by only losing one of their last nine games, was sacked just three games into the following season, and George Graham was soon hired to take over.
Despite heavy criticism from fans due to Graham's previous association with Arsenal, in his first season as Spurs manager the club secured a mid-table finish and won the League Cup. In the final against Leicester City at Wembley, full-back Justin Edinburgh was sent off after an altercation with Robbie Savage on the hour mark, but Spurs secured a dramatic victory through Allan Nielsen's diving header in the 93rd minute of the game. Spurs also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they were beaten 2–0 by Newcastle after extra-time, after the referee had not given Spurs a definite penalty for handball in normal time. To cap a good season, star player David Ginola won both the PFA Players' Player of the year 1999 and Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1999 awards.
Another disappointing league finish followed in 1999–00 and in 2001, Sugar's patience broke. He sold his controlling interest to ENIC Sports PLC, run by Daniel Levy.
Team management passed to Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle who took over in April 2001 with the team lying thirteenth in the table. His first game saw defeat to Arsenal in an FA Cup semi-final. The club captain, Sol Campbell, joined Arsenal on a Bosman free transfer that summer. This led to Campbell being villified by Spurs fans thereafter, and more than seven years after his departure, when Campbell was playing for Portsmouth, he was subjected to a racist and homophobic chant about his disloyalty to the club which led to a host of Tottenham fans being banned from all football grounds in the country for three years. [24]
The summer before this managerial change, Tottenham had plunged into the transfer market for their first eight-figure signing when they paid Dynamo Kiev £11million for Ukranian striker Sergei Rebrov. However, Rebrov was not a success at White Hart Lane, managing just 10 goals over the next four seasons (the last of which was spent on loan in Turkey) before joining neighbours West Ham United. [25]
Hoddle turned to more experienced players in the shape of Teddy Sheringham, Gus Poyet and Christian Ziege for inspiration, and Spurs played some good football in the opening months of his management. Season 2001–02 saw Spurs finish in ninth place, as well as reaching the League Cup final, where they lost to Blackburn Rovers, having been the favourites after their 5-1 demolition of Chelsea in the previous round. Their ninth place finish in the Premier League was something of a disappointment, as they had been expected to finish in the top six or seven.
The only significant outlay prior to the following campaign was £7 million for Robbie Keane, who joined from Leeds United. 2002–03 started well, with Tottenham in the top six as late as early February. Few expected them to stay there, but the end of the season was still disappointing with a 10th place finish being the result of a barren final 10 games of the league campaign that delivered a mere 7 points. Several players publicly criticised Hoddle's management and communication skills. Six games into the 2003-04 season, with Spurs struggling at the foot of the table, Hoddle was sacked and David Pleat took over on a caretaker basis until a permanent successor could be found.
In May 2004, Tottenham appointed French team manager Jacques Santini as head coach, with Martin Jol as his assistant and Frank Arnesen as Sporting Director. Santini quit the club in bizarre circumstances in early November. He was replaced by Jol, who turned things around and secured a ninth place finish - they had been in the hunt for a UEFA Cup place right up to the final game of the season. In June 2005, when Arnesen defected to Chelsea, Spurs appointed Damien Comolli as Sporting Director.
During 2005–06 Spurs spent six months in the top four, though they never looked like overhauling runaway leaders Chelsea who finished champions after leading the table virtually all season. Going into the final game of the season, they led rivals Arsenal by a point, but were forced to play their match at West Ham with half the team suffering from Norovirus, a viral form of gastroenteritis, commonly known as "Winter Vomiting Disease". Spurs lost and were pipped to a Champions League place, but it was success nevertheless in gaining a place in the UEFA Cup. They finished fifth for the second season in a row in 2006–07.
Martin Jol was sacked early into the 07–08 season, with Juande Ramos ex-Seville coach replacing the Dutchman. Spurs went on to win the Football League Cup, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the final in February 2008.[2] However, Tottenham endured another dismal start to the season in 2008-09, and in late October a UEFA Cup defeat by Italian side Udinese (combined with terrible league form that saw them bottom of the Premier League), Commoli and Ramos were both sacked. 2008-09 saw the worst start to a season in the club's history.[3] The following day Portsmouth Manager Harry Redknapp confirmed that he had agreed to become the new manager of Tottenham.[3] Director of Football Damien Comolli was also sacked, after criticism of the sales of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane and failure to replace them adequately. Tottenham returned to a "traditional" setup with Redknapp in charge of coaching and player transfers.[3][4][5] In his first two weeks in charge Redknapp took the club out of the relegation zone, winning ten out of the twelve points available with wins against Bolton, Liverpool and Manchester City and a draw against North London rivals Arsenal. The team finished the 2008-09 campaign 8th in the league table. The January transfer window saw the return of Robbie Keane to the club after an unsuccessful six-month spell at Liverpool.
Spurs have won the first four matches of the 2009–10 season, with Redknapp subsequently awarded the Manager of the Month award and Jermain Defoe the Player of the Month award for August.[6]
Stadium
Tottenham Marshes
Tottenham played their first matches at Tottenham Marshes on the available public pitches and remained there for six years. It was at this ground that Spurs first played arch rivals Arsenal (then known as Royal Arsenal). Spurs were winning 2-1 until the match got called off due to poor light after the away team arrived late.[7] There were occasions on which fights would break out on the marshes, in dispute of the teams that were allowed to use the best pitches. Crowds were increasing and a new site was needed to accommodate these supporters.
Northumberland Park
In 1898 the club moved from the marshes to Northumberland Park and charged an admission fee of 3d. They only remained at this ground for a year as in April 1899 14,000 fans turned up to watch Spurs play Woolwich Arsenal. The ground was no longer able to cope with the larger crowds and Tottenham Hotspur were forced to move to a new larger site. They moved 100 yards down the road to their current ground.
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane was originally a disused nursery owned by the brewery Charringtons and located behind a public house. The landlord realised the increased revenues he could enjoy if Tottenham played their matches behind his pub and the club moved in. They brought with them the stand they used at Northumberland Park which gave shelter to 2,500 fans. Notts County were the first visitors to 'the Lane' in a friendly watched by 5,000 people and bringing in £115 in receipts, Spurs won 4-1. QPR became the first competitive visitors to the ground and 11,000 people saw them lose 1-0 to Tottenham.
In 1905 Tottenham raised enough money to buy the freehold to the land and became the permanent owners of the ground. As the club grew new stands were added. A new main stand was added in 1909, the East stand was also covered this year and extended further two years later. The profits from the 1921 FA Cup win were used to build a covered terrace at the Paxton Road end and the Park Lane end was built at a cost of over £3,000 some two years later. This increased the ground's capacity to around 58,000 with room for 40,000 under cover. The East Stand development was finishing in 1934 which increased the capacity to around 80,000 spectators and cost £60,000. The pitch was renovated in 1952 which uncovered a number of items from the old nursery on the site and one year later the first floodlights were introduced. These lights were upgraded in 1957 which required the cockerel to be moved from the West Stand to the East and then in 1961 floodlight pylons were installed.
The West Stand was replaced by an expensive (and far behind schedule) new structure and the stadium started its long modernisation process. Various developments and upgrades were implemented over the years and in 1992 the lower terraces of the south and east stand were converted to seating and the whole of the North stand followed to become all-seater the following season. The South Stand re-development was completed in March 1995 and included the first giant Sony Jumbotron TV screen for live game coverage and away match screenings. The capacity of the stadium increased to just over 33,000. In 1997/98 season the Paxton Road stand had a new upper tier added which included the second Jumbotron screen and increased capacity to 36,240 and was funded by a rights issue in 1996.[8]
Minor amendments to the seating configuration were made in 2006 bringing the current capacity of the stadium to 36,310.
Future plans
Tottenham are currently seeking a larger stadium. Originally it was thought that the team may move to a new site. One possibility for the club was the use of the area where the Olympic Stadium is going to be built after the London 2012 Olympics, although this would have involved a move out of Tottenham and the plan was dropped because the stadium will retain a running track.[9]
The club stated in 2007 that it would announce its preferred option in the first half of 2008, but delayed this decision until the autumn.[10] In April 2008 it was revealed in the press that investigations were taking place into the possible use of the adjacent Wingate industrial estate. If planning permission and the agreement of the current businesses there was granted, a 55-60,000 seat stadium could be constructed on the current White Hart Lane site.[11]
In October 2008, the club announced that, if approved, it was planning to build the new stadium just to the north of the existing stadium at White Hart Lane, with the southern half of the new stadium's pitch located on the northwest corner of the Lane. The unique design of the build would allow the new stadium to be built adjacent to White Hart Lane as the old facility continues to be used for the team. During the summer after 2/3 of the new stadium was complete, the northern and western stands would be demolished and a new pitch laid. The rest of the stadium would be built in the years to follow. If it is built, club chairman Daniel Levy has stated that it will not adopt the White Hart Lane name, but will instead be named after a sponsor.[12] Tony Winterbottom, formerly of the London Development Agency, who worked on development of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, is reportedly leading the development of the plans for the new stadium.[13] In December 2008, the design for the new stadium, by KSS Design Group and Buro Happold was revealed.[14]
Crest
Since the 1901 FA Cup final the Tottenham Hotspur crest has featured a cockerel. Harry Hotspur (from whom the club is said to take its name) was famed for his riding spurs and fighting cocks were fitted with spurs which can be seen in the crests.[15] In 1909 a former player named William James Scott made a bronze cast of a cockerel standing on a football to be placed on top of the West Stand and since then the cockerel and ball have been the major part of the club's identity.[16]
Between 1956 and 2006 the Spurs used a coat of arms featuring a number of landmarks and associations linked to local area. The lions flanking the shield came from the Northumberland family's arms. They owned large areas of Tottenham and Sir Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) was a family member. The castle alludes to Bruce Castle located 400 yards from the ground and which now houses a museum. The trees are those of Seven Sisters which were planted at Page Green by the Seven Sisters of Tottenham and after whom a railway/tube station and main road are named. The arms featured the Latin motto "Audere Est Facere".
In 1983, to overcome unauthorised "pirate" merchandising, the club's badge was altered by adding the two red lions as heraldic and the motto scroll. This device appeared on most Spurs' playing kits for the next 23 years.
To rebrand and modernise the club's image, in 2006 both this club badge and the coat of arms gave way to a professionally designed logo/emblem.[17] This revamp features a leaner/fitter cockerel and an old-time football together with the club name. The club claims that the rebranding kept much of the original meaning of the name, and emphasised its originality.[18]
Kit
The first Tottenham kit was navy blue shirt and shorts, but after the first season the club did not have one specific design for many years.[19] In 1884 the club changed to a kit similar to that of Blackburn Rovers.[20] Shortly after moving to Northumberland Road, the kit changed again to red shirt and blue shorts. Five years later, after becoming a professional club, they switched to a chocolate and gold striped kit.
At the end of the 19th century the club switched colours yet again, to the white shirts and blue shorts which they are now well known for wearing, hence the nickname "Lilywhites". This colour choice is thought to be in homage to Preston North End who had recently done "The Double".
White and navy blue have remained as the club's basic colours ever since. Soon after the First World War, the cockerel badge was added to the shirt. In 1939 numbers first appeared on shirt backs, and in 1983 Holsten became the first commercial sponsor logo to appear on the shirt. When Thomson was chosen as kit sponsor in 2002 there was an outcry from Tottenham fans as the logo on the front was red, the colour of their closest rivals, Arsenal.[21] In 2006, Tottenham then succeeded in securing a record £34m sponsorship deal with internet casino group, and present sponsors, Mansion.[22] Although this resulted in another red logo on the white shirt, the issue has attracted no further comment.
Kit manufacturers
- 1978-1980: Admiral
- 1980-1985: Le Coq Sportif
- 1985-1991: Hummel
- 1991-1995: Umbro
- 1995-1999: Pony
- 1999-2002: Adidas
- 2002-2006: Kappa
- 2006-present: Puma
Shirt sponsors
- 1882-1983: No sponsor
- 1983-1995: Holsten
- 1995-1999: Hewlett Packard
- 1999-2002: Holsten
- 2002-2006: Thomson Holidays
- 2006-present: Mansion.com Casino & Poker
Ownership
Since 2001 the key shareholder has been ENIC International Ltd, an investment company established by the British billionaire Joe Lewis. Daniel Levy, Lewis's partner at ENIC, is Executive Chairman of the club.
By June 2007 ENIC increased its direct holding to 68% by purchasing all of former chairman Alan Sugar's remaining 14.7% holding.[23] Stelios Haji-Ioannou held a 9.9 per cent stake through Hodram Inc in June 2006, but has since either sold all, or at least 70 per cent, of his holding. Apart from the majority shareholder ENIC, Michael Ashcroft the businessman and Deputy Chairman of the UK Conservative Party has a 4 percent holding which he acquired in April 2008.[24] In addition the Annual Report for the year ending June 30 2008 also indicates that ENIC now directly holds convertible redeemable preference shares giving it a combined overall 82% (2007 82%) beneficial interest in Tottenham Hotspur plc.[25] On 21 August 2009 the club reported that it had issued a further 30 million shares to fund the initial development costs of the new stadium project, and that 27.8 million of these new shares had been purchased by ENIC, increasing its overall share holding in the club to around 84%.[26]
Social responsibility
The club through its Community Programme has, since 2006, been working with Haringey Council and the Metropolitan Housing Trust and the local community on developing sports facilities and social programmes which have also been financially supported by Barclays Spaces for Sport and the Football Foundation.[27][28] The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation received high-level political support from the Prime Minister when it was launched at 10 Downing Street in February 2007.[29]
In March 2007 the Club announced a partnership with the charity SOS Children's Villages UK.[30] Player fines will go towards this charity’s children’s village in Rustenburg, South Africa with the funds being used to cover the running costs as well as in support of a variety of community development projects in and around Rustenburg. In the financial year 2006-07, Tottenham topped a league of Premiership charitable donations when viewed both in overall terms[31] and as a percentage of turnover by giving £4,545,889, including a one-off contribution of £4.5 million over four years, to set up the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.[32] This compared to donations of £9,763 in 2005-06.[33]
Tottenham Hotspur ladies
Tottenham's ladies team was founded in 1985 as Broxbourne Ladies. They started using the Tottenham Hotspur name for the 1991/1992 season and played in the South-East & London Regional Women's League (the fourth tier of the game). They won promotion after topping the league in 2007/08, and are currently play in the South East Combination Women's Football League (the third tier of the game).
Support
Tottenham have a large fanbase in the United Kingdom, drawn largely from North London and the Home Counties. Five times between 1946 and 1969, Tottenham had the highest average attendance in England.[34][35]. There are also Tottenham supporters' clubs located all over the world. Tottenham are currently ranked 9th in average attendances for the 2008/9 Premier League season, and 11th for all Premier League seasons.[36]
Tottenham supporters have rivalries with several clubs, mainly within the London area. The fiercest of these is with North London rivals Arsenal. They also share notable rivalries with fellow London clubs Chelsea and West Ham United.[37]
The club, as with many clubs in London, has a large Jewish following and this led to much provocation of an anti-semitic nature[citation needed] against Tottenham supporters. Tottenham supporters, Jewish and non-Jewish, united against this and adopted for themselves the nickname Yids, developing chants to support this. Many of the fans view adopting “Yid” as a badge of pride, helping defuse its power as an insult. Today it is mainly used to distinguish fans from other football supporters. Many fans, however, disagree with the use of the name "Yid", and believe it will only attract more racism.[38][39]
A similar situation exists as regards fans of Ajax, a team from Amsterdam that plays in the Eredivisie.
Affiliated clubs
Honours
| Honours | No. | Years | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | |||||
| Football League First Division Champions | 2 | 1950-51, 1960-61 | |||
| Football League First Division Runners-up | 4 | 1921-22, 1951-52, 1956-57, 1962-63 | |||
| Football League Second Division Champions | 2 | 1919-20, 1949-50 | |||
| Football League Second Division Runners-up | 2 | 1908-09, 1932-33 | |||
| Southern League Champions | 1 | 1899-1900 | |||
| Western League Champions | 1 | 1903-04 | |||
| Domestic Cups | |||||
| FA Cup Winners | 8 | 1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982, 1991 | |||
| FA Cup Runners-up | 1 | 1987 | |||
| League Cup Winners | 4 | 1971, 1973, 1999, 2008 | |||
| League Cup Runners-up | 3 | 1982, 2002, 2009 | |||
| FA Charity Shield Winners | 7 (3 shared) | 1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, (1967, 1981, 1991) | |||
| FA Charity Shield Runners-up | 2 | 1920, 1982 | |||
| European Cups | |||||
| UEFA Cup Winners | 2 | 1972 Inaugural Winners, 1984 | |||
| UEFA Cup Runners-up | 1 | 1974 | |||
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winners | 1 | 1963 | |||
| Anglo-Italian League Cup Winners | 1 | 1970-71 | |||
- For honours at youth level, see Tottenham Hotspur F.C. reserve and academy squads
- Full list of honours
Statistics and records
Players
- As of 5 September 2009.[40]
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
For reserve and academy players, see Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Reserves and Academy.
Managers and head coaches
Current management team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Harry Redknapp
|
| Assistant Manager | Kevin Bond
|
| First Team Coach | Tim Sherwood
|
| First Team Coach |  Joe Jordan
|
| Striker Coach | Les Ferdinand
|
| Development Coach | Clive Allen
|
| Goalkeeping Coach | Tony Parks
|
| Director of Goalkeeping Development |  Pat Jennings
|
| Youth Coach | Alex Inglethorpe
|
Managers and head coaches in club's history
- Listed according to when they became managers for Tottenham Hotspur:
- (C) - Caretaker
- (FTC) - First Team Coach
|
|
|
Top 20 managers of the club's history
- Based on win % in all competitions
| Manager | Years | Played | Won | Win % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Brettell
|
1898–1899 | 63 | 37 | 58.73 |
| 2 | Arthur Turner
|
1942–1946 | 49 | 27 | 55.10 |
| 3 | Harry Redknapp
|
2008–Present | 53 | 28 | 52.83 |
| 4 | John Cameron
|
1899–1907 | 570 | 296 | 51.93 |
| 5 | David Pleat 1
|
1986–1987 | 119 | 60 | 50.42 |
| 6 | Bill Nicholson
|
1958–1974 | 832 | 408 | 49.03 |
| 7 | Arthur Rowe
|
1949–1955 | 283 | 135 | 47.70 |
| 8 | Fred Kirkham
|
1907–1908 | 61 | 29 | 47.54 |
| 9 | Jimmy Anderson 2
|
1955–1958 | 161 | 75 | 46.58 |
| 10 | Percy Smith
|
1929–1935 | 253 | 109 | 46.38 |
| 11 | Doug Livermore Ray Clemence
|
1992–1993 | 51 | 23 | 45.09 |
| 12 |  Martin Jol 3
|
2004–2007 | 150 | 67 | 44.67 |
| 13 | Peter Shreeves
|
1984–1986 & 1991–1992 | 177 | 79 | 44.63 |
| 14 | Jack Tresadern
|
1935–1938 | 146 | 65 | 44.52 |
| 15 | Peter McWilliam
|
1913–1927 & 1938–1942 | 750 | 331 | 44.13 |
| 16 | 'The Directors'
|
1908–1913 | 231 | 99 | 42.86 |
| 17 | Joe Hulme
|
1946–1949 | 150 | 64 | 42.67 |
| 18 | Keith Burkinshaw
|
1976–1984 | 431 | 182 | 42.23 |
| 19 | Terry Venables
|
1987–1991 | 165 | 67 | 40.61 |
| 20 | Billy Minter
|
1927–1929 | 124 | 49 | 39.52 |
* Stats correct as of October 16, 2009
1 Includes caretaker manager stints in 1998, 2001 and 2003-04
2 Includes short caretaker manager stint
3 Includes his one match as caretaker manager after Santini's resignation.
Noted former players
The following players have been inducted into Tottenham's Hall of Fame for their contributions to the club.[42] The most recent two who have been added are Chris Waddle and Paul Allen on February 13, 2009.[43]
- For other past players of note, see List of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players.
Club Player of Year
- As voted by Members & Season Ticket Holders. (Calendar year until 2005 - '06 season)
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Superleague Formula
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. has a team in the Superleague Formula race car series where football teams lend their name to cars. The team was operated by GTA Motor Competición in the 2008 season but in the 2009 season Alan Docking Racing is now operating it. The Tottenham Hotspur F.C. team has had 3 drivers, Duncan Tappy and Dominik Jackson in 2008 and Craig Dolby in 2009. Tottenham have been on the podium 6 times, including 1 win with Craig Dolby at Circuit Zolder.
Notes
- ^ Pleat, David (2007-01-24)."The result was a stab in the heart for Spurs - then I gave George Graham a lift home". The Guardian. Retrieved on 4 February 2009
- ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (2008-02-24). "Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ a b c "Tottenham sack Ramos for Redknapp". BBC Sport. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ "Levy explains decisions to fans". BBC Sport. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ Clarke, Gemma (2008-10-26). "Berbatov's sale key to Ramos and Comolli sackings, says Levy". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ "Defoe and Redknapp scoop awards". BBC Sport. 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ Logan Holmes. "A Month in the Illustrious History of Spurs: November". topspurs.com.
- ^ tottenhamhotspur.com - Stadium History
- ^ "Spurs rule out 2012 stadium move". BBC Sport. 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
- ^ "Stadium Update". Tottenhamhotspur.com. 2008-05-06. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
- ^ guardian.co.uk- Spurs consider White Hart Lane exit for 55,000-seat stadium. April 9, 2008.
- ^ "Tottenham reveal new ground plan". BBC Sport. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ^ Mihir Bose (2007-11-05). "Tottenham plan stadium expansion". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ "Spurs reveal images of new ground". BBC Sport. 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ mehstg.com - frequently asked questions on Spurs. November 22, 2006
- ^ guardian.co.uk - Explaining original club crest. August 31, 2005
- ^ bbc.co.uk - News on the new crest from the BBC. January 19, 2006
- ^ tottenhamhotspur.com - Unveiled new club badge. January 20, 2006
- ^ Rivals.net - Kit History
- ^ Historical Kits - Tottenham Hotspur
- ^ BBC.co.uk- Spurs fans see red over logo
- ^ Adrian Curtis (16 May 2006). "Jol to benefit from £34m shirt deal". independent.co.uk.
- ^ ENIC AGREE TO BUY SUGAR SHARES, football365.com, 7 June 2007.
- ^ Michael Ashcroft raises stake in Tottenham www.telegraph.co.uk, Retrieved 25 June 2009
- ^ [1] THFC Annual Report page 25. Dated 29 October 2008]
- ^ "Stock Exchange Announcement - Placing of new shares to raise £15 million". Tottenham Hotspur. 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ tottenhamhotspur.com - HARINGEY MULTI-SPORT SUMMER COACHING PROGRAMME
- ^ [2] Promoting literacy through the power of sport - National Literacy Trust 11 June 2008
- ^ tottenhamhotspur.com - Tottenham Hotspur Foundation receives strong political backing 04 February 2007
- ^ soschildrensvillages.org.uk
- ^ http://www.intelligentgiving.com/files/IG_Prem_giving_league_07.pdf The Intelligentgiving.com Premiership Giving League 2007
- ^ "Chelsea FC 'near bottom' of charitable donations league". Press Association. 26 March 2007. Retrieved 18 February.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PLC ANNUAL REPORT 2006
- ^ "Attendances archive: England". European Football Statistics. Retrieved October 26 2006.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ "Attendances archive: England". European Football Statistics. Retrieved October 26 2006.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ http://www.premierleague.com/page/Statistics/0,,12306,00.html
- ^ Rivalry uncovered! The results of the largest ever survey into club rivalries, The Football Fans Census, accessed 30 January 2008
- ^ "Anti-Semitism or endearment?". ejpress.org.
- ^ "Yid Army". Thomas Dunmore.
- ^ "First team profiles". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
- ^ "Keane given Tottenham captaincy". BBC Sport. 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ [hhttp://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_hof.html "Hall of Fame"]. www.tottenhamhotspur.com. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "Hall of Fame: Chris Waddle and Paul Allen inductions into Hall of Fame reported". 8 May 2008.
References
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External links
- TottenhamHotspur.com Official club website
- Tottenham Hotspur News - Sky Sports
- Tottenham Hotspur Ladies Official ladies club website
- Tottenham Hotspur at the Premier League official website
- Supporters' Trust
- Spurs Canada
- Tottenham Hotspur Switzerland
- Spurs history 1882-1921
- Timesonline archive
- News sites
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
- Tottenham Hotspur Team news from Carling
- AIM: TTNM
- Tottenham Hotspur Stats
| History | |
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| Rivalries | |
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| Media | |
| Other | |
