Sunday 27th October 2013
Tottenham Hotspur v HULL CITY
There are, sadly, not many railway posters showcasing the undoubted delights of Tottenham, so I've had to take some liberties. Here's a reminder of Spurs' 9th highest goal scorer.
About
The club was founded in 1882, originally as Hotspur FC, becoming Tottenham Hotspur (and Athletic Club!) two years later. They joined the Southern League in 1896. This league at times rivalled the Football League and, as detailed later, some of its teams reached the FA Cup Final. Spurs have won their share of silverware, most of it after the war, and have spent most of their league career in the top flight.
Spurs on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottenham_Ho tspur
Lots more: http://www.myfootballfacts.com/TottenhamH otspurConciseClubHistoryHonoursList.html
Grounds
Spurs initially played at the Tottenham Marshes and in 1899 Spurs moved to the ground that eventually became known as White Hart Lane. Their first game here was a friendly against Notts County. A game Spurs won 4-1. Notts County were also the opposition for the first friendly Hull City played during the 1904-5 season while waiting to join the league.
Honours
EUFA Cup winners (2): 1972, 1984
Spurs won the EUFA Cup 1972 in its first season
European Cup Winners’ Cup winners: 1963
Football League Champions (2): 1950–51, 1960–61
FA Cup Winners (8): 1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982, 1991 (and runners-up in 1987)
League Cup winners (4): 1971, 1973, 1999, 2008 (runners-up 3 times)
Games
1907 FA Cup
Tottenham Hotspur were one of the leading teams in the Southern League in the early 1900s. Some of the Southern League sides were as strong as the leading Football League sides at that time as was shown by Spurs (in 1901) and Southampton (in 1900 and 1902) reaching the FA Cup Final. Southampton were beaten in the 1900 final 4-0 by Bury and 2-1 in 1902 by Sheffield United in a replay after a 1-1 draw. In the intervening year, Spurs drew 2-2 with Sheffield United before winning the replay 3-1. As Spurs were not then members of the Football League, they are often regarded as the only non-league team to win the cup, although those that won the cup before the Football League began could also be categorised as such. In 1907 the rather northern Bradford Park Avenue briefly joined the Southern League, again indicating its strength.
Spurs joined the Football League in 1908, so when they were drawn against Hull City - managed by one Ambrose Langley - in the 1906-7 FA Cup they were still a non-league team. The first five meetings between the teams - three of which comprised this cup tie - produced one goal for each team. The first replay, held at Hull City’s Anlaby Road ground, was abandoned after ten minutes of extra time due to bad light, decades before floodlights were available, although the result stood. Spurs won the second replay, held at White Hart Lane rather than a neutral venue, by the only goal of the game. The Spurs goal was scored by Herbert Chapman who went on to become one of the great pre-war managers.
After two years at Spurs, Chapman joined Southern League Northampton as player-manager in 1907. He had already had two spells as a player with Northampton. They were faring badly until Chapman decided to reject the usual way the game was played and play his half-backs much deeper in order to lure opposition defenders forward and give his team the chance to break and score. Apparently teams had never bothered wth any tactics before this. Chapman’s methods were a success and Northampton won the Southern League title in 1909.
Herbert Chapman had played twenty odd games for Sheffield United between 1902 and 1903, although he did not play in the 1902 Cup Final against Southampton. Harry, one of his younger brothers, spent 11 years with Sheffield’s other club, then called The Wednesday, scoring 94 goals in 269 games and helping them to win two league titles and the 1907 FA Cup. Harry left Wednesday in 1911 and joined Hull City where he made 34 appearances with seven goals. A bad knee injury ended his playing career just 17 months after his arrival, but when City manager Ambrose Langley - a former team mate of Harry’s at The Wednesday - resigned, Harry was appointed in his place. He managed for just one complete season, 1913-14, exactly a hundred years before this one. At the end of 1913, City were top of Division 2. It didn’t last and the Tigers slipped to third before a disappointing run-in brought a solitary victory from the last ten games and dashed promotion hopes. Before the next season began, Harry Chapman became ill and resigned. In 1916 he died from tuberculosis at the age of 37.
Herbert, meanwhile, had become manager of Leeds City, a post he was obliged to vacate in 1918. When football resumed after the war, Leeds City were accused of financial irregularities and when they refused to allow access to their books, it was seen as a sign of guilt and they were kicked out of the league. Herbert was one of several officials given a life ban. In late 1920 a company he was working for was sold and he lost his job. Soon after, he was invited by Ambrose Langley, now managing top flight Huddersfield Town, to become his assistant. Huddersfield backed Herbert’s appeal against his ban and it succeeded on the grounds that he had been away from Leeds working in a munitions factory when the irregularities at Leeds City occurred. Within a month, he had replaced Langley (there’s gratitude!), succeeding him as brother Harry had done at Hull City. The next season (1921-22), Huddersfield won the FA Cup, their first silverware. The season after that they managed a best-yet league finish of third, but trumped that by winning the league title for the next three seasons. Chapman, however, had been lured to Arsenal after the second of Huddersfield’s titles.
Chapman took some time to work his magic at Arsenal and spent several years assembling the team he wanted. In 1930 they reached the FA Cup Final after dodgy refereeing had allowed them through a semi-final replay against Hull City. Arsenal faced Chapman’s old team Huddersfield in the final and won 2-0. They followed this by winning the league in 1930-31. Chapman made the league and cup double his aim for 1931-32, but Arsenal finished runners-up in both competitions. This only acted as a spur and Arsenal took the league title for 1932-33. At the end of 1933, Arsenal were once more top of the league. As January began, Chapman caught a cold which turned into pneumonia and killed him within the week. He was 55. Arsenal retained their league title and did likewise the following season, thereby becoming the second team to take three consecutive titles, both started but not completed by Herbert Chapman.
There were eleven Chapman brothers; they originated from Kiveton Park near Rotherham and involvement with football was not limited to Harry and Herbert. Tom played for Grimsby Town – as had Herbert – and then Manchester City, while Matthew was to become a director at Grimsby. One of Herbert Chapman’s sons, Ken, played rugby union for Harlequins and was president of the Rugby Football Union for 1974-75 (I have no idea what any of that means).
1908-09 Division 2
In 1908 Spurs joined the Football League, then consisting of two divisions, along with Bradford Park Avenue (after their single season in the Southern League). They replaced Stoke, who had resigned, and Lincoln City who failed to gain re-election after finishing last. Both these displaced teams have a history of leaving the league. The first meeting was at Hull City’s Anlaby Road ground in late September. City had already suffered four away defeats by this point, including losing to Bradford Park Avenue on their league debut. However, they had won their solitary home game. Spurs had won three at home and lost their only away game. This game continued the runs for both teams with the Tigers winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Joe ‘Stanley’ Smith. It was the start of a six-game sequence without conceding. Both teams headed up the league table and when the return fixture took place at the end of the January, Spurs were top of the division with City seventh. The game ended goalless. Spurs were ultimately pipped to the title by Bolton Wanderers but were promoted in second place. City finished fourth. The following season would be the Tigers’ best for more than a hundred years.
1919-20 Division 2
The final Division 1 table before World War One has a nether zone with a surprising look. Manchester United finished 18th of twenty teams, a point above Chelsea, who were a point above Tottenham. As things turned out, Chelsea were reprieved. When football resumed after the war, it had been decided to expand the two divisions from 20 teams to 22, as well as to add another division. Spurs alone were relegated, with Derby and Preston taking their earned promotion and Arsenal taking an unearned one, having persuaded the other clubs to elect them to Division 1. This was one of those seasons in which teams played each other home and away as, mostly, consecutive games. Not only that, but at that time there was a full league programme on Christmas Day, unless it fell on a Sunday. This practice appears to have lasted from the early 1890s until 1957, whereafter Christmas Day matches became more and more sparse before disappearing altogether. Table toppers Spurs beat City 4-0 in London on Christmas Day and 3-1 in Hull on Boxing Day, but that was to be their last win in Hull for almost 90 years. These defeats meant the Tigers had lost four in a row and slipped from fourth place to tenth. The day after Boxing Day, the Tigers were at home to Wolves and won 10-3, with four goals from David Mercer, three from Sammy Stevens, two from George Morrall, and one from Tim Wright. A week later they went to South Shields and lost 7-1. Is that football or is it just City? Spurs won the title at a canter. City climbed back to fifth, but a ten-game winless run spoilt things and they finished 11th. Spurs won 32 of their 42 games and all but two of their home games. City’s goal in the Boxing Day home game came from Sammy Stevens who had scored in all City’s Division 2 games from April 24th 1915 until September 1st 1919 inclusive.
1928-30 Division 2
Hull City began the 1928-29 season in promising style, soon claiming second place. After nine games, City were unbeaten. New forward Ken McDonald had already claimed eight goals, including one on debut against Southampton and three against Wolves in his third game. Newly-relegated Spurs were 14th with half as many points as City before the game at White Hart Lane. Despite McDonald adding to his tally, City went down 1-4, their first defeat of the season. City remained second, however, and leaders Chelsea also surrendered their unbeaten start. Four wins from the next six games helped City consolidate and McDonald continued to help himself, including scoring all five in a 5-1 win against Bristol City. When Chelsea came to town at the beginning of December, City were still second. The game ended 2-2 and McDonald scored, taking his start to 20 goals in 18 games. And then it all started going wrong. McDonald’s goals dried up and City won just two of the 21 games following the Bristol City win, including a 5-1 Christmas Day beating of Preston, with two more McDonald goals. Spurs, meanwhile, had spent the whole season below halfway, until a run with just one defeat in their final ten games propelled them up to 10th. When the clubs met in the April, City had fallen to 15th and Spurs were 13th. The match ended 1-1, City’s fifth consecutive draw. Spurs finished 10th with City three points behind in 12th. It remains the closest that City have got to Spurs in the league, after a season that could have finished so differently. McDonald’s final tally was 23 in the league and two in the FA Cup, which City had exited after a replay to Bradford Park Avenue of Division 3 North. Bradford was the team City had signed McDonald from; he’d scored 136 goals for them in 145 league games.
The 1929-30 start looked promising with City winning four of the first five and drawing the other, putting them second once more. McDonald had briefly recovered his touch, with five in the first seven games, but he soon lost his place and departed the following March. His final league record of 175 goals in 214 games is enviable (29 in 41 at City). City won one of their next 11 and slumped to 15th, before a six-game flurry helped them regain six places. This flurry included a 2-2 draw at Spurs a few days before Christmas. City’s goals came from Dally Duncan and Billy Taylor. Spurs had spent most of the season in the lower half of the table but by February City had sunk past them. It was April when they next met and by then City were 21st and doomed, with Spurs ten places higher. City won the game 2-0, but it made little difference and City were relegated. The Tigers’ goals came from Stan Alexander and Paddy Mills. Alexander scored 41 goals in 98 league games during his five years at City and later spent a season with Spurs, scoring once in nine appearances.
1935-36 Division 2
By 1935, City were back in Division 2 and Spurs had just dropped to the second tier, where they would remain until 1950 before making an explosive return to Division 1. The 1935-36 season is not one we want to dwell on. Spurs had a good one, even topping the table for a while, but finished fifth. The sides met twice in September, with Spurs winning 3-1 at White Hart Lane and City taking a 1-0 revenge a week later. Both City goals were scored by Jack Acquroff, previously on the books at Spurs, though without a first team appearance. City were relegated.
1949-50 Division 2
City’s 1949 return to Division 2 came on the crest of the Carter wave, and it was to carry them onwards for much of the season. By the end of January, Spurs were top and City were second, though 11 points adrift. Sadly, and apologies to Tiger fans for digging this line out of the drawer again, this is where it all started to go wrong for the Tigers. The last 15 games brought them one more win but remarkably only dropped them to seventh. The two meetings were scheduled for Easter. A Good Friday goalless draw at Spurs meant that even with six games left, Spurs couldn’t be caught, such was their lead at the top of the table. They did take their collective feet off the gas after that and the last six games doubled their number of defeats from four to eight. Obligingly, one of them was a 0-1 at Hull City on Easter Monday, with Fred Smith’s only goal for City, though he would later score 40 in 92 appearances for Millwall. Given the performances of the two teams during the season, along with the scheduling of the games over the Easter weekend, one would have expected decent attendances. Gates of 66,889 (A) and 38,345 (H) add up to what I believe is a record aggregate of 105,234 for league matches in a season involving City and any particular opponent. Had City still had a chance of promotion at the second meeting, the gate and aggregate could have easily been 12,000 higher. It was Sheffield Wednesday who eventually occupied second place and the attendance for City’s two games with the Owls were 50,103 (H) and 52,403 (A) for a total of 102,506. At the moment I’m only aware of one more pair of meetings in City history that produced a total attendance above 100,000. Spurs returned to Division 1 and in their first season back won the league title.
1953-54 FA Cup
This time City held Spurs up for two games in a fifth round FA Cup tie. Viggo Jensen scored in a 1-1 draw at Boothferry Park. Spurs won the replay 2-0 before losing in the next round to eventual winners West Brom. Once again the meetings attracted large turn-outs, with 46,839 here and 52,936 there making 99,775. That appears to be the highest aggregate gate for any cup tie involving the Tigers. Both teams finished a little below halfway in the league.
1977-78 Division 2
Spurs dropped down to say hello in 1977 but yet again it was a cue for the Tigers to follow suit and be relegated. City started adequately enough, and when Spurs came for a kick-around in the October, City beat them 2-0 with both goals from Alan Warboys, who thereby claimed the distinction of being the only Tiger to score twice in a match against Spurs. When City beat Cardiff in mid-November, they had a point a game (in the days of two for a win) from fifteen matches and the situation didn’t look alarming. The next 27 games brought three wins and made it increasingly alarming. The game at Spurs was the penultimate match of the season. Spurs won 1-0 to end a poor sequence that had seen them drop from first to third, but the win helped them keep that third place, enough for an immediate return to the top flight.
1981 FA Cup
This time City only detained Spurs for one game when they met in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Spurs won 2-0 and went on to win the cup, beating Manchester City 3-2 after a 1-1 draw. They would retain the cup the following year, beating QPR 1-0, again after a 1-1 draw.
2008-2010
I’ll spare the details here, since it seems like only five minutes since I wrote about the start of the 2008-09 season, City’s first in the top flight. It’s not a season Spurs fans will want to remember. Hull City: September 27th, won 2-1 at Arsenal; October 5th, won 1-0 at Spurs (Geovanni); October 19th beat West Ham 1-0 at home; October 25th, won 3-0 at West Brom. League table: 1st Chelsea, 20 points; 2nd Liverpool, 20 points; 3rd Hull City, 20 points.
Alas, there’s more. When Spurs came to the KC in the February for the first time they’d got over their bad start and City had got over their good start. Spurs won 2-1.
There must be a book somewhere at Hull City with a “Things To Do After Playing Spurs” section and it must include just one suggestion: “Get Relegated”. 2009-10 was, November apart, a miserable affair and someone had clearly found that bloody book again. The second game of the season was at home to Spurs and Spurs won it 5-1. Jermaine Defoe scored a hat-trick but, luckily for us, he was just warming up for a forthcoming game against Wigan. Spurs’ midfield that day included a player called Tom Huddlestone.
The return game was altogether more civilised. City hadn’t won in six and Spurs had, though they must have wished they’d rationed the nine they scored against Wigan and saved some for the subsequent handful of games they didn’t win. City were fourth from bottom, Spurs were fourth from top, and it ended goalless, as several of the earliest meetings had.
Overall Records
League: P 18 W 6 D 5 L 7 F 16 A 25
FA Cup: P 6 W 0 D 3 L 3 F 1 A 6
Total: P 24 W 6 D 8 L 10 F 17 A 31
The league record is not too badly balanced (and was very even prior to our last Premier League stint), but the cup record is wonky. The League Cup game that follows this game will be the first meeting between the teams in that competition.
There
League: P 9 W 1 D 4 L 4 F 5 A 14
FA Cup: P 4 W 0 D 1 L 3 F 0 A 5
Total: P 13 W 1 D 5 L 7 F 5 A 19
Not too much to be positive about there, but we have more often than not avoided league defeats at Spurs. Thirteen visits to Spurs have produced just five City goals. Time for Huddlestone to add to that list.
Scorers (17 goals)
2. Jack Acquroff, Alan Warboys
1. Sammy Stevens, Joe “Stanley” Smith, Ken McDonald, Sam Weaver, Dally Duncan, Billy Taylor, Paddy Mills, Stan Alexander, Fred Smith, Viggo Jensen, Geovanni, Michael Turner, Stephen Hunt
Scorers there (5 goals)
1. Jack Acquroff, Dally Duncan, Billy Taylor, Ken McDonald, Geovanni
Players in common
Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, George Maddison, Andy Dixon, Nick Barmby, John Bostock, Fraizer Campbell, Stan Alexander, James Blyth, Kevin Dearden, Andy Duncan, Anthony Gardner, Alton Thelwell, David Lee, Dean Marney, Mark Yeates, James Blyth, Jack Acquroff, Stan Alexander, Charles Brown, William Stephenson, Fred Sargent, Leslie Howe, George Goldsmith, Foster Hedley
Also
Terry Neil managed both teams.
Peter Taylor played for Spurs and managed Hull City.
Compounded liberty taking this time - not only is this a tribute to Spurs stalwart and Welsh international Mike England, who played almost 400 games for Spurs, but also an ahead-of-the-crowd mention of young Spurs keeper Liam Priestley, sort of, or possibly one of his ancestors.
THE OTHER PHANTOM OF HULL CITY AFC