SPURS' ANNIVERSARY

Named after the Shakespeare rebel Sir Henry Percy Hotspur from Henry IV Part 1  Hotspur FC was formed by local Grammar School boys who were only 13-14 years old. They decided to form a football club to keep them trim during the winter, having previously been cricketers with the Hotspur C.C. The Cockerel became a symbol apparently to mark the interest that Sir Henry had in cock fighting. This is the original.

On the 5th September 1882 a subscription of 6d (5p) per member helped buy equipment for the newly formed club.

Originally known as Northumberland Rovers, being sited near Northumberland Park in North London, they were organised by John Risher, a YMCA warden and Bible Class teacher, who became president of the club. In April 1884 the club changed its name to Tottenham Hotspur FC.

The club played on the Tottenham Marshes and on 30th September 1882 the first friendly match was played against the Radicals, a local team. The next recorded match in the "press" took place on the 6th October 1883 against Brownlow Rovers and on the 17 October 1885 their first "official" match was played in the London Association Cup against St Albans. 400 attended and Spurs won 5-2.
In December 1885 they turned professional. During the 1894-5 season Tottenham played the Old Carthusians twice, in the FA Amateur Cup at Northumberland Park (March 13th OCFC won 5-0) and 3,000 watched this cup tie and five days later, in the London Charity Cup semi-final (OCFC won 3-0) in front of 1200 people. Between this two matches, OCs, GO Smith and the Walters brothers played for England in an international against Wales.

By 1888 Tottenham moved to Northumberland Park and in 1892-3 the club joined the Southern Alliance briefly. In 1899-00 the club chose white shirts and blue shorts mimicking the most famous club in the country, Preston North End. By the Summer 1896 Tottenham joined the Southern League and during that period they won the FA Cup (1901) as non-league members. In 1908-9 they were eventually elected to the Football League, Division Two.

After the realisation that their "ground" at Northumberland park was inadequate, the club moved to an old garden nursery owned by Charringtons in Tottenham High Road, near the White Hart pub.

The first match at White Hart Lane was played as a friendly on 4/9/1899.
v Notts County.

The rest, they say, is history!