01 AND 18st

I should really have written this yesterday but got side tracked, so today is the anniversary + ONE day of the foundation of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (5th September 1882). Hotspur FC as they were known was formed in North London by players of the Hotspur Cricket Club whose players attending two local schools. The name Tottenham was added in 1884 and the club was playing in the non-league Southern League until 1908.

Original using the local Tottenham Marshes, on public pitches, the first "derby" against Royal Arsenal was played there, in 1898. Spurs were leading 2-1 when the game was abandoned due to poor light. The opponents had arrived late for the kick off.

The club moved to Northumberland Park briefly until another North London derby versus Woolwich Arsenal led to such a huge crowd it could not be accommodated safely. In 1899 the club moved to land once occupied by the Charrington's brewery nursery alongside the White Hart public house. A stand was brought from the previous ground and the first opponent was Notts County. That has been their home since.

In 1901 the club won the FA Cup, the only side to do this following the founding of the Football League in 1888. Playing Sheffield United at the Crystal Palace on the 20th April they led 2-1 in front of a crowd 110,00 and more. A shot was fumbled by Spurs' goalie George Clawley (too much of a coincidence isn't it?) and he pushed the ball round the post avoiding the feet of an attacking player. United expected a corner, the ref waved aside the lineman's advice, so Clawley assumed it was a goal kick. The referee, one Arthur Kingscott, pointed to the centre circle and gave an equalising goal.
Note William "Fatty" Foulke in the United goal, weighing in at 18 stone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrwI1AVrSa4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dp3dgYob_I

The replay at Burnden Park was only watched by 20,000 or so because the railway company would not give cheap excursion tickets to the southern supporters. Spurs won 3-1.

In 1961 the Spurs did the Double (Cup and League winners), the first time in the 20th century and also two years later became the first British side to a European trophy beating Athletico Madrid to win the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Winning the League Cup in 2008 meant that Spurs had won a major trophy in each of the six past decades, a feat only matched by Manchester United.

The Spurs have won the FA Cup in 1901, 1921, 1961, 1981, 1991 and at other times but the "1" became a bit of a luck charm!