WHEN THE YEAR ENDS IN A "ONE"

No apologies for this celebration! Tottenham had a win last night, thumping thre young pretenders, Brentford, playing their way into yet another CUP FINAL. Granted, only the Football League Cup but it's a final and its going to be 2021, when they meet one of the Manchesters at Wembley. The song below tells the story of Spurs and "when the year ends in one", thanks to Chas and Dave, who have sung other Spurs' celebratory songs which you might care to search for on the www. I've pop a few in because on a day like today you might need a sing-a-long.......even if it's just to hear Ossie sing "Tottingham"!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ddjdlqf7vo 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnYjI17lPso

The record is: 1901 when it cost 6d (sixpence) to watch the match, where players earned £4 a week, double that of the average "skilled" worker. In 1901, Tottenham Hotspur became the first Southern club to win the tournament since the Old Etonians (old boys of Eton College), who won the cup 18 years earlier. 

The Spurs were the only non -league club to win the cup since the formation of the Football League in 1888. On April 20th at Crystal Palace. 110,820 (a record at the time) saw the Southern League "amateur" club equal the professionals, Sheffield United, sporting 9 internationals, 2-2 and in the replay win 3-1 at Burnden Park. Only 20,470 ventured, due to the expensive rail journeys, to Bolton to see history being made. 

Cameron (player, manager, secretary), Smith and Brown scored for Spurs and Priest replied for the Blades. Alexander (Sandy) Brown scored in every round, 15 in total, still a record.  Below, he is "hidden" at the front post, but scores Spurs' third goal with a glancing header from Cameron's near post corner.

Cameron a traditionalist believed that "a good player must have exceptional qualitites of a personal character...education makes all the difference". He became the first secretary of the Professional Football Players' Union. He had previously played for Queen's Park (Scotland) and Everton.

Tottenham joined the Football League, Second Division, in 1908.

In the south there was still an "opposition" to the growing professionalism in the north and some religious conventions also saw football as a pursuit of the "ungodly". Nevertheless, the working classes were not swayed. The FA Cup attracted huge crowds, half as big again as league matches, and 400 clubs (6,000 players) out of 12,000 clubs (300,000 players) were professional at this time.

The next "1" appearance was in 1921 at Stamford Bridge v Wolves 1-0.

1931 lost to WBA (the eventual Cup winners) away in Rd 4     1941 no competition    

1951 lost to Huddersfield Town R3 away 2-0      

1961 won Double beat Leicester City in Final 2-0      

1971 lost in R6 to Liverpool at home 0-1 but WON Football League Cup v Aston Villa 2-0            

1981 won v Manchester City after a 1-1 draw, 3-2 

1991 won v Nottingham Forest 2-1 aet (I was there).   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goDgW-KTVIE

BTW: FA Cup Winners in the time gaps are: 

1881 The Old Carthusians (old boys of Charterhouse School) Godalming v Old Etonians 2-0

1891 Blackburn Rovers v Notts County 3-1:  1911 Bradford City v Newcastle Utd 1-0 (after 0-0)

1931 WBA 2 v Birmingham City 1    1941 WAR    1951 Newcastle Utd 2 v Blackpool 0  

1971 Arsenal 2 v Liverpool 1    2001 Liverpool 2 v Arsenal 1    2011 Man City v Stoke City 1-0

2021 ???