September 4 in football history

In 1867, on this date, Sheffield Wednesday was founded, one of England’s oldest clubs, Sheffield Wednesday, was officially established. They went on to win 4 league titles and 3 FA Cups.

1899 – White Hart Lane Opens Tottenham Hotspur played their first-ever game at White Hart Lane, a ground that later became one of English football’s iconic stadiums.

Match Details

Date: September 4, 1899
Teams: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Notts County (then a Division One club)
Result: Tottenham Hotspur won 4–1
Attendance: Around 5,000 spectators
Gate receipts: £115 

First Competitive Match

Date: September 9, 1899 (five days after the opener)
Teams: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Queens Park Rangers
Result: Tottenham Hotspur won 1–0 

In 1960 – Real Madrid thrashed Peñarol (5–1) in the first-ever Intercontinental Cup. They beat Uruguay’s Peñarol in front of nearly 100,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Jimmy Dunne (1905) – Northern Irish striker, famous for his goal-scoring in the 1930s. Marc Degryse (1965) – Belgian international with 23 goals in 63 caps. Maik Taylor (1971) – Northern Ireland goalkeeper. Tomáš Hübschman (1981) – Czech Republic defender. Raúl Albiol (1985) – Spanish centre-back, World Cup & Euro winner.

2006 – Giacinto Facchetti died.

The Inter Milan and Italy icon, famed for redefining the attacking full-back role, died at 64. He won Euro 1968 and was runner-up in the 1970 World Cup.