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Spurs On this Day - No 14 in an occasional Series
By Dave P
October 27 2004
ON this day no 14 in an occasional series as once again we have never played Bolton Wanderers on this day in the past I have chosen this time to highlight a few games from the Bill Nicholson era at Tottenham as a small tribute to the great man.
ON this day no 14 in an occasional series

As once again we have never played Bolton Wanderers on this day in the past I have chosen this time to highlight a few games from the Bill Nicholson era at Tottenham as a small tribute to the great man.

1949 and Tottenham played a friendy away to Cambridge university Losing 3-2. Unfortunately I have no record of the team or scorers on that day but this reminded me of a Bill Nicholson quote which I hope you will forgive me for repeating here;

"...intelligence doesn't make you a good footballer. Oxford and Cambridge would have
the best sides if that were true. It's a football brain that matters and that doesn't usually go with an academic brain. In fact I prefer it when it doesn't. I prefer players not to be too good or clever at other things. It means they concentrate on football."

At the end of the 1949/50 season we were promoted to Division one as Division two champions. Bill made 39 league appearances scoring two goals.


1950 and on the 28th October we played West Bromwich Albion away winning 2-1 with goals from W.E.Walters and L.D.Medley. Bill did not score that day but he made 41 league appearances in that famous 'Push and Run' side that some considered changed the way football was played. It was also of course the season of our first Championship success following on a year after the Division two championship.

We move on to 1960 and our opponents on 29th October were Newcastle at home. We won the game 4-3 with goals from Maurice Norman, Cliff Jones, John White and Bobby Smith. This was our 14th undefeated game of that season which of course saw Bills side win the Historic Double notching up 115 goals.

Onto 1962 and on this day 27th October we played Leyton Orient away in the league winning 5-1. Goals on this day came from Terry Medwin, John White, Les Allen, Cliff Jones and a Bishop og. We finished second that season scoring 111 goals and became the first club to win a European trophy with that 5-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in Rotterdam.

Finally we move on to the 1971/72 season when on 27th October we were away to Preston North End in the League Cup. The result was a 1-1 draw with Martin Chivers scoring for Spurs. There were of course replays in those days and we went on to win the replay 2-1 with goals from Steve Perryman and Martin Chivers. As you all know we went on that season to become the first British club to win two different European Trophies beating Wolves in the two legged Final.

Bill Nicholson OBE 1919 - 2004

Rest In Peace

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."





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