Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur


Full Name: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
City: London
Founded: 1882
Stadium: White Hart Lane (36,237)
Colors: Dark Blue, White
Previous Name: Hotspur FC (1882-84)
Nicknames: Spurs, Lillywhites, Yids
Rivals: Arsenal
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Official Website: tottenhamhotspur.com

Description:

Tottenham Hotspur were formed as Hotspur FC in 1882 by members of a Tottenham-area grammar school and cricket club. The name is taken from Harry Hostpur, an English nobleman of the 14th century, and later a major character in Shakespeare's Henry IV. Two years later they added Tottenham to their name, Tottenham being the neighborhood of North London where they are based. In 1896 Spurs joined the Southern League where they stayed for 12 years before entering the Football League in 1908. Spurs won the Southern League title in 1900.The Lilywhites nickname is a reference to their all-white uniforms. The Yids nicknames is a reference to Yiddish, the language theoretically spoken by the rather large Jewish fan base of Spurs. Yids was used as an insult by rival Arsenal fans but has been turned on its head and used as a badge of pride by Spurs fans. In 1961 Tottenham Hotspur became the first English club in the twentieth century to win the League and FA cup double. Their rivalry with Arsenal is known as the North London derby - the two clubs' stadiums are located just a few miles apart in North London. The cockerel on the club's emblem is a reference to their Spurs name - the cockerel bird was often used in cock fights and fitted with spurs. The stadium is located on White Hart Lane in Tottenham.


Tottenham Hotspur FC History

Tottenham Hotspur F.C. is a North London association football team, also known by the nickname Spurs. Their home ground is White Hart Lane in Tottenham.
Their motto is Audere Est Facere (To Dare Is To Do).The club was formed in 1882 by boys from Hotspur cricket club and from the local grammar school. Originally the club was known as Hotspur FC. In 1884 the club was renamed Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Club.

The club has a long standing rivalry with its North London neighbours Arsenal (formerly Woolwich Arsenal - originally from South East London).In the 1960-61 season, Spurs became the first team to achieve the league and FA Cup double in the 20th century.They are one of only three teams to win the FA Cup in consecutive years since the end of the 19th century, the others being Arsenal and Newcastle United and the only team to have done so on two occasions. Tottenham Hotspur were the first and so far only team to win the FA Cup as a non-league club; this was in 1901 when Spurs were in the Southern League. Tottenham were the first British club to win a European trophy - the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963.

Tottenham Hotspur have traditionally been one of the biggest clubs in England.Daniel Levy became chairman of the club in February 2001. Frank Arnesen was appointed Sports Director in May 2004, and in June it was announced that French national team coach Jacques Santini would join Tottenham Hotspur as head coach following Euro 2004, with Martin Jol taking up a post as his assistant. On November 5th 2004 however, Santini resigned for 'personal reasons'. Jol was confirmed as his successor on November 8.

The most successful manager in Tottenham's history is Bill Nicholson, who guided the club to major trophy success three seasons in a row during the early 1960's - the League Championship/F.A Cup double in 1961, F.A Cup in 1962 and European Cup Winners Cup in 1963. Key players in the early 1960's Tottenham side included Danny Blanchflower, John White, David Mackay and Jimmy Greaves. Blanchflower, the club captain, later had a spell as Chelsea team manager and was later a football writer until his death in 1993 at the age of 67. Greaves also turned out for AC Milan and Chelsea and is the third highest goalscorer of all time for the England team with 44 goals. White died at the age of 27 after being hit by lightning on a golf course. Mackay later enjoyed success in management when he guided Derby County to the League Championship in 1975.Tottenham still enjoyed some success in the early part of the 1980's, winning the F.A Cup in 1981 and 1982 and the UEFA Cup in 1984 under Keith Burkinshaw. The early 1980's team included Argentinian players Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa.

The club's next trophy success came in 1991 when they won the F.A Cup for a then record eighth time under Terry Venables. Stars of the 1991 F.A Cup winning side included Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne and Vinny Samways. After winning the F.A Cup, Venables went into partnership with Alan Sugar to take over the club (which was £20million in debt) and became chief executive. In 1991-92, Peter Shreeves took charge of team affairs (having previously been in charge from 1984 to 1986) but quit after one season to make way for the partnership of Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence. In the inaugural 1992-93 Premier League, Livermore and Clemence failed to establish themselves as top class managers and quit after just one season. Soon after that, Venables was controversially dismissed by the club's board and in came former player Osvaldo Ardiles as his replacement. Ardiles had just won the Division Two playoffs with West Bromwich Albion and was hopeful of bringing the glory days back to White Hart Lane.

In 1993-94, Tottenham finished a disappointing 15th in the Premiership after 14-goal striker Teddy Sheringham played just 19 games through injury. Soon after the end of the season the club was investigated over illegal payments made to players during the late 1980's and it was feared that they could be demoted to Division One as punishment. When Tottenham admitted financial irregularities, the club received the most severe punishment ever handed out in English football - a £600,000 fine, 12 league points deducted and a 1-year ban from the F.A Cup. On appeal, the fine was increased to £1.5million but the number of points deducted was cut to six, while the F.A Cup ban remained in place. But the deducted points and F.A Cup ban were eventually quashed in a second appeal.

By the start of the 1994-95 season, Osvaldo Ardiles had added three foreign stars to the Tottenham squad - German striker Jurgen Klinsmann and Romanian midfielders Gheorghe Popescu and Ilie Dumistrescu. Despite these additions to the squad, and the consistency of striker Teddy Sheringham, Tottenham struggled in the early stages of the season and Ardiles was sacked to make way for QPR manager Gerry Francis.Francis guided Tottenham to the F.A Cup semi finals and to a seventh-place finish in the Premiership - still their highest league finish since 1990. He remainedin charge until November 1997, by which time Tottenham were bottom of the Premiership. Swiss coach Christian Gross, who had won two Swiss league championships with Grasshoppers Zurich, was appointed as the club's new manager and guided them to safety, but soon after the start of the 1998-99 season he was sacked with Tottenham battling relegation again. The club's directors made surprise decision when appointing Leeds United manager George Graham as the new manager at White Hart Lane - Graham was the man who had delivered 6 major trophies to Tottenham's deadly rivals Arsenal between 1986 and 1994.

Graham had a reasonable effect on Tottenham's fortunes. They won the League Cup in his first season in charge and thus qualified for the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup. But this improvement was inconsistent and by the time he was sacked for breach of contract in March 2001, the club was once again hovering above the relegation zone.

George Graham's replacement was Glenn Hoddle, who had been a key player at the club during the 1980's and had enjoyed moderate success as a manager with Swindon Town, Chelsea, the England team and more recently Southampton. He was full of ambition on his arrival at Tottenham, intent on re-establishing them as one of England's best teams. But a League Cup final losing appearance in the 2001-02 season was as good as it got for Tottenham under Hoddle, and he was sacked in September 2003 after two-and-a-half years in charge.
Director of Football David Pleat remained in charge until the end of the 2003-04 season, when former France national coach Jacques Santini was named as Hoddle's permanent replacement.

The 2004-05 Premiership campaign started well for Santini, who was working under sporting director Frank Arnesen. But he suddenly quit the club in November 2004, citing personal reasons, and was replaced by assistant manager Martin Jol.Tottenham are currently mid table in the Premiership - their regular league position for most of the last 15 years - and it remains to be seen whether Martin Jol is the right man to restore this famous club's fortunes.

Tottenham Hotspur FC Honours, Trophies & Awards

* Football League First Division (1951, 61)
* Football League Second Division (1920, 50)

Cup Titles:

* Charity Shield (1921, 51, 61, 62, 67, 81, 91)
* FA Cup (1901, 21, 61, 62, 67, 81, 82, 91)
* Football League Cup (1971, 73, 99, 2008)

International Titles:

* European Cup Winner's Cup (1963)
* UEFA Cup (1972, 84)