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Here is Brian Judson's preview of the game
Full Record of Tottenham Hotspur -v- Chelsea
Premier Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 10 0 4 6 9- 21 4
Away 10 0 3 7 6- 21 3
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Total (Prem) 20 0 7 13 15- 42 7
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1) 42 20 9 13 79- 57 51
Away (Div 1) 42 19 6 17 63- 50 46
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Total(Div 1) 84 39 15 30 142-107 97
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2) 2 1 1 0 7- 4 3
Away (Div 2) 2 0 1 1 1- 4 1
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Total(Div 2) 4 1 2 1 8- 8 4
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Total (Prem) 20 0 7 13 15- 42 7
Total(Div 1) 84 39 15 30 142-107 97
Total(Div 2) 4 1 2 1 8- 8 4
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Grand Tot 106 40 24 44 165-157 108
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I have resisted the temptation to include the sequence of poor results
against Chelsea, because we do not need to be depressed about them any
more than we are now. Suffice to say the younger element of our readership
cannot remember the last time we actually won a League match against them.
Instead, let us concentrate upon some good memories of Tottenham beating
Chelsea! Obviously, this means digging deep into one's recollections as
regards League matches since our only win has come in last season's League
Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg.
The best League match I ever saw that involved both clubs took place on
November 14th 1970 at Stamford Bridge. In those days, it was a dump and
the Spurs fans were herded to the Britannia end, which was exposed to all
the elements. I was lucky enough to have a seat ticket. At 2.45pm the
heavens opened and a monsoon swept in. (It didn't stop raining until very
late that night!) The referee that day was Pat Partridge, a brilliant
referee, who kept the game flowing. At one point he checked with Ron
Harris and Alan Mullery that they were happy to continue playing in the
downpour and they said they were.
At 4.40pm there was still no score and many people were leaving early,
convinced there would be none. At that point, Spurs won a corner and
Mullery cracked home a stunner. Almost immediately afterwards, Pearce
nicked a second goal and, with the referee looking at his watch, Chivers
rattled the crossbar. It was a hell of a game with no quarter asked or
sought.
Barely five years later, both teams faced each other at White Hart Lane,
knowing the losers would almost certainly be relegated from the top
flight. The game was very nearly abandoned without a ball being kicked
when the Chelsea fans invaded the pitch and confronted Tottenham's silly
element. But Jack Taylor, the referee that day, strode out at 2.55pm with
the hooligans still on the pitch and strode to the centre circle. The
tannoy announced he intended to wait as long as it took but the game would
be played even if he had to wait until midnight. Chelsea were poor that
season and scarcely put up a fight, despite all that Ray Wilkins, then
only 18 and sporting more hair then, could do. Alfie Conn scored one of
our goals whilst Stevie Perryman grabbed the other.
And I can claim that I was there the day Jimmy Greaves made his debut for
Chelsea in August 1957. The game was drawn 1-1 with Alf Stokes scoring for
Spurs. Greaves, inevitably, scored for Chelsea, having scored 114 goals
for their Youth side the previous season.
Apart from Jimmy Greaves, probably the most famous player to play for both
clubs was Vivian Woodward, who played for both as an amateur. He was
probably one of the best players of his era before WW1.
Spurs and Chelsea have been frequent swappers of staff. Probably the best
example was that of Johnny Brooks for the then unknown Les Allen. Spurs
got by far the better deal on that as Brooks quickly faded from view after
leaving Tottenham. Brooks had a great deal of talent by he lacked the
drive and ambition to make full use of it. He was so annoying that it was
impossible to guarantee he would play the same way in different halves of
the same match.
For those of you who have never seen Stamford Bridge as it was before it
was re-constructed, the original ground was enormous. It was very
primitive by today's standards. I am surprised there were no accidents or
disasters because I remember going there once and being crushed in the
crowd as we left the ground. The barriers were not very safe either and
there was a huge drop to the ground. I have seldom been as relieved as I
was that afternoon to leave Stamford Bridge.
Those of you who will remember the Britannia End will remember how exposed
it was to all the elements. There was very little atmosphere there
because the pitch was remote from the spectators because of the greyhound
track, which was removed when the FA banned the running of greyhound
meetings from football stadia.
THAT run has to end some day. Why not this week? Chelsea have not been
playing well on the road this season so perhaps we can take advantage of
that this week. A lot depends on our defence. We played fairly well at
Liverpool last week so it is important we try to extract something from
this match. I think we are capable of winning but we need to be patient. I
take us to win 2-1 but the winner may be very late in coming so if things
don't seem to be going according to plan, please be patient!
COME ON YOU SPURS!
Cheers, Brian
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