Saturday 23rd September, 1972
Spurs 1 West Ham United 0

On this day 28 years ago, Spurs were playing their 10th League game, having also contested two cup ties. Our league record going into the game was: -

P   W   D   L   F - A   PTS   Pos

9   5   2   2   12- 8    12    6th

West Ham were 9th with 10 points, but despite losing this game to an own goal, they eventually finished above Spurs in 6th place to our eighth, trailing by one point.

Spurs leading goalscorer on this day was Martin Peters (formally of course of the Hammers) with 7 to his name. Chivers would overtake him to take the leading league scorer plaudits with 17 to Peters' 15 at the end of the campaign.

Spurs had a rare break from midweek football in the run up to this match, but it seems that their goalscoring prowess (6 in each of the two UEFA Cup games v Lynn(Oslo)) deserted them for the Derby game, where they needed an own goal to take the points. The crowd for West ham was 51,291, whereas just 21,000 came the following week to see the Norwegian team get a 6-0 trouncing.

Probable sides (as per programme) were - Spurs:- Jennings; Evans, England, Beal, Knowles; Pratt, Perryman, Peters (Capt.), Pearce (or Coates); Gilzean, Chivers. West ham:- Grotier; McDowell, Taylor, Moore (Capt), Lampard; Tyler, Bonds, Brooking, Robson; Best, Holland

This side included Frank Lampard (senior) at left back, and just about the only black player I can remember in the game at the time - Clyde Best. The Robson was Bryan "Pop" Robson.

Here is a picture of a Rodney Marsh goal for Man City in their 2-1 defeat of the Spurs at Maine Road the previous week.

He was sporting a lot more hair then than he does today - not least because he had his hair shaved at Bradford recently (for charity) to fulfil a promise he made if his prediction of their relegation last season did not come to fruition.

Other results on this day over the last 40 years: -

61-62	A v Forest	L  0-2
64-65	A v Copenhagen	L  1-2 (Friendly)
67-68	A v Man Utd	L  1-3
78-79	A v Man City	L  0-2
85-86	A v Orient	L  0-2 (Lge Cup)
86-87	A v Barnsley	W  3-2 (Lge Cup)
87-88	A v Torquay	L  0-1 (Lge Cup)
89-90	A v Norwich	D  2-2
92-93	A v Lazio	L  0-3 (Friendly)
97-98	A v Bolton	D  1-1

As can be seen, Lady Luck has not been too kind to us on this day over the years. Let's hope we get a result today!