60 years a Spurs fan

[ShelfWatcher]

By my calculations, yesterday (16th December) marked my 60 year love-hate affair with Tottenham Hotspur.

It was 60 years ago yesterday my uncle Nat took me as a scatty 9 year old schoolkid off to the football, and introduced me to White Hart Lane to see the debut performance of one Jimmy Greaves (God rest him).

I'll always remember my uncle saying to me 'Come on boy, I'll take you to the football' and I was so excited. I don't think my dad ever forgave him, as he was a gooner, but that's another issue!

As soon as I walked into the place, I was awe stricken and even standing on my little box on the old shelf, I could barely see what was happening on the pitch, but the atmosphere that day was amazing and I loved it. I also loved the bag of peanuts my uncle bought for us as the guy came round shouting 'Peanuts, peanuts..' with his little sack of goodies.

Of course, Jimmy did what he always did on his debuts. He not only scored for us in a win over Blackpool, but he helped himself to a hat trick and from day one, the crowd took him into their hearts, me included, and for all the Spurs players down the years who I've fallen in love with, Jimmy was always my ultimate hero.

You'll have to understand, I was born and raised in Highbury, half a mile from that place which should not be named, and who knows, if my uncle Nat had taken me there first...well it doesn't bear thinking about!

My bedroom walls were covered with all sorts of posters with Spurs pictures and newspaper cuttings and all sorts.

Blimey, 60 years. Where the hell has that gone. All the joys and all the heartaches, the agonies and the ecstacies, no wonder I've hardly got any bloody hair left! I sometimes wonder what I must have done in a past life. I must have ben a right bastard (Who said 'no change there then)? LOL.

Part of my DNA now. I may have completely fallen out of love with football but THFC will never leave me till I shuffle off this mortal coil.

This might be a good place to invite others to share their own experiences of their first visit to WHL.

Come on you Spurs!!!

Great stuff SL, so jealous you were there for that game. I had a little B&W Booklet to commemorate the game, looked at those photos so many times
Didn't get to the Lane till 62 or 63, my memory is hazy on this
Am convinced I went in 62 with my dad, also an Arsenal fsn
But people weren't so tribal then, many went to Arsenal one week Spurs the next
Bruce Forsyth supported both clubs and couldn't understand why people thought it strange
Anyway first game at Lane I definitely remember was 63 we beat Burnley, like us a top club, 3 2 cracking game

 

[Trojan]

Fucking hell. I shouldn't laugh, but that read like something out of a comedy ? glad you stuck with it!

It even makes me chuckle looking back on it but there was something magical about the old WHL and Spurs teams, I use to go to Brentford a lot on my own as we lived pretty close to the ground and my parents didn’t think it safe for me to travel across London on my own, they were so right, lol.

I remember taking my first wife to a home game long before we married, the only way she was going to spend time with me on a Saturday afternoon, she was a fanatical Liverpool supporter, we were playing Derby and won easily, a few more home games and she fell in love with Spurs, more so than me I would say. That was in the late 70’s and she still supports Spurs even now, 27yrs after we divorced. Supporting Spurs is different to supporting other clubs in my view, once a true Spurs fan always a true Spurs fan.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Think it was 73, I was at game, shelf ?. We won tournament in 72.
From memory Peters scored twice, 2 2 result Liverpool went thru by one goal
EDIT
saw TCO post so checked Google
We both got year right and Spurs went out
But score was 2 1 pool won away goals
I was right about Peters 2 goals ?

I stand corrected - You are of course right. The daft thing is I knew this LOL

 

[ShelfWatcher]

I stand corrected - You are of course right. The daft thing is I knew this LOL

But you were basically right from memory ? we both just got a little wrong. It was almost 50 years ago, so we both remembered pretty well

 

[Delboy75]

It really annoys me I’m not sure what my fist game was I must have been 7 or 8 and was also my Uncle that took me. It may well have been our season in the 2nd division as definitely remember that. But I have a horrible feeling it might have been the 5-1 loss to Woolwich when Brady scored a brilliant chip I definitely remember that.

Oh it was 0-5 haha.

 

[wpmcg]

Born in the north east, so how did you become a Spurs fan ?

Well I was in Newton Aycliffe so equidistant from Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Didn't really decide on any and then saw this amazing team in white on the TV.

 

[wpmcg]

1973
1-1 draw.
Clemence played a blinder that night for them. I was also at the 1st leg up there lost a soft 1-0

Couldn't see a lot, just turned up without tickets, can remember Keegan playing well though.

 

[Ray_Evans]

54 years for me, FAC final 1967 v Chelsea. I remember more about watching the cup being paraded on the open top bus past Edmonton town hall than I do about the game..can still picture Dave Mackay holding the cup aloft.

Happy days.

 

[VegasII]

It really annoys me I’m not sure what my fist game was I must have been 7 or 8 and was also my Uncle that took me. It may well have been our season in the 2nd division as definitely remember that. But I have a horrible feeling it might have been the 5-1 loss to Woolwich when Brady scored a brilliant chip I definitely remember that.

Oh it was 0-5 haha.

Sounds like Tottenham certainly got a fisting that day!

 

[Delboy75]

??‍?

 

[Spurslove]

Great stuff SL, so jealous you were there for that game. I had a little B&W Booklet to commemorate the game, looked at those photos so many times
Didn't get to the Lane till 62 or 63, my memory is hazy on this
Am convinced I went in 62 with my dad, also an Arsenal fsn
But people weren't so tribal then, many went to Arsenal one week Spurs the next
Bruce Forsyth supported both clubs and couldn't understand why people thought it strange
Anyway first game at Lane I definitely remember was 63 we beat Burnley, like us a top club, 3 2 cracking game

Yes, this was very much the case. People find it hard to believe nowadays but back then it was a thing, although the rivalries were always there between the fans of both clubs albeit not as toxic as they are in the modern day. A bit of a weird situation when you think of it.

.

 

[Spurslove]

It really annoys me I’m not sure what my fist game was I must have been 7 or 8 and was also my Uncle that took me. It may well have been our season in the 2nd division as definitely remember that. But I have a horrible feeling it might have been the 5-1 loss to Woolwich when Brady scored a brilliant chip I definitely remember that.

Oh it was 0-5 haha.

I remember it well although I've been trying to forget it all these years. It was Boxing Day 1978. I was working at the club back then as one of the staff in the Commercial Dept and I'd invited a couple of guests along as I'd been given a couple of free tickets, and we'd missed the kick-off by a few minutes because they were slightly late, and just as we were getting into our seats, that little gobshite scored and we could see all the scum fans going barmy in the corner section of the Park Lane.

God that hurt, and I wasn't the best company for my guests after that hammering either!

Thankfully, we got our revenge in 1983 (I think) with a 5-0 home win when their goalie, George Wood cocked up for a few of our goals by failing to hold on to the ball. I think Mark Falco got a couple as we were all singing 'Georgie Georgie give us a wave, Georgie, give us a wave'! Sheer bloody bliss. They say revenge is a dish best served cold.

?‍

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Yes, this was very much the case. People find it hard to believe nowadays but back then it was a thing, although the rivalries were always there between the fans of both clubs albeit not as toxic as they are in the modern day. A bit of a weird situation when you think of it.

.

Maybe it wasn't so weird really. There wasn't so much TV coverage then, in the 50s and 60s. Most people didn't do away games, for routine league games anyway
But people, usually men, liked to see a game of football, often to get out of the house, away from the missus.
I remember when I got older and was working, my dad suggested we get season tickets for Spurs and Arsenal. But by then I was going to away games, this was now the 70s and the away day culture had spread, unfortunately with attendant hooligans, so I wasn't going to do that ?

 

[M.I.B.]

I'm another 60 year old, and been going just over 55 years........November 66 and we lost at home to the Whammers, even with Greaves in the side. I really should have known then, but I'm still here. Enjoyed the pre match police dog display, can't remember the game itself.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

In

I'm another 60 year old, and been going just over 55 years........November 66 and we lost at home to the Whammers, even with Greaves in the side. I really should have known then, but I'm still here. Enjoyed the pre match police dog display, can't remember the game itself.

Yep, I remember those dog displays, jumping over fences etc. Happened more than once. Mind you I remember the Highbury brass band. There was all sorts of random pre and half time entertainment in those days.

 

[DCSPUR64]

I remember the peanuts and munching them at the game.
Thank you for sharing your 60 years as a Spurs fan.
Ps I am 67 ?

 

[ShelfWatcher]

I remember the peanuts and munching them at the game.
Thank you for sharing your 60 years as a Spurs fan.
Ps I am 67 ?

The peanuts were strange in that, IIRC, he would sometimes throw you a bag, if the crowd was packed and hard to get through
I guess you handed the money to someone nearer and they passed it on, but I can't remember exactly how it worked
Percy Dalton was the brand, quite healthy as unsalted

 

[HNIM]

I love this thread already. If you’re under 50 just read and enjoy. Let the old guys have it. They’re earned it.

 

[allatsea]

By my calculations, yesterday (16th December) marked my 60 year love-hate affair with Tottenham Hotspur.

It was 60 years ago yesterday my uncle Nat took me as a scatty 9 year old schoolkid off to the football, and introduced me to White Hart Lane to see the debut performance of one Jimmy Greaves (God rest him).

I'll always remember my uncle saying to me 'Come on boy, I'll take you to the football' and I was so excited. I don't think my dad ever forgave him, as he was a gooner, but that's another issue!

As soon as I walked into the place, I was awe stricken and even standing on my little box on the old shelf, I could barely see what was happening on the pitch, but the atmosphere that day was amazing and I loved it. I also loved the bag of peanuts my uncle bought for us as the guy came round shouting 'Peanuts, peanuts..' with his little sack of goodies.

Of course, Jimmy did what he always did on his debuts. He not only scored for us in a win over Blackpool, but he helped himself to a hat trick and from day one, the crowd took him into their hearts, me included, and for all the Spurs players down the years who I've fallen in love with, Jimmy was always my ultimate hero.

You'll have to understand, I was born and raised in Highbury, half a mile from that place which should not be named, and who knows, if my uncle Nat had taken me there first...well it doesn't bear thinking about!

My bedroom walls were covered with all sorts of posters with Spurs pictures and newspaper cuttings and all sorts.

Blimey, 60 years. Where the hell has that gone. All the joys and all the heartaches, the agonies and the ecstacies, no wonder I've hardly got any bloody hair left! I sometimes wonder what I must have done in a past life. I must have ben a right bastard (Who said 'no change there then)? LOL.

Part of my DNA now. I may have completely fallen out of love with football but THFC will never leave me till I shuffle off this mortal coil.

This might be a good place to invite others to share their own experiences of their first visit to WHL.

Come on you Spurs!!!

Congratulations !

I joined you in the 60 years club last October.

 

[DenverSpur]

I’m from the North West and where I grew up was too far from a League club to follow them coupled with the fact that back in 1961 the only football on TV was the World Cup, the Home Internationals and the FA Cup Final. So I didn’t really have team then that year Tottenham were playing in the FA Cup Final hoping to win to complete the League and Cup Double. Both my parents were from Northern Ireland and wanted Spurs to win because their captain was Danny Blanchflower who was also the N. Ireland Team captain and a legend to them. Their enthusiasm rubbed off on me and for the first time I was really invested in the FA Cup Final. As we all know we completed, what was back then, a legendary Double. After the game I went outside with my brother to play kick about(3 and in) with the kids next door and said “I’m Tottenham”. I was 9 years old then and I’ve been Tottenham ever since and I will be Tottenham till I die.

I saw Tottenham live for the first time at Old Trafford when I was about 11. Can’t remember the score but we lost because believe it or not even though I’ve probably been to Old Trafford more times than any other away ground I’ve never seen Tottenham win there live.

I first went to WHL when I was about 13-14. Travelled down by myself on the train. Back then there was no Seven Sisters Tube Station so the nearest Stations were Manor House or Wood Green. I opted for Wood Green, asked outside which bus took me to Tottenham. The bus conductor told me to get off at Bruce Castle Park. I walked down Lordship Lane and when I got to the High Road l looked to my left and I could just glimpse the stadium. I almost cried because after all the previous 4 or 5 years following Spurs from afar(and all over the North of England whenever I could ) now I was finally home. And that’s how it felt, Home. Ironically years later in the 90’s I lived in Tottenham.

I’ve spent most of my adult life abroad but whenever I’ve returned to England I’ve followed Spurs all over. I had one of the first away season tickets back then. To be honest whilst abroad the only thing I’ve ever really missed about England is watching Tottenham live. There is nothing like it.