Henry Percy ( Harry Hotspur )

[the yid]

As you say the club are probably reluctant to ally themselves to historical figures. He was respected enough by the Scot’s that he received the nickname ‘Hotspur’, which in those days usually meant that he’d seen enough of them off in battle. He also had offensive campaigns against the French and Irish, and everything that entailed (raping, pillaging etc). Ultimately he was also led a rebellion against his own King (Henry IV), and died as a result.
All the above should obviously be viewed in the context of the time, but he’s not necessarily the swashbuckling, white knight that you’d want your club to be named after; especially in the light of the recent ‘woke’ cancel culture ?

Every historical figure has things we'll disgaree with today, as people looking back on us will take issue with things we do. The thing that needs to be done is to celebrate the good they done and accept the bad was the norm then

 

[the yid]

The project to build the new stadium was called the Northumberland Development Project, a reference to the fact that the Percy family (the Earls of Northumberland in Harry Hotspur's time) owned a lot of land in our part of London.

However, you're right that there's no real link between the stadium as is and the Percy family. Conversely, I note that there's a White Hart Lane in Alnwick (which is where the Percy family have their castle) and would surmise that they named the street in N17 after the one they knew up north.

Aint that because the project started on Northumberland Park with Sainsbury's and Lilywhite House

 

[KingKay]

Every historical figure has things we'll disgaree with today, as people looking back on us will take issue with things we do. The thing that needs to be done is to celebrate the good they done and accept the bad was the norm then

I don’t disagree, but you can see the thought process.

 

[gavspur]

Didn’t we also have a Ben Alnwick play for us? Was he a goal keeper? How come he didn’t turn out to be our saviour? Lazy.

 

[Metalhead]

Didn’t we also have a Ben Alnwick play for us? Was he a goal keeper? How come he didn’t turn out to be our saviour? Lazy.

Yes and he was.

 

[Metalhead]

I came on here expecting a thread about much beloved blogger Harry Hotspur.

 

[Nine while nine]

Aint that because the project started on Northumberland Park with Sainsbury's and Lilywhite House

Quite possibly, but Northumberland Park would also have taken its name from the Earls of Northumberland and the land they owned, so it's a moot point.

Similarly, the Northumberland Arms would have taken its name from the Percy family, but that's less of a point of discussion now that it's named after Bill Nicholson instead.

 

[Delboy75]

Ralph Percy the 12th duke of Northumberland is the current head of the Percy family and Henry direct descendant. Wonder if he supports Spurs haha. Surprised the club have never done some PR opportunity with him.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

I believe the cockerel badge originated from the then popular sport of fighting cockerels, so win win on the offending front.

I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that the Hotspur name was taken from the cricket club the founders played for. Obviously that was named after this Percy chap. I wonder if he's the same Lord Percy as in Blackadder II?

 

[Cochise]

Can't see a chicken badge

 

[Metalhead]

Ralph Percy the 12th duke of Northumberland is the current head of the Percy family and Henry direct descendant. Wonder if he supports Spurs haha. Surprised the club have never done some PR opportunity with him.

Probably a bit of a conflict of interest with Northumberland itself so close to Newcastle, which itself has plenty of relevant links such as Percy Street and a pub in Percy Street called 'The Hotspur'.

 

[Tucker]

The people who founded the cricket club probably just thought the word Hotspur sounded cool, which it does.

 

[Nice One Cyril]

The people who founded the cricket club probably just thought the word Hotspur sounded cool, which it does.

It is indeed cool... And original... Proud it's part of our name.

 

[Wearegoingtowintheleague]

I was up in Northumberland (Alnwick) a few weeks ago, there’s a statue of him there.

View attachment 102617

You should have the done the right thing and stolen it and put it outside our new ground where it clearly belongs.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

As you say the club are probably reluctant to ally themselves to historical figures. He was respected enough by the Scot’s that he received the nickname ‘Hotspur’, which in those days usually meant that he’d seen enough of them off in battle. He also had offensive campaigns against the French and Irish, and everything that entailed (raping, pillaging etc). Ultimately he was also led a rebellion against his own King (Henry IV), and died as a result.
All the above should obviously be viewed in the context of the time, but he’s not necessarily the swashbuckling, white knight that you’d want your club to be named after; especially in the light of the recent ‘woke’ cancel culture ?

Good points, but we continue to call ourselves Hotspur after him. Would be so sad if we had to cancel that name

 

[ShelfWatcher]

The people who founded the cricket club probably just thought the word Hotspur sounded cool, which it does.

Don't think so, Harry Hotspur was a well known Shakespearen character and the Percy Family aka the Earls of Northumberland owned lots of land in Tottenham. Hence Northumberland Park etc
For sure Hotspur is a cool name, but in Victorian times Harry Hotspur was an heroic figure, and as grammar school kids some at least would have had a good grasp of history and the importance of the Percy Family to the local area
PS apparently the first name they came up with was Northumberland Rovers, that was a lucky escape on the name front? come on you Rovers, nah

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Links are too much hassle for me on a phone. But if you go to a site the18.com, there's a brilliant article called Why is Tottenham called Spurs, it features a great newspaper article from 1901 calling us Tottenham Cockspur, pride of the South, and an interesting picture of a young lady with a lump of sugar in her mouth offering it to a large cock ???

 

[ShelfWatcher]

My old English Lit teacher insisted that Hotspur, in this sense, came from the Yiddish chutzpah, and that it was probably a snide insult to Henry Percy from some quarters, as it meant recklessness in those days.

Had a search on Google can't find any historical links to Henry Percy and chutzpah
I really don't believe Hotspur came from chutzpah. The obvious explanations about digging your spurs into your horse in the heat of battle, and extended metaphors relating to hot headed heroes are surely the correct ones

 

[Wearegoingtowintheleague]

Links are too much hassle for me on a phone. But if you go to a site the18.com, there's a brilliant article called Why is Tottenham called Spurs, it features a great newspaper article from 1901 calling us Tottenham Cockspur, pride of the South, and an interesting picture of a young lady with a lump of sugar in her mouth offering it to a large cock ???

Thanks see below:

Here's the link to the article

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Had a search on Google can't find any historical links to Henry Percy and chutzpah
I really don't believe Hotspur came from chutzpah. The obvious explanations about digging your spurs into your horse in the heat of battle, and extended metaphors relating to hot headed heroes are surely the correct ones

Google is pretty shallow these days. If it's not a link that a million 12-year olds have shared recently, then it probably won't show, and the best reference sites now hide behind subscription walls. But chutzpah (pronounced hutspur) predates hotspur and means the same thing, and comes from an age where most people never saw the written word, let alone could read it, so I'd be amazed if there wasn't a connection.