· Read my match preview here
My good friend Declan Mulcahy has provided this history of FA Cup meetings between Spurs and Leicester. I shall prepare a further preview, focussing upon the current teams over the week-end.
This is the ninth season that Spurs and Leicester will have met in the FA Cup.
The first meeting was against Leicester Fosse as they were then known in January 1914 in the first round of the cup. The first game at Filbert Street was a 5-5 draw, which must have been an exciting game. Spurs goals came from Walden, Minter, Cantrell and Bliss 2, while Stoodley scored a hat trick for Leicester. In the replay at White Hart Lane Spurs won 2-0 with goals from Walden and Bliss. Spurs were eliminated 2-1 by Manchester City in the next round.
The only meeting during the inter-war years was in 1928 when Spurs were drawn away to Leicester in the fifth round. The crowd that day, 47,298 was the largest ever to attend a game at Filbert Street. A photograph shows that the crowd overflowed on to the pitch and sat behind the goals and along the touchlines. In addition there are hundreds of people sitting on the roof of the stand behind one of the goals. Spurs prevailed 3-0 with two goals from Taffy O’Callaghan, who would later join Leicester, and one from Jimmy Dimmock. Spurs did not progress any further as they were badly beaten 6-1 away by Huddersfield Town in the next round.
The next meeting occurred 20 years later in 1948 when both teams were in the second division. It was the fifth round and Spurs were drawn at home. They won 5-2 thanks to a Johnny Jordan hat trick, a penalty from Freddie Cox and an own goal. At the end of the season Jordan was signed by Juventus but was not a success there. Spurs progressed to the semi finals before losing to Blackpool. Ironically Leicester went one better the following season reaching the final before losing to Wolves. Thus Leicester reached a Wembley final twelve years before Spurs did.
Jimmy Anderson only managed Spurs for three years from 1955 to 1958. However in two of these seasons Spurs were drawn at home to Leicester City in the third round of the cup. In 1957 Spurs won 2-0 with goals from Blanchflower and Robb. In the fifth round of the cup that year Spurs were drawn away to third division Bournemouth and suffered a shocking 3-1 defeat. In 1958 Spurs beat Leicester 4-0, Smith scoring twice. Medwin and Stokes scored the other two. Unfortunately Spurs lost to Sheffield United at White Hart Lane in the next round.
The sixth meeting between the two teams took place in 1961 in the FA Cup Final at Wembley. It was one of the most important games in Spurs’ history. As previously noted Leicester had played in a Wembley final in 1949 but this was the first time for Spurs. Spurs had won the league championship that season dominating the competition. However Leicester were one of three teams to win at White Hart Lane. Spurs were bidding to become the first tem to win the coveted league and cup double in the twentieth century. The last occasion having been in 1897 by Aston Villa.
In those days substitutes were not permitted. In many of the previous ten finals, a player from one or other team had suffered a serious injury, which had an impact on the game. It was known as the Wembley hoodoo. The hoodoo struck after about twenty minutes when the Leicester full back Len Chalmres badly injured his knee in a tackle with Les Allen. Though he did not leave the field he was a passenger for the rest of the game playing on the wing. The injury seemed to galvanize Leicester who gave as good as they got.
After sixty seven minutes the score was still 0-0. Then Bobby Smith scored. (Ed: Bobby Smith tells the story of how he raced to and fro across London from the Spurs Hotel in Hendon to his own doctor's surgery in Palmers Green, to have pain-killing injections in his knee. Thus he got to play in this historic game, and of course score a goal!)Ten minutes later Terry Dyson made it 2-0 for Spurs. Spurs thus became the first team in the twentieth century to win the double. However they did not play with the swagger they had shown throughout the season and Bill Nicholson was very disappointed with the way the team ground out the win.
A young Leicester defender that day would later experience a double of his own ten years later. His name was Frank McLintock and his success was achieved with a team whose name I am not permitted to mention on this web site!
Spurs and Leicester did not meet in the cup in 1969. Both of them lost to Manchester City the eventual winners. Spurs lost in the sixth round and Leicester in the final. In doing so Leicester achieved the fairly rare feat of reaching the FA Cup Final and being relegated from the top division in the same season.
The penultimate meeting between the two teams occurred in 1974, Bill Nicholson’s final full season as manager, in the third round at Filbert Street. Leicester won 1-0 thanks to a Steve Earle goal. This was thus Bill Nicholson’s last FA Cup game as a manager. Ironically this was Leicester’s only victory against Spurs in cup game. Leicester reached the semi final before losing to the eventual winners Liverpool.
The most recent meeting between the two teams was in the 1981-82 semi final at Villa Park. Ossie Ardiles had an outstanding game for Spurs. He set up Garth Crooks to volley home the first goal in a 2-0 victory. The second goal was a memorable one. The Leicester player Ian Wilson had the ball, under no pressure about twenty yards from his own goal. He tried to pass back to his goalkeeper but succeeded in lobbing the ball over his head into the net for a spectacular own goal. Spurs won the cup that year beating Queens Park Rangers after a replay. Sadly Ardiles and Villa were not in contention to play because of the Falkland’s War.
Spurs have played in fourteen domestic cup finals including the FA Cup and the League Cup (excluding replays). The only team they have met twice is Leicester. In addition to winning the Double cup final in 1961, Spurs beat Leicester 1-0 at Wembley in 1999, in the League Cup final. This is the only major trophy Spurs have won in the last 15 years.
The most famous player to have played for both clubs is Gary Lineker. Two of Paul Robinson’s predecessors have played for both clubs in recent years, Ian Walker and Kasey Keller.
I take comfort from the fact that Spurs have won seven of the eight previous FA Cup ties between the two teams. In addition Spurs have not lost an FA Cup game against a team from a lower division for sixteen seasons when they lost to Bradford City in the third round in 1989. These omens suggest a Spurs victory though Spurs should not take the game lightly.
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