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Here is Declan Mulcahy's "Last Five"
THE LAST FIVE SEASONS:
BLACKBURN ROVERS (AWAY)
P W D L F A
3 2 1 0 6 1
In fact the last five seasons consists of only three games since Blackburn
were absent from the Premiership for the last two seasons. Spurs record
over the three games is excellent having won two and drawn the other.
However Gary Mabbutt will not have pleasant memories of Ewood Park having
broken his leg there in the opening game of the 1996-97 season. This is
Spurs first visit to Blackburn since Tim Sherwood moved from Blackburn to
White Hart Lane
Saturday 30 January 1999
FA Carling Premiership
Blackburn Rovers (1) 1
Jansen 43.
Tottenham Hotspur (0) 1
Iversen 61.
Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2):
Filan, Kenna, Henchoz, Broomes, Davidson, McAteer, Dunn (Peacock 85),
Wilcox, Duff (Marcolin 62), Ward, Jansen (Davies 63).
Subs not used: Croft, Flowers.
Booked: Dunn, Ward, Filan, Davies.
Sent off: Wilcox (62, Serious Foul Play).
Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2):
Walker, Carr, Vega, Campbell (capt), Edinburgh, Anderton, Nielsen, Freund,
Sinton (Armstrong 85), Iversen, Ferdinand.
Subs not used: Fox, Taricco, Young, Baardsen.
Booked: Freund, Nielsen, Carr.
Attendance: 29,643
Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe)
Managers: George Graham (Tottenham), Brian Kidd (Blackburn)
Matt Jansen and Jason McAteer were both making their debuts for Blackburn
having recently been signed by new manager Brian Kidd. David Ginola was
suspended and missed the game for Spurs as did Tim Sherwood of Blackburn.
Blackburn started off well. Duff rounded Nielsen and Walker had to react
quickly to save. Then Campbell fouled Jansen just outside of the penalty
box. Wilcox took the free kick. Walker saved it but could not hold the
ball. It rebounded to McAteer who hit the crossbar with a powerful shot.
Towards the middle of the half Spurs responded. Sinton had a fine run and
opened up the Blackburn defence. His reverse pass found Iversen whose shot
beat the goalkeeper but went wide. Anderton and Sinton both had good
efforts but failed to score.
Just before half time Blackburn took the lead. The debutant Jansen scored
an outstanding goal. He received the ball just outside of the Spurs penalty
area. However he had his back to the goal and Campbell was marking him.
Jansen quickly swivelled to the right beating Campbell and his shot entered
the left corner of the goal leaving Walker helpless.
In the second half Jansen had another good opportunity just before Spurs
scored but could not control the ball.
Then Nielsen lofted a high ball into the Blackburn penalty area. Ferdinand
pressured the Blackburn goalkeeper Filan who proceeded to drop the ball.
Vega touched it on to Campbell who headed it goalwards. Filan saved but
again could not hold the ball. Iversen got his head to it and scored.
One minute later Wilcox was red carded for a late challenge on Nielsen.
This was the third consecutive home game in which Blackburn had a player
sent off.
The game had been open until now. However once Blackburn were down to ten
men they simply got every player behind the ball and killed the game.
Saturday 7 February 1998
Blackburn Rovers (0) 0
Tottenham Hotspur (1) 3
Berti 37, Armstrong 89, Fox 90.
Blackburn (4-4-2):
T Flowers; J Kenna, S Henchoz, C Hendry, G Croft (M Dahlin 62); S Ripley, T
Sherwood (capt), W McKinlay (L Bohinen 82), J Wilcox; C Sutton, D Duff.
Subs Not Used: G Flitcroft, M Broomes, A Fettis.
Booked: W McKinlay.
Tottenham (4-4-2):
E Baardsen; S Carr, S Campbell (capt), R Vega, C Wilson (G Brady, 71); R
Fox, D Howells, N Berti, A Nielsen (S Clemence 67); D Ginola, L Ferdinand
(C Armstrong 70).
Subs Not Used: C Calderwood, F Grodas.
Booked: R Vega, A Nielsen, S Carr.
Attendance: 30,388
Referee: G P Barber (Pyrford).
Managers: Christian Gross (Tottenham), Roy Hodgson (Blackburn)
Spurs had an excellent but surprising away win which lifted them from
eighteenth to seventeenth position in the league table. Blackburn were in
third place at the start. Prior to this game Spurs had won only one away
game and scored eight goals.
During the previous few days, Spurs had lost a cup replay to Barnsley 1-3
as a result of which Jurgen Klinsmann was missing from this game with a jaw
injury. Meanwhile Chris Sutton the Blackburn forward had courted
controversy by withdrawing from Glenn Hoddle's England B team after failing
to be chosen for the first team.
Howells returned to anchor the midfield defensively which allowed Berti to
move forward and show his skills. Ironically Roy Hodgson, the Blackburn
manager, had managed Berti at Inter Milan. Early in the game Berti went
close after a Ginola cross. Then in the 37th minute Fox beat Croft and
crossed from the right. Henchoz failed to deal with the cross and the ball
ran to Nielsen who backheeled it Berti who scored with a low shot.
Duff came close for Blackburn before half time. The ball hit Campbell and
goalkeeper had to change directions before saving with his legs.
Blackburn had further opportunities in the second half. In the 70th minute
Spurs lost Ferdinand and Wilson through injury, the latter being
stretchered off. They were replaced by Armstrong and Brady respectively.
The changes upped Spurs game.
Hendry went close twice for Blackburn. On the first occasion Howells
cleared off the line and the second time Hendry hit the post.
With Blackburn throwing everything into attack to try and equalise in the
last few minutes Spurs tool advantage of Blackburn's lapses. With a couple
of minutes to go Berti crossed and Armstrong made it 2-0 with a shot from
the edge of the area. In injury time Fox scored the third with a fine
angled shot to the corner of the goal.
The scoreline flattered Spurs. However the Spurs players were so pleased
that they ran a lap of honour around the pitch.
Saturday 17 August 1996
FA Carling Premiership
Blackburn Rov (0) 0
Tottenham H (1) 2
Armstrong 33, 67
Blackburn (4-4-2):
T Flowers; H Berg, C Coleman, C Hendry, J Kenna; G Donis, T Sherwood
(capt), G Flitcroft (P Warhurst, 71), S Ripley (I Pearce 46); K Gallacher,
G Fenton.
Subs Not Used: N Marker, G Croft, S Given
Booked: C Coleman
Tottenham (4-4-2):
I Walker; S Campbell, C Calderwood, G Mabbutt (capt) (S Nethercott 20 (C
Wilson 29)), J Edinburgh; R Fox, D Howells, D Anderton (J Dozzell 69), A
Sinton; E Sheringham, C Armstrong.
Subs Not Used: R Rosenthal, E Baardsen
Booked: J Edinburgh, A Sinton
Attendance: 26,960
Referee: P Jones (Loughbrough)
Managers: Gerry Francis (Tottenham), Ray Harford (Blackburn)
This was the opening game of the season. Spurs opened with a fine away win.
However there was a cost as Gary Mabbutt broke his leg early in the game
and was out for the rest of the season.
Blackburn had lost Alan Shearer in the close season to Newcastle and
clearly missed his predatory instincts.
In the 20th minute Mabbutt moved to block Fenton. The tackle resulted in a
broken shin bone for Mabbutt who was stretchered off. His replacement
Nethercott lasted only ten minutes before he had to be replaced (by Wilson)
with a nasty cut again after an incident with Fenton.
Just after the half-hour mark Donis set up a good opportunity for Blackburn
in the Spurs penalty area. However there was no one to capitalise on it.
Walker grabbed the ball and fed it to Howells who had a fine run before
feeding Armstrong who was close to the far post. He stooped and scored with
a fine angled header.
Tottenham's second goal came in the 67th minute as a result of a fine
build-up by the team. Sheringham backheeled the ball to Anderton who in
turn passed to Howells. The latter went wide to Fox who crossed to
Armstrong who just had to side-foot the ball into the net.
Blackburn had some opportunities. Fenton missed when it would have been
easier to score and Berg had a header well saved by Walker.
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