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Here is Brian Judson's preview of the game
Full Record of Spurs -v- Ipswich Town
Prem Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 4 2 1 1 7 - 4 7
Away 4 1 2 1 6 - 7 5
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Total(Prem) 8 3 3 2 13 -11 12
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Football Lge
Home(Div 1) 20 12 3 5 40 -24 31
Away(Div 1) 20 7 2 11 26 -36 18
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Total(Div 1)40 19 5 16 66 -60 49
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Total(Prem) 8 3 3 2 13 -11 12
Total(Div 1)40 19 5 16 66 -60 49
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Grand Total 48 22 8 18 79 -71 61
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We have played Ipswich Town in the FA Cup.
The details are:
FA Cup Rd H/A Res Goalscorers
64-65 4 H 5-0 Greaves 3 (1p)
Gilzean 2
93-94 4 A 0-3
Last season the Tractor Boys were a surprise packet after returning to the
top flight and qualified for the UEFA Cup. This season, things have not
gone right for them domestically and they are already stranded at the
bottom of the table and facing a return to the Football League. Their
Chairman, David Sheepshanks, has warned that relegation will cost them a
great deal of money and that their promising team may have to be broken
up.
Ipswich's problems have demonstrated the truth that the second season
after promotion is always the hardest season. Survive two seasons after
promotion and most teams have sussed out what they need to do to survive.
In common with most clubs, Ipswich have been rebuilding their ground in
the hope of making more money in order to survive in the top flight. They
are never going to be serious championship challengers but they are a
friendly club and try to play football with a smile, which is why I hope
they survive.
Their one championship success in season 1961-62 deprived Tottenham of
something that no one else has ever achieved - a back-to-back double of
winning the League and the Cup. Had Ipswich lost one of the two games
against Tottenham, Spurs would have been champions again instead of
finishing 3rd behind Ipswich and Burnley.
It is incredible to think that as recently as 1935, Ipswich were not even
in senior non-League football. That is a measure of how fast and how far
they have come. They spent two seasons in the Southern League before being
elected to the Football League Division 3 (South) in 1938 at Gillingham's
expense. But it was not until Alf Ramsey became manager of Ipswich in the
summer of 1955 that the fireworks began. Ramsey was a canny player and an
even cannier manager. He left Ipswich for the England managerial vacancy
at just the right moment as Ipswich were teetering on the cusp of a rapid
decline and subsequent relegation.
Ipswich's second great spell occurred during Bobby Robson's tenure as
manager from 1969 to 1982. Eyebrows were raised when Robson was given the
job at Ipswich as he had been a flop at Fulham and swiftly sacked. But he
steered Ipswich into Europe although Spurs fans prefer to remember their
victory in the 1978 FA Cup Final as Roger Osborne scored a particularly
sweet goal!
But on Robson's departure to Lancaster Gate, Ipswich fell on hard times
and have yet to recapture the glamorous times. In George Burley, though,
they have a manager who absorbed a great deal from Bobby Robson as he was
one of the most consistent players of the Robson era at Ipswich. Given a
modicum of luck, Ipswich should survive if they continue to play as well
as they have demonstrated in European matches this season until Inter
Milan beat them at the San Siro.
Tomorrow's match will be a much more difficult game for Tottenham than it
would appear at first sight. Students of Tottenham's history will not have
forgotten their habit of losing at home to clubs occupying the bottom
place in the table. The classic occasion was on 15th October 1966. Spurs
were top of the table, unbeaten at home; Blackpool were bottom, yet to win
away. They were 3-0 ahead before Cyril Knowles grabbed a late consolation.
That was Roy Brown's one and only appearance in goal for Tottenham as Bill
Brown had left for Northampton two days earlier before Pat Jennings had
been unexpectedly injured. There are, of course, many other notable
occasions but, for me, that is the classic sting of all time.
So, patience will need to be our watchword tomorrow! Spurs SHOULD win but
let's not count our chickens before the final whistle tomorrow afternoon!
COME ON YOU SPURS!
Cheers, Brian
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