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Full League Record v Stoke City
Premier Pl W D L F - A Pts
Home 1 1 0 0 3 - 1 3
Away 1 0 0 1 1 - 2 0
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Total (Prem) 2 1 0 1 4 - 3 3
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Football Lge
Home (Div One) 26 20 5 1 56 -19 49
Away (Div One) 26 7 8 12 26 -34 24
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Total(Div 1) 52 27 13 13 82 -53 73
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Football Lge
Home(Div Two) 7 6 1 0 18 - 7 13
Away(div Two) 7 2 1 4 9 -11 5
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Total(Div 2) 14 8 2 4 27 -18 18
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Total (Prem) 2 1 0 1 4 - 3 3
Total (Div1) 52 27 13 13 82 -53 73
Total (Div2) 14 8 2 4 27 -18 18
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Grand Total 68 36 15 18 113 -73 94
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Last Six Premiership results:-
Spurs
Spurs 2-1 B'mingham
Spurs 1-3 Man Utd
Chelsea 3-0 Spurs
Spurs 5-0 Burnley
Bolton 2-2 Spurs
P'tsmouth 1-2 Spurs
Stoke
Stoke 1-0 S'derland
Stoke 1-2 Chelsea
Bolton 1-1 Stoke
Stoke 0-2 Man Utd
Everton 1-1 Stoke
Stoke 2-1 West Ham
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
3 Spurs 9 6 1 2 21-13 8 19
9 Stoke 9 3 3 3 8-11 -3 12
Remember Bill Nicholson this week!
Five years ago (almost to the day - on 23rd October, 2004) we mourned the passing of the great Bill Nicholson. It would be fitting if the Spurs crowd to pay homage by regulaerly chanting the great man's name during this week's game against Stoke City.
Bill Nicholson was a member of the Spurs side that beat Stoke 6-1 at White Hart Lane on 21st October, 1950. The goals were scored by Duquemin (2), Bennett (2), Walters and Medley. It could have been seven for Spurs, as Alf Ramsey missed a penalty. It was Spurs' first season back in the top flight, and of course they went on to win the League! (Thanks to Declan Mulcahy for his additional research.)
39 years ago on Saturday 24th October, 1970, Bill Nicholson was the manager of the Spurs team that beat Stoke 3-0, with two goals by Martin Chivers , and one from Alan Gilzean. All the goals were scored in the first half. In the prologue to his book "Big Chiv - My Goals in Life, Chivers writes the following:- "During the first half, I made myself favourite to get to a loose ball on the halfway line. I shouldered Dennis Smith out of the way, something I thought would please Bill Nicholson, who had been looking for me to be a bit more aggressive on the pitch. That would show him.
With the ball at my feet, I headed towards the Paxton Road end. I knew Smith was chasing me, but I also knew he wasn't going to catch me. Not that day - I had already scored once. I was nearing the penalty area when I saw Gordon Banks coming out of his goal. I looked up and curved the ball right round him, planting it in the back of the net ............. I came off the pitch really satisfied with myself. There was always a big teapot on a table in the middle of the dressing room so I got my usual cup and sat down. Straight away Bill began snapping at me in front of the whole team. "If you hadn't turned your back on the goalie for that goal kick you could have had a third goal." Not "Well done, Chiv" or "Great goal". Instead, he laid into me straight away. I thought, "Wait a minute. I have just scored two goals, one of them was fantastic, we are leading 3-0 and we are totally dominant: give us a break." After all, that goal I scored had been something special and everybody knew it." ( Thanks to Vision Sports Publishing Ltd for permission to use this extract)
I well remember this goal, because I had the benefit of a fine view of the goal from the Paxton Road stand. As Spurs fans will know, Chivers' regard for Bill Nicholson grew in later years, and the two formed a real friendship in the great man's latter days. Look out for a chance to win a signed copy of "Big Chiv - My Goals in Life soon on Spurs Odyssey!
Tony Pulis's Stoke City side will come to Tottenham this week in a good frame of mind. They are in the top half of the Premier League with three home wins and three away draws to their credit. The only away game they lost was 4-0 at Anfield. Liverpool must have played like stung animals on that night, as the game followed their opening day defeat at Spurs. At home, Stoke lost to Chelsea and Manchester United, giving both teams a tough game. Chelsea won on the back of goals scored in added time in each half, and it took United over an hour to break through, after the introduction of Ryan Giggs.
With 5 wins in their last 9 games of last season, Stoke ultimately secured their Premier League status comfortably. Pulis has strengthened the squad this season with the signings of Tuncay and Robert Huth from relegated Middlesbrough along with Dean Whitehead and Danny Collins from Sunderland. In the January window, Stoke signed former Spur Matthew Etherington from West Ham and forner Southampton striker James Beattie from Sheffield United. Beattie scored 7 goals in Stoke's run-in, but only scored his first goals of this season last Saturday against West Ham. One of these was from the penalty spot.
Beattie was the bane of Spurs' life on more than one occasion in his time at Southampton. Two such examples were scoring in the 4-0 Cup defeat, and 1-0 League defeat in January 2003.
Robert Huth is likely to be suspended for this game, having admitted a charge of violent conduct that was made by the FA after seeing video footage of an incident between Huth and Matthew Upson last week. Spurs fan Dave Kitson is likely to play some part in this game, but Beattie will probably be partnered by the powerful Ricardo Fuller.
There is more to Stoke than the "Delap long throw tactic" and if they aspire to retain a top four place Spurs must win this game. It certainly will not be easy, and is of course made harder by the absence of the suspended Jermain Defoe and the continuing absence of Luka Modric. It is likely we shall see a strike partnership of Crouch and Keane. There is strong competion in the Spurs squad for midfield and defence positions with Woodgate and Dawson now fit, and Jenas, Palacios and Huddlestone fighting for the two central midfield places.
Maybe Harry Redknapp will spring a tactical surprise in his formation to find a way of using Huddlestone's creative skills.
It will take guts and strength together with speed and skill for Spurs to beat this Stoke side, but I'll take them to do it with a 2-0 win.
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