"It was Twenty Years ago today!"
article published 7th September, 2017, but first written in 1997 by the late Brian Judson

Full Record of Spurs -v- Leicester City

Premier        Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home            2   1   0   1    2 - 2    3
Away            2   0   1   1    2 - 4    1
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Total (Prem)    4   1   1   2    4 - 6    4
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)   29  13   6  10    64-46   34
Away (Div 1)   29  16   4   9    53-54   40
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Total (Div 1)  58  29  10  19   117-100  74
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Football League
Home (Div 2)    7   3   3   1    12- 7    9
Away (Div 2)    7   4   1   2    14-13    9
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Total (Div 2)  14   7   4   3    26-20   18
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Total (Prem)    4   1   1   2     4- 6   4
Total (Div 1)  58  29  10  19   117-100  74
Total (Div 2)  14   7   4   3    26- 20  18
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Grand Total    76  37  15  24   147-126  96
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This preview is being sent earlier than usual. It cannot therefore take into account any news that breaks after its despatch.

Leicester City have, over the years, acquired a reputation of being a yo-yo club. Too good for the equivalent of the old Second Division but not quite good enough for the old First Division. But since they returned to the top Division in the summer of 1996, they seem to be showing signs that, under manager Martin O'Neill, they have a squad good enough to be among the leading clubs chasing the favourites to win the Premier.

Martin O'Neill is one of those managers who endlessly and restlessly paces the touchline, often standing on the line itself, barking non-stop instructions, his shirt wringing wet from perspiration. It is almost as if he is trying to be a player in the team. No matter how often he is shepherded back to the bench, within seconds he is back on the touchline, yelling more instructions.

O'Neill was a player whose best days were spent with Nottingham Forest when, led by Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, they bestrode Europe like a colussus two seasons running in the old-style European Cup. Later, he wound down his career with Norwich before starting his apprenticeship as a manager with Wycombe Wanderers, later leaving for Norwich City and, later still, Leicester City.

Over the years, Spurs have had many memorable encounters with Leicester City. The most important fixture of all was the 1961 FA Cup Final when Spurs collected the FA Cup on 6th May 1961 to join the Football League Division 1 Championship trophy they'd won on 17th April 1961.

Spurs played well below par that day. The tension of the day affected them quite a lot but they'd also played 49 matches that season, which was a very high number of matches for those days, particularly as most of the 49 had been played in a cup-tie atmosphere as every team tried to beat Tottenham. The match was affected by injury when Les Allen accidentally collided with Len Chalmers, tbe Leicester right back, in the 21st minute. Chalmers fell awkwardly and twisted his ankle. From that moment on, no one doubted that Spurs would be the winners because of the effect of the Wembley turf, which saps player's legs as it is so lush, a condition that they are not used to after months of playing in mud baths.

Spurs had an early goal disallowed. At the time, I thought it was 'onside' and still think Harry New, the linesman concerned, was wrong to flag Cliff Jones offside as he scored. But once Bobby Smith, the heavily overweight centre forward, pivoted in the Leicester penalty area like a ballerina in Swan Lake and smashed the ball behind Gordon Banks, even Leicester knew they were beaten. Dyson's headed goal a few minutes later confirmed the inevitability. And then, in those distant pre-substitute days, Len Chalmers finally limped off.

Very few Spurs -v- Leicester games have matched that for drama.

One game that later acquired significance in Spurs' history was the game played on 25th April 1964. Spurs beat Leicester City 1-0 at Filbert Street. Spurs finished 4th and Leicester 11th as a result of the game. Two months later, the scorer of that goal, John White, was dead on a golf course at Crews Hill, Enfield. No one who heard the news on 21st July 1964 will ever forget the date.

A year later, Spurs ended the 1964-65 season at home to Leicester. Spurs won 6-2. But it was the penalty scored by Greaves that attracted all the headlines. I forget now why the penalty had been awarded. Greaves picked the ball up and plonked it on the spot. Gordon Banks turned around with his back to Greaves to wipe his hands on the grass so he could catch the ball cleanly. Greaves, cheekily, then plonked the ball in the back of the net, fully expecting to be told to re-take the kick. No one was more surprised than Jimmy when the referee awarded the goal! As far as I know, he had *NOT* blown the whistle or ascertained if Banks was ready. As the Spurs players celebrated, Banks chased the referee back to the centre circle, protesting he was not ready! But the referee waved him aside.

One last game from the '60s is another game that became controversial. Spurs were at home to Leicester in December 1966. By now the much travelled Derek Dougan was playing for Leicester. I remember that Spurs were on the attack with Cliff Jones running down the left wing with the ball. Dougan tracked back and shoulder charged Cliff into the crowd in the old Enclosure in front of the old West Stand. Play was held up for several minutes whilst Cliff received treatment before his eventual substitution. Dougan was inevitably sent off and, thereafter, was always heavily barracked by the Spurs crowd. (Spurs won 2-0).

The last game I shall recall is another defeat for Tottenham in the FA Cup. In the mid 1970s, we consistently fell at the first hurdle. In 1974 we were beaten by Leicester City, at Filbert Street, in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup, 1-0. But my abiding memory of that game is not so much the football as the memory of Keith Weller playing in his wife's tights to keep his legs warm on a freezing cold January afternoon. The Filbert Street pitch was bone hard. I don't think Tottenham really wanted to play that day as they felt the pitch was treacherous.

Last season, of course, we lost at home to Leicester. Our performance was very poor to say the least. We should have done better but seemed to be overawed by the tall gangling 'Pesky' Heskey and Steve Claridge. The return game at Filbert Street saw us snatch a point at a time when we seemed to be carelessly drifting down to the rocks of the relegation battle. The point steadied us and gave us a breathing space.

Having spent two weeks out of action because of the World Cup match next Wednesday, it remains to be seen whether we can build on the unbeaten match sequence. We have won two home games and drawn one away game. If we are to qualify for Europe, as an absolute minimum, we need to beat the likes of Leicester, who may be distracted by thoughts of their forthcoming return to Europe. (Their only previous excursion in Europe was in the European Cup-Winners' Cup in 1961-62 as beaten Cup Finalists.)

Those of you going to Filbert Street, *PLEASE* get behind the team no matter who plays in no matter what formation we have.

Cheers, Brian

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