"It was Twenty Years ago today!"
article published May, 2018, but first written in 1998 by Declan Mulcahy

This detailed preview was written by Declan Mulcahy

Full League Record of Spurs -v- Southampton

Premier        Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home            5   4   0   1    12-4   12
Away            6   1   2   3     6-8    5
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Total (Prem)   11   5   2   4    18-12  17
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)   22  13   4   5    52-28  38
Away (Div 1)   22   6   8   8    25-35  24
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Total(Div 1)   44  19  12  13    77-63  62
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2)   14   9   3   2    41-12  21
Away (Div 2)   14   2   5   7    12-17   9
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Total(Div 2)   28  11   8   9    53-29  30
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Total (Prem)   11   5   2   4    18-12  17
Total(Div 1)   44  19  12  13    77-63  62
Total(Div 2)   28  11   8   9    53-29  30
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Grand Total    83  35  22  26   148-104 109
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So we reach the final league game of the season. After last week's fine win over Wimbledon we can no longer be relegated. It is probably just as well since our performances in the last game of the season, especially at home, have been less than impressive over the past five years.

May 11, 1997 Tottenham 1 (McVeigh) Coventry C 2

Coventry needed to win this game to stay in the Premier League and as a result Sunderland were relegated. Spurs were absolutely mediocre and Coventry deserved their victory

May 5, 1996 Newcastle U 1 Tottenham H 1 (Dozzell)

This was either a good result or a poor one depending on the context. Given that Newcastle finished second, won 17 home games and drew one (us) and lost one it was a very good result. However we needed a win to qualify for Europe. As a result of the draw we dropped to eighth place and Arsenal won the final European place. From this point of view it was a disappointing result. Dozzell put us ahead in the 57 minute but Ferdinand equalized in the 71 minute.

May 14, 1995 Tottenham H 1 (Sheringham) Leeds Utd 1

This was JK's last game of his first stint. We had no hope of qualifying for Europe. Teddy put us ahead in the first half but Leeds equalized in the second. A rather anticlimatic way for JK to depart.

May 7, 1994 Tottenham H 1 (Sheringham) QPR 2

Two days earlier we had beaten Oldham to make sure that we couldn't be relegated. However a home defeat against a GF-led QPR was hardly the way to finish the season. Again Sheringham scored for Spurs but in a poor performance we allowed Sinclair to score twice for QPR.

May 11, 1993 Arsenal 1 Tottenham 3 (Sheringham, Hendry 2)

The only good last day result we've had in the last five years. Must have been because we were playing away! That man Sheringham scored yet again and two goals from John Hendry saw us complete the double over Arsenal that year.

Over the years Southampton have at times played a significant role in our history.

We have signed two very fine players from Southampton. The first was Alf Ramsey the best right back Spurs have had since the second world war. We signed him in 1949. He played in the 1951 Championship winning team. He was a full back who was an excellent passer of a ball. He captained both Spurs and England. After he retired he achieved even greater fame leading Ipswich to the league championship in 1962 and England to the World Cup in 1966.

The second outstanding signing from Southampton was Martin Chivers who was signed in January 1968. He was the main striker in the team which won the League Cup twice and the UEFA Cup in the early 70s. Chivers could look clumsy but he was a fine striker who scored many goals and was a fixture in the England team for a number of years.

At the end of the 1977-78 season both Spurs and Southampton were promoted from the (old) 2nd Division to the (old) First division. The final game of the season was a 0-0 draw at the Dell between these two teams. It was a tense game. If Spurs had lost they would not have been promoted.

In the 1994-95 season we had a disappointing 1-1 home draw in the fifth round of the FA Cup against Southampton. we went to the Dell fearing the worst. We went 2-0 down in the first half. It was 2-2 at the end of 90 minutes. We finally won 6-2 in extra time with Ronny Rosenthal running riot! What a memorable result.

When Southampton visit WHL the result is quite often a high scoring game as the following table shows:

1931-32 Spurs 5  Southampton 2
1932-33 Spurs 5  Southampton 0
1935-36 Spurs 8  Southampton 0
1937-38 Spurs 5  Southampton 0
1966-67 Spurs 5  Southampton 3
1967-68 Spurs 6  Southampton 1
1980-81 Spurs 4  Southampton 4
1982-83 Spurs 6  Southampton 0
1984-85 Spurs 5  Southampton 1
1985-86 Spurs 5  Southampton 3

I must mention two other notable home games. On March 20, 1982 we beat them 3-2 at WHL. The goals... a hat-trick from Graham Roberts!

On February 7, 1993 we won 4-2 at WHL. Incredibly we scored four goals in five minutes as follows: Sheringham (54), Barmby (55), Anderton (57) and Sheringham (59).

The last three league games at WHL were as follows:

September 12, 1994: Tottenham 1 (Klinsman) Southampton 2

Not a game to remember. JK gave us a first half lead. However two goals from Matthew Le Tissier in the second half, one a penalty, gave Southampton the points. The winner came in the last couple of minutes. Sol Campbell was sent off for the only time in his career, the last time that a Spurs' player was sent off at WHL.

March 2, 1996: Tottenham 1 (Dozzell) Southampton 0

This was a fairly dull game which was settled in the 63rd minute by a goal from Dozzell after a cross by Sinton.

December 26, 1996 Tottenham 3 (Iversen 2, Nielsen) Southampton 1

Iversen scored the first goal after only 54 seconds! He added a second after 30 minutes. Le Tissier pulled one back for Southampton late in the first half. Nielsen powered a header into the net in the 64th minute from a Carr free kick. The consensus was that Spurs should have won by more. However, it was a good Boxing Day result!

Here are some reasons why I would like to see a good result on Sunday:

It would be our tenth unbeaten league game in a row at WHL and allow us to the finish this season as the Premier league team which has gone longest without a home defeat.

We are presently in 15th position. With the right combination of results we could rise above Newcastle and Sheffield Wed to finish a respectable 13th.

Finally I would like to see JK score two goals. If he does it will mean that we don't go two seasons in a row without someone getting to double figures in league goals in a season. Also it would be nice for him to go out with a bang!

D.C.A. (Declan) Mulcahy

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