Spurs' European Cup Campaign - 1961-62
Part Two - Feyenoord
Brian Judson wrote this series on the 40th anniversary of Spurs' only venture in the fore-runner of the Champions League - The European Cup. The series is being published on Spurs Odyssey 50 years after those events, and has been up-dated accordingly.
While you're reading this article, use this Genting bet promo code to bet on Tottenham this season.
Younger readers of this occasional series will be surprised to learn that
the European Cup did not dominate the football headlines in 1961 as much
as its successor, The Champions League does in the present day. In those days, UEFA were not predominant and clubs were largely left to their own devices to arrange fixtures once
the draw had been made.
Readers will recall that Spurs had lost to Gornik Zabrze in Poland, 4-2,
but won the return game, 8-1. The draw for the first round proper decreed that Spurs were drawn against Feyenoord, from Holland.
Professional football in Holland was still in its infancy as
professionalism had only been adopted in 1956. Spurs were drawn away so
played the first match in Holland. Spurs won this match but the
inexperienced Dutch side gave Spurs an almighty fright and came close to
securing a late draw, much to Bill Nicholson's fury.
The Dutch side had the better of the opening stages of the game and might
have snatched an early lead had not Baker resorted to conceding two
free-kicks within the space of three minutes after half-an-hour's play. It
was the only way he could prevent Coen Moulijn from getting past him.
Spurs finally snatched the lead two minutes before half-time. Cliff Jones
headed a ball goalwards but the ball was beaten out. Dyson was hovering in
the right place at the right moment and forced the ball into the Dutch
goal.
Their nerves calmed, Spurs went further ahead shortly after half-time. In
the 48th minute, White floated a centre over for the young teenager, Frank
Saul to nod home. (Saul had made his Spurs debut in September 1960 against Bolton, and scored 3 goals in 6 appearances during the Double Season)
Undeterred, Feyenoord battled back and eventually reduced the arrears in
the 61st minute. Right half Reiner Kreijermaat volleyed the ball home with
a dramatic long shot from 35-yards out.
But Spurs were not to be deterred and restored their two goal advantage in
the 71st minute. Cliff Jones provided the pass from which Frank Saul
latched on to score.
Feyenoord were undeterred by this setback and piled on the pressure. In
the closing stages, Bennaers, a tiny bustling winger like Dyson, harried
the life out of Spurs and was unlucky not to score twice. Both flew past a
limping Bill Brown (no substitutes in those days!) and rattled the
crossbar.
After the match, Bill Nicholson told the press: "We muddled through.
That's all you can say. One mistake? There were so many, I don't know
where to start."
Wednesday 1st November, 1961
Feyenoord 1 (0) Tottenham Hotspur 3 (1)
Attendance:- 61,719
The teams were:
Feyennord: Pieters-Graafland; Kerkum, Veldhoven, Kreyermaat, Kraay,
Klaasens, Schouten, Bennaers, van der Gijp, Bouwmeester, Moulijn.
Tottenham Hotspur: Brown; Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, Marchi,
Jones, White, Saul, Clayton, Dyson.
The second leg at Tottenham was a drab affair.
To Spurs' fans consternation, Feyenoord snatched the lead in the 8th
minute. Dutch centre forward Gyp made a long hopeful punt upfield which
the Spurs defence failed to clear and the lurking Bennaers nipped in to
divert the ball behind Brown.
Within three minutes, however, Spurs were level when Blanchflower released
Mackay on the left, Mackay centred the ball and Dyson's header left the
Dutch keeper stranded.
Shortly afterwards, there was high drama when Mackay and Kraay, the Dutch
centre-half, were involved in a heading duel and their heads collided with
each other. Kraay was revived fairly quickly but Mackay remained inert
even after lengthy treatment and was carried off with blood pouring from a
head wound. Spurs were left to play with ten men.
Meanwhile, in the dressing room, frantic attempts were being made to
revive Mackay. It was suspected he had concussion and a suspected
fractured eardrum. Eventually Mackay was revived and when he had shaken
his head to clear it, he demanded to know why everyone was looking so
shaken and demanded to be allowed to return to the pitch. Ten minutes
before half-time, Mackay was back on the pitch rampaging about as if
nothing had happened to him.
In the second half, Feyenoord threw everything into the game to reduce the
two goals aggregate deficit. But the longer the game went on, the less
likely it seemed there would be another goal.Saul saw a rare shot easily
saved by the Dutch 'keeper Graafland whilst Brown was lucky to smother a
shot from Kreyermaat at the other end of the pitch.
And that was how the game ended.
Wednesday 15th November, 1961
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (1) Feyenoord 1 (1)
Attendance:- 62,144
The teams were :
Tottenham Hotspur: Brown; Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, Marchi,
Jones, White, Saul, Mackay, Dyson.
Feyennord: Pieters-Graafland; Kerkum, Veldhoven, Kreyermaat, Kraay,
Klaasens, Bergholtz, Bennaers, van der Gijp, Schouten, Moulijn.
Within four days of the match, Spurs made their long-awaited move for
Jimmy Greaves, who had not settled in Milan and who had frequently figured
in back pages sensational headlines. Spurs were reluctant to make Greaves
the first £100,000 player and so paid £99,999 for his services, beating
off opposition from Chelsea. Spurs were reported as paying Greaves £180 a
week for his services, which was a considerable amount of money in the
1960s. Both the Football Association and Football League were unhappy with
the transfer and enquiries were held before Greaves was finally allowed to
play for Spurs. The FA capitulated first, allowing Greaves to play for
Tottenham's Reserve side. The Football League took longer before they
allowed Tottenham to officially register Greaves as a player so it was
five weeks after he signed before he made his first team debut against
Blackpool on 16th December 1961. Unhappily, Greaves was not eligible to
play in the European Cup until the Semi-Final stage.
In January 1962, Spurs learned their opponents in the Quarter-Final of the
European Cup were to be Dukla Prague, from Communist Czechoslovakia. As
the Czechs had closed down for their mid-winter break, Spurs were not able
to apply their usual spying missions .....
Cheers, Brian
· Spurs v Gornik Zabreze, European Cup - September 1961
· Spurs v Dukla Prague, European Cup - February, 1962
· Spurs v Benfica, European Cup - March/April, 1962
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