This preview was written by Brian Judson

Full Record of Spurs -v- Arsenal

Premier       Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home           6   3   2   1     5-3   11
Away           6   1   4   1     6-6    7
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Total (Prem)  12   4   6   2    11-9   18
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)   55 24  12  19    93-83  63
Away (Div 1)   55 16  12  27    65-85  46
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Total (Div 1) 110 40  24  46   158-168 109
==========================================
Total (Prem)  12   4   6   2    11-9   18
Total (Div 1) 110 40  24  46   158-168 109
==========================================
Grand Total   122 44  30  48   169-177 127
==========================================

This is the big one for almost all North London fans of either side. The publication of the football fixtures during the summer sees fans of both sides looking for those extra special dates when *WE* will be playing *THEM* at our place and theirs. Only after that do we look at the rest of the fixture list.

For most of the last three years, Wimbledon have been floating hints of uprooting their club from its South London environment and moving lock, stock and barrel to Dublin. FIFA have warned them they will be closed down if they attempt to do so.

As far as I am aware, the last club to uproot itself and move elsewhere (disregarding the American nonsense of franchising in that padded mania and clubs who have temporarily become lodgers) was *that* lot down the road. Prior to moving to Highbury, Arsenal were based in Woolwich and were very constrained with their finances. It is likely that if they had remained in Woolwich, they might have ended up in the old Third Division (South) given their lack of finance and difficulties in attracting the right kind of player.

I will not rehearse the whole story again as I have gone into it at length elsewhere. There should be a FAQ lurking somewhere ..... But if you cannot find it and want the full story, please email me and I'll gladly put you right. Suffice to say that without that move from Woolwich to Highbury, Arsenal would almost certainly not be the pre-eminent club they are today. I often wonder whether the decline of the Church of England dates from the day the Church Commissioners sold their soul to Mammon just as Faust did when they sold land they owned to Arsenal ....

I first witnessed a North London derby in October 1957. The previous week, Spurs had crashed to Nottingham Forest at White Hart Lane, principally because Ron Reynolds had lost a contact lens and conceded some stupid goals. Manager Jimmy Anderson had recalled the veteran Ted Ditchburn, who had made his debut as long ago as May 1940 at the time of Dunkirk in a wartime match. Spurs won 3-1.

There have been several thrashings imposed by one side on the other. Spurs beat Woolwich Arsenal 5-0 on Christmas Day 1911. They beat us twice in 1934-35, a year we were relegated at the season's end, 5-1 at Highbury and 6-0 at Tottenham. Arsenal thrashed us 4-0 in February 1953 at Highbury and 4-1 at Tottenham in October 1953 to herald the impending break-up of Rowe's great team. Arsenal again humbled Spurs, at the height of our ultimately successful battle to avoid relegation, 4-1 in January 1959. We were just over two years away from being Double Winners but of that side only Baker, Norman, Smith and Jones were playing that day. The great Danny Blanchflower had been dropped by rookie manager Nicholson.

In November 1967, Arsenal beat Tottenham, 4-0, at Highbury. Three future Spurs managers played on opposite sides that day. Venables and Graham, the latter having been married earlier that day, with the former being his best man. The third future Spurs manager was Terry Neill .....

I do not like to see Arsenal put one over us but, unquestionably, the best ever Arsenal performance I have seen in this fixture has been that played on 23 December 1978 when 'Chippy' Brady pulled the strings to which Tottenham danced. Sunderland scored three, Stapleton one, and Brady himself scored a classic that utterly deceived Mark Kendall in goal for Tottenham. Incidentally, John Gorman, now better known as England's Assistant Coach, played left back that day as did 'Spud' Taylor, who is also involved in the England set-up. A certain Mr Hoddle also played ....

We finally gained revenge for those thrashings when we won at Tottenham at Easter 1983. We were sadly under strength that day as some of our players were rested or were absent injured. Chris Hughton scored twice in the first 18 minutes, Falco volleyed the third, added a fourth and Brazil scored his first for Spurs. Arsenal fans generally blamed George Wood, who apparently lost one of his contact lenses. David O'Leary limped off injured with some fifteen minutes left after Arsenal had used their substitute, Brian McDermott.

Surprisingly, there have been very few 0-0 draws. The first came in September 1975 at Tottenham. The first at Highbury was in September 1986. We have seen goal-less draws in September 1990 and January 1991 (the first occasion when both games in a season saw no goals). Since then, we have had a goal-less draw at Wembley in a Charity Shield Clash at the start of the 1991-92 season, a League match at Highbury in April 1996, at Tottenham in February 1997 and in August 1997 when Spurs survived the dismissal of Justin Edinburgh just before half-time and battled the whole of the second half with only 10 men. I think only Liverpool and Tottenham were the only teams to survive both matches without being defeated by Arsenal last season.

And my personal favourite game of the whole series? If I am restricted to League matches only, it has to be that Easter Monday thrashing, from the point of view as a Spurs supporter. A neutral fan, if such a species exists, might share Arsenal fans in saying their 5-0 thrashing of us in December 1978 had more quality football ... and that is something I have to concede is correct. But then *WE* Spurs fans can remember Gazza's goal at Wembley in April 1991, the supreme moment of joy that no Lilywhite fan is ever going to forget. I certainly won't .........

And, finally, what about airing "NAYIM FROM THE HALF-WAY LINE!" again the next time Seaman fumbles the ball? H'mmmm ..............

The score? It'll be a very interesting match. On the one side, the defence created by George Graham against, on the other side, the team that will eventually become Graham's North London Frankenstein, built with the attributes of Arsenal in defence but playing with the flair and panache we associate Tottenham with. I predict at least one goal and that one half of London will be crying in their pints on Saturday night. My heart hopes Tottenham will win but the realist in me thinks Arsenal might dredge up the strength for one last victory over Tottenham before yielding the initiative to Tottenham for future seasons, beaten by Anno Domini.

Cheers, Brian

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