This preview was written by Brian Judson

Full Record of Spurs -v- Leicester City

Premier        Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home            3   1   1   1    3 - 3    4
Away            4   0   1   3    3 - 9    1
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Total (Prem)    7   1   2   4    6 -12    5
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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)    7   1   2   4    6 -12    5
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    79  37  16  26   149-132  97
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The events of 21 March 1999 will be brought back into sharp focus this Saturday with the visit of Leicester City for league points to White Hart Lane. But it looks likely that Robbie Savage will be missing as he is believed to be injured. No doubt, the Jumbotron will be showing extended highlights of the League Cup Final, dwelling at some length on the moment that Ferdinand sent Iversen racing down the wing. I can see Walsh striving might and main to catch the younger man but only succeeding in trailing in his wake. I can see Iversen steadying himself before centring the ball and Nielsen flinging himself forward to head the ball behind Keller. I can feel a warm glow at the memory of my capering all around my living room, bawling at the top of my voice. A largely forgettable game but no one will ever forget that dramatic climax.

Spurs will have to be at their best for this match as they cannot afford to under-rate Leicester. The East Midlands side has been a constant thorn in our side down the years, regularly being a party-pooper. It is curious to note that in 1949-50 (when we won the Second Division Championship) and in 1960-61 (when we won the League Championship) we lost our home game with Leicester City on both occasions.

Leicester City have never won the League Championship. The closest they have come to achieving this ambition was in 1928-29 when they were runners-up to Sheffield Wednesday. They had been third behind Everton and Huddersfield Town the previous season. Since the last war, Leicester have promised much only to see their hopes extinguished by poor starts to the season. Their fourth place in 1962-63 is probably their best postwar performance. I remember Leicester actually led the table for a long spell that season. The long deep freeze from December 1962 to March 1963 ruined their rhythm and shattered their hopes of a first League championship with Everton winning the League, ourselves as runners-up and Burnley finishing third.

Since 1946-47, the first peacetime season, Leicester have yo-yo'd between the top two divisions regularly. They, like Bolton in recent times, have often seemed to be too good for Division 2 (now Division 1) but not good enough for top flight football. In the 1950s, they had a goalscorer who eventually scored 434 goals in his career with West Bromwich Albion (4 goals), Fulham (27 goals), Leicester City (251 goals) and Shrewsbury Town (152 goals). Arthur Rowley's career lasted from 1946 to 1965. His brother, Jack, started his career before the war, in 1935. He played for Wolves, Manchester United and Plymouth Argyle, retiring in 1955. Jack Rowley played as a guest for Tottenham during World War 2 during the period 1942-44, winning a Football League South championship medal in 1943-44.

It was against Leicester City on 5 October 1968 that Jimmy Greaves scored what I consider to be the finest ever goal he scored for Tottenham. Unhappily, the television cameras were not there to record it for posterity. Pat Jennings saw Greaves unmarked wide on the right and threw the ball to Jimmy, who was standing on the halfway line. Greaves trapped the ball and spun away in one silver streaked moment. He hared upfield, dodging tackle after tackle. He even dribbled around the referee when the match official got in his way. Finally, he drew Shilton off his goal line, dummied and slipped the ball into the unguarded goal. Jimmy scored a hat-trick that day. It ultimately condemned Leicester to relegation as Leicester had thoroughly deserved a share of the spoils.

It was against Leicester City, at Filbert Street, that the late great John White made his final appearance for Tottenham in April 1964. He scored the only goal of the match.

One match that sticks out in my mind is the final match of 1976-77, a season that has unhappy memories for Spurs supporters. We had already been condemned to relegation and Leicester were comfortably situated in midtable. Pratt and Holmes scored the final goals of that disastrous season which was marked by the crowd singing and cheering as if Spurs had won the League title. Although I saw many season ticket holders tearing up their tickets because they were disappointed Tottenham had been relegated, my most prominent recollection is that of the greater part of the crowd singing, "We'll support you evermore!".

Probably the most funniest incident occurred in a game between the two clubs in the final game of 1964-65 which Spurs won 6-2. Spurs were awarded a penalty. Gordon Banks turned round to dry his hands before facing the penalty. Greaves plonked the ball on the spot and took the kick. Unfortunately, Banks was still drying his hands (it was a very warm spring day) and he was furious when he saw the ball hit the back of the net. He hared after the referee, protesting so much that he was booked for dissent! Cliff Jones scored three that day, Greaves also scored another goal and Gilzean wrapped it up. That was the season when we won 18 out of our 21 home games, drawing our other three but only winning 1 game away, drawing four and losing the rest.

And the outcome of our game this week? I think we will have another narrow win, possibly 2-1. Much will depend on who plays alongside Sol Campbell, given that Vega is out for at least three weeks. Scales is not ready to return and that only leaves Young, Thelwell or our new signing, Nilsson, from Sheffield United.

Cheers, Brian

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