This preview was written by Brian Judson

Full Record of Spurs -v- Middlesbrough

Premier       Pl   W   D   L  For-Ag  Pts
Home           4   1   2   1    4-6    5
Away           3   2   0   1    4-3    6
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Total (Prem)   7   3   2   2    8-9   11
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  25  15   4   6   62-40  36
Away (Div 1)  25   3   6  16   25-52  13
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Total (Div 1) 50  18  10  22   87-92  49
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2)   1   0   0   1    2-5    0
Away (Div 2)   1   0   0   1    0-3    0
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Total (Div 2)  2   0   0   2    2-8    0
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Total (Prem)   7   3   2   2    8-9   11
Total (Div 1) 50  18  10  22   87-92  49
Total (Div 2)  2   0   0   2    2-8    0
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Grand Total   59  21  12  26   97-109 60
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In the past, this fixture has seen some very high scoring matches. Certainly the highest number of goals recorded in this particular fixture must be the twelve goals scored on 13 February 1915. Spurs managed to score FIVE goals at Ayresome Park, Jimmy Cantrell scoring 4 with Bert Bliss adding the other goal, but Middlesbrough scored SEVEN. Unsurprisingly, added to other high scoring defeats, Spurs finished bottom of Division 1 that season, setting the scenario that occurred during the summer of 1919, which I have discussed elsewhere.

During the '20s, Middlesbrough yo-yo'd between the top two Divisions. Indeed, one year (1927-28) we were both companions in distress, sinking to Division Two together, in a season that saw a freakish set of results condemn Middlesbrough to bottom place with 37 points, Tottenham above them with 38 points, and six clubs, most of whom had a worse goal average than Tottenham's, immediately above them. Derby County finished 4th with 44 points. In effect, one more win for both clubs who were relegated would have seen them in the relative safety of around the middle of the table!

Whilst Spurs needed five years to sort themselves out, Middlesbrough bounced back straight away. But then, they had Tottenham's former manager, Peter McWilliam at the helm. In 1928-29, Middlesbrough thumped Spurs twice in the League as they raced away with the Second Division title.

Spurs did not climb back to the First Division until 1933 but when they did they challenged for the Championship and actually topped the table once but fell away to finish third. But during 1934-35, Spurs went from Christmas to Easter without winning a match and finished bottom. Leicester were the unlucky team to drop with them this time but it could have been Middlesbrough, who finished 20th, saved by a single point. Middlesbrough saved themselves on the final day of the season by winning at Villa Park 3-0 whilst Leicester crashed at home to Arsenal, 3-5.

Tottenham and Middlesbrough were not destined to meet again until 1950 when Spurs were on their way to their first League championship. The two sides drew 3-3 at Tottenham and 1-1 at Ayresome Park. The following season, Spurs lost their opening game of the season, 2-1 at Ayresome Park, but won 3-1 at Tottenham. Probably Tottenham's best performances came at Christmas 1952 when Tottenham thrashed Middlesbrough 7-1 at Tottenham and 4-0 at Ayresome Park on 25 and 27 December 1952. In Middlesbrough's relegation season of 1953-54, Tottenham beat them 4-1 in an early season game but lost the return the following January, 0-3. The two clubs were not to meet for League points again until 1974. (They did meet in two FA Cup ties and a marathon League Cup tie during this period but they are outside the scope of this review.)

Middlesbrough plumbed the depths of despair over these years but even worse was still to come. But they struggled on and finally climbed back to the old First Division with what some of their supporters claim to be their best ever side under their best manager, John Neal. Certainly Spurs supporters will not dare to argue with them after experiencing some heavy defeats at their feet in the middle '70s. But Middlesbrough were then unlucky enough to acquire a chairman whose interest lay only in asset stripping and they eventually collapsed into receivership in the middle '80s, the gates to Ayresome Park locked, and the squad having to train in a public park. I am reliably informed that many reasons for Middlesbrough's survival at this time was due to the manager, Bruce Rioch, who worked for a long time without a salary.

Eventually after a long and very messy argument, Steve Gibson acquired Middlesbrough and began their long climb back to respectability. His choice of Bryan Robson as a manager is not universally accepted by all Middlesbrough fans, some of whom wish he'd accepted the chance to be England manager in succession to Glenn Hoddle. Some of Robson's transfer deals have been eccentric to say the least.

Middlesbrough's last relegation did not occur as a result of their playing record but became due to their inexcusable use of a fax machine in which they claimed to Blackburn Rovers they were unable to fulfil a fixture due to be played at Ewood Park. Unfortunately, no one bothered to provide the Premier League with medical certificates to back the claim up and a commission deducted three points from Middlesbrough's final total. This had the unhappy effect of their relegation and preserving Coventry's status at the same time.

Both Graeme Souness and Nicky Barmby played for Middlesbrough after leaving Tottenham. So did 'Sandy' Brown at the turn of the century. 'Sandy' is the player who scored a record 15 FA Cup goals during Tottenham's 1901 Cup exploits. After leaving Tottenham, he had a single season at Portsmouth before moving north to Middlesbrough.

Tottenham were the first side to win at the Riverside Stadium, winning 1-0 in November 1995, Chris Armstrong scoring. On their second visit, Spurs won 3-0, in October 1996, Sheringham (2) and Fox, scoring. Last season, of course, Middlesbrough had other concerns.

Middlesbrough made a great start to the current season, thrashing us 3-0 at the Lane, soon after the start of the season. But in recent weeks they have steadily slipped down the table. A Spurs victory this Saturday will take us above them for the first time this season.

Spurs still need to collect some points to be sure of surviving this season. The last thing we want to do is to take our eye off our League position whilst dreaming of the League Cup Final. As George Graham persistently reminds us the League is the bread and butter that brings in the punters, the Cup runs are the icing on the cake. Spurs ought to win at the CRS and I confidently predict they will do so, with Les Ferdinand and Steffan Iversen scoring two a-piece in a 4-0 rout.

Cheers, Brian

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