1.1 Table of Contents

2.1 History: Formation and Early History, After WW1, After WW2
2.2 History: The Glory Years (60s and 70s)
2.3 History: Midfield Magic (80s), Mid-table Mediocrity (90s-2005)
2.4 History: Revival (2005-present)

3.1 Club Traditions: Playing Style, Heraldry & Colours
3.2 Club Traditions: Rivalry with Arsenal
3.3 Club Traditions: Songs & Chants

4:1 Facts and Stats: Titles, Records
4:2 Facts and Stats: Famous Players, Famous Managers
4.3 Facts and Stats: White Hart Lane

2.1 History:


Formation and Early History:

Formed in 1882 by a group of grammar-school boys, a team known as Hotspur Football Club began life as a Tottenham-based extension of the Hotspur Cricket Club, of whom the school boys were also members. It was in 1884 that ‘Tottenham’ was added to the name, to signify the locale, and ‘Hotspur’ itself is thought to be a reference to Sir Henry Percy -- named as “Harry Hotspur” in Shakespeare’s play: Henry V -- who was said to have also been based in the area of Tottenham. They joined the amateur league known as the Southern League, rather than the nationwide Football League, and began plying their trade alongside other London-based teams.

For the next 15 years the team known colloquially as Spurs changed venues and kits a number of times, but in 1899 they settled finally upon both the lily-white and dark blue colours now familiar, and the ground now known as White Hart Lane, from which they have played ever since. Growing in stature rapidly, becoming a they became the first (and only) non-league team in history to win the famous FA Cup, doing so in 1901 whilst still not having joined the nationwide association leagues.

On the back of this and continued success in the Southern League, Tottenham finally joined the nationwide Second Division (Division 2) in the 1908/1909 season and within one season won promotion to the First Division (Division 1). The honeymoon was not to last, however, and in the 1914/1915 season Spurs were bottom of the league by the time World War I interrupted proceedings.



After World War I:

This low table position had drastic consequences when football was resumed at the war’s end, and when the Division 1 was expanded into 22 teams for the 1919/1920 season, not only were Tottenham demoted, but their local rivals Arsenal were promoted, despite having only finished 6th place in Division 2 the season before the war. This controversial decision, along with the decision to allow Chelsea to remain in Division 1 -- finishing in 19th, only one place above Spurs -- laid the foundations for the bitterness of rivalry with both of these teams in years to come.

In response, Tottenham proceeded to win Division 2 that season, earning promotion once more to the top-flight, and went on to lift their second FA Cup trophy in 1921, and finished 2nd in the league in the 1921/1922 season.

Unfortunately, this marked the beginning of a declining period for the club, who failed to lift another trophy, and were relegated down to Division 2 once more in the 1927/1928 season. The club remained in the Second Division for the next decade, up until World War II.

After World War II:

However, following the liberation of Europe from the Nazis, and the resumption of football in England, Tottenham Hotspur revolutionized their game under the direction of manager Aurthur Rowe, who developed a tactic known as “push and run”, which we now recognize as “one-two passing”. This revolution in tactics spurred the club on to win Division 2 in the 1949/1950 season (the first since football resumed), and they followed this up in the 1950/1951 season by winning their first English league championship, topping Division 1 for the first time, and boasting the most feared attacking squad in the country. Names such as Alf Ramsey and Bill Nicholson became household names as Spurs led the ‘new’ way of playing in the English game.

Success was not to last, once other teams began copying Spurs’ flair and attacking philosophy, and with the pitch at White Hart Lane in a notorious state of disrepair, Spurs lost out to Manchester Utd the next season, coming in 2nd. A further slump ensued, as age began to take its toll on the “push and run” innovators, and Tottenham were lucky to avoid relegation, though as Bill Nicholson retired from play he took up the reins as Tottenham manager instead. Despite only managing 18th in the league in the 1958/1959 season, Nicholson’s first game in charge was a 10-4 thrashing of Everton, and served as a warning to the rest of the league as to what was to come...

2.2 History


The Glory Years (60s and 70s):

At the start of the 1960s, Tottenham had grown under the guidance of their talismanic former player, Bill Nicholson, and now in management he proceeded to revolutionize the league once again. In the 1960/1961 season, the Spurs development came to full fruition as they won both the Division 1 title for the 2nd time, and the FA Cup for a 3rd time. The following season they lifted the FA Cup once more, and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. In the 1962/1963 season they became the first English team to win a European trophy by lifting the Cup Winner’s Cup (beating Atlectico Madrid 5-1), and by now had led the way for other English clubs to follow in terms of conquest upon European shores. Players like Danny Blanchflower and Tottenham’s all-time top goalscorer Jimmy Greaves had dominated both at home and abroad, and have been much-credited with paving the way for the similar successes of Manchester United a few years later.

After 1964 the double-winning side of 1961 had begun to age, however, and Bill Nicholson rebuilt the team around Terry Venables, Mike England and Cyril Knowles -- the latter serving as the inspiration for one of the longest-lasting Tottenham terrace songs. The team succeeded in lifting their 4th FA Cup in 1967, with an impressive 3rd place in Division 1 to show for their efforts.

Between 1971 and 1973, Tottenham tasted success once more by winning the League Cup twice (1971, 1973), and the newly created UEFA Cup (1972), and in 1974 they reached the final of the UEFA Cup once more, narrowly losing to Rotterdam. Worse than the loss, though, was the decision of Bill Nicholson to resign as Tottenham manager after his disgust with the riots of fans during the final.

Following Nicholson’s departure, and the toll of age upon the squad, Tottenham slipped into a low period for the rest of the decade, being relegated after the 1976/1977 season, and selling their legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings to rivals Arsenal, in a move which has been widely regarded as one of the biggest mistakes in the club’s history. Winning promotion back to Division 1 took only a season, but Spurs were a far cry from the great team of the last 20 years, and this prompted a bold move by manager Keith Burkinshaw.

Argentina had just won the 1978 World Cup, and Burkinshaw decided to gamble upon bringing two of their famous squad to White Hart Lane -- Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa -- in a foreign transfer coup all but unheard of in English football. This innovation has since become standard, but few were prepared for the impact of the Argentine stars as the next decade came closer.

2.3 History:

Midfield Magic (1980s):

Together with the two South American stars, and the emerging talent of Glenn Hoddle, Tottenham won two FA Cups in a row (1981, 1982), taking their haul to 7 victories in that competition, and with Ricky Villa’s wonder goal in the 1981 final voted as the greatest goal scored at Wembley in the entire 20th Century. Another semi-final in the Cup Winner’s Cup was achieved, only losing in a replay to Barcelona after a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane.

In 1984 they returned to European success by lifting the UEFA Cup for the second time, and had qualified for the competition once more in 1985, but Spurs’ dreams of adding to their European tally were cut short by the Heysel Disaster -- the deaths of supporters in the tragic European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus resulting in a ban on all English teams from participating in UEFA competitions.

The impact of the ban proved to severely hamper the English league for the next decade, and Tottenham were hit particularly hard, ushering in a huge slump in form in which the club languished midt-table for the rest of the decade. The stars were sold, and management changed hands a number of times, while the club attempted to rebuild.

Mid-Table Mediocrity (1990s-2005):


The decline in the years after the Heysel ban was a bitter pill for the Tottenham fans to swallow, and while attempts were made to revive the club, success was hard to come by for the North London outfit. Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne were among the star names brought to the club to reverse their fortunes, and for a brief spell Spurs were back in contention in European competition, but such hope was short-lived and fleeting. Their performance in the league was far from inspiring, and many of the stars were sold-off to cover the club’s debts.

The period was not completely barren, however, with Tottenham lifting their 8th (and final) FA Cup in 1991, setting an English record that was eventually equaled and surpassed by Manchester Utd in 1994 and 1996 respectively. Alas, this was the only silverware won by the club in the period, and highlights from this time are found more in the exciting (albeit often short) runs of form by such players as Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham and David Ginola, whose skill was widely applauded in the media, but failed to be enough to lift Spurs back into the English elite.

2.4 History:

Revival (2005-present):

In recent years, Tottenham have finally found their place back in the top quarter of the table, achieving 5th place in the 2005/2006 season, which became infamous for the last-day result. Spurs had occupied 4th, going into the final game of the season, a point above, but due to food-poisoning affecting 11 of the squad, Spurs played their final match against West Ham with a severely depleted team, managing only a draw while Arsenal leap-frogged them into 4th place.

All the same, excitement was in the air for Spurs once more, and they proved that their return to the top had not been a fluke -- securing 5th place in the 2006/2007 season as well.

The 2007/2008 season saw their position slump down to 11th once more, but in compensation they lifted the League Cup in their first visit to Wembley of the 21st Century. A dismal start to the 2008/2009 season ushered in a change in manager, and Harry Redknapp turned things around to finish in the top half of the table (8th) by the end of the season. This was bettered even further in the 2009/2010 season as Redknapp guided the club to a 4th place finish, earning Tottenham Hotspur a place in the following season’s UEFA Champions League for the first time.

In the 2010/2011 season Spurs continued to grow in stature, winning historic ties against both reigning champions Internazionale and AC Milan in the Champions League, before falling to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals -- reduced to 10 men at the Bernabeu before losing 4-0, and then 0-1 in the 2nd leg at White Hart Lane. Despite the disappointment of the loss, the return to Europe’s top flight was seen as a success by Tottenham fans, not least by the victory over Inter and the fact that their first run had reached the quarters. They went on to take 5th place in the league at the end of the season, narrowly missing out on the Champions League the following year, but securing the sole Europa League spot instead.

2011/2012 saw the team charge up the table in the first half of the season, sitting comfortably in 3rd by Christmas, and despite a lacklustre performance in the Europa League, Spurs seemed right on target to return to the Champions League. Indeed, as they went into the North London Derby against 4th-placed Arsenal, there was 10-point gap between the sides; a gap many believed to be insurmountable.

However, to Spurs’ horror -- and Arsenal’s delight -- the Gunners won the match 5-2, and this prompted a horrendous slide in form for Tottenham, surrendering their points lead over the course of the second half of the season. This slide coincided with the media reporting regularly on links between Harry Redknapp and the position of England manager, leading many to believe that Redknapp’s heart (and mind) were not on the job during this slide. All the same, despite being pipped by Arsenal to 3rd place, Spurs finished 4th for the second time, and by rights had done enough to secure themselves a return to the Champions League.

The dream was not to be, however, as Chelsea went on to win the Champions League final that year -- triggering a precedent set by Liverpool in 2005 -- and thus were awarded Tottenham’s place in the competition, as defending champions, despite their finish of 6th in the league. Another bitter pill to swallow as it was for the Tottenham fans, the real furore began in the summer break between seasons, as much was made of Redknapp being sacked from the position, only to be replaced by Andre Villas-Boas, who has in turn been sacked by Chelsea only 6 months earlier.

With the beginning of the 2012/2013 season underway, Tottenham have continued their quest to rejoin football’s elite, and at the time of writing, sit in 4th place, only 2 points behind Chelsea.

3.1 Club Traditions:

Playing Style:

Above all, Tottenham are known for being a club that traditionally plays attractive, attack-minded football. The various generations and hey-days for the club have always been built upon the premise of playing with style and flair -- something which remains with the club today, and has served as fuel for at least one of their rivalries.

(see video at bottom)

Another of the traditions of Tottenham has been their association (at varying times either true or merely perceived) with the Jewish quarter of London; an association which led to their fan-base being given the derogatory name of ‘Yids’ by rival fan-bases; ‘Yid’ being a shortened version of Yiddish. However, despite the intended racial slur inherent within the term, the Tottenham fans have taken in recent decades to using the term as a source of pride and togetherness, often referring to themselves exclusively by that same word, or else extending it to ‘Yiddo’. The most famous of the Spurs supporter groups -- alas, also the one most linked with hooliganism -- is known as the Yid Army, and one of the most favoured chants at White Hart Lane involves chanting: “Yiddo! Yiddo! Yiddo!” as a means of celebrating this collective term.

Heraldry & Colours:

The badge of Tottenham Hotspur FC has gone through a number of changes since their founding, but each crest has involved both a football and a fighting cockerel, which is the club’s mascot. This comes from the legend of Harry Hotspur, whose own fighting cocks were famed for wearing spurs to increase their deadliness, and this has remained the core icon of the club’s identity. The cockerel is immortalized also in a a statue standing atop the West Stand of the team’s home ground: White Hart Lane.

Other elements have been incorporated over the years, such as lions flanking the main cockerel image -- part of the heraldry of the Northumberland family, of which Harry Hotspur was a member -- and the club’s motto included in Latin. Audere est facere translates to ‘to dare is to do’, and is considered by the fans to be a statement of the club’s philosophy, enshrining the sentiment of their attack-minded tradition.

(see image below)

Another motto treasured by Tottenham Hotspur is ‘The Glory of the Game’, likewise echoing the attacking, stylish brand of football that the Spurs fans are known to appreciate most of all; celebrating that which is ‘glorious’.

3.2 Club Traditions:

Rivalry With Arsenal:

The most famous, and the most bitter of rivalries for Tottenham is that which they share with fellow North London club Arsenal, and matches between the two are known as the North London Derby. The roots of this feud go back to the early periods of the clubs, and despite calm periods, has ever been ready to flare up back into life.

A more-or-less friendly rivalry had been in place between the clubs since their formation, owing to their close proximity, but it was not until Arsenal moved from their Plumstead location to Highbury, just four miles from Tottenham, that the true feud began. A friendly between Second Division Arsenal and First Division Tottenham ended 5-1 to Arsenal, and has served as the primal reason for agitation and bragging rights between the two.

Their rivalry escalated in 1919, when Tottenham were relegated to Division 2, and Arsenal were promoted to Division 1, despite having finished 6th in Division 2 and therefore not straightforwardly eligible for promotion. Arsenal had applied to the FA for such promotion, and once granted, Tottenham felt slighted and resentful, leading them to seek ‘revenge’ on every occasion that the two teams met. Tottenham won promotion again the next year, and in 1921 the first North London Derby in the top flight finished 2-1 to Spurs. The next few years saw a seesaw of results, but the fixture became known for particularly vicious play on the pitch, leading to the FA threatening to censure both clubs unless respect was imposed.

During Tottenham’s time in Division 2 between 1928-1933 and 1935-1950, the rivalry cooled somewhat, due to the lack of fixtures played, and following World War II relations improved even more as Spurs allowed Arsenal to play home games at White Hart Lane, since Highbury was in need of repair after the bombing of London by the Luftwaffe. This period did not last too long, however, and as the two sides began to play each other once more following Tottenham’s return to Division 1, the rivalry began to grow once more and intensify more than ever.

In the Premier League era, the rivalry has been mostly one-sided, leading to Arsenal fans having a celebration day related to the North London rivalry. Arsenal fans celebrate St. Totteringham's day which is the day in the season when Tottenham cannot mathematically finish above Arsenal on the league table. On the other hand, Spurs fans have declared 14 April to be St Hotspur day in honour of Spurs' 3–1 win over Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi final. St. Hotspur Day was also celebrated on 14 April 2010, when Spurs beat Arsenal 2–1.

In recent years, with Tottenham’s return to the top quarter of the table, and Arsenal’s slip from title wins, the rivalry has flared up once more, and is now more even than it has been in a long time.

3.3 Club Traditions:

Songs & Chants:

Oh When the Spurs Go Marching In -- sung to the tune of: Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.
Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur! --* *sung to the tune of: Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Nice One, Cyril -- in honour of Cyril Knowles’ goalscoring prowess
Spurs Are On Their Way To Wembley -- traditional song for FA Cup/League Cup runs

Come On You Spurs! -- often shortened to COYS in print, as a shorthand between fans.
Yiddo! Yiddo! -- repeated numerous times to show solidarity

Tottenham fans are also known for being very creative in terms of making terrace songs/chants that are insulting to particular players on the opposing team (most often Arsenal), usually taking popular pop songs for their tunes.

4.1 Facts & Stats:

Titles:

English League Championships: 2 (1950-51, 1960-61)
FA Cup: 8 (1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982, 1991)
League Cup: 4 (1971, 1973, 1999, 2008)
Charity Shield: 7 (1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1991)
UEFA Cup: 2 (1972, 1984)
Cup Winners Cup: 1 (1963)
Anglo-Italian League Cup: 1 (1971)

Records:

First (and only) non-league team to win the FA Cup.
Most wins in an English league season (31/42 in 1960-61)
First team to win English ‘Double’ (1960-61)
First English team to win a European trophy (inaugural UEFA Cup)
First team to win 8 FA Cups
Most goals scored in an English league game (9 goals, jointly held)
First team to score more than two goals in every UEFA Champions League group game (2010-2011)

4.2 Facts & Stats:

Famous Players:

Sir Alf Ramsey (1949-55)
Bill Nicholson (1938-55)
Danny Blanchflower (1954-64)
Jimmy Greaves (1961-70)
Mike England (1966-75)
Terry Venables (1966-69)
Cyril Knowles (1964-76)
Pat Jennings (1964-77)
Osvaldo Ardiles (1978-88)
Ricardo Villa (1978-83)
Glenn Hoddle (1975-87)
Steve Perryman (1969-86)
Chris Waddle (1985-1989)
Ray Clemence (1981-88)
Paul Gascoigne (1988-92)
Gary Lineker (1989-92)
Teddy Sheringham (1992-97) (2001-03)
Jurgen Klinsmann (1994-95) (1997-98)
David Ginola (1997-2000)
Sol Campbell (1992-2001)
Robbie Keane (2002-08) (2009-11)

Famous Managers:

Arthur Rowe (1949-54)
Bill Nicholson (1958-74)
Keith Burkinshaw (1976-84)
Terry Venables (1987-93)
Harry Redknapp (2008-12)

4.3 Facts & Stats:

White Hart Lane:

White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium built in 1899 and, after numerous renovations, the stadium currently has a capacity of 36,230.

Tottenham Hotspur moved to White Hart Lane in 1899, renovating it from a disused nursery owned by the brewery chain Charringtons, with the help of local groundsman, John Over, into a substandard football pitch. The first game at White Hart Lane resulted in a 4–1 home win against Notts County with around 5,000 supporters attending and witnessing the first game and first victory at the new ground, although referred to at the time as either High Road ground or White Hart Lane.

White Hart Lane underwent redevelopment in the early 20th century with stadium developer, Archibald Leitch, designing a mainly square stadium seating 15,300 and incorporating a standing paddock for another 700 fans along with the famous cockerel being placed on the mock-Tudor apex at the end of the 1909/1910 season. Redevelopments continued in the 1910s, with the wooden eastern stand replaced with an enlarged concrete stadium, vastly increasing the stadium capacity to over 50,000. The ground continued to be renovated and in 1925, thanks to the FA Cup win in 1921, both the Paxton Road Stand and Park Lane Stand were enlarged and mostly covered from the elements.

The pitch was overlooked by a bronze fighting cock (the club mascot) that still keeps an eye on proceedings from the roof of the West Stand.

Along with housing Tottenham, the stadium, which is known amongst fans as the Lane, has also been selected for England national football matches and England under-21 football matches. White Hart Lane held capacity records in the early 1960s with numbers entering the 70,000s but as seating increased in popularity, the stadium has leveled out to a modest number in relation to other Premier League clubs. The record attendance remains an FA Cup tie on 5 March 1938 against Sunderland with the attendance being recorded at 75,038.

Plans are afoot for Tottenham to move to a new stadium with an estimated capacity of 56,000, with the new stadium being built on the current site instead of moving from the borough of Haringey. The new stadium has been designed by KSS Design Group, whose other work includes Stamford Bridge.

Wonderful job, Lodatz. By far the most neat I've seen so far, and I have to say, fantastic way of separating all the substance (thought about doing so myself too). Looks good while it's easy to find your way to whatever it is you want to find. Best so far for me! ;)

A new ground on the same sight would be perfect instead of ditching the lane. 
So thats basically adding on to WHL right? not moving away from it?

@Golden: Thanks man. :) I put a lot of effort into writing it all, and tried to do what you've described. I appreciate the vote of confidence.

@COYSPURS2008: Here's some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northumberland_Development_Project

Apparently it's going to be built next door to WHL. I just wish they weren't planning on changing the name. :(

LOL if only this context was all in one slide. Then you'd probably get 10+ likes. Thumbs up man :). Nice Job. And people, if you want to like Lodatz's work, just like the first slide (his original post). That's what I did.

Very detailed and nice work. Actually fun to read and it isn't just copy and pasted. Best so far, can you dig up some random fun trivia and add it below?

Nice one, Lodatz. :)

Thanks guys. :)

@raimondo90: Well, I don't know if it counts as trivia, but, in doing some digging I believe I've found what I think is an interesting question. Who appears to have been playing tiki-taka long before it was fashionable?

May I introduce you to Ossie Ardiles...

i like the new white hart lane design 

Best one so far I think... got everything I wanted!"

Great Profile!!!
Enjoy this picture of the cockerel being installed at WHL circa 1950's