By Dave P
December 4 2004

There is a tenuous link with Blackburn Rovers in that during this period of time our strip was Blue and white quarters and had been inspired by a trip As Blackburn are another side we have never played on December 4th I have to decide what to write about. I could choose to write about games close to the 4th and mention the 5th December 1959 when we beat Blackburn at home 2-1 with goals from Medwin and a Bray Own goal. Or I could even mention a home game on December 5th 1914 when we travelled to Blackburn and were on the receiving end of a 4-0 thumping but I won't. Instead I'll have a look at a season very early in our history and the season (1886/87) we played our first ever December 4th Game.

There is a tenuous link with Blackburn Rovers in that during this period of time our strip was Blue and white quarters and had been inspired by a trip to see the 1885 Cup final at Kennington Oval where Blackburn won the cup for the second successive year beating Glasgows Queens Park 2-0. In order that Tottenham were not confused with Blackburn (As if anyone was likely to at the time) we wore a large H embroidered near the left shoulder. It wasn't until 1900, having played also in Red shirts/Blue shorts in the 1890s and even the then Wolves colours of Chocolate and Gold, that we adopted Preston North ends White shirts/Navy Blue Shorts.

The season we shall take a look at is 1886/87 when we played a series of friendlies and entered into two cup competitions. The London Cup and the East End Cup. But first a quick look at the game we played on 4th December 1886 and our opponents were Iona. We won the game 5-0 and our goals were scored by F.Cottrell, W.Harston, W.Randall and a brace from a certain Mr T.Purdie of whom I know absolutely nothing.


The rest of our Friendlies during that season contain many strange names to followers of the modern game and were as follows

02-Oct-86 Home South Hackney (Won 13-1)
09-Oct-86 Home Woodford Bridge (Won 2-0)
30-Oct-86 Home Old St Paul's (drew 1-1)
13-Nov-86 Away Silesia College Lost (2-3)
27-Nov-86 Away Fillebrook (Lost 1-4)
04-Dec-86 Away Iona (Won 5-0 as already mentioned)
27-Dec-86 Home Dreadnought (Won 6-0)
22-Jan-87 Home Foxes (Won 2-1)
05-Feb-87 Away Park (Won 4-1)
12-Feb-87 Away Fillebrook (Won 3-0)

05-Mar-87 Home Edmonton Association (Won 3-1)
This was our first game against our then deadly local rivals and a chronicler of the time noted that "these were the matches of the season and they were fought out fiercly, no quarter being given or asked, every player sore and weary at the finish"

19-Mar-87 Neutral ground. London Caledonians (Lost 0-2)
See the cup run listed below. This was originally supposed to have been the East End Cup semi-final

23-Apr-87 Home Enfield Lock (Won 7-0) Actually recorded in the records as 6 (and 1 disputed goal) to 1 although I have also seen the score listed as 7-1 so take this one with a pinch of salt


Our changing rooms at this time were at Somerford Grove and then "The Milford" in Park Lane and our local rivals were the Foxes who played their games at Northumberland Park. In fact we were to share a ground a couple of years later with the Foxes when we moved to Northumberland Park and the Northumberland Arms became our changing rooms.

So to the cup runs of that season and first of all the London Cup. Hardly a run really. On October 6th we were drawn to play the holders Upton Park at home and lost rather too easily by the score of 6-0. Oh well, there was still the East End Cup (Such grand competitions). Our first round game was played at home to Phoenix whom we beat 6-0. In the second round we were drawn at home again, this time to Park winning 2-0. Then home again to St.Lukes winning 2-1 and We were in a semi final (Our First) and were drawn to play London Caledonians. This match was originally scheduled to be played at Millwall on 19th March but the pitch was deemed not up to standard and a friendly was played instead. The game was then re-arranged to be played on 26th March 1887 on Tottenham Marshes but was farcical as the London Caledonians didn't turn up. We kicked off scored and the game was abandoned and ordered to be replayed even though we tried to claim the tie. The semi final eventually took place on 16th April 1887 at the marshes and the Caledonians won by 1 goal to nil.

During this season it was decided at a comittee meeting that "we should have rope and stakes around the ground", and other stories from this season were of one opponent who played in half Jack Boots and of another opponent who only had one arm. Apparently many Spurs players of a sensitive nature would not tackle him so that he often got through and scored.

The first annual dinner was held at the end of this season and the club was re-named the Tottenham Hotspur Athletic Club. Looking at todays money driven muli-million pound football industry it is interesting to not that our credit balance at the end of that season was a healthy £10 10s. Such humble beginnings...