By Dave P
May 1 2005

1st May and a home game with a chance of European qualification. Its been a while since we have been able to say that at Tottenham. And that in itself should tell us something about how far we have come as a club in the last year under the guidance of Frank Arnesen and Martin Jol. 1st May and a home game with a chance of European qualification. Its been a while since we have been able to say that at Tottenham. And that in itself should tell us something about how far we have come as a club in the last year under the guidance of Frank Arnesen and Martin Jol..Only a year ago we travelled to Villa Park on May 1st and lost 1-0 as we ended another season of mid table below average mediocrity. In 2001 we played out a dull 0-0 draw at home on 28th April which served to underline the state of two of the biggest names in English Football. Very average just about summed it up (kindly) and over 36,000 paid to watch it.

The only other time we have played the Villains at this time of the year (Early May) was on the 3rd May 1986 when a paltry crowd of only 14,854 turned up to see Mark Falco and Clive Allen score two each in a 4-2 victory at the end of a season that saw us finish in mid table 10th place. I wouldn’t mnd the results of the last three games that season being matched this year though. They were a 5-2 win away to QPR – Falco and Allen getting two apiece again and Hoddle getting the fifth, 4-2 at home to Villa as already mentioned and then a last day 5-3 win at home over Southampton (in front of only 13,036 supporters – poor attendances for a tenth placed side). A Galvin Hat-trick with Clive Allen and Chris Waddle also getting on the score-sheet that day.

So what else have Spurs done on May 1st in years gone by? Well, the first time we played a game on May 1st was in 1920 and our final league game that season was away to the other Birmingham side – Birmingham City. We won 1-0 having already been crowned League Division 2 Champions in the first full season of competitive football after the great war and the disgraceful relegation to that division after skulduggery from Woolwich in 1915..The goal on that day was scored by Jimmy Seed..

The next two 1st May games resulted in fairly heavy defeats at the hands of Leeds and Leicester and then in 1948 we played Birmingham away again and drew 0-0. The next game played at White Hart Lane on May 1st was probably one of the greatest in the history of the club. Our visitors on the night of May 1st 1963 were OFK Belgrade in the Cup winners Cup Semi Final. We had already won the first leg 2-1 in Yugoslavia and over 60,000 fans crowded into the Lane to witness a 3-1 victory with goals from Dave Mackay, Cliff Jones and Bobby Smith as the Spurs went marching on to the final against Atletico Madrid. A game we were to win 5-1 and put ourselves into the record books as the first British side to win a European Trophy.

It was around this time (3rd May) in 1972 that we played another West Midlands team, Wolves in the 1st leg of the all English UEFA Cup Final, winning 2-1 with two Martin Chivers goals. The second leg two weeks later ended 1-1 with Alan Mullery scoring and Spurs becoming the first British club to win two European trophies.

Spurs also became the first English team to win the UEFA cup twice in 1984 and in that season we played Aston Villa at home on 18th April (not that far away from May 1st) and won 2-1 with goals from Graham Roberts (pen) and Gary Mabbutt. That game was also within a week of losing to Woolwich by an odd goal away from home (albeit a 3-2 on that occasion).

So you could say that European Glory and victories over the West Midlands go hand in hand. A win against Villa today and we are on our way back to a European tour…… maybe?

Come on you Lilywhites.