By Dave P
February 18 2006

On this, the occasion of Wigans’ first ever visit to White Hart Lane, it’s a bit hard to find any previous between the two sides because there isn’t any. On this, the occasion of Wigans’ first ever visit to White Hart Lane, it’s a bit hard to find any previous between the two sides because there isn’t any. Our only previous encounter was the meeting at the JJB earlier on this season. A day out that I thoroughly enjoyed and I hasten to add, not just because of the well earned victory.

Wigan have done exceptionally well this season, their first in the top flight having more or less guaranteed that they will be around next season (and still in with a chance of a UEFA cup place) and they got themselves into the Carling Cup Final as well. This is great for their supporters when you consider that not that long ago they were a non-league club.

This got me thinking about how other sides have fared on their first, and often only, ever visit to White Hart Lane. In recent history one has to think of Wimbledon whose meteoric rise from the ranks of non-league football to the upper echelons of football was something of a fairy story. Their first ever visit to White Hart Lane was for a 1st Division game on the 1st November 1986. 21,820 fans watched them win it as well by a 2-1 scoreline. Spurs goal that day was scored by Mitchell Thomas.

Lets now go back to 16th October 1974. Our visitors that day for their first ever (and only) Division 1 game were Carlisle United. A crowd of only 12,813 witnessed Martin Chivers score our only goal in the 1-1 draw. Carlisle actually topped the table for a while that season before being relegated. Their history since then has seen mixed fortunes including a brief visit to the conference last season when they gained promotion back to the football league at the first attempt along with champions Barnet and they look likely candidates for another promotion this time around as well as they currently top the table.

Carlisle have always had good support (for a small team) and that 1974 season was no different. Whilst the home game only attracted a crowd of 12,813 the away fixture at Brunton Park on 24th August attracted a crowd of 18,426 to witness a 1-0 Carlisle win.

So what of clubs that have played at White Hart Lane once in the league and no longer play league football? Lets have a look back at the 1909 Division Two season when incidentally, we were the new boys. On 27th February we played hosts to Glossop and a recorded crowd of 12,000 saw an exciting 3-3 draw. Doug McFarlane and Bob Steele (twice) scoring our three. Doug McFarlane Played for his home town club (Barrow) and Burnley before his move to Spurs in 1908 scoring twice in 21 matches before returning to Barrow (Another club no longer plying their trade in the league) in 1910.

Exactly a month later on in 1909 (on 27th March) we played hosts to Gainsborough Trinity. 15,000 were present that day to see yet another draw. This time it was a 1-1 scoreline and our scorer that day was the great Vivian Woodward who has been mentioned in this column a number of times previously.

That 1909 season saw Glossop finishing 8th and Gainsborough Trinity just behind them in 9th. We finished 2nd in what was our first ever season in the football league and saw us promoted to Division 1 at our first attempt.

Ten Years later and following the contentious relegation to the second division at the end of the 1914/15 season before the war, the resumption of League football saw us play hosts to South Shields on 20th September 1919. We won this game 2-0 with goals from Jimmy Cantrell and Bert Bliss. We went on that season to show that we should never have been relegated as we won the second division and gained promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt. South Shields finished 9th and over the course of history became Gateshead (A club we have only played once in the FA Cup and never in the league).

So what of first time visitors since the formation of the Premier League. The only one as far as I can tell would be Swindon Town who made their first ever visit to the Lane on 22nd January 1994. This was another 1-1 draw with the one and only Jason Dozzell getting Spurs’ goal.

Other first and only visits to White Hart Lane have included Newport County for a Division two game on 7th October 1946. That was a 3-1 win for Spurs with two goals from George Foreman and one from Les Medley. Then there was a First Division match on 16th April 1966 which saw Northampton Town make their league debut at the Lane in a game drawn 1-1. Jimmy Greaves scoring from the spot as Northampton headed for relegation in their only season at the top.

Another side doomed to relegation when they first came to Spurs was Tranmere Rovers who visited the Lane on 8th April 1939 for a Division Two match. It was a comfortable 3-1 win and our scorers were Ralph Ward from the penalty spot, Johnny Morrison and Les Miller.

Les Miller was the first ever player to be signed by a Football League club from a French side having joined Tottenham from Souchaux in September 1936. He was signed for Tottenham by manager Jack Trearsden who had been his manager at Northampton Town, the club that he played for as an amateur before moving to France as a professional.

So that was a brief look at some of the first visits by clubs to White Hart Lane but I have left one out until now. On 26th October Bristol Rovers came to Spurs’ ground for their first and only League fixture against us. This was a game we won fairly easily as we attempted (successfully) to get back to the top flight at the first attempt following relegation the year before. Bristol Rovers were on the receiveing end of a 9-0 thrashing as Colin Lee scored four, Ian Moores bagged three and Peter Taylor and Glenn Hoddle chipped in with a goal each.

It would be a bit much to ask for a repeat of the performance that day and I would quite happily settle for any sort of win to celebrate Wigan Athletics first visit to our place.

Come on you Spurs.