By Dave P
March 5 2005

Once again we play a team for the first time on a date we have never met before so two tacks to this article this time. First a few matches from our past on March 5th and then secondly some previous away games in Southampton. Once again we play a team for the first time on a date we have never met before so two tacks to this article this time. First a few matches from our past on March 5th and then secondly some previous away games in Southampton.

Lets start with our first ever game on 5th March and for that we have to go back to 1887 when we hosted a friendly match against Edmonton Association. Not much is know about this game, certainly the scorers have not been recorded for posterity and indeed even the score seems to be in some doubt. I have seen it listed as both a 2-1 victory and a 3-1 victory.

The first away match I can find that took place on the 5th March was in 1898 when we travelled to Gravesend for a Southern League fixture. 3000 supporters were recorded as being in attendance as we won 2-1 with both goals scored by Utility forward Jimmy Hartley. During this season we had teams competing in three leagues. The United League in which we finished 2nd behind Luton, The Southern League (in which we were third behind todays opponents Southampton and Bristol City), and the Thames and Medway league in which we finished in 4th behind New Brompton, Gravesend and Chatham.

Our First Football league game on the 5th March came in the 1909/10 season in Division One having gained promotion from Division 2 in our very first year as a league team. Our opponents at White Hart Lane on that day were Preston North End and we won the game 2-1 in front of 25,000 supporters. Billy Minter and Percy Humphreys were our goalscorers. That season we were a lowly 15th in the table. A position we never really improved on during that period up until our relegation in the last season before the Great War. The highest we managed was 12th in 1912. The only consolation in 1910 was the fact that Woolwich finished below us in 18th place although the rivalry had yet to be born.

Whilst looking at this period in time I noticed that the 1912/13 season was a great year for us even though we only managed a 17th place finish. Why was it so great? Woolwich Arsenal finished 20th out of 20 and were relegated from Division one. (It has happened before you see, contrary to what many believe).

Our first away league fixture on 5th March was not until 1927 when our First Division opponents were Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. over 21,000 people watched what must have been an interesting 3-3 draw. Two goals that day for Welsh international Eugene 'Taffy' O'Callaghan and one for Arthur Sanders.

Taffy O'Callaghan was an inside forward 'adored by the White Hart Lane faithful' and well he deserved to be as his record with Spurs was 121 goals in 313 first team games. Quite good for an inside forward. Whilst at Spurs between he also scored 3 goals for Wales as he earned his 11 Welsh caps. A son of an Irish Soldier who served in South Wales O'Callaghan joind Spurs as an amateur on 1924 and after spells at our 'nursery' clubs Barnet and Northfleet he turned professional in 1926 making his Debut against Everton. A reporter at that game noted 'O'Callaghan is extraordinary fast in his stride. He darts through the middle and gets into position to shoot before anyone realises the danger'. After a leaving Spurs in 1935 he joined Leicester City and then Fulham before guesting for Aldershot, Brentford and Spurs during the war. After the war he rejoined Fulham as a coach and was still employed by them when he died in 1956.

And now a quick glance at some early Southampton v Spurs games. Our first away games against what was still then Southampton St.Marys were friendly fixtures and we were not very good in them. on 26th december 1893 we lost 1-0, on 15th April 1895 it was a 0-0 draw, on 18th April 1896 we lost 4-1 (someone called Lanham scoring) and on 15th February 1897 we lost 2-0.

Our first competetive away match against Southampton was in the Southern League o 23rd October 1897 and we lost that one 4-1 as well, R.Tannahill scoring our only goal. Our first away win against Southampton, as they were by now known was the very last match of the 1899/1900 season and it was our turn to win 4-1 in a Southern District Combination match. That day our goals came from Leon Hyde, John Cameron, a Leigh own Goal and someone who went by the surname of Roberts.

Now I am not sure who this Roberts was but there was a Charles David Roberts who was at the time the Chairman of Tottenham (he was chairman from 1898 until his death in 1945). A formar pitcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team in New York he became a prominent figure in the South West and Northern Home Counties of England and was involved in various fund raising ventures usually involving military tattoos. After being invited to raise money for Tottenham it became evident to him that a one off fund raising event would not be sufficient and he suggested turnng Spurs into a limited company as a means of raising capital. His proposals were accepted, 8000 £1 shares were issued and a new board appointed with him as Chairman. One of his first tasks as Spurs chairman was to find us a new home and it was he that negotiated the move from Northumberland Park to White Hart Lane. Could it be that a Chairman, a former sportsman himself, wangled himself a game in the last match of the season in a minor league game I wonder. Lets hope Levy doesn't have similar aspirations.

Come on You Lillywhites.