By Dave P
March 16 2005

We have never played Charlton on the 16th March so we will have a look at a few other things. First of all our record against Charlton in the Premier League does not make for pretty reading. 11 games with only 3 wins and 3 draws but the away record.... We have never played Charlton on the 16th March so we will have a look at a few other things. First of all our record against Charlton in the Premier League does not make for pretty reading. 11 games with only 3 wins and 3 draws but the away record over recent seasons gives some good reasons for hope.

The corresponding fixtue last season on 10th February 2004 ended with a 4-2 victory for us with goals from Simon Davies, Jermaine Defoe, Ledley King and Johnny Jackson. The season before that and an early fixture on 27th August 2002 ended with a 1-0 victory, Simon Davies again scoring. Gus Poyet scored our only goal in a 3-1 defeat in 2001 and September 2000 saw us go down 1-0 but in between on 7th February 2001 we did beat them 4-2 in an FA Cup 4th round match. The goals on that occasion coming from a Rufus og and Darren Anderton, Oyvind Leonhardsen and Sergei Rebrov all scoring one apiece.

The league fixture before all that lot on 20th April 1999 again saw us netting four times to Charltons one and on the scoresheet this time were Steffan Iverson, Sol Campbell, Jose Dominguez and David Ginola. So in the last six fixtures away to Charlton we have won 4 and lost 2 scoring 14 goals to their 9. Add the previous two fixtures to that (1996 and 1989), both of which ended 3-1 to us and our record is not that bad at their place (six wins, two defeats, 20 goals for and 11 conceded)

Now for a little bit of history that actually took place on this day involving other London clubs. Our first ever game on the 16th March took place in 1889 at our then Northumberland Park Ground. Our opponents in a friendly were local rivals Edmonton and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Our goal coming from a certain W.Harston of whom I know little and if anyone can enlighten me further I would be interested to hear.

This was in fact our first season in a ground of our own. The Northumberland Park ground was actually being shared by Foxes FC and the pitch was used by a tennis club in the summer but it was our own and we could build stands and stuff. Our changing rooms at this time usually being the pub adjacent to the ground, The Northumberland Arms. Nice to see NLP maintaining that tradition by using it as our ‘changing room’ before and after matches.

1889 was also the season that Tottenham Hotspur became affiliated to the Football Association. The important decision to affiliate being decided by the offer of a guinea donation from the FA if we became affiliated.. Money talked even then.

And for our final bit of March 16th history we will jump forward a few years to 1896 and our first away fixture on this date. Another friendly fixture and a team from a similar part of SE London as todays opponents Charlton. The opponents were of course Woolwich Arsenal (and in those days they actually played in Plumstead) and we won the game 3-1 with goals from Peter Hunter and S. Brown (who was listed as a second team player) and something we all love to hear, an own goal from a goon, Gilmer.

Peter Hunter, an aggressive centre forward with a neatly trimmed moustache, played for Spurs as a centre forward on 77 occasions scoring 53 times and is on record as the scorer of our first ever FA cup goal on 13 October 1894 against West Herts.

That 1895/1896 season was another important season in the history of THFC as it was the season we formally adopted professionalism. Player wages were a bit different in those days though. Minutes from a committee meeting of the time show one player having his wages increased from 20s to 25s per week, but discipline was strict and training regulations were enforced and carried out. One player was “given his papers for misconducting himself in such a way that he had become an undesirable companion for the other players”.

No high jinks or dressing room discontent tolerated in those days.

Lets celebrate the fact we have been a professional club for nearly 110 years with a professional performance this evening and mirror that one against a small SE London Club that took place in Plumstead 109 years ago today with a good win and a tonic for the disappointment of Sunday.

Come on you Lillywhites.