The hugely popular Martin Cloake and Adam Powley book, ‘The Boys From White Hart Lane’ has just been republished in paperback form. It’s a fascinating chapter by chapter account of the Tottenham players of the Burkinshaw era.
These were the sides I grew up with. My first game was Bill Nick’s testimonial at home to West Ham. I thought I was obsessed by Spurs until I went to that game. It was my initiation ceremony. I’d thought I’d never care about anything like I cared about this from that day on. Spurs were my first love.
‘The Boys From White Hart Lane is the only book you’ll need to recapture the unique mood of the time. ‘
Harry Hotspur – 2010.
‘There is a time in a football fan’s life when one team comes to symbolise all that is best about his or her club. For a large number of Tottenham supporters now comfortably settled into middle age, that side was the one managed to cup winning glory by Keith Burkinshaw.
Burkinshaw’s Spurs were appreciated by a wider audience too. While football fans, more than fans of any other sport, tend to follow teams rather than the sport itself, a side occasionally comes along that commands respect or admiration across the partisan lines of the football tribes.
Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest were one such team, their rise from second tier also rans to double European Champions in in four consecutive seasons is still fondly remembered because it kept alive the very essence of sport – that everyone has a chance of winning.
“If every team played like Spurs, football’s only problem would be pacifying the herds of supporters being able to get into packed grounds. They bring beauty to the game and people like that.”
Patrick Barclay – 1982.
The games themselves naturally stands out. 1984’s epic UEFA Cup Final and the vocal support for Danny Thomas following his missed penalty. The first half demolition of Feyenoord in tha same campaign; the fans’ takeover of Highbury for the 1981 semi final replay. Ricky Villa’s FA Cup final goal in 1981 became our ‘JFK moment’ : we all remember where we were when it happened.’
I don’t know where you were “Tommy Cooper”. But I was living in Western Canada at the time. And I watched both games and replays live on TV.It made for four good breakfast parties.