St Hotspur Day

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Today is St Hotspur Day 12.

 

The following article is taken from the book Heroes and Villains, subtitled 'The inside story of the 1990/91 season at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur' written by Alex Fynn and Lynton Guest, published by Penguin.

 

Summary: Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC - two of English football's greatest institutions. Both dedicated to grabbing League and Cup glory from Merseyside during the 1990/91 season.

 

Heroes and Villains is a unique chronicle of an historic season: an unfolding drama seen through the eyes of the major contestants at Highbury and White Hart Lane during 1990/91 - the directors, the managers, the players and the supporters

 

Authors Alex Fynn and Lynton Guest followed the two clubs on and off the pitch, day by day throughout the season. The result is a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of Arsenal's attempt to win the double, of the trials and tribulations of Paul Gascoigne and Tony Adams, of Tottenham's struggle to remain in business, and many other elements in what turned out to be a tumultuous season for both clubs.

 

 

Chapter 19 - The Joker Goes Wild

 

.... Tottenham, and particularly Terry Venables, had for once spent the week on football matters, putting takeovers aside for a brief period. The day after the game against Norwich, the team went to a health farm, which assistant manager Doug Livermore described as 'a relaxing day, a day off'. Friday and Saturday mornings were taken up with short games against the reserves, mainly to work on set pieces, and with Terry Venables impressing on the players, individually and collectively, what their pattern of play would be. On Saturday evening, the players reported to the training ground from where the coach took them to the Royal Lancaster Hotel. They left for Wembley at ten the next morning.

 

'We wanted to get there before Arsenal, which we did,' said Doug Livermore. 'We were well relaxed and had plenty of time. We didn't want to get there and be rushing about. Our preparation was excellent.'

 

Playing the semi-final at Wembley provided a wonderful day out for both sets of fans. It was the only stadium capable of staging such an event, and as the crowds arrived, they created an atmosphere of cordiality which was noticeably free of intimidation and tension (there were only twenty-four arrests the whole afternoon). The noon kick-off may have helped as it reduced drinking time. The fans displayed their colours and seemed far more concerned with the battle to come on the pitch rather than any antagonism towards each other.

 

With Hillier definitely ruled out, George Graham relied on the formation that had served him so well in recent games - a flat back four with no place for David O'Leary. According to O'Leary, the Spurs camp was more than pleased about his exclusion.

 

'I know that Tottenham were delighted,' he said. 'I walked up the tunnel and Terry Venables was so pleased when he got the team sheet before the game and I know the other players were delighted when they saw our team. I think that helped Tottenham.'

 

Venables had indeed decided to give Gazza a place in the starting line-up. It was yet another gamble on the player's fitness. However, it took only a few minutes for George Graham's fears to be realized, as a hyperactive Gascoigne (he needed an injection the night before the game to sleep) took the game by storm. Gazza, according to Venables, was so psyched up, he gave the pre-match talk.

 

'I didn't do anything to motivate the team,' quipped the manager, 'he did everything in the dressing room, he was magnificent.'

 

Doug Livermore thought Gazza 'exceptional in the dressing room' and added that he 'oozes this will to win'. Another risk Venables took was to play David Howells, whose fitness was also in doubt, wide on the left, to counter Dixon's attacking instincts as much as to go forward himself. Howells had missed ten games, and his ability to last ninety minutes at Wembley was debatable. Given these problems, the day did not augur well for Spurs.

 

After five minutes, Anders Limpar gave away a free kick in a not very dangerous position thirty-five yards from goal. As Gazza shaped up to have a shot, Arsenal failed to construct a proper wall. Just before Gascoigne took the kick, Lineker ran up to him and told him that if he was going to have a dig, not to do anything clever like trying to bend it but just to hit it hard. There are very few players in the English game who would have had the audacity to try a shot from such a position perhaps Clayton Blackmore of Manchester United might have given it a go - but so determined was Gazza to stamp his name on the occasion that there appeared to be no thought of anything else. Barry Davies, commentating for BBC television, described what happened next in a voice that went from mild suggestion to incredulous disbelief in five seconds. 'Is Gazza going to have a crack?' he began. 'He is you know ... Oh ... that's brilliant.' (Gazza's free kick)

 

Gazza had indeed had a crack, which Seaman saw, even managed to get a hand to, but could do absolutely nothing to stop. Some criticized the goalkeeper, arguing that if he got his hand there he should have saved it. The shot went to Seaman's left, but he attempted to bring his right arm over the top and save it with that hand, a style which Peter Shilton perfected over many years. Perhaps Seaman would have done better to attempt the save with his left hand, but even then it is unlikely he would have prevented the goal. Gascoigne hit it with such force and the ball dipped and swerved along the length of its trajectory to such an extent, that Seaman, like many good goalkeepers before him, was faced with an almost impossible task.

 

Terry Venables was effusive in his description of the goal. 'All things put together it added up to one of the best free kicks ever seen [at Wembley] in all its history. It's easy to bend a ball and lack pace or to just curl it. But to bend it with power and accuracy is very special, especially from that distance. Schuster [who played for Venables at Barcelona] was fantastic. He could slog them as well with the bend. The two of them are the best I've seen.'

 

There was worse to come for Arsenal. In the absence of David Hillier, Michael Thomas was assigned the role of marking Gazza. After eleven minutes, Gazza, wide on the right, flicked the ball first time off the outside of his boot towards Paul Allen. As it left his foot, Gazza feinted to run along the wing to receive the return pass from Allen, the usual wall-pass manoeuvre. Thomas, of course, went with his man, but Gazza had no intention of running up the wing. A sudden change of direction brought him inside while Thomas was still shadowing his now nonexistent adversary along the touchline. The move, which took less time to execute than it took for the ball to reach Allen, created the space that Gazza wanted. Allen, instead of playing the pass up the wing, returned the ball to Gazza and went out wide himself. Meanwhile, Thomas, realizing his mistake, tried to get back to where he should have been, but it was too late. Another Gascoigne flick with the outside of his foot set Allen clear with a direct route to the byline. It was a magical piece of football, a sort of inverted wall-pass that in the twinkling of an eye, or in this case Gazza's boot, had completely opened up Arsenal's left flank. Allen's low cross caused all sorts of panic, though the defence probably should have dealt with it, but as Seaman went down, Alan Smith appeared on his own goal-line as if from nowhere, the ball hit him and rolled free for a split second. That was all the time Gary Lineker needed. If ever proof were required that Lineker had once again found his appetite for goals, this moment provided it. His leg shot out, he reached the ball first, and stabbed it over the line from a yard out, while Seaman, Smith and the rest of the Arsenal defence floundered.

 

Later, Smith tried to explain what had happened. 'I always have quite a bit of defensive responsibility. It [the goal] came from a set piece ... there was a bit of play and it came back in. Gary Mabbutt had stayed up the field and as the ball came across I just moved forward. It went past Lee Dixon, it came at me at a very awkward height and struck me on the hip bone. Then it just dribbled out to Gary Lineker.'

 

Two-nil up, Spurs' fans were delirious, Arsenal's unbelieving and stunned. As the half began to draw to a close, Arsenal, pride now at stake, tried to get back into a match that seemed beyond them. Yet Spurs looked sharper, were first to the ball, and played the more penetrating football. In short, they looked to be hungrier for victory. Then, just before the break, Arsenal were thrown a lifeline by Alan Smith. Smith had ballooned one opportunity over the bar before Dixon managed to get forward to good effect after Edinburgh's header gave the ball away, and his high cross found Smith about ten yards out. Smith's jump and header were superb, beating three defenders and directing the ball to Thorstvedt's left. The Spurs goalkeeper was slightly off his line, but Smith's contact was perfection itself and the ball bounced once before nestling in the corner of the net, beyond Thorstvedt's despairing dive.

 

At half-time, Liam Brady, who had already professed surprise at the omission of O'Leary, told the television audience, 'Spurs are playing almost Continental football today. They are knocking the ball to feet and it's the old story. If you've got two big central defenders like Adams and Bould and you keep the ball on the ground, they're in trouble.'

 

It was not only in attack where Spurs had the edge. The defence was a revelation, playing with skill and determination, particularly when defending the second ball. So much of Arsenal's success had come from the team's ability to put pressure on opposing defenders and pick up the resulting loose ends, but Spurs were intent on making sure this did not happen. Terry Venables had hammered home the message in the preparation for the game. 'They've got a lot of tall players,' he said. 'When the ball bounces down it's got to be won.'

 

The five-man midfield fared better than anyone dared hope. Doug Livermore explained why. 'Terry picked a system that suited us but also stopped Arsenal's full backs from coming on. It's not a system we play week in, week out. It's difficult to play because British players are used to playing 4-4-2, or a sweeper system with two up front. They like to hit the front men and have two options, whereas this system doesn't warrant hitting front players. But we have the players who can adapt and play in that system.'

 

In the Spurs dressing room, according to Terry Venables, Gazza gave the half-time talk, the manager 'couldn't get a word in edgeways'. Joking apart, Venables had a serious point to make. He knew that, having scored the goal just before the interval, Arsenal would now throw everything at Spurs in an effort to get the equalizer. It was important that his players did not dwell on the concession of a goal so close to the break. He told them: 'If someone had said to you a couple of days ago that you would be winning at half-time, at Wembley, against Arsenal, in the semi-final of the Cup, 2-1, you would have settled for that, so don't let your heads drop.'

 

Arsenal did pile on the pressure as the second half got under way. Although Spurs had contained the full backs for the most part, and were outnumbering Arsenal in midfield, whenever Dixon or Winterburn came forward the Gunners looked at their most dangerous. At last, Kevin Campbell and Paul Merson began to seriously menace Spurs, and Davis and Thomas found more bite in the middle of the field. On more than one occasion the Tottenham defence creaked. Gazza, having run himself into the ground, was replaced by Nayim, and went off to tumultuous applause. His contribution had been of the highest class, and the price Lazio were prepared to pay looked cheap at £8 million. He had imposed himself on the match in a way no contemporary, and few in the history of the game, could have done.

 

'I felt he would last the ninety minutes. He did as well,' commented Venables, 'but ... he put so much energy in the dressing room before the game and at half-time, he knocked himself out there I think.'

 

Gascoigne's skills had tormented Arsenal and helped Spurs to raise their game, and the whole team showed a desire and will to win that would more readily have been associated with their opponents. Tottenham's League form, and Venables' preoccupation with finance and business, had disguised the fact that Spurs were not only a talented side, they also had deep resources of resilience and commitment. When Nayim came on, Spurs lost nothing; in fact, he offered a new dimension, allowing Samways and Allen more freedom and making some threatening runs himself.

 

As Arsenal continued to press forward, there was always the possibility of Spurs catching them on the break, and so it proved in the seventy-sixth minute, when Gary Mabbutt intercepted the ball and gave it to Lineker on the halfway line. Lineker stormed off towards goal, while Samways made a diagonal run to pull defenders out of position and create space for Lineker to exploit. Two crucial errors followed, both committed by Arsenal players to disastrous effect. Even when Lineker was well into his stride, there seemed little real danger. But as Samways made his decoy run, Tony Adams decided to attempt a tackle. Lineker saw the lunge coming, evaded it neatly, and left Adams for dead before breaking into the penalty area. Even then his shot should have been stopped by Seaman. Once again the goalkeeper made contact, this time with both hands, but it seemed almost a tired attempt. The ball deflected off Seaman's fingers but instead of going outside the post it hit the inside and dropped into the net. It was a superb solo goal, coolly created and finished by the England captain, with help from Samways' intelligent diversionary run. It was the end of Arsenal's quest for the double; there was no coming back from 3-1.

 

For the Tottenham fans, the final whistle was the signal for an outpouring of joy. On the Tottenham bench, Doug Livermore recalled, 'Gazza, Terry and myself [were] hugging each other before Gazza ran away to jump all over the boys. It was smashing for the staff. It was nice to be hugging people who had worked so hard to try and achieve the right goal.'

 

The intensity of the celebrations could not have been less if it had been victory in the Cup Final itself. Eleanor Levy wrote in the Spur: 'If people complained about the celebrations at the end it was because they didn't understand the importance of those ninety minutes to Tottenham Hotspur FC ... it was about pride. Not just in getting to the final but in the way we got there. And after all the snide comments the players and supporters have had to put up with this season, that's worth a quick jig around Wembley stadium in anyone's book.'

 

While Gascoigne and Lineker provided the inspiration, all the Spurs players emerged as heroes. As Lineker put it: 'The desire to win was exceptional, right through the side.' Jimmy Hill supported this view, saying, when asked which player gave the best display, 'The outstanding performance was by Spurs, the whole team, [with their] classic passing moves. It was an absolute pleasure to watch.'

 

In addition, Liam Brady pointed to the tactical battle, saying, 'Arsenal didn't cope with the tactics ... the Tottenham midfield were outstanding. Even Nayim, when he came on for Gascoigne, played superbly.'

 

By contrast, few of the Arsenal team found their true form. This was particularly so in the case of Anders Limpar, who, having been troubled by a nagging toe injury for two weeks, hardly figured at all. Venables' five-man midfield, and the stifling of Arsenal's full backs, had stopped the Gunners creatively, while the pace of Lineker and the movement of the supporting players caused problems for the Arsenal defence from start to finish. There was also the will-to-win factor. On many occasions, opposing managers had praised this quality in Arsenal, and the team itself, as Paul Davis said, collectively believed it would not get beaten. So why had the tables been so completely reversed? Perhaps the answer lies in David O'Leary's words about treating each game equally - that is, in a professional manner. Such an attitude is admirable most of the time, but, whatever those at Arsenal believed, this game was different. It was the semi-final of the FA Cup; it was at Wembley and on national television; it was a local derby; and the opposition desperately needed to win to stay in business. For such an occasion, passion and total commitment are prerequisites. Spurs, hyped up by Gazza and the manager, found the necessary tenacity. Alan Smith admitted as much afterwards when he said: 'I think at the back of our minds we knew this was Tottenham's only chance for honours. They were going to be putting everything into it - getting Gascoigne fit for this game we knew it was going to be hard.' Finally, Arsenal's only League defeat, at Chelsea, came after a difficult midweek Cup tie against Leeds, which went into extra time. Once again, defeat had come after an important away game in midweek. However much the Arsenal staff denied it, stamina, and the number of games English teams are expected to play in a season of success, had surely played its part on the demanding Wembley turf.

 

 

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Did you write all that out

Shame no-ones going to read it (I didn't <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />)

[Colin Zeal EFM]

No. Did a copy and paste job!

 

 

[Colin Zeal EFM]

"That is Schoolboy's Own stuff - I bet even he can't believe it"

 

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

 

 

[Colin Zeal EFM]

 

"Mabbutt... Nayim... Samways to the left... Lineker uses him by not using him. Good try - HE'S SCORED... And David Seaman will be very disappointed by that, it seemed to slip right through his fingers."

 

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

 

[ESG]

"And David Seaman will be very disappointed by that....'

 

did you ever get that flexi disc by i believe assorted members of Lush

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I did yeah! Lush, Cocteau Twins and, I think, Moose or Slowdive.

 

Quality!!

 

 

[GHA EFM]

Ddin't read it all, but do you have the chapter where Arsenal go through the season losing only 1 league match (a 2-1 loss against Chelsea) and therefore win the league?

[Colin Zeal EFM]

No, but the chapter which covers the League Cup defeat at the hands of Man Utd at Highbury - 2-6 I believe! - was highly enjoyable!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

And hopefully somewhat prophetic too!!

 

 

[Colin Zeal EFM]

P.S. This was back in the days when teams fielded their best eleven players for the League Cup too!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

 

[YELLOW]

Yeah didn't Lee Sharpe score a hattrick in that match?

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I think he did. I remember that on the same day, Coventry beat Forest 5-4 in the Cup!!

 

Coventry went 4-0 up early on, Forest had made it 3-4 by the break and went on to equalise in the second half before Coventry got the winner!!

 

 

[YELLOW]

I think Nigel Clough got a hattrick in that match and a Coventry player, might have been Kevin Gallacher got 4.

 

The real epic that season was Everton 4 Liverpool 4 in a FA Cup 5th round replay. I think that was Kenny Dalglish's last game in charge of Liverpool.

[Colin Zeal EFM]

That's my all-time favourite season, despite the Gypsies winning the league.

 

I remember watching the Everton/Liverpool game on our recently-acquired Sky TV!

 

I remember Arsenal taking four matches to dispose of Leeds in the cup too. Zzzzzzzzz.

 

Best game for me, obviously, was the Semi-Final which I was lucky enough to go to. I went to the final too, which was a bizarre game as everything seemed to be going Forest's way - Gazza stretchered off, Pearce taking the lead, Lineker missing a penalty, Spurs having a good goal disallowed for off-side - but we had the character to turn things around.

 

I went to all but one of Spurs' home games that season. Ah! Memories!!

 

 

[YELLOW]

Yeah that was a memorable season. I remember West Ham getting to the semis of the FA Cup that year. We'd beaten Luton and Everton on the way and had to play Forest in the semi at Villa Park. Everything was going well until some w...r called Allan Gunn decided to send off Tony Gale for a professional foul on Gary Crosby. Crosby was heading for the corner flag!!

It all went wrong after that and we lost 4-0. I was in tears at the end! I remember our supporters were brilliant. Even when we were 4-0 down, they were still outsinging the Forest supporters, amazing loyalty!!

[ESG]

Indee that twas' a great season

 

mauure blue speckled away kit, sharpe making a name for himself b4 he got lost in a blizzard

 

pompey away gazza jinxy run, on the pitch rght hand cnr quickly overtaken by a bloke on crutches, back off the pitch as some unsavory chaps were heading for me

 

wembley way, gooners cracking open the bubby for their imminant (sp.)

double celebrations

 

didn't spurs res play [****!!****] res at the Park the week preceding the semi?

[Colin Zeal EFM]

And of course it immediately followed the 1990 World Cup too, so everyone loved football again after the problems during the 80's.

 

I remember Gazza's goal against Oxford in the 4th Round. Absolutely superb. A quick one-two with Walshy, and he just carved through their defence.

 

That game against Arsenal at Wembley though! Just magic. Absolute magic. Boy, did they (or I!) not expect that!!

 

 

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Can we set up a forum for people who have to follow non-league football now because their league team is either too rubbish or too expensive.

You can post your memories on that!

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Is that why you stopped supporting Wimbledon??

 

 

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

I never supporteted Wimbledon really. I watched City, I supported City, Wimbledon were my premiership team and I saw them a few times when I got in free