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Spurs and the FA Cup 5th Round
Progress through the FA Cup 5th Round game and
supporters and players start to believe that an appearance in the Final is
possible. Defeat and another season is
consigned to history with little to play for through the coming months. With the prospect that the Final will
return to Wembley this year there is an added incentive for Spurs to renew
acquaintances with the ground that was like their second home for a period in
the 1980s.
As Spurs prepare for the game against Fulham, a team they
have never lost to in an FA Cup game, they must realize that it will not be
an easy task as Fulham’s impressive home record shows especially when it is
compared with Spurs’ current form and their season-long malaise away from White
Hart Lane.
While Martin Jol is talking up Spurs’ prospects by saying that Spurs
haven’t lost over ninety minutes in a Cup game this season, he will need more
that statistics to see his team progress to the next round.
Success in the 5th Round game means that a club
is only two wins from a Final appearance and three from the ultimate success
of lifting the trophy. It can all seem
so easy on paper but there can be many a twist before the task’s completed.
In 1901 Spurs were drawn away to Reading, the only other
non-League team left in the competition, in the 3rd Round game,
the equivalent of today’s 5th Round. Spurs had lost at Reading
in the Southern League in November so although they had defeated League
opposition in the previous rounds, this match was not going to be easy and so
it proved. Every Cup winning team has
a moment when they could so easily have gone out of the competition and it
happened for Spurs at Reading. A goal down early on to a robust home team,
Spurs were struggling to make any impact on the game. Early in the second half Spurs recovered
for a brief period and equalised through winger John Kirwan but then Reading
took control again. Spurs were forced
to hang on but when goalkeeper George Clawley failed to hold a shot,
full-back Sandy Tait punched the ball clear – a certain penalty. Everyone saw what had happened except the
referee the linesman and when a goal-kick was awarded the 3000 Spurs’
supporters gave a collective sigh of relief.
Spurs held on and in the replay the following Thursday Spurs were a
completely different side. David
Copeland gave them an early lead and Sandy
Brown scored two more to give Spurs a comfortable win. Brown had kept up his record of scoring in
every round of the Cup. As Spurs
looked forward to a semi-final tie against West Brom
the question being asked was - Could this be Spurs’ year to win the Cup?
The 1921 3rd Round game seems to have been more
straight forward with a 4-1 win over Third Division, Southend United. However, while the score suggested a
comfortable win, Spurs’ performance was not as impressive and they again
required that element of luck every Cup winning team experiences. Spurs were lethargic and Southend went
ahead after ten minutes. Spurs rallied
and equalised through Jimmy Cantrell, only to allow the home team to take
control again and earn a penalty just before half-time. The referee was not happy with the placing
of the ball for the penalty and interfered on two occasions. This angered the Southend penalty-taker who
argued with the referee and when he stepped up to strike the penalty he sent
it wide of the post. After the
interval Southend again took charge but in the last thirty minutes Spurs
scored three times through Jimmy Banks, Jimmy Seed and Bert Bliss.
Spurs’ 5th Round opponents in 1961 were Aston
Villa at Villa Park. A week earlier Spurs had won there in the
League and recorded another victory in the Cup. No matter what Villa attempted Spurs had an
answer with a display of football at their very best. Having constantly pulled the home defence
apart, Spurs went ahead after seventeen minutes when a defender deflected a
Cliff Jones’ shot into his own goal.
Just before the interval the game was effectively over when Jones
scored and Spurs comfortably controlled the rest of the game.
The following year Spurs travelled to The Hawthorns to
play West Bromwich Albion. In a
typical Cup tie Bobby Smith gave Spurs an early lead but the game continued
from end to end with both goalkeepers being kept busy. Smith doubled Spurs lead just before
half-time. An injury to Cliff Jones
restricted his movement and effectiveness and West Brom
pulled a goal back at the start of the second half. Jimmy Greaves restored Spurs two goal lead
with fifteen minutes remaining only for West Brom
to strike back again. Spurs’ victory
was secured by Greaves’ second with one minute remaining.
The 1967 Cup winning trail gave Spurs a home game against
2nd Division
Bristol City
and it was that man Greaves who again secured Spurs’ passage to the next
round. Greaves put Spurs ahead after
ten minutes but then the good fortune of Cup winners was again evident in
Spurs’ victory as City missed a number of goal scoring opportunities and Pat
Jennings was required to save a Bristol
penalty in the second half. The
penalty was retaken because Jennings
moved too soon and the re-take was hit wide.
To add insult to injury Greaves scored Spurs’ second goal from the
penalty spot in the final minute.
Captain Dave Mackay put the win in perspective, ‘We should have won
more easily but few top teams manage to win convincingly against lesser
opposition.’
It was less of a struggle in 1981 against fellow 1st
Division opponents, Coventry
City at White
Hart Lane.
Goals from Chris Hughton, Ossie Ardiles and Steve Archibald gave Spurs
a 3-1 victory and dreams of Wembley were becoming less fanciful.
The following year the 5th Round game was
Spurs’ third home tie against 1st Division opponents and their
third single goal victory. Mark Falco
provided the solitary strike that defeated Aston Villa.
In 1991 Spurs’ hero was Paul Gascoigne. Before the game at Portsmouth Spurs lost
full-back Terry Fenwick who broke his ankle in the pre-match warm-up
sessions. Gazza required a hernia
operation but was being nursed through the Cup games and he again proved the
match winner with the two goals that took Spurs past the 2nd
Division club.
The 1999 FA Cup 5th Round tie against Leeds
United is memorable for the quality of the goals that Spurs scored in the
replay at White Hart Lane. A goal from Tim Sherwood had earned spurs
the replay but Darren Anderton and David Ginola scored two goals of
outstanding quality to take Spurs into the quarter finals. Another amazing strike from Ginola which
went narrowly past is equally remembered for the reaction of George Graham
and the Spurs’ bench as they leapt to their feet in celebration, thinking
that it was a goal.
The 1996 5th Round game at Nottingham
Forest is remembered
by travelling supporters for their lengthy journey home through thick snow
after the game was abandoned after fifteen minutes due to the snow. Spurs drew the re-arranged tie but lost the
replay at Tottenham on penalties.
On 1st March, 1995 an unlikely hero stepped
forward to rescue Spurs in a 5th Round Replay. Spurs and Southampton
had drawn 1-1 at White Hart
Lane and when the Sheringham/Klinsmann team found
themselves two goals down just before half-time at the Dell, their Cup dreams
looked to be over. Ronnie Rosenthal
was brought on as sub just before the interval and in the second half he
scored twice in two minutes to bring the scores level, the second from twenty
five yards. He outdid that goal in
extra time with a shot from thirty yards to put Spurs ahead and then goals
from Teddy Sheringham, Nick Barmby and Darren Anderton completed the 6-2
rout. ‘Rocket’ Ronnie had made a name
for himself in Spurs folklore.
Defeat to clubs from lower divisions was a feature of
Spurs in the 1950s. They lost in 1959
to Norwich City
who were in the 3rd Division and had beaten Manchester United and Cardiff
City to reach this
stage of the competition. Held 1-1 at
home in the first game Spurs lost the 5th Round replay by a
solitary goal as Norwich
progressed to the semi-finals.
Two years earlier it had been Bournemouth
who had knocked Spurs out at the 5th Round stage. Managed by former Spur Freddie Cox, the 3rd
Division side took the lead only for Terry Medwin to equalise. Bournemouth
who had won at Wolves in the previous round did everything to unsettle Spurs
and scored another two goals to win 3-1 and earn a home tie against
Manchester United.
Another two years earlier and it was York
City who removed Spurs
from the Cup with a similar 1-3 score.
George Robb put Spurs ahead but the home side scored twice before
half-time and then added a third in the second half. York who were in the 3rd
Division (North) reached the semi-finals where they lost in a replay to
Newcastle United, the eventual Cup winners.
The 1937 5th Round Replay against Everton was
one of those games that Cup memories are founded on. Spurs were a 2nd Division team
and the match in Liverpool had seen Spurs
score through Jimmy McCormick with five minutes remaining, only for their 1st
Division opponents to equalise in the last minute. The Replay on the following Monday,
surpassed that for excitement as Spurs looked to be going out of the Cup
until a dramatic comeback. The pitch
had been flooded and conditions were poor but Everton took control and went
into a two goal lead. Spurs scored
through Johnny Morrison in the 27th minute but in the second half
after a Morrison ‘goal’ was disallowed, Everton extended their lead. With
seven minutes remaining, Everton were awarded a penalty but the referee
changed his decision as Everton had taken a throw-in incorrectly. A minute
later Morrison scored Spurs’ second, then with two minutes remaining Joe Meek
equalised with a great solo goal and in the last minute Morrison scored the
winner. 46,972 spectators witnessed a
Cup ‘classic.’
Spurs’ fans would enjoy a Cup ‘classic’ that would see Spurs
into the next round but at the moment they would gratefully accept any result
against Fulham to revive their season.
Recent Premiership results have brought echoes of discontent and
further dismay from a Cup exit is not what Martin Jol needs. The early season optimism brought about by
the UEFA Cup success has evaporated and progress against Fulham is needed to
calm the nerves, so that the UEFA Cup is not the only goal at the end of what
has been a mixed season which had started with such high expectations last
August. Can the excitement of the FA
Cup save the manager and raise his standing among the supporters who are
concerned about his negative, cautious style of football and can the players
raise their game to the pre-Christmas level that brought success across Europe?
The FA Cup has saved many a manager and many a season but
will it be Spurs’ turn this time? Many
a Cup success has hinged on a moment of good fortune and perhaps now is the
time for it to fall Spurs’ way as they struggle to re-build confidence after
a disappointing start to 2007. We can
but hope.
Logan
Holmes
http://tottenham-spur.blogspot.com/
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