Ray Clemence (full name: Raymond Neal Clemence) was one of the greatest goalkeepers in Tottenham Hotspur’s history, although he is more famously associated with Liverpool.
Key facts about Ray Clemence at Tottenham Hotspur:
Joined Tottenham: 1981 (from Liverpool for a fee of £300,000)
Time at the club: 1981–1988 (7 seasons)
Appearances: 330 (across all competitions)
Role: First-choice goalkeeper for most of his time at Spurs
Major achievements with Tottenham: FA Cup winner: 1982 (famously saved a penalty in the replay against QPR)
UEFA Cup winner: 1984 (beat Anderlecht on penalties; Clemence saved the decisive penalty in the shoot out)
FA Charity Shield: 1981 (shared)
FA Cup runner-up: 1987
League Cup runner-up: 1982
His career context: Clemence arrived at Tottenham at the age of 33 after an incredible 14-year spell at Liverpool, where he won:5 First Division titles
3 European Cups
2 UEFA Cups
Multiple domestic cups
He left Liverpool because Bruce Grobbelaar had displaced him as No.1. At Spurs, he brought vast experience and leadership to a talented side managed by Keith Burkinstall and later Peter Shreeves/David Pleat.
Legacy at Tottenham:
Though he spent only the final chapter of his career at White Hart Lane, Clemence is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers Spurs ever had. His calmness, shot-stopping, and distribution were exceptional, and his penalty-saving heroics in major finals cemented his place in club folklore.
He retired in 1988 and later became a highly respected goalkeeping coach for the England national team (1996–2013) and worked with Spurs again in coaching roles.
Summary: Ray Clemence may have been a Liverpool legend first, but his seven years at Tottenham were hugely successful and included some of the club’s most iconic moments in the 1980s. He is remembered with great affection by Spurs fans.
Tottenham fans absolutely loved Ray Clemence.
When Tottenham signed him from Liverpool in 1981 for £300,000 at the age of 32, many saw it as a massive coup – bringing in one of the greatest goalkeepers in English football history, a man who had won three European Cups, five league titles, and was England’s No. 1 at the time.
Despite joining relatively late in his career (he played 330 games for Spurs between 1981 and 1988), he quickly became a firm fans’ favourite because:
He was outstandingly consistent and commanding in goal during a very successful period for the club.
He played a key role in Spurs winning the 1982 FA Cup (including the replay against QPR) and, most memorably, the 1984 UEFA Cup on penalties against Anderlecht – Clemence’s save in the shoot-out and his overall performance that night are still revered.
Ray had that aura of a winner; Spurs fans loved that they’d prised one of Liverpool’s legendary figures away from Anfield.
Furthermore, he was universally respected for his professionalism and humility – never acted like a “galáctico” despite his CV.
Even decades later, when older Spurs fans talk about their favourite goalkeepers, Ray Clemence is always in the top two or three alongside Pat Jennings (and the two of them are often spoken about together with huge affection because Clemence effectively replaced the irreplaceable Jennings in 1977–81 hearts).
Tottenham fans adored Ray Clemence. He’s remembered as one of the club’s greatest-ever signings and a key part of the glamorous early-80s side.
