Football remains the most popular sport in the world, and this is certainly true around the UK. Much of its appeal lies in the number of historic clubs that grace the English game and bring a real sense of authenticity to it. Spurs rank highly in this regard and have built up a loyal army of supporters since forming in 1882.
Tottenham fans not only love the side for the legendary players who have pulled on the shirt over time but also the top managers who have occupied the dugout. In addition to this, followers of the club have also enjoyed some iconic moments to cheer on and remember.
Tottenham Hotspur in 2023/24: More memories to be made?
Before we take a deep dive back into the club’s history and look at some of the best moments of all time, it pays to consider if we are due to see any more created in the current campaign. Do Spurs stand a decent chance of winning the EPL title for example?
Looking at the general feeling around football currently, it seems that the team could be in with a good shout of taking home the crown. They have started the season brightly under coach Ange Postecoglou and could well be in the mix come season end. The UK’s best sportsbooks for football betting seem to have decent odds on a Spurs title challenge and also cover the latest games involving the side to bet on. This makes it super easy to back the team and to add more excitement to their games through football betting.
Of course, we cannot get too excited yet because the Premier League season has a long way to go still. If Postecoglou’s men do clinch the title in 2023/24 though, it would rank up there as one of the club’s most legendary achievements to date. This would see it sitting alongside some other moments in Spurs record books which fans fondly recall.
Here are some of the top moments that fans look back on:
FA Cup win in 1901
Although Ange Postecoglou’s recent points record as manager is impressive, we have to start with the side’s iconic FA Cup win in 1901. This was not only their first major trophy, but also the first and still only time that a non-league team has won the competition since the football league formed.
After a thrilling run, Tottenham was up against heavily fancied Sheffield United in the final. A huge crowd of around 110,000 fans packed out the stadium at Crystal Palace to see how the action panned out. After scoring an equaliser in the first half, Sandy Brown thought he had won it for Spurs with a powerful header in the second period. This was not to be though, and Walter Bennett forced a replay for their opponents with a header of his own.
The replay was a much more one-sided affair in Tottenham’s favour — although an early Fred Priest goal for Sheffield United was an initial cause for concern. Goals from Sandy Brown, John Cameron and Tom Smith gave Spurs a 3-1 victory, which still has an exalted place in supporters memories.
First division title glory in 1950/51
This is one of the most talked about moments in Spurs history and deserves a place on our list. It is also the first time the club ever won the then First Division title. This came with manager Arthur Rowe in charge and on the back of a memorable promotion season from the Second Division in 1949/50. Although many Tottenham supporters would have been happy to see their side enjoy a period of consolidation back in the top flight, Rowe and his men had other ideas!
During the season, Rowe’s innovative ‘push and go’ tactics saw his players running rings around the opposition and cutting through them with slick one-two passing moves. In addition to Rowe’s masterful game plan, top players in the club’s history, including future manager Bill Nicholson and future England manager Sir Alf Ramsey, helped the club achieve title glory.
Massive home wins against Stoke (6-1) and Newcastle (7-0) summed up how dominant the side were during that season. There is no doubting what a big moment in club history clinching their first-ever top flight title was.
Tottenham at the double in 1960-61
For many supporters, the biggest Spurs moments ever doesn’t come any better than the double winning season of 1960/61. This is an achievement which is not only a source of real pride for fans but also one that few other clubs have ever achieved.
The team at the time were expertly managed by former player and bona fide club legend Bill Nicholson. He oversaw a glorious run of success as Tottenham coach in this decade, but it all started with the momentous double triumph.
But how did dual success in the league and FA Cup pan out during this campaign? The league title win saw the team finish eight points ahead of Sheffield Wednesday and score an impressive 115 goals. This ability to hit the net so regularly blew other teams away and was not a surprise when you remember star names like Danny Blanchflower and Bobby Smith were in the squad.
Tottenham’s FA Cup win in 1960/61 came via a 2-0 victory over Leicester City in the final at Wembley. Goals from Smith and Dyson in the second half saw the side ease to a comfortable win and claim their fondly remembered double.
European ecstasy against Atletico Madrid in 1962/63
If 1960/61’s double win was extra sweet, most Spurs fans will agree that the UEFA Cup Winners Cup victory the following season was almost as good. This is understandable when you consider that it made Spurs the first British side to clinch a European trophy. As a result, it certainly deserves to be on any list of iconic club moments to savour.
Due to their FA Cup triumph the previous year, Nicholson’s men were eligible to play in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and certainly made their mark on it. This was evident in their 8-4 aggregate win over Rangers in the first round and their 6-2 aggregate annihilation of Slovan Bratislava in the quarters. A 5-2 win over OFK Beograd in the semi-finals set up a mouth-watering clash with defending champions Atletico.
Held at Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam, the match saw Spurs in blistering form and club legend Jimmy Greaves netting two goals in a 5-1 mauling. This win not only helped cement the team as a well-known name in British football but also one that was talked about all across Europe.
Ricky Villa’s 1981 FA Cup final replay goal
The 1981 FA Cup final saw Spurs taking on Manchester City at Wembley and was a closely fought affair. Although City took the lead through Tommy Hutchinson, the same player scored an own goal later in the match to send it to a replay five days later.
It was during this replay that one of the most fondly recalled moments in Tottenham’s history happened. Taking a pass from Tony Galvin around the 76th minute mark, Argentinian maestro Ricky Villa dribbled past four opposition defenders before calmly slotting it past City goalkeeper Joe Corrigan. This strike gave Spurs a 3-2 win and yet another FA Cup trophy. It is not only an iconic moment in club history but also a goal which is still talked about across football in general to this day.
Gazza’s free kick against Arsenal in 1991
There is no doubt that Tottenham has a superb record in the FA Cup and is one of the teams who has won it the most over the years. The 1991 FA Cup Final saw them beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 to take the trophy home again. This was also a record at the time, as the side was the first to win this competition on eight occasions.
Although the final victory over Forest is a big part of the club’s heritage in itself, most fans will point to Paul Gascoigne’s powerful free kick in the semi-final against Arsenal as the standout memory from that season’s cup run. This is largely down to not only the sheer genius of Gazza’s strike but also how it set the side up for a 3-1 victory over their old foes and spoiled Arsenal’s double bid to boot. It is fair to say that pretty much all Tottenham fans raise a smile when thinking of Gascoigne’s free kick sailing past David Seaman and into the top corner of his net!
Top Tottenham Hotspur moments of all time
When you also factor in the 2008 Carling Cup win, the good times under Pochettino more recently and what a major side Spurs are in English football, it is no surprise to see just how many iconic moments there are for supporters to look back on. With current coach Ange Postecoglou at the helm, all fans of the team will hope more legendary memories will soon be on their way.