Custom Search
Tottenham Hotspur Legends This is not intended as a definitive list of Tottenham Hotspur legends, as the subjective nature of such a list means it is bound to fail. Rather it should be considered a list of great players (and managers) who have represented Spurs in the past. (Current players are not included). Your favourite Spurs player not on the list?
Click this link to add a Tottenham Hotspur Legend
"Mr Tottenham Hotspur" dedicated his life to the club he served for 36 years from 1938 to 1974. As a player he was a member of the great Spurs "push and run" side that won the League title in 1950-51. As a manager he delivered a constant flow of trophies throughout the 60's and early 70's. His trophy haul as manager included the League title, 3 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, the European Cup Winners Cup, and the UEFA Cup. His successes included the first "double" of the 20th century in 1960-61, as well as the first major European trophy won by a British club. Nicholson resigned as Spurs manager in 1974 but later returned to work as a consultant. He is credited with recommending Glen Hoddle, among others, to the club. In recognition of his status as a Tottenham Hotspur legend, an approach road to White Hart lane was renamed Bill Nicholson Way. He was also inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003, but many consider it a travesty that he did not receive a knighthood.
An outstanding right-half renowned for his passing ability and vision, Blanchflower signed from Aston Villa in 1954 for, what was at the time, the huge fee of 30, 000 pounds. He would spend 10 years with Spurs, making 382 appearances and captaining the team to the League and Cup double in 1960-61. He won the FA Cup again in 1962, and in 1964 delivered the European Cup Winners Cup - the first major European trophy won by a British club. Blanchflower retired in 1964 and had a number of years away from the game before returning to manage Northern Ireland. He later had a brief spell as manager of Chelsea.
An aggressive centre forward who scored 33 goals in 43 games in Spurs double-winning season, and also scored in the 1961 and 1962 FA Cup Finals. The club's second-highest goal-scorer, Smith went on to form a prolific partnership with Jimmy Greaves. He left Spurs for Brighton and Hove Albion in 1964, and retired from the game a year later. Thirteen goals in 15 matches for England underlines his quality as a striker.
A skillful, two-footed player capable of playing on either wing, Jones was signed from Swansea City in 1958. He spent 10 years at Tottenham and was a key member of the double winning side, contributing 15 goals from left wing during the campaign. He won a second FA Cup in 1962 and was also a member of the European Cup Winners Cup winning side.
Best remembered as a powerful, tough-tackling half back, Mackay could play a bit too, and his vision and passing ability are often overlooked. Spurs signed him from Hearts for 32, 000 pounds in March 1959 and his fierce determination and skill were key contributors to the double-winning team. Mackay went on to win the FA Cup twice more (1962 and 1967) as well as the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963, before moving to Derby County. After his playing career he went into management and won the League with Derby in 1974/75.
Arguably the greatest goal-scorer England ever produced, Greaves signed from AC Milan for 99,999 pounds in 1961, having previously played for Chelsea. He scored a hat-trick on his Spurs debut and went on to score an incredible 266 goals in 379 appearances - a club record. His trophy haul at Tottenham includes FA Cups in 1962 and 1967 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963 - where he scored twice in a 5-1 defeat of Atletico Madrid. He was the League's top scorer four times while at Spurs (1963, 1964, 1965 and 1969), and his achievement of finishing top goal-scorer six times during his career remains a record. Left for West Ham in 1970, and later worked in television.
A tough central midfielder who was signed from Fulham in 1964, Alan Mullery had the unenviable task of replacing Danny Blanchflower in the Spurs team. Never one to shirk a challenge Mullery filled the role with distinction and went on to captain Spurs to the League Cup in 1971 and the UEFA Cup in 1971-72, scoring one of the goals in the final. He re-signed for Fulham in 1972, and later went into management with, among others, Brighton, Crystal Palace and QPR.
It takes a unique player to be regarded with affection by both Spurs and Arsenal fans. Pat Jennings signed for Spurs from Watford in 1964 and spent thirteen years at White Hart Lane, racking up 590 appearances. He won the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, and the UEFA Cup in 1972. He also scored once, in the 1967 Charity Shield, kicking the ball the full length of the pitch to bounce over the head of Alex Stepney, in the Manchester United goal. His Spurs career was also marked by both the FWA and PFA awards. Spurs allowed him to join Arsenal in 1977, believing he was nearing the end of his career. But Jennings played on for eight years at Highbury and reached three successive FA Cup finals with the Gunners in 1978, 1979, and 1980 - winning in 1979. Unlike Sol Campbell, playing for the 'enemy' has not diminished his status as a Tottenham Hotspur legend.
A stalwart of the Spurs teams of the 70's and 80's, Perryman joined the club straight from school in 1967 and made over 1,000 appearances (including friendlies). A versatile player, he was adept in midfield, as a central defender or at right-back. The Tottenham Hotpur legend captained to side for over a decade, winning two FA Cups, two League Cups and two UEFA Cups. He was also FWA Player of the Year in 1982. After finally calling time on his Spurs career in 1986, Perryman had spells with Oxford and Brentford, before moving into management.
Possibly the most gifted player to play for the club, Hoddle was a midfield artist with fantastic vision, an exquisite range of passing, and extraordinary shooting ability. He joined the club as an apprentice in 1974, and made his debut, as a 17-year-old, a year later. Over the next 12 years he made 490 appearances for Spurs (the fourth highest for the club), and scored 110 goals. He also won the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982, although a talent of his magnitude perhaps deserved more. Hoddle left for AS Monaco in 1987, where he won the French League and Cup, under Arsene Wenger. He later return to England and was player/manager at first Swindon Town and then Chelsea before becoming England manager in 1996, a role that ended in controversy three years later. He then went back into club management with Southampton, before landing the Tottenham job in 2001. His tenure as manager was unsuccessful, but that does not distact from his status as a Tottenham Hotspur legend.
Oswaldo Ardiles arrived at Spurs together with compatriot Ricardo Villa having just won the World Cup with Argentina. A diminutive midfielder with great vision, intelligence and passing, Ardiles along with Glen Hoddle, formed the fulcrum of the entertaining Spurs sides of the 80's. During a decade at Spurs (interrupted briefly by the Falklands conflict when he was loaned out to Paris Saint-Germain) he won the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982 and the UEFA Cup in 1984. He left Spurs in 1988, later returning for an unsuccessful stint as manager.
Like Steve Perryman, Mabbutt was a loyal club servant with the versatility to play just about anywhere on the pitch. Signed from Bristol Rovers in 1982 Mabbutt spent 16 years at Tottenham, winning the FA Cup and UEFA Cup. A Diabetes sufferer, Mabbutt also overcame a number of serious injuries during his career, notably a broken leg which kept him out for a year. He overcame these obstacles to rack up 611 appearances and become the club's longest serving player. The Tottenham Hotspur legend finally called time on his Spurs career in 1998. Want to add a Spurs player to our Legends list?If your favourite Spurs player hasn't made it onto our list, he's your chance to make your case for inclusion. More Tottenham Hotspur stuff here;
Return from Tottenham Hotspur Legends to Tottenham Hotspur FC
Return to The Football Club Home Page or Search the site
Custom Search
|
Enjoy This Site?
Then why not use the button below, to add us to your favorite bookmarking service? |
||||||||||||||||
|
Subscribe To This Site      |
|||||||||||||||||
|
| Home Page | Blog |Privacy |Site Map |
© 2010 the-football-club.com, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Bill Nicholson
Danny Blanchflower
Bobby Smith
Cliff Jones
Dave Mackay
Jimmy Greaves
Alan Mullery
Pat Jennings
Steve Perryman
Glen Hoddle
Ossie Ardiles
Gary Mabbutt
