Charlton Athletic v Spurs Match Reports

No sign of the fabled/promised striker(s) and only 4 days to go to the transfer deadline.  Always looking on the bright side of life though … this was a solid performance and a decent victory (over a side who beat us home and away last season) leaving Spurs joint second with the team who should have stayed where they belonged and become Charlton’s local rivals.  One of the first things you see when disembarking the Woolwich Ferry (once you have gone through Passport Control) is the sign for “Woolwich Ars**al”.  If they’d stayed put, our one and only song would now be “stand up if you hate Orient” !!  

The Valley is an impressive ground on the inside (with the exception of the away end which is primitive).  Outside though this is 50’s throwback territory with tight terraced houses backing on to the stadium.  The atmosphere around the Valley is friendly, with no hint of the tension which accompanies our visits to the other London Premier League venues.  There is a real, old fashioned, football atmosphere here with a far smaller corporate contingent than we have to put up with at WHL. 

Two team changes from the previous game against Villa.  Bunji in for Acimovic (to give more of a defensive anchor in midfield) and the Doc in for Sir Les (to rest the old feller?).  Bunji is competent in that holding position and Glenn is forced to play him there, because our natural spoilers are either injured or out of favour.  However, he is clearly more comfortable in the back-line.  The Doc gave everything (as ever) but lacks the finesse to open up Premier League defences. 

The goal came after just seven minutes. Davies played a one-two with Teddy on the right side of the box and crashed the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.  ‘Ave it! 

Matty Etherington provided a lot of pace on the left where he was up against a skinhead Luke Young.  On 17 minutes, he played another one-two with Teddy, but had his shot blocked by Bart-Williams.  Doc headed over from the resultant corner.  Mid-way through the first half Charlton wasted a good chance, when Bart-Williams put a free-kick over the bar following a Richards push on the edge of the area.   Redknapp had two further shots on goal before the break.  Spurs had played the better football and were generally the more comfortable team in the first half. 

As soon as the second period started Keller came out sharply to block from Euell.  There then followed strong, sustained pressure from Spurs, involving four corners in quick succession: Gardner nicked the ball off of Doherty’s head (he would have scored), Kiely saved a smart Gardner header, a Redknapp hook-shot was cleared off the line and Richards headed just wide. 

On the hour Davies, put through neatly by Sheringham, looked to have rounded Kiely before being brought down.  To everyone’s surprise (including Kiely’s?) the ref booked Davies for diving.  Kiely got a lot of stick from the Spurs fans in the South Stand behind him for the rest of the game, but the real villain was referee Wiley … it could have cost us the game … immediately after the incident Keller had to make a great save from Euell.

Both Etherington and Redknapp then had reasonable chances, but shot over.  With 13 minutes left Sir Les replaced the Doc and added an extra dimension up front.  If the transfer window slams shut before a signing is made, a fit (and motivated) strike group of Teddy, Les, Rebrov (if he is ever picked again), Iversen and the Doc could be rotated to good effect. 

This was a sound team performance.  Keller kept a clean sheet for the second game running.  Gardner and Richards won everything in the air at the back.  Redknapp’s chasing and closing down (in addition to his creative play) was exceptional and there is more to come from Ziege who was clearly under orders to conserve energy (and not move over the half way line) for the second 45 minutes. 

Into second spot but we need achievable targets for this season.  Forget a European place … I’d settle for our two forwards (whoever they may be) getting close enough to each other to make the numerous headers won from long clearances count and/or a Spurs goal direct from a free kick !  

Roll on Saturday and the titanic clash with the SCBC. 

MEHSTG TOP MAN : – ANTHONY GARDNER

Teams : –
Charlton Athletic : –  Dean Kiely, Radostin Kishishev (John Robinson 64), Richard Rufus, Jonathan Fortune (Steve Brown 71), Paul Konchesky  , Claus Jensen, Luke Young, Chris Bart-Williams, Chris Powell, Jonatan Johansson (Mathias Svensson 54), Jason Euell
Subs: –  Paul Rachubka, Kevin Lisbie.
Tottenham : –  Kasey Keller, Mauricio Taricco, Dean Richards, Anthony Gardner, Christian Ziege, Matthew Etherington, Jamie Redknapp, Goran Bunjevcevic  , Simon Davies  ; Teddy Sheringham, Gary Doherty (Les Ferdinand 77)
Subs : –  Lars Hirschfeld, Ben Thatcher, Milenko Acimovic, Sergei Rebrov
Referee  :  Alan Wiley  (Burntwood)
Weather : – Overcast
Attendance  26,461

The defeat tonight was as bad as anything we have witnessed this season by Tottenham.  Not that they played badly, just with a lack of commitment that was supposedly there in too large an amount last Sunday against Chelsea.

The old frailties re-appeared and the lack of a goal-scorer was evident, as chances were passed up and the one decent opportunity the opposition had was stuck away off a thigh.  The luck is not going the way of Tottenham at the moment, with Poyet’s shot coming back off the bar and out, while once again Kiely saved all that was thrown at him.  

One of the main problems is that Spurs want to play too much football on the edge of the area.  No, make that both areas.  Defenders holding the ball on the 18 yard line either try and pass across their own goal (a schoolboy no-no at any level) or try and bring the ball out and slip up laving the ball presented at the forward’s feet.  Both have allowed panic amongst their fellow defenders and when we are unable to stick the ball in the net at the other end, leave Tottenham chasing the game.

Tonight, the lack of a perceptive pass and a player willing to take the responsibility in having a shot were totally absent.  Ziege persisted with taking the free-kicks and put them all high and wide, which at least showed he was willing to have a go, but surely there could be some variety in our dead ball situations ?  The few chances we made almost came as a surprise.  Ferdinand’s header made Kiely react sharply to palm it away, as it looked like it might creep past the Charlton keeper. In truth, the ball hit Les’ head as he fell backwards and he did well to direct it goalwards.  The clear chances that Gus had in the second half would have gone in a month or so ago, but the keeper blocked one low one, one volley flew over by a couple of feet and the third was wide, although it was via the goalie’s glove.  Unsurprisingly, Winter missed that fact, as he didn’t seem to notice when visiting players clattered into the back of the Spurs men.  Gardner gets done for his first foul, while Parker committed three bad fouls and didn’t even get spoken to.

Charlton were determined to get stuck in and Costa flattened Rebrov, getting a rare start, while Rufus went straight through Les from behind after the ball had gone.  They created few chances and looked set to accept the draw, until we cocked up in defence.  Young had the best chance of the first half, when he got in on a long ball over Ziege’s head and hit a low shot that Sullivan managed to block with his legs.  The only real chance they had in the second half was the goal, when a Stuart cross evaded Euel and with King coming in at the far post, the ball wasn’t cleared and it bounced off Chris Powell’s thigh and past Sully.  Another messy goal that cost us points.

The lack of what looked like pride in their performance tainted a few players appearance.  Rebrov looked mobile and sharp, but didn’t look like scoring.  However, taking him off was a move that didn’t reflect the attempts to get back into the game.  His storming exit straight down the tunnel will indicate what he thought of it all and he might not get the chance to do much more of that if Hoddle has his way.  Too many crosses were flung in hopelessly and there was never ever anyone to get on the end of them.  For a London derby, it was lacking atmosphere (not helped by the many empty seats) and the black clouds that have hung over the Spurs crowd since that rainy day in Cardiff.  That was the day our season died, even though we hadn’t played well for some time.  That knocked the stuffing out of the team and has left them needing to win one more match to be practically certain of avoiding relegation.

It’s just where will that or the next goal come from ?

Teams : –
Tottenham :  –  Neil Sullivan, Ledley King, Chris Perry, Anthony Gardner  , Simon Davies, Tim Sherwood, Gus Poyet, Darren Anderton, Christian Ziege, Les Ferdinand (Steffen Iversen 46), Sergei Rebrov (Matthew Etherington 72)
Unused Subs : –  Kasey Keller, Alton Thelwell, Mauricio Taricco
Charlton Athletic : –  Dean Kiely, Luke Young, Johnathan Fortune, Richard Rufus, Jorge Costa, Chris Powell (John Robinson 90), Scott Parker (Paul Konchesky 82), Graham Stuart, Chris Bart-Williams, Jason Euell, Jonatan Svensson
Unused Subs : – Ilic, Kinsella, Johansson
Referee : –  J. Winter (Whitley Bay)
Attendance :  –   29,602
Weather :  Blustery, cold

We knew it was going to be a strange day when we arrived at the car park on the local trading estate. “Do you do valet parking ?” we enquired of the car park attendant  “No. Charlton pulled out of here two years ago he replied!” (Valley – get it !!)

Spurs arrived at the Valley knowing a win would take them into second place. The fans were optimistic after the recent results. Charlton however were fresh from a victory at Stamford Bridge. They have not lost a London derby this season and were not about to start now. In true Spurs style they built us up and then let us all down with a mighty crash. Freund, Ziege and Ferdinand were all missing. Taricco was back from injury. Rebrov started up front and Bunjevcevic took on the holding role in midfield. It was the worst possible start to the game. 

After just 4 minutes Richards moved in on Euell to shield the ball out of play. Dean never really got in control of the situation and as the two players tumbled on the goal line just wide of goal, Euell toed the ball back across goal into the path of Stuart who slotted into the empty net. Sullivan had moved out to cover Richards. It was a poor piece of play by the Spurs central defender and seemed to effect him for the rest of the game. This ensured Charlton got their tails up. 

Spurs were finding it difficult to get going as Charlton harried and charged into tackles. After 19 minutes it went from bad to worse. A series of missed tackles by Spurs defenders including King and Richards allowed Lisbie to get free. He turned and struck the ball past Sullivan from close in. 

Gradually Tottenham started to build prompted by Anderton and Sheringham. Both Daren and Teddy had half chances, which they blasted over. Rebrov had a first time chance which he hesitated on. He then got clear down the left and hit the by-line. Unfortunately his cross was driven back with such pace Sheringham could not connect and another chance was wasted. Anderton also got in a good position and wasted his cross. With half time approaching Teddy had a good shot tipped round the post. 

At the start of the second half Iversen replaced Bunjevcevic and the side was reshuffled, as Goran had looked out of sorts in the midfield role. Tottenham searched for a goal. The old Anderton/Sheringham corner routine would have paid dividends, but for an excellent save by Kiely. Sheringham did “score” after deflecting a Poyet shot past the Charlton keeper, but Teddy was ruled offside. Charlton were looking like the away side and eager to hit on the break. That was exactly what they did in the 78^th minute with Tottenham fully committed to attack. Parker raced almost the length of the pitch before passing to an unmarked Lisbie to his right. Lisbie slotted past Sullivan for a three nil scoreline. 

This prompted a mass exodus by disappointed Spurs fans, who missed a consolation by Poyet hooking in a volley from just inside the box. Too little too late. 

Poor performances from the normally reliable Spurs defence. Richards in particular, but King and Perry both had off days too. Anderton worked hard in a number of roles in midfield with little support. Davies never got going and the strikers failed to get a strike on goal on too many occasions. 

MEHSTG TOP MAN : –  DARREN ANDERTON

Erik The Viking

Teams : –
Charlton Athletic : –  Dean Kiely  , Jorge Costa, Jonathan Fortune, Mark Fish, Chris Powell, Luke Young  , Graham Stuart (Chris Bart-Williams 82), Scott Parker, Claus Jensen (Paul Konchesky 88), Jason Euell (Jonatan Johansson 82), Kevin Lisbie  .
Unused Subs : –  Ben Roberts, Steve Brown
Spurs :  Neil Sullivan; Chris Perry, Dean Richards, Ledley King; Mauricio Taricco  , Simon Davies (Tim Sherwood 67), Gus Poyet, Goran Bunjevcevic (Steffen Iversen 45), Darren Anderton; Ted Sheringham, Serhiy Rebrov.
Unused Subs :   Kasey Keller, Oyvind Leonhardsen, Anthony Gardner.
Referee : –   Steve Dunn (Bristol)
Weather : –  Cold, Cloudy
Attendance : –   25,125

The omens for this match were mixed: Yes, the year does end in “1”.  No, Spurs have not won away all season against a Premiership club,  we seem to struggle in London derbies, we haven’t scored for four games. Yes, … eerr, that’s it !

The journey form the West End through the Blackwall Tunnel to the Valley was a good one, topped off by finding a blinding parking spot.  Maybe this was to be our night and things got even better when I found a dodgy kebab shop which delivered my evening meal of medium donner in no time at all !

On entering the ground, it became apparent that this was a game where the expectancy level was diametrically opposite to the away form that we have displayed this season.  Everyone seemed upbeat, talking abut the game – Sixth round here we come should we win tonight.  You could almost smell the tarmac of the M4 to Wales.

Charlton (for those of you who weren’t there – you know who I mean) have one of those retractable tunnels for when the teams run out.  After tonight’s game, GG will probably ask for one at each home game from the dressing room to the dugout.  As the teams lined up, I (and a number of Spurs fans) commented on what appeared at the time to be GG’s latest masterplan.  Firstly, to call Lord Steen Carr and Na Na Hey Hey Chrissie Armstrong back into the squad and then leave them on the bench alongside Matt Etherington (who showed more creativity in the 20+ minutes he was on the pitch last Saturday than the entire rest of the team put together) seemed rather strange.

Secondly, Gary Doherty, who GG has publicly pronounced a better centre half than centre forward (as his recent displays have shown), was starting up front; Ledley King, who GG has publicly stated thinks is a better midfielder started on the left hand side of the back three and Luke Young, who has excelled at centre half or anywhere in the back three, started as left wing back.  Well, as one of the scum supporters down the road once said, “George knows”.

After only three minutes, Sully was called into action to stop Svensson but he and the hesitant Perry/Anderton defensive combination were at fault less than 10 minutes later, when Spurs fan Chris Powell nipped in to head Charlton into the lead.

This was the lead for the anti-GG mob to start baying for his blood.  It got so bad that two fans (one pro and one anti-GG) around me started spitting and hurling abuse at each other before the Old Bill steamed in and carted one of them away.  This was to set the tone for the entire evening with the Anti-GG mob far more vocal.  it is a sad indictment of our club at the moment that one man has divided the fans like no-one else before him.  Instead of supporting the team, people are more concerned about having a pop at GG.

We all have our uncertainties about the uneasy relationship that we have with our manager, but it is to the detriment of the team to express these during the game to the exclusion of chanting to encourage the team. Whatever we may think of him let’s get behind the team during the game.  Let’s save the criticism for the pub, websites and fanzines.

To be fair, Spurs came back well after this shattering blow and created a fair number of excellent chances.  However, as we know well as of late it is out inability to put the ball in the net which is letting us down.  No-one is this a bigger problem for than our diminutive Ukrainian, who squandered at least two good chances in the first half.  It is obvious he is lacking in confidence as well as protection from the referee.

As the first half grew older, a number of the younger players started to grow in confidence.  In particular, Luke Young, Ledley King and Gary Doherty – maybe GG isn’t so mad after all !

Luke Young especially epitomises to me what we want in a young Spurs player :  confidence, speed, ability to pass, positioning, good in the air for his size.  In fact, I am sure that I am not alone in saying that based on this season’s form so far, I would rather have him in the back three or four than Chris Perry, who appears to have suffered a complete lack of form.  His distribution is soooo bad that it makes Sol’s look good at times.

The second half started poorly for Spurs, with us making a series of misplaced passes.  Within five minutes you could have got a good price for your season ticket Cup Final voucher when once again poor defending gifted the Addicks another goal that they didn’t really have to work that hard for. 

Now the anti-GG boys really started to get to work.  Listen guys, I am as passionate as the next man and hate to see us playing this sterile shit hoofing game every week.  But having to sit amongst you whilst we have the piss taken out of us by Charlton/(insert this week’s opposing team’s name) fans kills me just as much.  “F*** Off, You’re An A***nal fan” will not get the team going and just gives the opposing fans more to throw back at us.  As I said earlier, save it for before or after the game.

At 0-2 down, it looked grim but I didn’t think we were out of it.  However, despite the fact that the subs bench was more encouraging than usual, Rocket Ronnie was nowhere to be seen.  But what followed in the next half an hour or so was a true example of why we are the Tottenham and we are the best.  It was why we will always want to follow Spurs rather than the chosen teams of those smug fickle b******s at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road or the mishmash of Nazis/Hooray Henrys from the supposed posh part of London.

The rapidly improving Gary Doherty started to impose himself on the Charlton defence in a way that they could not cope with.  It was with one such run that he cut inside from the right and put in a hard, low cross that the over-rated Rufus could only turn into his own net.  Don’t believe what you read in the papers that this was lucky – if Rufus hadn’t got to it, Nice but Dim would have popped it in at the far post.

Now it was time for the Spurs fans to at last chant and sing as one.  Within five minutes, we were awarded a free-kick about 25 yards out.  With our recent record with free-kicks outside the box (who can forget Stephen Clemence’s classic imitation of a four year old kicking a football from Saturday’s game ?), we weren’t expecting anything.  Wonder of wonders, Dazza stroked home a beauty that squirmed under the body of the much maligned Sasa Ilic.

We had barely stopped celebrating when Leo burst through to put us 3-2 up.  This really was the cue for the Tottenham fans to go mental.  For all the bad times that we have had to suffer (and by God there has been enough of them over the past 10 years or so), it is all worthwhile when you have a five minute spell like we had.

For the next 10-15 minutes we finally got our Tottenham back – one-touch passes into feet, movement off the ball, confidence – it was a joy to behold.  As was taking the p**s out of the Charlton fans, who had so merrily berated us only 10 minutes beforehand.

In truth, we could (and should) have had more – Sergei missed a sitter after 70 minutes to make the game safe.  However, he got the goal that could kick-start his season (where have I heard that before) with 8 minutes left – a nonchalant flick over the goalie from Man of the Match Doherty’s through ball.

It only remained for us to wave the Charlton supporters goodbye and to let them know that we could see them sneaking out.

A great evening amd a typical Spurs cup performance.  If only we can take this forward into Saturday’s game away at Man City.  However, for now, we will bathe in the afterglow of tonight’s entertainment – a word not commonly used to describe our teams as of late.

And let us not forget :  “It’s Lucky For Spurs When The Year … ” !

MEHSTG TOP MAN : – GARY DOHERTY

Danny Keene 

Teams  : –
Charlton Athletic : –  Sasa Ilic, Mark Fish, Richard Rufus, Radostin Kishishev (Shaun Newton 66), Andy Todd  , Chris Powell  , Claus Jensen, Scott Parker (John Salako 67), Graham Stuart, Shaun Bartlett (Kevin Lisbie 72), Mathias Svensson 
Tottenham : –  Neil Sullivan, Luke Young, Sol Campbell, Gary Doherty, Chris Perry (Stephen Carr 88), Ledley King, Darren Anderton, Steffen Freund  , Oyvind Leonhardsen, Tim Sherwood  , Serhiy Rebrov
Unused subs : –
Referee : – Steve Dunn (Bristol)
Crowd : –  18,101
Weather : –  Drizzly, mild.

Another goalless afternoon, so nothing unusual there, but no excitement, that was something new for the home crowd.  The away form that has plagued the team this season has come home and although the side are still not scoring nor conceding, the bits in between are missing.

The goalmouth action restricted itself to a Freund shot that was saved and one which went past the post, a Leonhardsen break into the box (thanks to an astute pass from Rebrov) which he couldn’t wrap his foot around and a Booth effort that was blocked by a lunging defender.  Sullivan was forced to dive smartly at his near post as Klaus Jensen curled a free-kick at goal when a cross was expected and in the second half, he denied Bartlett in a one on one, when the ball broke for him off Sol’s shinpad.  Tottenham’s best chance came when Sol freed Stephen Carr … oh, no, it was Steffen Freund breaking up the right wing.  His low pull back into the box found Rebrov, but his low effort was straight at Ilic. It was a poor finish.  Leo headed wide with Ilic needlessly and dramatically diving across his goal in a bid to impart some thrill into the match.  Apart from that the keepers were left to collect easy crosses and clear back-passes.

In midfield the ball was given away charitably and mis-hit towards non-existent forwards.  Defenders were happy to clear the ball anywhere and Spurs were committed to using the aerial power of Andy Booth by humping long balls in his general direction.  The loan player didn’t do badly considering he has only been at the club for four days.  He put in a lot of energy in the first half and consequently faded a bit in the second, but won a few headers and looked willing, if not particularly familiar with his team-mates or surroundings.

Another point nearer safety and still floating around in mid-table, so we should be happy with that, but then there could be so much more.

MEHSTG TOP MAN : – CHRIS PERRY

Teams : –
Tottenham : –  Neil Sullivan, Sol Campbell, Chris Perry, Steffen Freund, Darren Anderton, Oyvind Leonhardsen, Stephen Clemence (Matthew Etherington 65), Ledley King (Tim Sherwood 65), Serhiy Rebrov, Gary Doherty, Andy Booth.
Subs Not Used : –  Ian Walker, Willem Korsten, Luke Young.

Charlton Athletic :  –  Sasa Ilic, Richard Rufus, Steve Brown, Andy Todd, Chris Powell, Radostin Kishishev, Scott Parker, Claus Jensen (John Salako 82), Graham Stuart, Mathias Svensson, Shaun Bartlett.
Unused Subs : – Carl Tiler, Shaun Newton, Kevin Lisbie, Tony Caig.
Referee : – David Elleray (Harrow)
Attendance : –  35,368
Weather : –  Dry, cold.

Teams : –
Charlton Athletic –   Dean Kiely, Steve Brown, Chris Powell, Richard Rufus, Claus Jensen, Mark Kinsella, Graham Stuart, John Robinson, Paul Konchesky, Andy Hunt (Kevin Lisbie 87), Jonatan Johansson (Shaun Newton 74)
Subs not used –  Sasa Ilic, Radostin Kishishev, Greg Shields.
Tottenham Hotspur –  Neil Sullivan, Stephen Carr  , Mauricio Taricco, Sol Campbell, Ramon Vega, Tim Sherwood (Chris Perry 73), Steffen Freund, Oyvind Leonhardsen (Stephen Clemence 73), Serhiy Rebrov, Steffen Iversen, Les Ferdinand
Subs not used –  Ian Walker, Ben Thatcher, Matthew Etherington
Referee : –  Jeff Winter  (Whitley Bay)
Attendance : –  20,043.

With Charlton Athletic hovering above the relegation zone, the early goal from Mark Kinsella with five minutes gone, boosted the home team’s hopes, but Steffen Iversen levelled the scores in the 57th minute in the pouring rain. The Norwegian striker gave the ball to Tim Sherwood and got it back to sweep his shot past Andy Petterson in the Charlton goal.

Twelve minutes after the equaliser, Sol Campbell dived in to meet a corner from Darren Anderton and his header flew into the net.  Two goals in the final couple of minutes from wingers Jose Dominguez and David Ginola handed Spurs a 4-1 win over the Addicks, who were relegated at the end of the season.

Teams : –
Charlton Athletic : –  Andy Petterson, Mark Bowen, Carl Tiler, Richard Rufus, Chris Powell, Mark Kinsella, Jones, Paul Mortimer (John Barnes 67), Graham Stuart, Steve Hunt, Martin Pringle (Clive Mendonca 76).
Unused subs : –  Steve Brown, Anthony Barness, Mike Salmon.
Spurs : –  Ian Walker, Stephen Carr, Sol Campbell, Roger Nilsen, Mauricio Taricco, Tim Sherwood, Steffen Freund (Allan Nielsen 72), Darren Anderton, David Ginola, Chris Armstrong (Jose Dominguez 72), Steffen Iversen.
Unused subs. : –  Espen Baardsen, Ruel Fox, Luke Young.
Referee  : –  Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
Attendance :  20,043
Weather : – Heavy rain

Torrential rain at The Valley persisted for most of the match only really stopping to allow Tottenham to score four times and record their best away win of the season – so far !  The game was delayed for 15 minutes due to traffic congestion and visiting fans were greeted by the intimidating ‘security skinheads’ employed by Charlton, whose objective seemed to be to create some aggro if things got a bit quiet.  Spurs started the game slowly and Charlton took an early lead. They exploited the space available and static nature of the Spurs defence to score a well taken goal after only five minutes.  The game then assumed a familiar pattern with Spurs creating and failing to finish numerous chances.  Half Time 1-0.

At the start of the second half Charlton had opportunities to extend their lead but Walker made some fine saves in difficult conditions.  Then after just under an hours play Iversen scored an excellent goal.  He dribbled into the box exchanging passes with Ginola before firing into the corner of the net.  20 minutes later Spurs took the lead, when Campbell bent low to head a corner which had eluded the Charlton defence.  Further saves by Walker denied Charlton an equaliser and their heads began to drop.  For once Spurs exploited the situation and hit two late goals. Dominguez on as a substitute to score his customary goal.  Not to be outdone after having an earlier superb shot well saved, Ginola netted the fourth. A good win where class told in the end.

‘We’re all going on a European tour’ sang Tottenham followed by ‘You’re all going on a Nationwide tour’ as Charlton look relegation material.

MEHSTG TOP MAN : IAN WALKER.

Eric The Viking.

It had bad omens written all over it when I walked into the ground to find we had only one fit first choice forward. Playing with only Armstrong up front was a sign of how thin our squad is, especially when you couple that with Ginola’s suspension finding Sinton as his replacement. Well, the game started quite brightly for Tottenham, with Sol having a header cleared off the line, but while we had most of the possession, it was Charlton who struck first with their first shot on target. An astute ball inside Carr found Mendonca in space and his shot was deflected onto the post by Vega and Baardsen. Unfortunately for Spurs, the ball fell perfectly for Hunt to poke it into an empty net. It was against the run of play, but Charlton had restricted Tottenham to a few shots on goal and Armo was struggling with the lone role in attack.

The second half saw Spurs roar out of the starting blocks. A slick move down the right involving Fox, Carr and Anderton, resulted in Dazza’s shrewd pass inside the full-back for Carr to run on and cross low into the six yard box. The ball eluded everyone, except Nielsen coming in late at the far post, sliding the ball into the goal. This signalled a spell of Tottenham pressure, which resulted in the second goal for Armstrong who headed a whipped in cross by Edinburgh from the left wing. At this stage, there only looked one winner, but after failing to grab a third, Spurs were pushed back and Edinburgh was pushed off the ball on the wing, leaving Jones to cross low to Hunt who somehow steered the ball in for the equaliser. Shortly after, Justin was turned again on the edge of the box, but this time Jones’ shot crept past the post. A late rally saw Campbell head a corner millimetres past the post, but in the end, the draw was the right result. Charlton displayed the battling spirit that had earned them draws at places such as Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool. For Tottenham, it was a chance to go fourth in the table, but with a below strength team out, it was a better result than it could have been.

MEHSTG TOP MAN : – DARREN ANDERTON

Teams :
Spurs –   Espen Baardsen, Stephen Carr, Colin Calderwood  , Sol Campbell, John Scales, Justin Edinburgh  , Darren Anderton, Ruel Fox (Rory Allen 89), Allan Nielsen, Andy Sinton (Stephen Clemence 89), Chris Armstrong
Unused subs : –  Walker, Vega, Dominguez
Charlton –  Sasa Ilic, Danny Mills, Richard Rufus (John Robinson 41), Carl Tiler  , Eddie Youds, Chris Powell, Mark Kinsella  , Paul Mortimer  (Steve Jones 61), Neil Redfearn  (Steve Brown 82), Andy Hunt, Clive Mendonca.
Unused subs : –  Andy Petterson, Keith Jones
Attendance : –  13,977

Spurs stormed to a 3-0 win at White Hart Lane over Charlton Athletic. 

Taking the initiative with an early goal from John Polston, his only goal for the club, in the 22nd minute, the 25-1 long shot as first scorer gave Tottenham the basis to go on to a well-deserved victory. Gary Lineker scored a 57th minute goal, while the Spurs scoring was rounded off by David Howells who struck in the 78th minute to wrap up the three points.

Teams :
Spurs –   Erik Thorstvedt, Chris Hughton, Pat van den Hauwe, John Polston, Gary Mabbutt, Paul Allen, Paul Gascoigne, David Howells, Nayim, Gary Lineker, Paul Walsh
Subs not used :
Manager : – Terry Venables
Charlton Athletic  –  Bob Bolder, Scott Minto, Tommy Caton, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Joe McLaughlin, ROb LEe, Paul Mortimer, Andy Peake, Andy Jones (Gordon Watson) Paul Williams
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence
Attendance : –   21,104

Spurs’ visit to Selhurst Park garnered three points as goals from Paul Gascoigne, Mitchell Thomas and Gary Lineker helped us to a 3-1 win.  Paul Williams netted for the Addicks.

The first half failed to produce a goal, but Paul Williams put the home side ahead in the 50th minute, but having come off the bench, Mitchell Thomas hooked a long throw from Steve Sedgley over his shoulder to find the net and equalise in the 74th minute.  At this point Paul Gascoigne grasped the game by the scruff of the neck and his direct running hurt Charlton.  Firstly, his run attracted red shirts and allowed space for Gary Lineker to receive the ball and he held off a defender to beat the keeper and give Spurs the lead.  Gazza’s second run left Charlton players in his wake and he finished with a drive into the top left hand corner of the net five minutes after Lineker’s goal to wrap up the Spurs win.

Teams :
Charlton Athletic –  Bob Bolder, Colin Pates, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Joe McLaughlin, Rob Lee, Steve Mackenzie, Andy Peake, Carl Leaburn, Paul Williams, Colin Walsh.
Subs not used :
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence
Spurs –   Erik Thorstvedt, Terry Fenwick, Steve Sedgley, Pat van den Hauwe, Guy Butters (Mitchell Thomas), Gary Mabbutt, Paul Allen, Paul Gascoigne, Nayim (Vinny Samways), Paul Stewart, Gary Lineker.
Manager : – Terry Venables
Ref. : – – (-)
Attendance : –   17,692

Tottenham’s run of games without a win extended to five matches with this 1-1 draw with Charlton at the Lane in the First Division.  Paul Stewart salvaged a draw with a goal 14 minutes before the end after a 37th minute opener for Charlton was netted by Paul Williams.

Teams :
Spurs – Erik Thorstvedt, Terry Fenwick, Gudni Bergsson, Chris Hughton, Guy Butters, Gary Mabbutt, Paul Allen, Paul Gascoigne, David Howells (Paul Walsh), Paul Stewart, Chris Waddle
Manager : – Terry Venables
Charlton Athletic –  Bob Bolder, Peter Shirtliff, Colin Pates, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Rob Lee, Steve Mackenzie, Andy Peake (Paul Mortimer), Steve Gritt, Paul Williams, Garth Crooks.
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence
Ref :
Attendance : –  22,803

A testimonial for midfielder Steve Gritt ended in a 3-2 win for Charlton Athletic over Tottenham at the Valley.

The home team took the lead with Paul Williams scoring but Paul Stewart’s cross provided the chance for Paul Walsh to head Tottenham level before Stewart turned the game in our favour firing home after a strong run with the ball.  It only took a minute for Steve Mackenzie to make it 2-2 and then he gave Charlton the lead with a good shot.  However, right on before half time Paul Stewart finished off Paul Allen’s good approach work to make it 3-3 and allowing the crowd to get their breath back in the interval.

Stewart was hoping for a hat-trick when Nayim was brought down in the box and although he hit the 50th minute spot-kick well, the keeper saved it and that allowed an 82nd minute goal from Mike Flanagan to settle the match in Charlton’s favour as he made it 4-3.

Teams :
Charlton –  , , , , , , Steve Mackenzie, , , Paul Williams, .
Sub. not used :
Spurs –  Erik Thorstvedt, Guy Butters, Chris Hughton, Gudni Bergsson, Gary Mabbutt, Nayim, David Howells (Gary Stevens), Paul Allen (Jason Cook), Brian Statham (Andy Theodosiou), Paul Stewart, Paul Walsh (Richie Johnston)
Attendance : –   1,762 

A 2-2 draw at the Valley in the First Division saw Charlton take the lead with a goal from goals from Andy Peake, with the second half seeing a Terry Fenwick penalty and one from Paul Allen for Tottenham earning a point with Charlton’s other goal coming from Andy Jones.

Teams :
Charlton –  Bob Bolder, Peter Shirtliff, Mickey Bennett, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Paul Mortimer, Steve Mackenzie, Andy Peake, Steve Gritt (Andy Jones), Carl Leaburn, Paul Williams.
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence
Spurs –  Bobby Mimms, Terry Fenwick, Mitchell Thomas, Gary Mabbutt, Brian Statham, Paul Allen, Paul Gascoigne, Vinny Samways, Chris Waddle, Paul Stewart, Paul Walsh (David Howells)
Manager : – Terry Venables
Ref. : –
Attendance : –  14,384

Teams :
Charlton –  Bob Bolder, Peter Shirtliff, Paul Miller, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Rob Lee (Mickey Bennett), Steve Mackenzie, Steve Gritt, Mark Stuart, Carl Leaburn, Garth Crooks.
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence.
Spurs –  Bobby Mimms, Terry Fenwick, Mitchell Thomas, Chris Fairclough, Brian Statham, Gary Mabbutt, Chris Waddle, Steve Hodge, Vinny Samways (Johnny Metgod), Paul Allen, Clive Allen (Nico Claesen)
Manager : – Terry Venables
Ref. : – – (-)
Attendance : –  13,977

This match saw Charlton Athletic take the points in the first competitive early Sunday morning game that Spurs staged at White Hart Lane.

Tony Parks had made a very good save to push Paul Williams’ volley onto the post before Clive Allen went close with a free-kick an Chris Waddle force the Addicks keeper to save from another free-kick.

Seven minutes remained when David Campbell scored Charlton’s winner for their first win at the Lane since 1955, but it was not without controversy.  Parks had gathered the ball from Chris Fairclough’s back-pass when Williams kicked him in the face so hard that the keeper’s bottom teeth went through his tongue and he lost a couple of teeth.  The Spurs keeper was almost unconscious as Campbell tapped into an empty net, but the referee allowed the goal and did not even speak to Williams about the challenge.

Teams :

Spurs –  Tony Parks, Chris Hughton, Mitchell Thomas, Vinny Samways, Chris Fairclough, Gary Mabbutt, Clive Allen, Paul Allen, Chris Waddle, Gary Stevens, Nico Claesen
Subs. not used :  Brian Statham, John Moncur.
Manager : – Terry Venables
Charlton –  Bob Bolder, Steve Thompson, Mark Reid, John Humphrey, Peter Shirtliff, David Campbell, Steve Gritt, Paul Mortimer, Paul Williams, Andy Jones.
Subs not used :
Manager : –  Lennie Lawrence
Attendance : –  20,392

Match Sponsor : – Holsten Pils
Sponsor’s Man of the Match : – Gary Mabbutt received a 24 pack of Holsten Pils

Teams :
Spurs –  Ray Clemence, Richard Gough, Chris Hughton, Neil Ruddock, Mitchell Thomas, Steve Hodge, Ossie Ardiles (Tony Galvin), Glenn Hoddle, Paul Allen, Nico Claesen, Clive Allen
Manager : – David Pleat
Charlton –  Bob Bolder, Peter Shirtliff, Paul Miller, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Rob Lee, Ralph Milne, Andy Peake, Steve Gritt (James Melrose), Mark Stuart, Colin Walsh.
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence
Ref. : –
Attendance : –   26,926

Spurs returned with three First Division points from their visit to Selhurst Park to play Charlton Athletic.

Glenn Hoddle sent Nico Claesen clear in the 18th minute to beat the keeper and hand Spurs the lead, but they had to wait until near the end of the match to wrap up the win, with substitute Tony Galvin firing in a powerful shot.

Teams :
Charlton –  Bob Bolder, Peter Shirtliff, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Alan Curbishley, Mark Aizlewood, Andy Peake, Mark Stuart, George Shipley (John Pearson), Colin Walsh, James Melrose.
Manager : – Lennie Lawrence
Spurs –  Ray Clemence, Danny Thomas, Paul Miller, Steve Hodge (Tony Galvin), Richard Gough, Gary Mabbutt, Clive Allen, Paul Allen, Chris Waddle, Glenn Hoddle, Nico Claesen
Manager : – David Pleat
Ref. : –
Attendance : –   19,744

Spurs came away from The Valley with a 2-1 FA Cup Third Round replay win over Charlton Athletic thanks to goals from Mark Falco and Tony Galvin.  Charlton’s goal came from the penalty spot, scored by Ronnie Moore.

Teams :
Charlton Athletic –  Nicky Johns, Paul Curtis, Paul Friar, Steve Gritt, Ronnie Moore, Les Berry, Tony Towner (Steve Dowman), Alan Curbishley, Trevor Lee, Dave Madden, Mike Flanagan.
Subs not used :
Spurs –  Ray Clemence, Chris Hughton, Paul Miller, Graham Roberts, Steve Perryman (c), Gary Stevens, Tony Galvin, Glenn Hoddle, Garth Crooks, Mark Falco, John Chiedozie
Sub. not used :  –
Attendance : –  29,029

Spurs were held 1-1 at White Hart Lane by Charlton Athletic who took this FA Cup Third Round to a replay.

Mark Aizlewood scored for Charlton with what was their 4,000th goal in League and Cup football – ever !

Teams :
Spurs –  Ray Clemence, Paul Miller, Graham Roberts, Gary Mabbutt, Steve Perryman (c), Gary Stevens, Tony Galvin (Chris Hughton), Glenn Hoddle, Garth Crooks, Mark Falco, John Chiedozie
Charlton Athletic –  Nicky Johns, Paul Curtis, Paul Friar, Steve Gritt, Ronnie Moore, Les Berry, Dave Madden, Alan Curbishley, Rob Lee, Mark Aizlewood, Mike Flanagan
Subs not used : – Steve Dowman
Attendance : –  21,409

Teams :
Spurs  –  Barry Daines, Jimmy Holmes, Don McAllister, Terry Naylor, Colin Lee, Steve Perryman (c), Glenn Hoddle, Neil McNab, John Pratt, Peter Taylor, Chris Jones
Sub. not used :  Gerry Armstrong
Charlton Athletic  –  .
Sub. not used :
Attendance : –  34,511

Spurs suffered a big defeat at the Valley, despite Spurs having the best of this Second Division game until twenty minutes from time.

Hugh McAuley put the home side ahead in the second minute, but Peter Taylor headed home Don McAllister’s left wing cross to equalise.  Taylor could have given Spurs a win when John Pratt put him in on goal, but the winger’s shot went wide of the post and within minutes, Mike Flanagan had given Athletic a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute.

Completing his hat-trick in the 78th and 81st minutes, Flanagan gave Charlton a convincing score-line that the play did not really reflect.  The game was marred by Mark Penfold suffering a broken leg.

Teams :
Charlton –  Jeff Wood, Mark Penfold (Steve Gritt), Phil Warman, Dick Tydeman, David Campbell, Les Berry, Colin Powell, Lawrie Abrahams, Mike Flanagan, Keith Peacock (c) Hugh McAuley.
Spurs –  Barry Daines, Terry Naylor, Jimmy Holmes, Don McAllister, Steve Perryman (c), Glenn Hoddle, John Pratt, Neil McNab, Peter Taylor, Ian Moores, Martin Robinson (Micky Stead)
Attendance : –   30,706

On a heavily sanded White Hart Lane pitch, Spurs overcame Charlton in the Third Round of the FA Cup.

Les Allen fired Tottenham ahead with a shot form outside the penalty area and he doubled the lead, scoring from Danny Blanchflower’s pass into the box.  Charlton got back into the game when Stuart Leary tucked the ball away in a goalmouth scramble, but before half-time Terry Dyson cut in from the left to score and make it 3-1.

The second half was a lot tighter and the only goal saw the Addicks narrow the final score to 3-2 when Leary created an opportunity for Sam Lawrie in the right side of the penalty box in the first minute after the restart.

Teams :
Spurs –  Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Ron Henry, Danny Blanchflower (c), Maurice Norman, Dave Mackay, Terry Medwin, John White, Bobby Smih, Les Allen, Terry Dyson
Charlton –  Bill Duff, John Sewell, Don Townsend, John Hewie, Gordon Jago, Brian Tocknell, Sam Lawrie, Dennis Edwards, Stuart Leary (c), Ronnie White, John Summers
Attendance : –  54,969
Ref. : –  J. S. McLoughlin (Lancashire)
Linesmen : – Mr. K. H. Lander (Oxon) – Red flag; Mr. C. H. Pegg (Cambs) – Yellow flag

Spurs beat a relegation bound Charlton Athletic 6-2 at White Hart Lane in this First Division encounter.  The first half of the match starred Charlton goalkeeper Reed, who stopped a number of shots on goal denying Spurs until two minutes before the break, when George Robb nodded in Terry Medwin’s corner.

Early in the second half, Brooks was brought down in the penalty area and a spot-kick was awarded, which was taken by Tommy Harmer who struck the inside of the post, only to see the ball travel across goal from where it was cleared away by a red shirted player.  Harmer soon rectified his miss, scoring in the eight minutes after the break with Brooks adding to the score four minutes after that goal and another eight minutes later, Terry Medwin made it 4-0.  The crowd celebrated this goal, as it was the team’s 100th of the season.

Two minutes passed before Harmer put the ball in the net and then Danny Blanchflower put it into his own net to give Charlton a glimmer of hope, which was increased when Leary scored five minutes later.  However, Bobby Smith has the last word scoring number six with two minutes to go, pinning Charlton to the bottom of the table.

Teams :
Spurs –  Ron Reynolds, Peter Baker, Mel Hopkins, Danny Blanchflower, Maurice Norman, Tony Marchi, Terry Medwin, Tommy Harmer, Bobby Smith, Johnny Brooks, George Robb
Manager : –  Jimmy Anderson
Charlton –  Frank Reed, Len Edwards, John Sewell, Jock Campbell, Keith Cox, Peter Firmani, Gordon Jago, Fred Lucas, Bill Kiernan, Stuart Leary, Sammy Lawrie.
Manager : –  Jimmy Trotter
Attendance : –  25,579
Referee :  –  Mr. B. W. Griffiths (Monmouthshire)
Linesmen : –   Mr. G. C. Palmer (Lincs) – Red Flag; Mr. D. E. Rawlins (Kent) – Yellow flag

Spurs and Charlton Athletic played out a 1-1 draw at The Valley on Good Friday.

Having started the match well, Spurs suffered a setback when Ron Reynolds took a kick to the head and needed treatment for concussion, so Tony Marchi took over between the sticks.  Tottenham took the lead with Danny Blanchflower releasing Johnny Brooks with a through pass that he converted with a good shot past Duff, who had kept Spurs out until then.  Reynolds was fit enough to come back on, but only as a right winger and before the interval, Marchi was beaten by Hewie’s long-range shot that brought the home side level.

Reynolds did well out in his wide position and Spurs attacked looking for the winner, but Charlton matched them and Marchi was called upon to make a few saves from the Charlton forwards. 

Teams :
Charlton –  Willie Duff, Len Edwards, John Hewie, John Sewell, Derek Ufton, Gordon Jago, Fred Lucas, Bill Kiernan, Stuart Leary, Sammy Lawrie, Johnny Summers.
Manager : –  Jimmy Trotter
Spurs –  Ron Reynolds, Peter Baker, Mel Hopkins, Danny Blanchflower, Maurice Norman, Tony Marchi, Terry Medwin, Harmer, Dave Dunmore, Johnny Brooks, Terry Dyson
Manager : –  Jimmy Anderson
Ref. : –
Attendance : –   27,793

Twenty minutes in and Spurs took the lead through George Robb, when he nipped in to pick off a back pass and slipped the ball past Sam Bartram.  Charlton’s Stuart Leary converted Bobby Ayre’s pass just four minutes prior to the interval, scoring past Reynolds from a narrow angle.

The match-winner was Len Duquemin, who scored the winner through the keeper’s legs six minutes after the half-time break to give Spurs a welcome away win.

Teams :
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, John Hewie, Jock Campbell, Don Townsend, Derek Ufton, Cyril Hammond, Bill Kiernan, Stuart Leary, Jimmy Gauld, John Ryan, Bobby Ayre
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Spurs –  Ron Reynolds, Maurice Norman, Mel Hopkins, Danny Blanchflower, Harry Clarke, Tony Marchi, Micky Dulin, Johnny Brooks, Len Duquemin, Bobby Smith, George Robb
Manager : –  Jimmy Anderson
Attendance : –  37,992

Spurs were hit by injuries to Withers (sustained in the previous game against Manchester United) and Johnny Gavin (in training), but were able to call upon fit again Eddie Baily and Johnny Brooks to face a Charlton Athletic side pushing up near the top of the table at White Hart Lane.

Spurs dominated a fast-moving first half, but with an error in defence, Charlton capitalised to score against the run of play on 18 minutes and take the single goal lead into the interval.

Brooks pulled Tottenham level about 20 minutes into the second half, but nine minutes after that Harry Clarke diverted a Kiernan cross past Ditchburn to restore the Addicks’ lead.  Spurs strove to get back into the game, but a through pass for Leary saw the striker convert to make it 3-1, but Clarke’s header at the right end from a Walters’ corner six minutes later narrowed the gap, but the team could not quite force a draw and left the team towards the bottom of the Division One table.

Teams :
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Peter Baker, Mel Hopkins, Danny Blanchflower, Harry Clarke, Tony Marchi, Sonny Walters, Johnny Brooks, Alfie Stokes, Eddie Baily, George Robb
Manager : –  Jimmy Anderson
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Jock Campbell, Don Townsend, John Hewie, Derek Ufton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Jimmy Gauld, Stuart Leary, Ronnie White, Bill Kiernan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Attendance : –   33,198

Spurs recorded a 2-1 away win over Charlton Athletic at the Valley in Division One.

Teams :
Charlton – Sam Bartram, Jock Campbell, Don Townsend, John Hewie, Keith Tucker, Derek Ufton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Eddie Firmani, Ronnie White, John Ryan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Spurs –  Ron Reynolds, Peter Baker, Charlie Withers, Harry Clarke, Danny Blanchflower, Tony Marchi, George Robb, Len Duquemin, Sonny Walters, Johnny Brooks, Eddie Baily.
Manager : –  Jimmy Anderson
Attendance : –  12,318

Derek King played his last game for Spurs before moving to Swansea Town in August 1956 as Charlton won convincingly 4-1 at the Lane.

Alf Ramsey sliced a clearance into his own goal to give Charlton the lead, then Stuart Leary made it 2-0 to the Addicks before half-time.

The second half saw Charlton pull further away with a third goal scored by Bob Ayre and despite Johnny Brooks pulling a goal back for Spurs, Ayre notched another to make the final score 4-1.

Teams : –
Spurs  –  Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Mel Hopkins, Derek King, Bill Nicholson, Tony Marchi, George Robb, Dave Dunmore, Johnny Brooks, Sid McClellan, Eddie Baily.
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Charlton Athletic  –  Sam Bartram, Jock Campbell, Don Townsend, John Hewie, Derek Ufton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Bob Ayre, Stuart Leary, Ronnie White, Bill Kiernan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Attendance : –  33,105

Vic Groves scored on his last appearance for Spurs before returning to play for Leytonstone and his goal was the deciding factor in this game at the Valley.

Teams :
Spurs –   Ted Ditchburn, Charlie Withers, Alf Ramsey, Bill Nicholson, Harry Clarke, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Les Bennett, Vic Groves, Eddie Baily, George Robb
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Charlton – Sam Bartram, Frank Lock, Don Townsend, John Hewie, Derek Ufton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Eddie Firmani, Stuart Leary, Sid O’Linn, Bill Kiernan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Attendance : –  37,609

A big crowd gathered at White Hart Lane for this London derby with Charlton Athletic, which ended with a valuable 3-1 win for Tottenham.

A first minute goal came after Ron Burgess pounced on the ball before moving forward with it and laying it off to George Robb.  The forward moved it on to Walters, who returned the pass and Robb struck the ball first time and it flew past a stunned Sam Bartram to give Tottenham the lead after only 35 seconds.

That was the only goal of the first half, but the lead was doubled 17 minutes into the second half, with Robb turning provider for Baily to fire home.  There was still time for Kiernan to take advantage of a mix-up between Ditchburn and Clarke to score a consolation.  It was little consolation for the Addicks, as Chamberlain failed to get up from a challenge by Duquemin and was stretchered off being examined in the dressing room where it was found he had chipped a bone in his ankle.  It put a dampener on the game, which had been played in a good spirit.

Teams :
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Charlie Withers, Bill Nicholson, Harry Clarke, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Les Bennett, Len Duquemin, Eddie Baily, George Robb
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Frank Lock, Ken Chamberlain, John Hewie, Benny Fenton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Eddie Firmani, Stuart Leary, Sid O’Linn, Bill Kiernan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Attendance : –  48,035

Teams :
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Frank Lock, Jock Campbell, John Hewie, Ken Chamberlain, Benny Fenton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Eddie Firmani, Stuart Leary, Sid O’Linn.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Spurs –   Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Mel Hopkins, Derek King, Bill Nicholson, Ron Burgess, Len Duquemin, Sonny Walters, Sid McClellan, Les Bennett, Tommy Harmer.
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Attendance : –   9,269

Les Bennett and Sonny Walters were on the mark to give Spurs a 2-0 home victory over Charlton.

Teams :
Spurs –   Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Arthur Willis, Harry Clarke, Colin Brittan, Bill Nicholson, Les Bennett, Les Dicker, Len Duquemin, Sonny Walters, Tommy Harmer
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Frank Lock, John Hewie, Ken Chamberlain, Benny Fenton, Cyril Hammond, Gordon Hurst, Eddie Firmani, Sid O’Linn, Bill Kiernan, Charlie Vaughan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Referee : – Mr. F. S. Fiander (Bucks).
Linesmen : – Mr. W. I. Bennett (Warwickshire) – Red Flag;  Mr. C.N. English (Essex) – Yellow Flag.
Attendance : –  35,684

Spurs were beaten 2-3 by Charlton Athletic at White Hart Lane on Boxing Day. 

From 2-0 up at half-time through goals from Peter Murphy and Sonny Walters, Spurs succumbed to a second half fight-back from the Addicks.  Billy Kiernan’s brace and a further goal from Tony Pawson sealed the points for the South London side.

Teams :
Spurs –   Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Charlie Withers, Ralph Wetton, Harry Clarke, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Eddie Baily, Les Bennett, Peter Murphy, Les Medley
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, John Hewie, Frank Lock, Benny Fenton, Derek Ufton, Cyril Hammond, Tony Pawson, Charlie Vaughan, Gordon Hurst, Billy Kiernan, Chris Duffy
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Attendance : –  49,350

Spurs eased to a Christmas Day 3-0 Division One win at the Valley against Charlton Athletic with goals from Les Bennett, Les Medley and George Robb, who scored on his debut after moving to Spurs from Finchley.

Teams :
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, John Hewie, Frank Lock, Benny Fenton, Derek Ufton, Bert Johnson, Gordon Hurst, Billy Kiernan, Chris Duffy, Charlie Vaughan, Riley Cullum.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Spurs –   Ted Ditchburn, Charlie Withers, Alf Ramsey, Harry Clarke, Ralph Wetton, Ron Burgess, George Robb, Les Medley, Les Bennett, Tommy Harmer, Eddie Baily.
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Attendance : –  37,711

A single strike from Sonny Walters was enough to win this First Division match for second place Spurs over Charlton Athletic, who had to draft in full back Charlie Revell at the last moment.

The ground was frosty and this meant that the game was pretty poor in quality, but Len Duquemin put Walters in with an accurate pass to score just before half-time.

Prime Minister Clement Attlee watched on from the stands.

Teams :
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Arthur Willis, Bill Nicholson, Harry Clarke, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Les Bennett, Len Duquemin, Eddie Baily, Les Medley
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Harry Phipps, Frank Lock, Benny Fenton, Dudley Forbes, John Evans, Bill Kiernan, Gordon Hurst, Charlie Vaughan, Charlie Revell, Tommy Lumley
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Attendance : –  54,667

Teams :
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Jack Shreeve, Harry Phipps, Frank Lock, Benny Fenton, Dudley Forbes, Riley Cullum, Sid O’Linn, Gordon Hurst, Chris Duffy, Charlie Vaughan.
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Alf Ramsey, Arthur Willis, Bill Nicholson, Harry Clarke, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Les Bennett, Len Duquemin, Eddie Baily, Les Medley
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Attendance : –   61,480

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Manager : –  Jimmy Seed
Spurs –  Archie Hughes, Arthur Willis, Vic Buckingham, George Ludford, Bill Nicholson, Ron Burgess, Charlie Whitchurch, Les Bennett, George Foreman, George Skinner, Les Medley
Manager : –  Arthur Rowe
Attendance : –   10,000

Ronnie Dix and George Skinner were on the mark in a Football League South match that saw Spurs pegged back by a goal from the penalty spot by Don Welsh, but Charlton were unable to leave White Hart Lane with a point.

Teams :
Spurs –  Jack Hall, Arthur Willis, Vic Buckingham, Roy White, Fred Hall, Ron Burgess, Albert Hall, George Skinner, Colin Lyman, Ronnie Dix, Charlie Whitchurch
Charlton  –  Sam Bartram, Ted Croker, Skrappe, L. Turner, Jack Oakes, Bert Johnson, Les Fell, Bevon, Bert Turner, Don Welsh, Chris Duffy
Ref. : –  G. Reader
Linesmen : – Mr. J. Weller (Kent) – Blue/White flag; Mr. D. Goodchild (Berks) – Red/White flag
Attendance : –   38,356
Kick off – 15.00.

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Ralph Ward, Arthur Willis, Charlie Burke, Fred Hall, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Bobby Flavell, Jack Gibbons, Ivan Broadis, Bill Adams
Attendance : –   7,000

Teams :
Spurs –  John Jackson, Ralph Ward, Johnny Wallis, Arthur Willis, Charlie Burke, Ron Burgess, Sonny Walters, Reg Mogford, Bobby Flavell, Les Stevens, Pat Beasley
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   15,768

NOTE : –  Charlie Burke makes his first Tottenham appearance as a war-time guest player from Bournemouth, as does the Chelsea goalkeeper John Jackson.

Teams :
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Roy White, Jack Chisholm, Les Howe, Freddie Cox, Bernard Bryant, Fred Sargent, Pat Beasley, Bill Adams.
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –  35,000

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Ralph Ward, Les Howe, Billy Sainsbury, Jack Chisholm, Ron Burgess, Pat Beasley, John Martin, George Ludford, Jack Rowley, Freddie Cox
Attendance : –   3,500

Teams :
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Mosley, Jack Chisholm, George Ludford, Pat Beasley, John Martin, Jack Rowley, S. Clayton, Eric Jones
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   9,950

NOTE : –  S. Clayton and Eric Jones, both war-time guest players – make their Tottenham debuts.

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Fred Hall, Roy White, Jack Chisholm, Les Bennett, Reg Edwards, John Martin, Jack Gibbons, Ivan Broadis, George Ludford
Attendance : –   7,000

Teams :
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Ralph Ward, Fred Hall, Roy White, Jack Chisholm, Browne, Finlay, John Martin, George Ludford, Jack Gibbons, Pat Beasley
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   7,064

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Sid Tickridge, Les Howe, Arthur Hitchins, Ron Burgess, Jimmy McCormick, Tom Kiernan, Jack Gibbons, Ivan Broadis, Reg Edwards
Attendance : –   7,677

NOTE : – Tom Kiernan makes his final Tottenham appearance.

Teams :
Spurs –  Ted Ditchburn, Ralph Ward, Sid Tickridge, Roy White, Arthur Hitchins, Fred Hall, Les Howe, Tom Kiernan, Jack Gibbons, Ivan Broadis, George Ludford
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   9,505

NOTE : – Tom Kiernan makes his Spurs debut.

Teams :
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Sid Tickridge, Fred Hall, Arthur Hitchins, Billy Sainsbury, George Ludford, Wilf Mannion, Jack Gibbons, Ivan Broadis, Charlie Revell.
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   4,641

NOTE : –  Billy Sainsbury makes his Spurs debut.
Charlie Revell makes his one and only Spurs appearance.

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  F. Bennett, Ralph Ward, Sid Tickridge, Roy White, Arthur Hitchins, Bill Whatley, Jimmy Sperrin, Ivan Broadis, George Ludford, Fred Hall, Andy Duncan
Attendance : –   4,210

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Gilbert Piper, Arthur Hitchins, Vic Buckingham, Ken Bennett, George Skinner, George Ludford, Bert Goodman, Les Medley
Attendance : –   500

Teams :
Spurs –  Doug Flack, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Fred Hall, Arthur Hitchins, Vic Buckingham, Fred Sargent, Les Medley, Ron Burgess, Andy Duncan, George Ludford.
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   1,508

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Ron Burgess, Arthur Hitchins, Les Howe, Freddie Cox, Willie Hall, Johnny Morrison, Ronnie Dix, Les Medley
Attendance : –   5,000

This war-time League South C Division match saw Spurs take the points thanks to goals from George Ludford and Ronnie Burgess.

Teams :
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Ron Burgess, Arthur Hitchins, Les Howe, Jimmy McCormick, Willie Hall, George Ludford, Ronnie Dix, Les Medley
Charlton  –
Attendance : –   3,531

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, George Dorling, Bill Whatley, Les Howe, Arthur Hitchins, Vic Buckingham, Fred Sargent, Willie Hall, Johnny Morrison, Les Bennett, Les Medley
Attendance : –   4,000

Teams :
Spurs –  Percy Hooper, George Dorling, Bill Whatley, Ron Burgess, Issac Spelman, Fred Sargent, Willie Hall, Johnny Morrison, Les Bennett, Les Howe
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   6,945

.

Teams :
Charlton –  Sam Bartram, Bert Turner, Cann, Don Welsh, John Oakes, Jobling, Harold Hobbis, Stephenson, Prior, George Robinson, Wilkinson.
Colours : – Red shirts with white collar, White knickers
Spurs –  Joe Nicholls, Ralph Ward, Bill Whatley, Willie Hall, Arthur Rowe, Frank Grice, Les Howe, Joe Meek, George Hunt, Johnny Morrison, Willie Evans.
Colours : – White shirts, Blue knickers
Attendance : –   46,713
Ref. : –  Mr. G. W. Jones (Nottingham)
Linesmen : – Mr. H. C. WiIliams (London) – Red and white flag; Mr. L. Gray (Northampton) – Blue and white flag

Spurs played in shirts numbered 12-22 
Kick off 15.30

Teams :
Spurs –  Joe Nicholls, Ralph Ward, Vic Buckingham, Les Howe, Arthur Rowe, Frank Grice, Fred Sargent, Joe Meek, George Hunt, Andy Duncan, Willie Evans
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   55,866

The Spurs team travelled to South London and won a Second Division match at the Valley 3-0.

A brace by George Hunt and a goal from Willie Evans earned a vital three points for the Spurs side involved in a promotion chase to the top flight.

Teams :
Charlton –  Harry Wright, Trevor Smith, Searle, Wilf James, Joe Jobling, John Pugsley, Harold Hobbis, Yardley, Cyril Pearce, Jack Blackwell, George Robinson
Colours : – Red shirts with white collar, White knickers
Manager : – Jimmy Seed
Spurs –  Joe Nicholls, Bill Felton, Bill Whatley, Davie Colquhoun, Arthur Rowe, Tom Meads, Tom Evans, Eugene O’Callaghan, George Hunt, Willie Hall, Willie Evans.
Colours : – White shirts, Black knickers
Ref. : –  Mr. W. J. Lewington
Linesmen : – Mr. G. H. Allen – Red and white flag; Mr. A. V. Boorer – Blue and white flag
Attendance : –  26,666

Spurs played in shirts numbered 12-22.

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Joe Nicholls, Bill Felton, Cecil Poynton, Davie Colquhoun, Arthur Rowe, Tom Evans, Willie Davies, Eugene O’Callaghan, George Hunt, George Greenfield, Willie Evans.
Attendance : –   34,263

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, Bert Lyons, Bert Hodgkinson, Davie Colquhoun, Arthur Rowe, Tom Evans, Willie Davies, Jimmy Brain, George Hunt, Eugene O’Callaghan, Willie Evans.
Attendance : –   26,417

Teams :
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, Bert Lyons, Bert Hodgkinson, Davie Colquhoun, Arthur Rowe, Wally Alsford, Willie Davies, Jimmy Brain, George Hunt, Eugene O’Callaghan, Willie Evans.
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   36,469

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, Bert Lyons, Bert Hodgkinson, Wally Alsford, Alf Messer, Tom Meads, Willie Davies, Eugene O’Callaghan, Ted Harper, Billy Cook, Walter Bellamy
Attendance : –   18,060

A Second Division meeting ended with a resounding 5-0 win for Spurs with Taffy O’Callaghan and Jimmy Smy getting a goal apiece, but the star of the show was hat-trick hero Ted Harper. 

Teams :
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, Bert Lyons, Bert Hodgkinson, Harry Skitt, Tommy Cable, Tom Meads, Willie Davies, Eugene O’Callaghan, Ted Harper, Jimmy Smy, Walter Bellamy
Charlton –  
Attendance : –  25,597

Teams :
Charlton –  .
Spurs –  Joe Nicholls, Bert Lyons, Bert Hodgkinson, Harry Skitt, Alf Messer, Tom Meads, Willie Davies, Andy Thompson, Ted Harper, Billy Cook, Walter Bellamy
Attendance : –   2,963

Teams :
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, Matt Forster, Edwin Herod, Harry Skitt, Tommy Cable, Tom Meads, Willie Davies, Frank Osbourne, Ted Harper, Jimmy Smy, Jimmy Dimmock
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –  15,814

The first League match between the two sides took place at the Valley and was won by a single goal from the home side’s Dai Astley.

Teams :
Charlton  –   , , , , , , Astley,
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, John Illingworth, Edwin Herod, Harry Skitt, Tommy Cable, Tom Meads, Andy Thompson, Frank Osbourne, Ted Harper, Billy Cook, Jimmy Dimmock
Attendance : –   17,350

Teams :
Spurs –  Cyril Spiers, Matt Forster, Jack Reddish, Arthur Lowdell, Sid Helliwell, Harry Skitt, Arthur Crompton, Eugene O’Callaghan, Jimmy Armstrong, Hartley, Jimmy Dimmock
Charlton –  .
Attendance : –   4,000