Today I'm going back 32 years to 1990 and the pre-Premier League first game of the season First Division clash between Spurs and Manchester City, played at the old White Hart Lane in front of 33,501.
Today's programme cover star is a replica of the iconic golden Tottenham cockerel on a ball that graced the roof of the West Stand at the old White Hart Lane. Tottenham had had a cockerel statue on the roof of the West Stand since 1909 and it was later joined by a second cockerel situated on the roof of the new East Stand. The original version, which is now displayed at Lillywhite House, home of the club's Executive offices, was used as the model for a new 4.5m tall scaled up replica of the statue for the new stadium which can now be seen resplendent front and centre on the roof of the new South Stand, over 34m above pitch level. The replica is true to the original right down to all the bumps and dents acquired by the original and includes one dent which was reputed to have been put there by a mischievous Paul Gascoigne and his air rifle.
The featured match came just seven weeks after England's heroics in reaching the Semi-Finals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy and Tottenham's line-up included England heroes Gary Lineker and national treasure Paul Gascoigne. After just two minutes Gary Lineker latched onto a poor defensive header by City's Paul Lake and, with Colin Hendrie slow to react, Lineker rifled the ball home to give Spurs the lead. City weren't behind for long however because, in the sixth minute, the human lamp post that was Niall Quinn bulleted a header past Erik Thorstvedt for the equaliser. City had further chances but failed to take them and lived to regret that as Lineker grabbed his second after the break following excellent work by Nayim. I suspect that many in the crowd on that sunny Saturday afternoon had come to see one man: Paul Gascoigne and he didn't disappoint, finishing clinically for Tottenham's third goal to put his side out of City's reach.
Lineker and Gascoigne would go on to become joint leading goal scorers at Tottenham that season with 19 goals each. 15 of Lineker's came in the First Division while Gazza reserved many of his goals for the Cup competitions (he scored 6 in the FA Cup and 6 in the League Cup that season). Given their bright start and the presence of two World Cup stars, Spurs were destined to finish in a disappointing tenth place in the First Division, hugely unsatisfactory given that local rivals Arsenal went on to win the Championship. Tottenham's solace in 1990/91 was the FA Cup but that's another story.
CRB Match No. 669
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