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Today I'm going back 32 years to 1990 and Tottenham's League Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg tie against the monkey hangers of Hartlepool United at the old White Hart Lane. There was a gap between the two sides of 86 places in the Football League at the time so Spurs were strong favourites to build a big lead to take to the North-East two weeks later. The official attendance on that Wednesday night under the lights was 19,760.
Tottenham fans had a real soft spot for the Hartlepool manager at the time. "Nice one Cyril" Knowles came onto the pitch before kick off to receive a huge ovation from the Spurs fans who had appreciated efforts during his eleven years at Tottenham. Cyril had made a total of 441 Football League appearances of which 402 were for Tottenham and, as a left-back, he scored 16 Football League goals. He also appeared four times for his country in the late 1960's when England were officially World Champions.
I mentioned recently that it's not very often that I have been lucky enough to see a player score more than three times in a single match but, after recent pieces on Gary Lineker and Luther Blissett, here was yet another occasion where four goals were scored by one individual. Who? The clue is that his picture featured on the cover of the match programme! Did they know something do you think maybe? Back in 1990 Paul Gascoigne was in the eye (or should that be the why aye?) of the storm that was "Gazzamania" following his performances and particularly his tears at that summer's World Cup finals in Italy. His face was seemingly everywhere and the public and media simply couldn't get enough of him. Then along came this four goal performance and people understood that the hype was justified. Gascoigne was a world class talent even if this performance came against little old Hartlepool.
Spurs went in front within the first two minutes of the game when a juicy Paul Stewart cross was converted by another of that summer's England World Cup heroes. Gary Lineker slid the ball home past Pool goalkeeper Brian Cox (no not that one, although many thought that the Hartlepool goalie's performance was out of this world). In the 26th minute, Gazza scored his first, beating four defenders before rifling the ball home. The score was to remain at 2-0 until just 15 minutes from the end as Spurs struggled to break down a determined Hartlepool side but Pool eventually fell to pieces as Gascoigne filled his shooting boots scoring three more to add to his first half goal. 5-0 was probably a fair reflection of the gap between the two teams but Spurs had been made to work hard for their victory.
The 2nd Leg up in Hartlepool was always going to be a formality and Spurs won that game too by 2-1 for a 7-1 aggregate score line. In the Third Round Spurs beat Bradford City 2-1 at White Hart Lane before travelling to Bramall Lane to play Sheffield United in the Fourth Round who they beat 2-0. Sadly Spurs then crashed out to bogey side Chelsea 0-3 in a Quarter-Final Replay at White Hart Lane. Sheffield Wednesday went on to win the League Cup that season beating Manchester United 1-0 in the Final at Wembley. Hartlepool certainly turned their season around after their defeat to Spurs and ended the season promoted in 3rd place with coach Alan Murray taking charge of first team affairs for the last four months of the season after Cyril Knowles became too ill to continue. Murray subsequently took the managers position on a permanent basis after Knowles confirmed that he would be unable to return following brain surgery and, tragically, aged just 47, Knowles was dead within a year of the featured game taking place.
CRB Match No. 676
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