Today I'm going back 25 years to 1997 and Tottenham's Premier League (or FA Carling Premiership as it was known at the time) game against Sheffield Wednesday at White Hart Lane. The official attendance that Sunday afternoon was 25,097.
Today's programme cover star is, of course, Chris Armstrong who would go on to score in the featured match. There were none of the usual programme notes from manager Gerry Francis who, were we told, was unable to compile his piece due to an accident at home in which he injured his back. There was me thinking that such articles were ghost written by an office junior in any case but now I had somewhat disturbing visions of Francis swinging from the chandeliers in his boudoir! The programme also referred to World Cup Qualifiers played the previous weekend and, in particular, England's goalless draw with Italy in Rome which took them to France 98. Sol Campbell was Tottenham's sole representative in the England side in Rome although Ian Walker was a non-playing substitute.
This was one of those games where a comfortable halftime lead was almost squandered by Spurs who were left clinging on at the end. Tottenham's Jose Dominguez scored the first goal of the afternoon after just five minutes with a shot from 30 yards that somehow squirmed under Kevin Pressman and into the net. Chris Armstrong scored with a shot on the turn after 39 minutes and, when David Ginola netted the third from just outside the box on the stroke of halftime, we all thought that the game was won. Former Spurs boss David Pleat and his assistant Peter Shreeves were in the Wednesday dugout however and they rallied their troops to make a game of it. In the 71st minute, Wayne Collins was on hand to apply the finishing touch to a teasing cross by Lee Briscoe. Then, with just six minutes remaining, Wednesday had their second with the ball being lashed home at Ian Walker's near post by Paulo di Canio and we were left to look at our watches and whistle for the referee to end things which, after an age, he finally did.
With Tottenham in the relegation zone, Gerry Francis resigned his post at Tottenham the following month and was replaced by Christian Gross who bemused the waiting media throng when he turned up late for his introductory press conference waving his London Underground ticket like a tourist and cheesily (Swiss cheese?) proclaiming that "I want this to become the ticket to the dreams". It didn't. David Pleat didn't even stay in his job for as long as Francis and was sacked on 3rd November with Peter Shreeves becoming caretaker manager for 11 days until Ron Atkinson took over. Spurs finished the season in 14th place (of 20) but they were only four points clear of the relegation positions. Wednesday skated on even thinner ice finishing 16th and on the same points as Tottenham but with an inferior goal difference. Relegated that season were Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and bottom placed Crystal Palace (who, rather curiously, nevertheless qualified for the following season's Intertoto Cup). Champions were Arsenal by a point from Manchester United.
CRB Match No. 1136
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