Bill Nicholson played. Peter Baker had started appearing, the first of the double players. If someone had told you that day that 7 years later Spurs would win the double under Bill Nick wonder what you'd have thought.
Well,nothing really.This was my first season watching Spurs so all I could do was take it all in and remember...….my first game had been v Aston Villa and I had no idea who the Villa number 4 was...…...
I have a large picture of all the Spurs players at the start of my first season as a fan. 1953/4. I remember all those faces as I chased them up for autographs. ...and the,then, groundsman Ernie liked to chase us away! The stinker.
I also remember Spurs having an outside playing court with a tarmac surface that they used for 5 a side. I can also remember Tommy Harmer making an "f'ing Burgess" comment for some reason...….and my future hero "gentleman" George Robb asking me if he'd given me a nice autograph. I said "yes,sir!" I rmember asking Alf Ramsey if he would write down "best wishes". He looked down at me and said "I'll sign my name!"
This looks like one of those foggy nights of which there were many due to all the coal fires etc. I remember a few games where you could only see the players when they were right by you & then they would vanish into the swirling mist only to reappear when they were back at your end! We also had games abandoned completely part way through due to a 'pea souper' descending. Amazingly the buses still ran, often with the conductor walking in front with a flare! Non of this prissy, cissy 'elf & safety' back then!
Went to this game, it was a Sat afternoon, albeit early Jan, remember at least some daylight, this photo may have been near the end of the game.
I too would have been there as I never missed a home game until 1967 when I became a Mum. Cannot remember individual games now from so long ago, only the specials like the Glory Glory Nights, & there were plenty of those! COYS
At school and only able to go to the odd Sat games, seen film of the ggn games and always think Dukla 4-1 in the snow took some beating.
Yes,they were great that night. I think Bigsmithy got a couple of the 4. I do remember the snow & ice, probably would have been called off today! The best memories, apart from the footie though was the singing. Everyone belting out Glory, Glory Hallelujah at the top of their voice was magical. It still gives me goosebumps just thinking of it! Are there any recordings of it anywhere?
I only got autographs during the summers of 1953 and 1954.No 4 didn't arrive until late 1954 away to Man City.I remember Arthur Rowe saying that was the first time that season he could relax!! I've never seen a dvd of Spurs v Dukla Prague. Tv wasn't all that keen in those days and only showed highlights except for cup finals and internationals.Attending that game I have no idea if it was actually televised whole. I remember freezing to death. I couldn't feel my feet!......but it was worth it. Spurs were great in that game and others,although they got a lot of stick from the critics after losing in Poland to Gornik! They got so much stick,the fans started the Glory,Glory song in protest. We certainly needed VAR in Portugal for the semi final!
From the days when club merch catalogues didn't look identical to M&S's please log in to view this image
Go to youtube and type 'spurs british pathe' lots of films come up, including a cache of 69 which is all the Spurs british pathe films in chronological order, more or less, Spurs v. Dukla included.
…..and don't forget the fans that walked around the pitch dressed as Angels before the Gornik game. In protest of the newspapers stick. A little later a local vicar complained about the Angels gear and it was replaced with Roman gear starring "SPURTUCUS!"
I have a confession. Sept 15th. Battle of Britain Day.....and I forgot it! I have shelves full of B of B books,all different.....and I forgot it! My uncle Jack was shot down returning from bombing Bonn in 1942 in a Blenheim. That plane was a flying turkey. He is in the RAF cemetery in Dunkirk,right next to an American RAF pilot. I got to visit some years ago. Sorry! Not football of course but.....
