please log in to view this image Stoke City host Tottenham Hotspur at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday 11th December in the 15th round of 2011-12 Premier League matches (14th game for Spurs) The Potters have made a solid start to the season and are currently in 8th place in the table on 18 points, while Spurs are having their best start to a season since 1960-61 and are in third place with 31 of the last 33 points on offer having been won. This will be the 82nd time the two teams have met and the second meeting of the season after the Football League (Carling) Cup game at Stoke in September. The first meeting came at the Victoria Ground when Stoke City were playing as Stoke FC in the old first round of the FA Cup in February 1896 in a match Stoke won 5-0. Stoke became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888 and the clubs were drawn together in the third round of the FA Cup in February 1899 at the Victoria Ground with Stoke winning 4-1. The first match at White Hart Lane between the clubs was a friendly played in March 1900 with Spurs, then Champions of the Southern League, beating Stoke 6-0. Spurs joined the Football League for the 1908-09 season, replacing Stoke who had resigned at the end of the previous season for financial reasons. The clubs didn't meet in a League match until April 1920 in the Second Division with Tottenham winning 2-0 at the Lane and 3-1 at the Victoria Ground. The first meeting in Division One came in March 1923 at Stoke which resulted in a 0-0 draw. Spurs won the reverse fixture at the Lane a week later 3-1. The clubs met for five seasons in the Second Division between 1928 to 1933 and for two seasons in Division One from 1934 to 1935. After the Second World War, the clubs met in the modern FA Cup third round in January 1947 at White Hart Lane which resulted in a 2-2 draw with Stoke winning the replay 1-0 thanks to a Stanley Matthews goal. Three years later, Spurs beat Stoke 1-0 away in the third round. Spurs were Football League Champions in 1950-51 and beat Stoke 6-1 at home but could only draw 0-0 away during that season. Every League game played between Spurs and Stoke since WW2 has taken place in the Top Flight, except for season 1977-78 when Spurs spent a single season in Division Two, beating Stoke 3-1 in both matches. The clubs met in the FA Cup in January 1976 with a 1-1 draw at the Lane followed by a 2-1 win for Stoke in the replay. Tottenham Hotspur were founder members of the Premier League in 1992-93 but Stoke City's first season in the competition came in 2008-09 with Stoke winning 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium and Spurs winning 3-1 at the Lane. During 2009-10, Stoke won 1-0 at White Hart Lane with Spurs winning 2-1 at the Britannia. Last season, Spurs did the "double" over Stoke, winning the away fixture 2-1 with a brace of goals from Gareth Bale and the home fixture 3-2 in April with a brace from Peter Crouch and a Luka Modric goal. The teams met for the first time in the Football League (Carling) Cup 3rd round in September 2011 at Stoke and the match finished in a goalless draw after extra time. Stoke went on to win the penalty shoot-out 7-6. Spurs youngster Massimo Luongo penalty was saved by Thomas Sorensen. Peter Crouch moved to Stoke City during the summer along with fellow team-mates Jonathan Woodgate and Wilson Palacios, where they joined another former Spurs player, Matthew Ethrington. Overall, Spurs have won 41 games, Stoke have won 22 games and the remaining 18 matches of the 81 played have been drawn. please log in to view this image Full history of Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur matches 1896-2011 please log in to view this image They Played for Stoke & Spurs... Paul Allen Garry Brooke Joe Brough George Clawley Garth Crooks Peter Crouch Matthew Etherington Ray Evans Márton Fülöp Eiður Guðjohnsen Ken Hancock Archie Heggarty Stephen Kelly Fred Latham Billy Leech Gerry Mahon Ian Moores James Morton Wilson Palacios Tony Parks Jimmy Robertson Hans Segers Paul Stewart Charlie Wilson Jonathan Woodgate please log in to view this image Stoke City Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 2008-2012 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Squad Numbers 1992-2012 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Correction We are NOW sitting in 8th position! Bring it ON! I've just been quoted 15/1 Crouch to score first! But I don't bet on football, I might this Sunday though
We'll need to score to get anything out of this. Even at our place, Spurs are a frightening prospect. Can't give Bale the amount of room we often gave Baines yesterday.
Nice post Sgt!! Trying hard to get the exact date - 1966 at WHL - Spurs 2 Stoke 2 - Roy Vernon scored the equaliser from the spot - Roy -V- Dave MacKay (SP) was something else!!
I believe, I'll have to check with my Dad when I see him, that Stoke v Spurs at the Victoria some time in the early 60's was my Dad's first game. He was a Spurs fan at his young tender age, as Spurs had an amazing side at the time, i.e. Blanchflower, Mackay, Greaves et al. Stoke won the game I believe and he was a Stoke fan since that day.
Sgt, Stoke's very first game after winning promotion to the old First Division (season 1962-63) was against Spurs in August '63 at the Victoria Ground. We won 2-1 and Spurs had won the double 2 seasons before and won the FA Cup in 1962. John White, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Bobby Smith played for Spurs. I think Peter Dobing made his debut for Stoke in that game as well.
I was just having a look at Spurs' starting XI for the League Cup match at Stoke in September... Gomes Corluka - Kaboul - Bassong - Assou-Ekotto Sandro - Livermore Dos Santos - Van der Vaart - Carroll Pavlyuchenko ...I think only three of those players will line-up on Sunday... Friedel Walker - Kaboul - King (or Gallas) - Assou-Ekotto Parker - Modric Lennon - Van der Vaart- Bale Adebayor ...althogh Jermain Defoe is in such fine form at the moment, Harry will have a difficult decision as to playing him or Van der Vaart, who's been injured recently.
Crouch predicts Spurs title tilt Stoke striker Peter Crouch believes Tottenham will be "there or thereabouts" at the top of the Premier League come the end of the season. Tottenham have won 10 and drawn one of their last 11 Premier League games to climb up to third in the table, two points behind Manchester United and a further five behind leaders Manchester City, with a game in hand on both. They travel to Crouch's current side Stoke on Saturday hoping to make it seven league wins in a row and keep the pressure up on the top two. When asked whether his former employers could challenge for the title, the 30-year-old told Sky Sports: "I don't see why not. "They certainly have the players and I think the manager believes in them. "They have so much threat with the forwards they have got, the two wingers, [Luka] Modric and [Scott] Parker in the middle, they have so much quality all over the pitch. "The only thing about winning the title is the confidence and the belief that you can do it. "Man United have been there and done that so they always a threat and City on fire at the moment. "But I would certainly put Tottenham there or thereabouts when the league title is decided at the end of the season. They are playing some unbelievable football at the moment, it's a joy to watch." http://www.teamtalk.com/stoke-city/7356195/Crouch-predicts-Spurs-title-tilt
Nick Re that Spurs game.. I would have been at that game for sure.. ONE interesting point is on Saturday the usual Praise n Grumble didn't run as usual.. we played Sunday. anyhow.. They ran a quiz and whover got the question correct set another for the next caller. The LAST question was.. Whom did Stoke City play when Sir Stan played his FIRST game for Stoke when returning to his hometown club? Sorry Nick but, I don't think it was v Spurs but, I WILL find out and let you know... for the life of me I can't remember the answer. Maybe one of the Stoke fans on here heard it?
Nick Just found this on that Wiked site... easy innit He was presuaded by Tony Waddington and... Sir Stanley returned to his hometown club for £50.00 a WEEK for the 2nd time and made his 2nd debut on.. 24th October 1961 he played his first game... v Huddersfield Dang... a least I KNEW it wasn't Spurs.. avvit!
Potts, Nick, I was at that game vs Huddersfield when Stan returned. I was standing in the old Boothen Paddock as a 10 year old. Stoke won 3 - 0 and there were over 30000 fans there I think. Prior to Stan coming back crowds`were around 8000. Just shows what appeal he had and the team was transformed. As for the Spurs game I mentioned Stoke went on to win the next game away against the Villa but then lost away to Wolves in the 3rd game
Proud Potter I know I was at that game too I remember it because my Dad rest his soul said.. "you will see someone special playing today" I was only 8 in 61 so I'm not the oldest on here after Nicky of course. I also remember the crowd was amazing but if you had asked me now. what the score was, I would not have remembered. I DO remember seeing sir Stan though. And, it's also true that Peter Dobing smoked a pipe at half time.. Sir Stan tried to persuade him to stop smoking but he never did quit the habbit Harry Burrows told me. I had seen a few games before then the season before my dad and Uncle always took me and I was hooked.. p.s. for quite a few seasons after that, I would get into the games for nowt more often than not. I used to climb over the turnstiles (the old Stoke End) and sit on the white wall.. happy days or what? To think crowds of that size were the norm when Sir Stan came home. So, it's 50 years and counting for me lads. Once a Stoke fan .....
I agree THFC i think u guys av atop top side atm ....... if our guys turn up we all know it will be a tuff encounter .. Im lookin forward to gracin the britt and fingers crossed beatin ya but of course we will av to play well ! But the best part about this is SPURS KNOW WE CAN so its another interestin encounter !!! That s the best thing about SCFC we know we can beat ya but we also know Spurs are a top team atm playin well ! UTP and gl all !!!
Not looking forward to this one, I think we may be back down to earth with a very big bang. But as I have said before, we dont need points against the likes of spurs, just a spirted performanced and if we get something thats a bonus. We need to get results against the likes of QPR, Swansea, Norwich etc, so for me, Wolves, Villa and Wigan before Xmas are the focus games!
Smither's Don't ask me why but.. I really fancy us for the Spurs game.. I think that like Utd/Chelsea before.. the player's KNOW what they are up against on Sunday. I have massive respect for the way Spurs are playing this season though I honestly think we'll give them a decent game. Here's hoping we carry the confidence over from the Everton game. Very tough but, I think we might surprise a few pundits. I do agree that the 3 games you mentioned are really six pointers for both clubs. Roll on Sunday!
Potts and PP - many thanks for the info, I got my dates etc wrong there, must be an age thing. Nice memories to have my morning cuppa with. In 1961 I was onboard a destroyer, HMS Scorpion in the Med, based in Malta!!! Where did those 50 years go!!
After my reminiscing over the Spurs games of the 60's, with regard to the game on Sunday it will be difficult. Spurs are on fire at the moment, scoring for fun and they have such pace on the wings. However we are at home and we have beaten them at the Brit before. If we play our strongest side and attack down both flanks we have a chance of getting something. Crouchie, of course, will want to prove a point and will look to score against them. Then there's Ethers and Palacios who will be eager to perform, if selected of course. I will be happy with a draw and a good performance. An interesting thought for all Stokies: will TP pick both wingers? If JP doesn't feature on Sunday then perhaps that mayl confirm that something is wrong in the camp and that his days at Stoke are numbered. What do you think?
