The 1896–97 season was the first season that Tottenham Hotspur turned professional, and they competed in two leagues during the season. The Southern League and the United League. In the FA Cup, Tottenham played three qualifying games and in the third, they went away to Luton, where they lost 3–0. There were also a total of 26 recorded friendly games played that season.
| 1896–97 season | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Northumberland Park |
| Southern League | 4th |
| United League | 8th |
| FA Cup | Fifth Qualifying Round |
| Top goalscorer | Robert Clements (10) |
Tottenham turned professional in order to join the Football League but were rejected after coming bottom of a poll with just two votes. Instead, the club were then elected to the Southern League.[1]
Squad
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Competitions
editUnited League
editTable
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Loughborough | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 31 | −2 | 13 |
| 5 | Rushden Town | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 25 | 42 | −17 | 13 |
| 6 | Kettering | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 24 | −1 | 12 |
| 7 | Wellingborough | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 39 | −22 | 9 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 34 | −9 | 6 |
Source: [2]
Results
edit| 19 September 1896 1 | Millwall Athletic | 6–5 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2 November 1896 2 | Rushden Town | 2–0 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 9 November 1896 3 | Woolwich Arsenal | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 20 January 1897 4 | Wellingborough | 2–2 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 25 February 1897 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–2 | Woolwich Arsenal |
| 27 February 1897 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–2 | Loughborough |
| 4 March 1897 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5–1 | Rushden Town |
| 13 March 1897 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–2 | Luton Town |
| 15 March 1897 9 | Kettering Town | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 3 April 1897 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–3 | Millwall Athletic |
| 10 April 1897 11 | Luton Town | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 17 April 1897 12 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | Kettering Town |
| 19 April 1897 13 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | Wellingborough |
| 24 April 1897 14 | Loughborough | 3–2 | Tottenham Hotspur |
Southern League
editLeague table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Millwall Athletic | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 63 | 24 | 2.625 | 31 |
| 3 | Chatham Town | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 54 | 29 | 1.862 | 27 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 43 | 29 | 1.483 | 22 |
| 5 | Gravesend United | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 35 | 34 | 1.029 | 22 |
| 6 | Swindon Town | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 33 | 37 | 0.892 | 19 |
Source: [3]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Results
edit| 5 September 1896 1 | Sheppey United | 3–3 | Tottenham Hotspur | Isle of Sheppey, Kent |
| Stadium: Botany Road |
| 3 October 1896 3 | Gravesend United | 1–3 | Tottenham Hotspur | Gravesend, Kent |
| Stadium: Overcliffe Ground |
| 10 October 1896 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–3 | Chatham | Northumberland Park, London |
| 17 October 1896 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–0 | Gravesend United | Northumberland Park, London |
| 17 October 1896 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 Game was void after Royal Ordnance resigned from the league. | Royal Ordnance | Northumberland Park, London |
| 7 November 1896 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–2 | Sheppey United | Northumberland Park, London |
| 14 November 1896 9 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–1 | Swindon Town | Northumberland Park, London |
| 28 November 1896 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–3 | Millwall Athletic | Northumberland Park, London |
| 5 December 1896 11 | Reading | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Reading, Berkshire |
| Stadium: Elm Park |
| 25 December 1896 12 | Millwall Athletic | 4–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Isle of Dogs, London |
| Stadium: The Athletic Grounds |
| 9 January 1897 13 | Swindon Town | 1–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Swindon |
| Stadium: County Ground |
| 13 February 1897 14 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5–0 | Northfleet United | Northumberland Park, London |
| 20 February 1897 15 | New Brompton | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Gillingham, Kent |
| Stadium: Priestfield Road |
| 6 March 1897 16 | Northfleet United | 2–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Northfleet, Kent |
| Stadium: Stonebridge Road |
| 20 March 1897 17 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–4 | Reading | Northumberland Park, London |
| 27 March 1897 18 | Tottenham Hotspur | 6–0 | New Brompton | Northumberland Park, London |
| 29 March 1897 19 | Southampton | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Stadium: County Ground |
| 1 April 1897 20 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Wolverton | Northumberland Park, London |
| 8 April 1897 21 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–2 | Southampton | Northumberland Park, London |
FA Cup
edit| 12 December 1896 3Q | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–0 | Old St. Stephens | Northumberland Park, London |
Clements  Payne |
Attendance: 2,000 |
| 6 January 1897 4Q | Tottenham Hotspur | 6–0 | Maidenhead | Northumberland Park, London |
| McElhaney Newbigging Payne Crump |
Attendance: 2,000 |
| 16 January 1987 5Q | Luton Town | 3–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Luton |
| Attendance: 5,000 |
References
edit- ^ Phil Soar. Tottenham Hotspur The Official Illustrated History 1882-1995. Hamlyn. p. 20.
- ^ Soar, Phil (1995). Tottenham Hotspur The Official Illustrated History 1882–1995. Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-58706-1.
- ^ Phil Soar. Tottenham Hotspur The Official Illustrated History 1882-1995. Hamlyn. p. 233. ISBN 0-600-58706-1.