Since its ihehisio t1992, the Premier League—the top division in British professional football—has included Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club (FC), one of its original members.
The club has maintained a continuous position among the league’s top teams. But this football club, one of the “Big Six,” has a longer history. Originally established in the nineteenth century as a cricket club for boys, Tottenham Hotspur has maintained its status as a dominant force in men’s professional football ever since it joined the English professional league.
As one of the “Big Six” clubs in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur has been a constant, although without a championship trophy. Tottenham Hotspur has been a Premier League powerhouse, finishing in the top ten every year since 2008 and usually ranking in the top fifteen. Spurs have won a plethora of other trophies, including two from the First Division, eight from the FA Cup, and four from the League Cup, but they still haven’t won a Premier League title. In addition to seven charity shields, they have won one UEFA Winners’ Cup and two UEFA cups/Euroleagues. Tottenham Hotspur FC has been an impressive force in English professional football over the years, even if they have never won a championship.
Tottenham Hotspur FC has a long and storied history that predates the Premier League by more than a century. Former members of the Hotspur Cricket Club, headed by Bobby Buckle, and a group of lads from a nearby grammar school established what is now known as Tottenham Hotspur FC. After reorganising under the president of All Hallows Church’s bible class instructor John Ripsher a year later, Hotspur FC started playing on the Tottenham Marches and picked navy blue as its club colour.
In order to better assist the lads throughout their formative years, Ripsher restructured the group. To avoid confusion with another older club with the same name, Tottenham Hotspur FC was eventually adopted. The club’s first matches were friendly matches against other local clubs or even amongst themselves. The first recorded match was in September 1882, a 0-2 loss to the Radicals. The rebranded Tottenham Hotspurs FC played their first competitive match in 1885, a 5-2 triumph against St. Albans in the London Association Cup. Although the team’s colours had only just been chosen, they were modified from navy blue to white and light blue halves at this time as well.
Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur’s initial credit balance was only nine shillings, and it was all because of this London Association Cup triumph. Tottenham Hotspur FC’s first match with Arsenal came a few years after the club’s first competitive win against St. Albans. The next match, against Royal Arsenal, was cancelled fifteen minutes before the end of regulation time owing to “darkness”; Spurs were up 2-1 at the time.
Tottenham Hotspur FC had changed a lot in the thirteen years between the 1880s and the 1890s. The club was prepared to become professional in 1895 when it relocated its matches from Tottenham Marshes to a private stadium at Northumberland Park, instituted the first entry price of 3d for spectators, and changed its uniform from yellow shorts to red shirts.
The third division of English professional football, the Southern League Division One, was the destination of Tottenham Hotspur after its professional debut, prompting yet another colour change to chocolate and gold. But this only lasted until 1898, when the team returned to its original colours of white jerseys and blue shorts. In the local Charity Cup tournament in 1897, Tottenham Hotspur lost 0-2 to Wellingborough, the host club, in the first-ever Cup Final.
The squad relocated to a new location in 1898 because the number of spectators increased from 6,000 in 1896 to fourteen thousand. White Hart Lane, a former market garden transformed into the permanent home of Tottenham Hotspur FC for the better part of a century. The stadium could accommodate 35,000 people. In addition to hiring Frank Brettell as their first official manager, the 1897–1898 season saw the Spurs’ first formal incorporation as the Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Company. Despite Brettell’s best efforts, the team’s most significant influence came from John Cameron, his first signed player.
Cameron took over as player-manager for Tottenham Hotspurs after Brettell departed a year after his arrival. It wasn’t until 1900 that the Spurs, coached by Cameron, won the Southern League title. In 1901, after this triumph, they won the FA Cup with a 3-1 win against Sheffield United. Symbolically, this triumph was significant as well, as no non-league club had done it since the Football League was formed in 1888 until Tottenham Hotspur FC.
On their first try in 1909, seven years after winning the FA Cup in 1908, Tottenham Hotspur FC gained promotion to the First Division of the Football League, allowing them to enter the Second Division. Over the first forty years of the club’s existence in the Football League, Tottenham Hotspur FC had several promotions and relegations. Despite going through relegation, this period was not devoid of successes under the guidance of newly-hired manager Peter McWilliam (1912).
In 1920, when a victory was considered to be worth two points, Tottenham Hotspur FC achieved a record-breaking 70 points during their promotion back to the First Division. With a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in 1921, Tottenham Hotspur FC won its second FA Cup. After that, in the 1922 league final, they finished second to Liverpool. Following these triumphs, Tottenham Hotspur FC sank into a period of mediocrity, spending much of the 1930s and 1940s confined to the Second Division owing to relegation, with the exception of 1938, when they reached the sixth round of the FA Cup. The squad also finished the White Hart Lane East Stand around this period.
Middle of the twentieth century saw a dramatic shift in the Team’s direction. Recruited as manager in 1949 was Arthur Rowe, a former Spurs player. Spurs returned to the Premier League in Rowe’s first season in charge, ushering in a new era defined by a “push and run” style of play and a shift in leadership. When Tottenham Hotspur FC won the Football League First Division for the first time in 1951, they went on to win the championship. During this period, Daniel Blanchflower, a highly acclaimed Spurs player, was recruited. But it wasn’t until 1958 that Tottenham Hotspur FC began what would be called its “glory years.” When Arthur Rowe retired, the club hired Bill Nicholson, who would go on to become arguably the club’s most successful manager, winning eight trophies during his time in charge. In 1961, under Nicholson’s leadership, the Spurs won the FA Cup and the Football League Championships after acquiring players like Dave Mackay, John White, and Jimmy Greaves.
With these wins, the club became the first to accomplish the “Double” since 1889–1890 with Preston North End and 1897–1898 with Aston Villa. The next decade saw nothing but success, culminating in a 1962 league runner-up position and back-to-back FA Cup triumphs in 1962 and 1967. The first British team to win a European trophy was Tottenham Hotspur FC in 1963, who defeated Atletico Madrid 5-1 to claim the European Cup Winners’ Cup. After this triumph, Tottenham Hotspur FC became the first club to win the trophy twice with victories in 1971 and 1973. By 1974, Tottenham Hotspur FC had became the first British club to compete in three major European Finals, having won the UEFA Cup in 1971 and finishing in second place in 1973.
The late 1970s were a rather bleak moment for Tottenham Hotspur FC. The club’s collapse began with Nicholson’s resignation in 1974 and ended with relegation after the 1976 season. Nevertheless, this came to a close under Keith Burkinshaw’s leadership. Burkinshaw brought in new players including Glenn Hoddle, Osvaldo Ardiles, and Ricardo Villa during the team’s first stint in the First Division, and they won the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982 as well as the UEFA Cup in 1984.
In addition to making it back to the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur FC went through a lot of changes in the 1980s. Irving Scholar took over as director, and the club started to focus more on business, becoming the first football club to list shares on the London Stock Exchange. Not just in the boardroom, but also elsewhere, things changed. When Terry Venables took over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur FC in 1987, he made history by spending over a million pounds on players like Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, and Paul Steward. Tottenham Hotspur FC became the first club in FA Cup history with their 1990 FA Cup triumph, among other minor successes and player records.
Another major alteration was the Tottenham Hotspur kit, which saw the restoration of the team’s iconic white shirts and navy shorts. Among these alterations was the renovation of White Hart Lane, the stadium of Tottenham Hotspur FC. The East Stand underwent renovations in 1989 and the new West Stand was inaugurated in 1982. By 1998, the new South Stand and the new North Stand had been finished, increasing the capacity to 36,257, and in 1992, “The Shelf” had become an all-seater enclosure.
When the Premier League was established in 1992, Tottenham Hotspur began its modern era. When the Premier League took over from the Football League First Division as England’s top professional football league, Tottenham Hotspur was one of five original members. Still, except from two League Cup wins in 1999 and 2008, Tottenham Hotspur FC had a mediocre run of form and a slew of managers in the ’90s and ’00s, consistently placing fifth in the Premier League.
When Tottenham Hotspur FC won the League Cup in 2008, they became the first side to do it at the brand-new Wembley Stadium, and they also catapulted themselves back to the vanguard of Premier League football. These victories marked the end of Tottenham Hotspur FC’s string of significant victories. Despite consistently finishing in the Premier League’s fourth spot and advancing to various stages of the League Cup Tournament (quarter-final in 2011 and finals in 2009 and 2015), the club has recently failed to win championship titles or acquire trophies. Tottenham Hotspur FC had profound changes in character and performance throughout the new millennium. In the year 2001, ENIC Sports plc. bought out Tottenham Hotspur FC and Daniel Levy became the company’s chairman. In May 2014, Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as a result. This started a new pattern of manager rotation, which will continue in 2019 with Jose Mourinho and in 2021 with Ryan Mason, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Antonio Conte.
In March of 2023, assistant coach Cristian Stellini took over as temporary manager after Antonio Conte resigned. The arenas where the contests were held also underwent fast transformations. The Spurs relocated their training grounds to Enfield in 2012, and by 2017, they had played their last game at White Hart Lane, a 2-1 victory against Manchester United. Wembley Stadium hosted all of the team’s games for the next year, and in 2019, the Spurs moved to their new home at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
From its professional start in 1895 until a short interruption in 2020, Tottenham Hotspur FC has been an integral part of British Football. The Spurs have established themselves as a durable and talented squad with stellar performances in the Football League’s First and Second Divisions, the Southern League’s Division One, and now the Premier League.
As a result of Tottenham Hotspur FC’s commendable success over the years, Spurs supporters has seen some intriguing changes. “Spurs Fans were instrumental in shaping one of the world’s most famous clubs,” states Martin Cloake and Alan Fisher’s “A People’s History of Tottenham Hotspur.” In their account of the club’s history, which begins with its establishment in 1882 and continues until World War II, the authors highlight the significant influence of North London’s cultural life on Tottenham Hotspur FC. According to them, it is this culture that explains things like the club’s formation in the Tottenham Marshes and how it managed to rise from its impoverished beginnings to become the formidable entity it is today.
When discussing the club’s relocation, Cloak and Fisher highlight the impact on the local fan base of the horrified responses to the idea of relocating to a different London Borough on subsequent club choices. Because of the strong emotional and historical ties that Spurs supporters have with the High Road and the N17 postcode code, the presence of Tottenham Hotspur FC there was significant to them. When the football team became commercialised, the writers claim that this devotion became a problem.
Factors unrelated to the Spurs’ history or geographical location have always had an impact on the club’s supporter base. Discord among the club’s members and its fan base developed in the late 20th century as a result of Thatcherism’s impact. Football underwent substantial changes during the Thatcherism era, when the game began to become heavily commercialised, altering the bond between supporters and the teams they cheer for.
This, in turn, had an impact on the English working class. These shifts also affected Tottenham Hotspur FC. Hooliganism and support-driven fandom, in which supporters publish fanzines and blogs, both emerged during this transitional era, marking a high point in fan pride. Jewish affiliations make up an interesting component of Tottenham Hotspur FC fanbase. Because so many of Tottenham Hotspur FC’s supporters are Jewish working-class Londoners, the club and the Jewish community have become inseparable; in fact, Spurs fans are sometimes called “yids.” This has done wonders for the longevity of the fandom in North London, but it has also tragically contributed to the perpetuation of anti-Semitism and other social problems, which persist even now in an age where antisemitism is prevalent online.
Stories about the camaraderie and love around football teams, such as Tottenham Hotspur FC, are strange concepts to me as a novice football fan. Even though I’m only a casual football fan, I can relate to Dr Matthew Stanley’s portrayal of contemporary Spurs fanaticism.Dr. Stanley, a lifelong Spurs supporter, echoed the comments made by other fans about the working-class pride and support-driven devotion that he had experienced. Rather than seeking out a football club to root for, Dr. Stanley’s devotion started with a chance meeting with the squad. While on vacation in North London, Dr. Stanley happened to stay at a hotel near Wembley Stadium.
This was during a unique situation since Tottenham Hotspur FC were constructing their new stadium across town, and Wembley Stadium was their home field. Dr. Stanley became a fan after spending a few hours at a match to pass the time. Dr. Stanley became a Spurs fan after sitting in the stands with the other supporters and seeing their energy, enthusiasm, and rowdiness. He said, “well, I suppose I am a Spurs fan now.”
What Dr. Stanley has to say about being a Spurs fan is more noteworthy than his backstory being a fan. In the absence of either fandom or first-hand knowledge, accounts like Dr. Stanley’s serve to fill in the gaps, much like internet forums and blog posts. Being a Spurs fan is like “being the bridesmaid, but never the bride,” says Dr. Stanley.
The team is always ranked in the top six or seven teams in the Premier League, and on occasion even in the top two. Despite their constant presence, the Spurs never win the league, leaving them to watch other teams celebrate. The persistence of this pattern has led some football fans to coin the word “spursy” to describe an error committed by a player despite his or her technical proficiency. The lack of success has made being a Tottenham Hotspur FC supporter tough, but according to Dr. Stanley, it will only make the Premier League title that much more satisfying when the team eventually wins it all.
Even while I still don’t completely get the pattern and significance of close calls, I can still apply this concept to other, more realistic situations. Being a die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs, I know what it’s like to root for a famous club but also knowing that they’ll never win a championship. In a same vein, Dr. Stanley’s remarks have helped Razorback Baseball fans understand the psychological effects of the recent string of close calls.
It doesn’t matter how many talented players the Spurs have or how far they go in the tournament; they just can’t seem to keep it together long enough to win the season. Razorback Baseball has seen this pattern over the last ten years. Whether it’s the now-famous dropped long-out or the two-time SEC champions who lost in the super-regionals to a small North Carolina school, the Razorback baseball team has on many occasions had the skills and timing to win, but they haven’t been able to maintain their composure long enough to claim the College World Series.
While discussing the Spurs further, Dr Stanley brought out the “elephant in the room” when it comes to American football fans: the lack of football enthusiasts. Even though it may not get much attention, Dr Stanley claims that American football fans constitute a significant subculture in many American communities. This pattern was shown by Dr. Stanley’s accounts of his experiences as a Spurs fan in Chicago. Dr Stanley, a graduate of the University of Illinois, spends a lot of time poring over Chicago, Illinois, archives; it is from these data that he was able to identify particular instances of this football subculture.
As an example, for Tottenham Hotspur FC games, several “Spurs” pubs like The Atlantic open early so supporters may watch the game in the same way as NFL, NBA, or MLB fans do. Beer and eggs are served to spectators at pubs that “open up at six in the morning” since the games are held early in the morning instead of the afternoon or evening. This may be a contributing factor to soccer’s failure to attract and keep followers in the United States, even if it is not meant to promote soccer fandom as a subculture.
One example of this pervasive subculture is the Tottenham Hotspur FC fandom that manifests itself in online forums and blogs; for example, the “Come on You Spurs” Reddit group has over 139,000 active members. The level of enthusiasm and dedication felt by American supporters of this apparently unrelated London football club is comparable to that of fans rooting for their respective NFL, NBA, or MLB clubs, despite the club’s relative obscurity.
Football may be more of a subculture in the United States, but it has some famous followers both at home and abroad. Take Tottenham Hotspur FC as an example; they have a who’s who of famous people as supporters. Adele, Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, and Tom Holland are just a few of the English celebs that are huge Spurs fans. Given that a few of these actors reside in the United States for significant sections of the year, it’s reasonable to conclude that they exemplify the Spurs’ influence among American celebrities. But this isn’t true; the United States is home to a large number of passionate Spurs supporters. Celebrities like John Cena, Jason Sudeikis, and Mark Wahlberg have been known to proudly wear the navy and white Cockerel while cheering on Tottenham Hotspur FC during matches. Jason Sudeikis even went as far as to appear in a series of Premier League commercials portraying the fictional Ted Lasso, the new coach of Tottenham Hotspur FC, a role he would later reprise in his hit Apple TV show.