SEPTEMBER 1983
| September began with the
visit of West Ham United to White Hart Lane on the first
Saturday of the month. The large travelling support made
their way North and included a minority of what can best
be described as low-life specimens, who decided that it
would be a jolly jape and rather big and clever of them
to go into the home area of the ground and cause trouble.
The inevitable disturbance which consequently broke out
on the Worcester Avenue terrace was soon quelled by those
brave boys in blue, who removed the claret and blue
flotsam and jetsam, escorting them to the Park Lane end
to be re-united with the rest of their East-End
barrow-boy mates. The pond-life amongst the Spurs support
on the Shelf, from a suitably safe distance, decided to
pelt the Hammers fans with coins as they walked along the
pitch-side track to their own supporters. It was an idea
not without flaws. Some coins went too far and reached
the pitch; others hit the perimeter fence (which acted as
a protective barrier for the Hammers slime) and rebounded
back onto the terraces, hitting only Spurs supporters.
The rest of the money fell well short of it’s
intended target, again falling on Tottenham territory.
With Steve Archibald dropped after his much-publicised
row with Keith Burkinshaw, Spurs failed to score and went
down 2-0 to the Irons. The season had started with one
point out of nine and if this had been 1998 instead of
1983, Keith Burkinshaw may well have been on his way out
of the club. Two trips to the Midlands in the space of one week saw Tottenham pick up four points, with a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion, followed by a 3-0 win at Leicester City. It was a good job too, as Spurs continued their sad home form the week after the victory at Filbert Street by losing 2-1 to the Blue Scouse. “Match of the Day” covered Tottenham’s last league match of the month, a 3-2 triumph at Watford, notable for another of Glenn Hoddle’s specials. This one the exquisite chip over Steve Sherwood’s head after a Cruyff turn in the box. When old footage of Hoddle is shown, it is normally this goal or the pile-driver volleys against Man. U or Forest, or if it’s ITV, the youthful Glenda smacking an unstoppable shot past Shilton at Stoke’s Victoria Ground on his 1976 debut. In the Watford game, Steve Archibald returned as a sub after two games out, coming on to score. Come the end of September, Tottenham were 16th in a 22 team First Division which found West Ham top and Leicester, despite three Gary Lineker goals, bottom. The UEFA Cup provided a welcome distraction from the league and paired Tottenham with Drogheda in a mismatch, as Irish side, playing to the best of their abilities and without letting themselves down, were so outplayed in both legs that Spurs might as well have played Dennis Waterman’s Showbiz XI. After a 6-0 win in the away leg, the proggie for the home tie still sought fit to mention details of the “away goal” rule , although it did mention that it would take a “soccer miracle” for it to be required here. Obviously desperate to see any kind of Spurs home win, nearly 20,000 turned up to see an 8-0 second leg victory for a 14-0 aggregate score. The fourteen goals were shared between Mark Falco (4), Gary Mabbutt, Graham Roberts and Alan Brazil (2 each) with Galvin, Crooks, Hughton and Archibald all grabbing one apiece. |