When dawn broke that on that fateful first of January, we stood proudly at the top of the London trophy table along with Woolwich at 14 trophies each. The nearest challengers were Chelsea and West Ham with 4 trophies, and neither were realistic challengers to the two, by now, traditional giants of London football,
In many ways we were at the high water mark of the club's history. The 'Double' was of course our finest hour, but we still then lagged way behind Woolwich in the trophy table. However we outscored Woolwich by a phenomenal 11 trophies to 4 between 1961 and 1984 to level the scores at 14 trophies each.
Furthermore, we had won three trophies since Woolwich had won their last trophy in 1979. We had a team of talented players including Glenn Hoddle, the finest English player of the time, and Clive Allen who was to score 49 goals that season and win both Footballer of the Year awards.
Add in players like Waddle, Mabbutt, Ardilles, Gough, Hodge, Clemence, Danny Thomas, and surely things were set fair for us to at least continue to fight with Woolwich for the top of London spot, if not go past them. We were the glamour team of London, and arguably the best footballing side in the country. We underlined our credentials further that fine day by beating Charlton 2-0 in the League, what could possibly go wrong .....
Well, surprise surprise, our North London 'friends' were about to fuck us over, not for the first time. They started their demolition job by beating us 2-1 at the Lane, to realistically end any fleeting title hopes we may have had. But hey we fought back to win 8 of our next 9 games, drawing the other at West Ham in the League Cup but making up for that 'blip' by demolishing them 5-0 in the replay.
Unfortunately we then drew Woolwich in the semi-final and horrible memories of 1968-9 came back to me. Then after us dominating Woolwich for a decade, they scored a late winner at the Lane to end our ascendancy at the time, and they went on to do 'the Double' in 1971. (Incidentally George Graham was in their team then, and had become Woolwich's manager by 1987)
There's probably a parallel universe somewhere where we draw Southampton in the 1987 League Cup semis and Swindon in the 69 season, and it's us who now lead Woolwich in the trophies table
Nevertheless, despite the dreaded semi-final draw in 87, in finest Spursy style we win at Highbury in the first leg 1-0, Clive scores, but misses a couple of other good chances and Hod hits the bar with a thunderbolt free kick.
We then face Woolwich at home on the back of our unbeaten 9 game run. Clive scores again, we're 2-0 up.....
Then the Spursyness really kicks in somehow we balls it up, and we end up losing 2-1, and then we lose the replay 2-1 after Clive puts us in front once again.
To make matters worse Woolwich go on to win the final, and go back above us in the trophy table. But never fear, we finish above Woolwich in the League and reach the FA Cup Final, where surely we will beat Coventry and go level with Woolwich again ....
The rest as they say is history, we lose the Final, despite taking the lead once again through an early Allen goal. We finally lose 3-2 in extra time after a Coventry cross which is nowhere near the goal is inadvertently turned in by Gary Mabutt's knees.
Two years later Woolwich win the League, and we never get to the top of the London trophy table again. Furthermore Chelsea then overtake us (almost unimaginable back in 1987) and we slide down to become only the '3rd team' in London
Current trophy table, Woolwich 29, Chelsea 21, Spurs 17.
How different from that heady day in January 1987.
NB I have done my best to ensure all the facts quoted in this post are correct, but would naturally welcome any corrections.
In many ways we were at the high water mark of the club's history. The 'Double' was of course our finest hour, but we still then lagged way behind Woolwich in the trophy table. However we outscored Woolwich by a phenomenal 11 trophies to 4 between 1961 and 1984 to level the scores at 14 trophies each.
Furthermore, we had won three trophies since Woolwich had won their last trophy in 1979. We had a team of talented players including Glenn Hoddle, the finest English player of the time, and Clive Allen who was to score 49 goals that season and win both Footballer of the Year awards.
Add in players like Waddle, Mabbutt, Ardilles, Gough, Hodge, Clemence, Danny Thomas, and surely things were set fair for us to at least continue to fight with Woolwich for the top of London spot, if not go past them. We were the glamour team of London, and arguably the best footballing side in the country. We underlined our credentials further that fine day by beating Charlton 2-0 in the League, what could possibly go wrong .....
Well, surprise surprise, our North London 'friends' were about to fuck us over, not for the first time. They started their demolition job by beating us 2-1 at the Lane, to realistically end any fleeting title hopes we may have had. But hey we fought back to win 8 of our next 9 games, drawing the other at West Ham in the League Cup but making up for that 'blip' by demolishing them 5-0 in the replay.
Unfortunately we then drew Woolwich in the semi-final and horrible memories of 1968-9 came back to me. Then after us dominating Woolwich for a decade, they scored a late winner at the Lane to end our ascendancy at the time, and they went on to do 'the Double' in 1971. (Incidentally George Graham was in their team then, and had become Woolwich's manager by 1987)
There's probably a parallel universe somewhere where we draw Southampton in the 1987 League Cup semis and Swindon in the 69 season, and it's us who now lead Woolwich in the trophies table
Nevertheless, despite the dreaded semi-final draw in 87, in finest Spursy style we win at Highbury in the first leg 1-0, Clive scores, but misses a couple of other good chances and Hod hits the bar with a thunderbolt free kick.
We then face Woolwich at home on the back of our unbeaten 9 game run. Clive scores again, we're 2-0 up.....
Then the Spursyness really kicks in somehow we balls it up, and we end up losing 2-1, and then we lose the replay 2-1 after Clive puts us in front once again.
To make matters worse Woolwich go on to win the final, and go back above us in the trophy table. But never fear, we finish above Woolwich in the League and reach the FA Cup Final, where surely we will beat Coventry and go level with Woolwich again ....
The rest as they say is history, we lose the Final, despite taking the lead once again through an early Allen goal. We finally lose 3-2 in extra time after a Coventry cross which is nowhere near the goal is inadvertently turned in by Gary Mabutt's knees.
Two years later Woolwich win the League, and we never get to the top of the London trophy table again. Furthermore Chelsea then overtake us (almost unimaginable back in 1987) and we slide down to become only the '3rd team' in London
Current trophy table, Woolwich 29, Chelsea 21, Spurs 17.
How different from that heady day in January 1987.
NB I have done my best to ensure all the facts quoted in this post are correct, but would naturally welcome any corrections.
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