Monday the 22nd October Newcastle will face off with an opponent quite similar to themselves in many aspects, that opponent is Tottenham Hotspur. The club that said before the 07/08 season that they would finally break into the top four. Things have not went as well as they thought though, and the match against Newcastle might either be the match where Tottenham turn things around, or the match where Newcastle make it clear that they are finally reaching what the supporters have wanted for quite some time, consistency. But I dare ask, just who the f*** are Tottenham Hotspur FC?

The year of 1882 a group of bible class boys from All Hallows Church decided to form a football club which they named Hotspur Football Club. It is believed that the name Hotspur came from a person, Sir Harry Hotspur, who lived locally around the 14th century. The team later changed their name to the more familiar Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. This was to distinguish themselves from another local team that went by the name London Hotspur.

In 1892 Spurs attempt to join a Southern League failed when they were the only of 23 applicant clubs that did not receive any votes. They later went on to turn professional before Christmas 1895 and were then admitted to the Southern League where they managed to attract crowds nearing 15 000. In 1898 Charles Roberts became the Spurs chairman and remained at that post until 1943.

In 1900 Tottenham won the Southern League and went on to win the FA Cup the following year, remaining to this day the only non-league club to win the FA Cup since the formation of the Football League. In 1908 Tottenham won election to the Second Division of the Football League, immediately winning promotion to the First Division. Though, they went on to have a poor run between 1910 and the World War One and at the time football got suspended at the end of the 1914-15 season, Tottenham were placed at the bottom of the league.

When football resumed after the war in 1919, the First Division expanded from 20 to 22 teams. The Football League extended one of the additional placed to the 19th placed Chelsea and the other to bitter rivals Arsenal. Arsenal’s introduction to the First Division finally cemented the rivalry between the clubs that had started a few years earlier when Arsenal had relocated to Tottenham’s hinterland. This rivalry has as is widely known, continued to this day just as strong as it was in the 1920s.

Tottenham won the Second Division in the 1919-20 season and won the FA Cup for the second time in the clubs history the following year with a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge. In the 1921-22 season Tottenham finished second to Liverpool in the league, but only to experience a steady decline which culminated in the relegation of the club at the end of the 1927-28 season. And to make it worse the club were unable to advance beyond the quarter finals of the FA Cup, getting that far three consecutive years from 1935 to 1938.

In 1951, after a few years of progress, Tottenham got their first ever league title. Winning the First Division in the 1950-51 season, with players such as Alf Ramsey, Ronnie Burgess and Bill Nicholson all playing for the team.

Bill Nicholson had joined Spurs as an apprentice in 1938, and remained at the club for 68 years in every capacity from the boot room to club president. In his first game as manager Tottenham beat Everton 10-4. This was their record win at the time and a sure sign of the things that would come. Nicholson guided Spurs to trophy success three consecutive seasons in the early 60s. The double in 1961, the FA Cup in 1962 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963. In 1967 they won the FA Cup again with players like Joe Kinnear and Terry Venables donning the Spurs shirt.

Nicholson went on to win the League Cup in 1971 and 1973. And the UEFA Cup in 1972 with his Spurs side before he went on to resign at the start of the 1974-74 season as Tottenham went on to get a poor start. Nicholson had won 8 major trophies in his 16 year spell at Tottenham, and this period remains to this day the most glorious period in the history of the football club. Though, what he left behind was an old squad and Tottenham could no longer claim to be a force in English football.

Tottenham got relegated from the First Division after the 1976-77 season, after being in the top flight for 27 years. Though, they went on to get promoted already in the following season, and then manager, Keith Burkinshaw, brought in two world class signings, Argentinian Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa. This was a transfer coup never before seen in British football, though it would still take time for a new team to be forged into success.

In 1981, Burkinshaw’s men won the FA Cup after beating Manchester City 3-2 with Ricardo Villa scoring his memorable solo goal. Totteham retained the title the following year after defeating QPR. 1984 saw Tottenham bring home UEFA Cup glory, though successful manager Burkinshaw went on to leave the club at the end of the season. Something which turned out to be a major turning point for the club. He had won three trophies in four seasons, and prior to the 1984 UEFA Cup win Tottenham had won eleven major trophies, virtually one trophy every two seasons. And this remains as a prime reason why many still regard Tottenham as a major club and why success is still expected by the club fans.

Until 1991 when the club won the FA Cup there had only been an “if only” period at the club, being close to many trophies but failing when it mattered the most. In the 1994 close season, Tottenham was found guilty of making illegal payments to players and they were given one of the most severe punishments in British football history: a 12 point deduction, a one year FA Cup ban and a £600 000 fine. The club protested though, and the cup ban and point deduction were quashed.

In the following seasons there has almost been a complete lack of trophies at White Hart Lane, with an exception of a League Cup victory in the 1998-99 season. Though the most recent seasons have shown a Tottenham side wanting success, but almost always failing when it matters the most. Their goal for the 2007-08 season among many a Spurs supporter was for the club to break into the famed “top four”. Though a horrid start of the season seems to have demolished the pre-season hope of the Spurs supporters. Will Spurs be able to turn the trend against Newcastle? Or will they continue their current dismal run? Only time will tell.

Possible Threaths/Star Players:

Name: Dimitar Berbatov
Age: 26
Nation: Bulgaria
Position: Striker

The self-proclaimed Newcastle fan used to sleep in a number 9 shirt when he was younger. But now he is an adult, and he gets payed to don a Tottenham number 9 shirt. Though, his career began early at local club Pirin Blagoevgrad until he was spotted by legendary scout and coach Dimitar Penev.

At the age of 17, Berbatov had moved to the all-time most successful Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia. He remained at the club for three seasons, scoring 37 goals in 65 appearances for the club. Winning the Bulgarian National Cup in the process. In January 2001, Berbatov got signed by German side Bayer Leverkusen where he went on to play 194 games and score 90 goals.

In May 2006 Berbatov signed for Tottenham Hotspur at a fee of £10.9 Million, making him the most expensive Bulgarian player in history. Joining up with the club at the 1st of July 2006 he went on to score 2 goals in the first two minutes in his first ever match as a Tottenham player in a friendly match against Birmingham City. He has been a major success at the club, and has at the moment 40 appearances and 14 goals for the club. He is a lethal striker and should never be underestimated. Even though he claims to be a fan of Newcastle United, he is unlikely to show any goalkeeper some mercy when they are on the opposing team.

Name: Jermaine Jenas
Age: 24
Nation: England
Position: Midfielder

Jermaine Jenas is Tottenham’s number 8, a former Newcastle United player and a great midfielder. Known for his strong “box-to-box” play and his ability to score from midfield he seemed to be a bright shiny star at his first season with Newcastle after signing from Nottingham Forest. Though, as the years went by his skill seemed to fade, something which culminated in the revelation that Jenas felt life at Newcastle was like “living in a goldfish bowl”, because of the expectations held by the Newcastle fans and the media attention he got.

At Deadline Day 2005 Jenas signed for Tottenham for £9 million. The move did him well and he went on to become a success at Spurs. Scoring seven times from midfield as Tottenham qualified for the UEFA Cup. Jenas is the fourth choice captain at the club and has recently signed a five year contract with the club.

Name: Ledley King
Age: 27
Nation: England
Position: Centre Back

Ledley King joined Spurs as a trainee in July, 1997, and went on to become a professional the following year. He debuted against Liverpool in May 1999. He is the captain of Tottenham and is also the current longest-serving Spurs player in the current squad. He is regarded by many a fan to be the best player at Tottenham along with Dimitar Berbatov. He is a rock in defense and will make any opposition work hard to get in a shot at goal.