vs BURNLEY F R I D AY 0 5 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 K I C K - O F F 8 P M £4.00 OFFICIAL KIT PARTNER GLOBAL PRINCIPAL PARTNER
6 2 THFC GOLDEN GOAL
ange postecoglou Our Head Coach targets success in a new competition as we prepare to face Burnley oliver skipp Exclusive interview with the Academy product who’s keen to keep making strides forward opposition Profiles, facts and stats as Vincent Kompany’s Clarets side arrive in N17 the spurs shirt Featuring another classic Spurs jersey, this one with a strong cup connection clarets in the cup Winding back the clock to a series of memorable encounters with Burnley emerson royal The Brazilian international on the languages he speaks (and those he wants to learn!) 6 18 28 40 49 59 I N T H I S I S S U E 4 CONTENTS THFC
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOOTBALL AND ATHLETIC CO. LTD, REG. OFFICE: LILYWHITE HOUSE, 782 HIGH ROAD, LONDON, N17 0BX Chairman: Daniel Levy Operations and Finance Director: Matthew Collecott Executive Director: Donna-Maria Cullen Chief Commercial Officer: Todd Kline Chief Football Officer: Scott Munn Director of Football Administration and Governance: Rebecca Caplehorn Technical Director: Johan Lange Non-Executive Director: Jonathan Turner Head Coach: Ange Postecoglou Senior Assistant Coach: Chris Davies Assistant Coaches: Mile Jedinak, Ryan Mason and Matt Wells First Team Goalkeeping Coach: Rob Burch Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science: Geoff Scott Dental Surgeon: Peter Rabin Football Secretary: Jennifer Urquhart Spurs Hotline: 0344 499 5000 Textphone Service for Deaf or Hard of Hearing: 020 8365 5194 Email: [email protected] MATCHDAY PROGRAMME Head of Publications: Jon Rayner Contributors: Sian Allpress, Rob Daly, Andy Greeves, Will Holderness, Anthony Marshall, Paul Miles, Billy Shaw REACH SPORT: Operations Editor: Adam Oldfield Commercial Editor: Chris Brereton Senior Production Journalist: Simon Monk Designer: Tom Rogers Marketing & Communications Manager: Claire Brown Photography: Shutterstock, THFC, PA Photos, Mirrorpix, Getty Images Printed by Bishops Published by For matchday programme subscriptions, email: [email protected] “Everyone has bought in to Ange’s ideas and the whole group is behind what the manager wants” THFC CONTENTS 5
6 ANGE POSTECOGLOU THFC
THFC ANGE POSTECOGLOU 7 “The FA Cup is special. It is a competition which I grew up watching in Australia and one which, I believe, still holds the same magic today” ood evening and welcome to tonight’s FA Cup third round tie against Burnley. I should like to welcome Vincent Kompany, his players, staff and everyone associated with the Clarets. We have already played Burnley once this season and know the threats they pose. They are a front-foot team who are always looking to attack, and we will have to be at our best this evening. We go into this fixture on the back of a victory over AFC Bournemouth here last weekend – our third home win in succession. I was pleased with the result and performance. We showed a bit of everything against the league’s in-form team. Some of our football was good, we had to show resilience and character at times, and – once again – put in a massive physical effort. This group of players have given everything during a gruelling period and that’s huge credit to their mentality. Last weekend we also had the opportunity to thank Hugo Lloris for his incredible service to this Club, ahead of his transfer to Los Angeles FC. I have only known Hugo on a personal level for a few months, however what he G contributed to this Club and his standing within the game is unequivocal. He represented Spurs exceptionally on and off the pitch over the past 11-and-a-half years, and it was great to see the reception you gave him as he moves on to a new stage in his career. This evening we will be without Heung-Min Son, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, who will be representing their respective nations at the Asian Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations over the next few weeks. While we will undoubtedly miss them, it is a huge honour to represent your country in a major tournament and I’m sure you will join me in wishing them good luck. The FA Cup is special. It is a competition which I grew up watching in Australia and one which, I believe, still holds the same magic today as it always has. I know how much it means to everyone at the Club, and I know about our special relationship with the FA Cup. That gives us even more motivation going into this evening’s game, and I’m excited about my first taste of FA Cup football coming here at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
8 FAREWELL HUGO THFC fter an 11-year career here at Spurs, Hugo Lloris has left us for a new challenge in America but admits he feels ‘privileged and proud’ to have represented the Club for such a long period. One of our greatest servants, seventh on our all-time appearance list with 447 in all competitions and our Club captain for nine years, Hugo’s time in north London has come to an end after completing a permanent transfer to MLS side Los Angeles FC. “I think the best word to describe my journey at Spurs is pride,” explained the 37-year-old in his final interview at Hotspur Way. “From the first moment I joined the Club I feel privileged and proud to represent the Club, to fight for the Club in the Premier League and in different European competitions. “I always tried to do my best to achieve the Club goals and to satisfy the fans. I know this Club means a lot to our fans and during all of my journey I tried to care, to care about the Club, the team and the people who work here and I always did so with ambition and humility.” Signed from Lyon on 31 August 2012, Hugo faced competition from Brad Friedel and Carlo Cudicini but eventually secured the number one spot in November that year and never looked back. Named captain in November 2014, he wore the armband until injury ended his 2022/23 season early in the April. He led us out in the Champions League Final in 2019. In that time, he became the first player to reach 300 appearances for us in the Premier League and remains our leading appearance maker in the competition on 361 – one of only two players to go past that 300 mark, alongside Harry Kane. He kept 127 clean sheets, placing him 12th in the league’s all-time standings. He’s one of only 17 goalkeepers to keep 100-plus clean sheets in the Premier League. First capped by France in 2008, Hugo played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and captained his country for the first time in November 2010, against England at Wembley. He went on to be appointed permanent Farewell Hugo W O R D S B Y J O N R AY N E R “It's time for me to say goodbye but it's goodbye from the player not from the man. I will be a Spurs man for the rest of my life” A
THFC FAREWELL HUGO 9 When Hugo first walked through the door of White Hart Lane in August 2012, we knew we were signing an exceptional goalkeeper with his best years ahead of him. I don’t think, however, anyone could have envisaged the indelible impact he would have made on Tottenham Hotspur over the following 11-and-half years. Leading us out at three cup finals, including the Champions League Final in 2019, he made 447 appearances in all competitions and will go down as one of our greatest-ever goalkeepers. THANK YOU, HUGO It’s been a pleasure to know and work with Hugo. He is a gentleman, a consummate professional and captained this Club with distinction for nine years. Hugo may be leaving us for a new challenge in the MLS, however he leaves an incredible legacy behind and will always be welcome at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Daniel Levy captain, leading Les Bleus out at Euro 2012, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, at Euro 2016 – where they suffered defeat at the hands of Portugal in the final on home soil – and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where France won the competition for the first time since 1998 and Hugo lifted the trophy. Most recently, he skippered his nation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where his side were runners-up. During that tournament, he broke Lilian Thuram’s record of 142 senior international appearances to become France’s all-time most-capped player. Hugo announced his international retirement the following month – January, 2023 – having amassed 145 caps in total. His time at Spurs will always be fondly remembered though, a calming and consistent presence in our team for many years and someone who understood what it meant to play for Spurs. He built up a great rapport with the Spurs faithful and admits he enjoyed his relationship with our fans. “Yes, in the good and in the bad moments but, sometimes, unfortunately as a player you cannot control everything that is going on,” added Hugo. “Sometimes you can understand the frustration of the fans but also you share the good moments with the fans because there were plenty of them and plenty of great memories. HUGO RECEIVES A SPECIAL PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE CLUB FROM LEDLEY KING, AFTER SAYING HIS FAREWELLS AT LAST WEEK'S GAME
1 0 FAREWELL HUGO THFC “The most important thing that our fans have to know is that every time I went onto the field I always gave my best. Ups and downs are part of a football club and sometimes, in the most difficult times, it is the best way to show your dedication and passion. Spurs is a big institution, I understood that from day one and I always wanted to defend this institution on and off the field.” Over the course of the last 11 years, Hugo has certainly seen a major transformation of the Club on and off the pitch during his time in north London. Admittedly the trophies haven’t followed, but the outgoing goalkeeper believes we are now entering another new phase of development which could lead us to new heights. “When I signed, it was a completely different Club,” he explained. “The evolution went so fast year after year, through different managers obviously and with ups and downs but the most important thing is to see where you arrive at the end. Even after a very difficult season last year, the Club bounced back with strong decisions and you can see that we are still going in the right direction with different people. “I believe that the team opened a new chapter during the summer with the new manager, a different style of play and you could feel from day one from the players and the fans that there is a real connection with this style of football. “Ange is doing an amazing job, the process is going very fast and it is exciting for all the Spurs supporters. You don’t know where the limit is because the team is very young and you still need to give time to this team to be even more competitive. “I believe that the team opened a new chapter during the summer with the new manager”
THFC FAREWELL HUGO 1 1 “I was not involved (in matches) but I have trained with the team since 1 July and believe me, the team is ready, competing in every single session, the demand is very high from the manager and the coaching staff but also really positive and after six months you can really see the impact and hopefully it will become stronger and stronger.” Looking forward though, Hugo’s focus now turns to matters away from Hotspur Way and N17. He and his family are heading for the west coast of America to begin a new adventure in Los Angeles, joining an LAFC side that won the MLS Cup in 2022 with a certain Gareth Bale in their line-up. It’s a challenge Hugo is excited to confront but, while he embarks on a life thousands of miles away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he promises that Spurs will never be far from his mind. “This is now a fresh challenge, a new life experience to share with my family and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I will discover the MLS, a new club, a new project and I will approach it like I always have in my career – with professionalism, ambition and passion. “But I want Spurs fans to know I gave my all for the Club and I can leave with a quiet mind. When you start a chapter at a club, I believe the most important thing is to leave an impression on the people – the fans, the team-mates, the coaching staff and the directors. “My family and I will have the Spurs DNA for life. This Club will always be a special place for us and we will always follow the team, it doesn’t matter where we will be in the world.” “It's time for me to say goodbye but it's goodbye from the player not from the man. I will be a Spurs man for the rest of my life.” Au revoir Hugo – and thank you for everything. “My family and I will have the Spurs DNA for life”
5 2 ANGE POSTECOGLOU THFC
THFC ANGE POSTECOGLOU 5 3 Proper off-road capability. Proven BMW engines. Ladder-frame chassis. Permanent four-wheel-drive. Three locking differentials. Solid Beam axles. We’ve learnt from the best of the past. And created a new utilitarian 4X4 designed for adventures far beyond Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Durable, capable, reliable, and built to go the distance, discover where the Grenadier could take you. ORDER YOURS TODAY ineosgrenadier.com OFFICIAL 4X4 VEHICLE PARTNER With ongoing development of the vehicle, the exact performance (including emissions and consumption performance) is not yet set. All models have been tested in accordance with the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) and as such all mpg and CO2 figures quoted are full WLTP figures. WLTP figures may be adjusted for the final vehicle and according to specification. The CO2 emission (Diesel – 308g/km, Petrol – 346g/km) and fuel consumption (Diesel – 23.9mpg, Petrol – 18.5mpg) figures quoted by INEOS are Combined Cycle estimates. The low figure is from a base vehicle, high from fully optioned vehicle with off-road tyres. Passenger (M1) vehicles are tested with 15% of payload. Commercial (N1) vehicles are tested with 28% of payload (Bodystyle and powertrain availability may vary by market). These figures may not refflect real world driving conditions, which will depend upon a number of factors including variations in weather, driving styles, vehicle load and accessories fitted (post-registration). Final CO2 emissions figures and resulting associated pricing will be confirmed by INEOS Automotive or your selected Retail Partner prior to order confirmation. Tests will be performed in accordance with legislation in force at the time of type approval. THE 4X4 THAT TACKLES WHATEVER COMES ITS WAY
1 4 A C T I O N R E P L AY THFC TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 Sarr 9, Son 71, Richarlison 80 ACTION REPLAY Vicario, Pedro Porro, Royal, Davies, Udogie, Bentancur (Hojbjerg 58), Sarr (Skipp 32), Lo Celso (Dier 82), Johnson (Bryan 82), Richarlison (Veliz 82), Son (c). Substitutes (not used): Forster, Dorrington, Phillips, Donley. 4-3-3 51% 12 6 94 LINE-UP POSS. SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS FOULS
THFC A C T I O N R E P L AY 1 5 Scott 84 AFC BOURNEMOUTH 1 DATE:31.12.23 COMPETITION: PREMIER LEAGUE VENUE: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM REFEREE: SIMON HOOPER Neto (c), Smith (Brooks 82), Zabarnyi, Senesi, Ouattara (Aarons 46), Cook, Christie (Scott 69), Sinisterra (Semenyo 61), Kluivert (Billing 61), Tavernier, Solanke. Substitutes (not used): Travers, Mepham, Rothwell, Moore. 4-2-3-1 49% 24 4 1813 LINE-UP POSS. SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS FOULS
1 6 NEWS THFC Add great taste to great games Download the Coca-Cola app:
THFC F R O M T H E VAU LT 1 7 A CARTOON NETWORK! For this week’s FA Cup fixture, we have pulled three cartoons from the collection to share. Cartoons were a major feature of our matchday programme up until the Second World War – after that, programme covers became plainer with just text until action photos started to appear on the front in the mid-1960s. The covers pictured here are from 1908, 1909 and 1910. The first cartoon shown here features tonight’s opponents Burnley and refers to a 1909 FA Cup third round fixture. At the time we were both in the old Division Two and whilst we came second that season and got promoted, Burnley did beat us in the FA Cup but then lost to Manchester United, who went on to win the competition. In the cartoon we see parcels labelled ‘Burnley to Crystal Palace via Tottenham’, being prepared for sending on the Great Eastern Railway. In the corner the Spurs mascot is on the parcel scales, sayings, ‘I’m in fine form.’ – a nod to Spurs having been unbeaten in the previous five league games. In the other cartoons pictured, we can see how the depiction of the mascot changed in 1910. In the 1908 and 1909 cartoon, he was depicted as an oversized cockerel but still of cockerel shape, whilst by 1910, he was fully anthropomorphised and much more similar to the Chirpy and Lily mascots we see today. Physical mascots have been a part of the sporting landscape since the early 1900s, the first one is thought to be a taxidermy mount used by the Chicago Cubs, however they did not have a costume mascot until 2014. The word itself comes from the French ‘mascotte’ which means lucky charm and was used to describe any object in the house which was thought to bring luck; there was even an opera written about such an object, first performed in 1880. The word continues to be used for lucky objects and specifically in our case, sports mascots. Cartoons from this era, outside of football, appeared across British Newspapers a n d s o m e o f t h e m o s t successful and popular ones also contained anthropomorphised characters, where the animals embarked on different adventures; like the ones our Cockerel gets up to. In the other two cartoons pictured here, our cockerel is seen bickering with a man with a bow and arrow, styled similarly to one of the three musketeers, although looking at fixtures surrounding the London Challenge Cup fixture against QPR, we can’t be sure who exactly he represents. The third cartoon shows the now anthropomorphic cockerel playing cards with a man dressed as a pirate, with Blackburn Rovers on his shirt, who looks to be hiding cards up his sleeve; but there is no easily findable situation which this may have been referring to. With these cartoons dating back to a much earlier period in our history, some of them require much additional research to uncover what the jokes were that the artists were making; often the jokes reference someone’s form, good or bad, or a surprising victory. The original cartoon collection in the archive is large, and we will look to share some more later in the season! WORDS BY SIAN ALLPRESS Our popular feature is back for another season as we dig into the club archives to examine the items and objects which have helped shape our history…
1 8 THE BIG INTERVIEW THFC
THFC THE BIG INTERVIEW 1 9 SKIPP IN HIS STEP hen reflecting on the first half of the season under Ange Postecoglou, Oliver Skipp believes the team are in an exciting position given they have levels to go yet. Ending 2023 on a high with a 3-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth last time out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on New Year’s Eve, our fourth win in five Premier League games saw us keep pace with the frontrunners in a highly competitive season so far. Returning to Hotspur Way after helping England to UEFA European Under-21 Championship glory and then showing impressive form in pre-season which included an excellent brace in a friendly at Barcelona, ‘Skippy’ was named in Ange’s first-ever starting XI in the league against Brentford, with the midfielder playing 75 minutes in our opening day 2-2 draw with the Bees. As our Head Coach embedded his attacking principles on a relatively new-look squad, it took no time at all for players – and fans alike – to buy into a refreshing attacking approach which brought instant success as the team put together an impressive 10-game unbeaten run with eight wins and two draws. Although the 23-year-old has had to settle for substitute appearances for the majority of this term, injuries and suspensions at key moments throughout the season has meant that Ange has needed to call on the whole squad, particular in midfield areas, to step up when called upon. Despite four defeats and a stunning comeback draw at holders Manchester City in a five-game winless run in November and early December, a heavily depleted squad showed a togetherness and spirit and, importantly, stuck to Ange’s principles throughout to bounce back with 12 from a possible 15 points to sit fifth in the standings – six points off leaders Liverpool, three points off second-placed Aston Villa and one point behind Manchester City and Arsenal in third and fourth. “Overall, it’s been really positive,” said the Academy graduate. “For the team, it’s been a new way of playing and, although WORDS BY WILL HOLDERNESS Exclusive interview with OLIVER SKIPP, our Academy graduate who is closing in on a century of first-team appearances for his boyhood club. W “We are only four months into this style of play and I am sure that we can definitely improve and we will improve”
2 0 THE BIG INTERVIEW THFC
THFC THE BIG INTERVIEW 2 1 we’ve let ourselves down a little bit in some games, it’s been a positive start. “You look at the players that came in this season, they’ve all done really well and adapted to the Premier League quickly – especially because a lot of them hadn’t played in England before so it’s been incredible. “We had that period where we had a few injuries – big injuries – but that’s in the past now and we’re trying to carry on with a young squad where players have taken responsibility and played well when needed. “Even when we’ve been down players in matches, we’re always looking to take the game to the opposition. There have been moments where we’ve stuck to what we believe in and that’s definitely helped us. “I think it comes from the whole team, a group effort, and we know that as a team we have to fight for each other. And when we are not playing at our best, we have to make sure that we show other sides of football like defending well. “Everyone has bought in to Ange’s ideas and the whole group is behind what the manager wants, it’s hard not to when we have people in charge who are very clear on what you need to be doing and with their instructions. “He’s very clear on what he wants a n d t h a t d o e s n ’ t eve r c h a n g e necessarily. He plays the style of football the fans and everyone wants to see so it’s an exciting time for the Club. “We are only four months into this style of play and I am sure that we can definitely improve and we will improve. The whole team can only get better as well as you look at the ages of a lot of the players and there is a lot of improvement from this group. I am certain of it.” “I set high standards and want to start every game. But I’ve made sure that whenever I’ve been called upon, I’ve been ready”
2 2 THE BIG INTERVIEW THFC Turn back the calendar just over six years prior to our first outing in 2024 against Burnley this evening, and a certain product of our Academy had been told only hours before kick-off that he would be making his full senior debut in the Premier League against the same opponent in December 2018. After coming off the bench for his Club debut in our League Cup fourth round win over West Ham United in October 2018, Skippy’s first league appearance came two months later in the final stages against Southampton and then, with barely any time to digest the news, came his first start against the Clarets. Sporting the number 52 shirt, the then 18-year-old held his own in a midfield pairing alongside Moussa Sissoko in a 4-2-3-1 formation before being replaced by Sonny on 75 minutes, with Christian Eriksen’s stoppage-time winner giving us a narrow 1-0 league victory at a rainsoaked Wembley Stadium. “I didn’t know I was starting until an hour-and-a-half before kick-off, so I didn’t have time to get nervous for it!” Skippy revealed. “I also remember it was pouring with rain and it being a really tough game but one that I’ll always remember for my full debut.” Now into his fifth season as an established first-team player, with 2020/21 on loan at Norwich City in which he featured in all but one fixture to help the Canaries clinch the Championship, Skippy is on the brink of a century of senior appearances for his boyhood club. “It’ll be a great achievement,” he beamed. “Coming from the Academy to playing 100 senior games is something I can’t take for granted so that’ll be a proud moment. “But it’s one I want to carry on for as long as possible, I’m still young so I want to keep going and keep pushing to play more.” Closing in on A century
THFC THE BIG INTERVIEW 2 3 Ending 2022/23 with a run of 14-straight league starts, Skippy’s longest such streak in the side, this term they’ve been harder to come by with three starts from 15 appearances in all competitions so far, with his most recent coming in our 2-1 home win over Everton on 23 December. Whilst he sets the bar high and admits he would ideally like to start every game, some of the midfielder’s best qualities are in his readiness and availability which, mixed with his work ethic and versatility, make him a valuable member of the squad due to his willingness and ability to play across the midfield in our 4-3-3 system. “Obviously, I set high standards and want to start every game,” said our number four. “But I’ve made sure that whenever I’ve been called upon, I’ve been ready, so I’ll continue to do that. “As a player, you want to start every game but that’s not been the case. It’s been good in terms of feeling ready when I have played and working hard in training to make it easier when I do come in. “I played a lot when I was younger as a No 6, so it’s something I’m used to. At the start of the season, I was playing more as a No 8 higher up the pitch, trying to make forward runs to help the team in attack. I’m happy to play wherever the manager wants me and put in performances that help the team.” As the league campaign takes a momentary pause and attention turns to the FA Cup, tonight sees us host Burnley in the third round under the lights in a competition that evokes fond childhood memories for Skippy and in more recent times, like the ‘magic’ of travelling to non-league Marine at the same stage three years ago. Having played out an entertaining 5-2 win over the Premier League newcomers in September thanks to Heung-Min Son’s hat-trick at Turf Moor, Vincent Kompany’s side currently sit 14 places below us in 19th with three wins, two draws and 15 defeats from their opening 20 games, but the midfielder is wary of facing a top-flight opponent regardless of the respective league positions. Although we’ve not progressed past the fifth round during his time in the first team, it is a domestic cup the team are taking seriously and will relish the opportunity to advance through the rounds to go deep into the competition, starting with a ‘tough game’ against the Clarets this evening. “It’s always a competition you watch growing up, so I have fond memories of watching it as a child,” said the England Under-21 international. “Especially the early rounds, I love watching the lower league teams taking on some of the bigger teams - it’s always exciting to watch. “I remember a few years ago, when I was out on loan at Norwich City, I watched Spurs go to Marine and it’s incredible when you see players like Gareth Bale coming on against teams like that. It’s always a competition that’s exciting and one that we’ll take seriously. “We know it’ll be a really tough game and we’re not taking any opponent lightly despite their league position. We know that any Premier League opposition that we play will be tough, so we’ll be ready. “We go into every game trying to win so that won’t change regardless of the competition. We know that we need to put in a performance to get through to the next round and it’s a competition we’re relishing.”
5 2 ANGE POSTECOGLOU THFC Fly Better to your perfect winter getaway in Dubai with Emirates. Stroll hand-in-hand along silky soft beaches, dine at worldclass restaurants and indulge in a shopping spree. Start your holiday on board with exceptional comfort, regionally inspired cuisine and up to 6,500 channels of entertainment. Relax in comfort with your favourite drink and explore up to 6,500 channels of entertainment. Watch a new movie, discover a new box set or pick the soundtrack for your journey. It’s the ideal way to start your holiday.
THFC ANGE POSTECOGLOU 5 3 Fly Better to your perfect winter getaway in Dubai with Emirates. Stroll hand-in-hand along silky soft beaches, dine at worldclass restaurants and indulge in a shopping spree. Start your holiday on board with exceptional comfort, regionally inspired cuisine and up to 6,500 channels of entertainment. Fly better to a sun-soaked getaway in Mauritius. Immerse yourself in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and explore the island paradise where pristine beaches meet lush rainforests. Start your holiday on board with exceptional comfort, regionally inspired cuisine and up to 6,500 channels of entertainment.
2 6 TICKETS THFC CATEGORY A CATEGORY B CATEGORY C Senior Over 65 years old Aged 65 years or over on 12th August 2023 Young Adult Junior Aged 21 years or younger on 12th August 2023 Aged 17 years or younger on 12th August 2023 Adult Senior Junior £65 £32.50 £49 £32.50 £71 £35.50 £53.50 £35.50 £75 £37.50 £56.50 £37.50* £78 £39 £58.50 n/a £78 £39 £58.50 £39 £83 £41.50 £62.50 £41.50 £88 n/a n/a n/a £93 n/a n/a n/a £95 n/a n/a n/a £103 n/a n/a n/a No Match Ticket Availability No Match Ticket Availability Eligibility for Concessionary priced 2023/24 match tickets Under 22 years old Under 18 years old Young Adult 109, 110 110 , 451 - 453, 514 - 516 111,113, 248 - 250, 258 - 260, 322 - 325 101, 108, 112, 124, 508, 509, 513, 517, 521, 522 252, 254, 256, 416 - 418, 422 - 424, 514 - 516 251, 252, 254, 256, 257, 322 - 325, 419 - 421, 451 - 453, 501, 502, 507, 508, 522, 523, 529, 530 102, 107, 123 502, 503, 506, 507, 523, 524, 528, 529 104, 105, 504, 505, 525, 527 248 - 252, 254-260 103, 105, 119, 122, 503 - 506, 524, 525, 527, 528 504, 505, 525, 527 , 323, 324, 451, 453, 501, 502, 529, 530 Approved Safe Standing Areas Blocks 248-260 Rows 1-29 and Blocks 323, 324, 451, 452 and 453 rows 71-82. *Please note that Junior concessions are not available in the Safe Standing area in our single-tier South Stand as this area is not deemed suitable for children. Match Ticket Prices South Category A Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United 451 - 453, 510-520 £103 n/a n/a n/a Senior OvYoung Adult Junior Eligibility for Family Area The following blocks make up our Family Area: 109, 110, 416, 417, 510, 511, 512 UU109, 110 110 , 451 - 453, 514 - 516 111,113, 248 - 250, 258 - 260, 322 - 325 101, 108, 112, 124, 508, 509, 513, 517, 521, 522 252, 254, 256, 416 - 418, 422 - 424, 514 - 516251, 252, 254, 256, 257, 322 - 325, 419 - 421, 451 - 453, 501, 502, 507, 508, 522, 523, 529, 530102, 107, 123 502, 503, 506, 507, 523, 524, 528, 529 104, 105, 504, 505, 525, 527 248 - 252, 254-260 103, 105, 119, 122, 503 - 506, 524, 525, 527, 528504, 505, 525, 527 323, 324, 451, 453, 501, 502, 529, 530 Approved Safe Blocks 248-260*Please note thsingle-tier SoutTottenham Hotspur Stadium | 2023 / 2024 Match TickeNorth South East West Category A AWAY SECTION AWAY SECTION 514 252 249 250 251 248 254 256 257 260 259 258 325 324 322 451 452 453 522 523 524 525 527 528 529 530 521 520 424 519 516 517 518 420 419 421 418 422 423 515 513 417 510 512 416 509 511 508 507 506 505 504 503 502 501 119 122 124123 113 112 111 108 107 105 104 103 110 109 102 101 234 233 232 323 Arsenal, Chelsea, Li451 - 453, 510-520 Adult Senior Junior £48 £24 £36 £24 £53 £26.50 £40 £26.50 £57 £28.50 £43 £28.50* £60 £30 £45 n/a £60 £30 £45 £30 £64 £32 £48 £32 £69 n/a n/a n/a £71 n/a n/a n/a £79 n/a n/a n/a £95 n/a n/a n/a No Match Ticket Availability No Match Ticket Availability Eligibility for Concessionary priced 2023/24 match tickets Young Adult 109, 110 110 , 451 - 453, 514 - 516 111,113, 248 - 250, 258 - 260, 322 - 325 101, 108, 112, 124, 508, 509, 513, 517, 521, 522 252, 254, 256, 416 - 418, 422 - 424, 514 - 516 251, 252, 254, 256, 257, 322 - 325, 419 - 421, 451 - 453, 501, 502, 507, 508, 522, 523, 529, 530 102, 107, 123 502, 503, 506, 507, 523, 524, 528, 529 104, 105, 504, 505, 525, 527 248 - 252, 254-260 103, 105, 119, 122, 503 - 506, 524, 525, 527, 528 504, 505, 525, 527 , 323, 324, 451, 453, 501, 502, 529, 530 Match Ticket Prices South Category B Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, 451 - 453, 510-520 Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers £95 n/a n/a n/a Adult Senior Junior £37 £18.50 £28 £18.50 £43 £21.50 £32.50 £21.50 £47 £23.50 £35.50 £23.50* £50 £25 £37.50 n/a £50 £25 £37.50 £25 £54 £27 £40.50 £27 £59 n/a n/a n/a £61 n/a n/a n/a £65 n/a n/a n/a £80 n/a n/a n/a No Match Ticket Availability No Match Ticket Availability Eligibility for Concessionary priced 2023/24 match tickets Young Adult 109, 110 110 , 451 - 453, 514 - 516 111,113, 248 - 250, 258 - 260, 322 - 325 101, 108, 112, 124, 508, 509, 513, 517, 521, 522 252, 254, 256, 416 - 418, 422 - 424, 514 - 516 251, 252, 254, 256, 257, 322 - 325, 419 - 421, 451 - 453, 501, 502, 507, 508, 522, 523, 529, 530 102, 107, 123 502, 503, 506, 507, 523, 524, 528, 529 104, 105, 504, 505, 525, 527 248 - 252, 254-260 103, 105, 119, 122, 503 - 506, 524, 525, 527, 528 504, 505, 525, 527 , 323, 324, 451, 453, 501, 502, 529, 530 Hotspur Stadium | 2023 / 2024 Match Ticket Prices South East Category C AWAY SECTION AWAY SECTION 252 249 250 251 248 254 256 257 260 259 258 325 324 322 451 452 453 522 523 524 525 527 528 529 530 21 509 508 507 506 505 504 503 502 501 119 122 124123 113 112 111 108 107 105 104 103 110 109 102 101 234 233 232 323 AFC Bournemouth, Burnley, Luton Town, Sheeld United 451 - 453, 510-520 £80 n/a n/a n/a Eligibility for Concessionary prices 2022/24 match tickets Senior Over 65 years old Aged 65 years or over on 12th August 2023 Young Adult Under 22 years old Aged 21 years or over on 12th August 2023 Junior Under 18 years old Aged 17 years or younger on 12th August 2023 Approved Safe Standing Areas Blocks 248-260 Rows 1-29 and Blocks 323, 324, 451, 452 and 453 rows 71-82. *Please note that Junior concessions are not available in the Safe Standing area in our single-tier South Stand as this area is not deemed suitable for children. TICKETS
THFC TICKETS 2 7 MANCHESTER UNITED PREMIER LEAGUE OLD TRAFFORD SUNDAY 14 JANUARY KICK-OFF 4.30PM Allocation: 3,098 including 18 wheelchair user/personal assistant pairs, 18 ambulant/personal assistant pairs. Prices: Adult: £30; Senior Over-65: £25; 18-20 Year-Olds: £25; 17 and Under: £20 Wheelchair and Ambulant tickets are priced as above with a free-of-charge personal assistant ticket. Ticketing Points: 2 Season Ticket Holders with 333 or more ticketing points who applied by the deadline have been successful and will be issued a clear view ticket. Wheelchair Season Ticket Holders with 109 or more ticketing points who applied by the deadline have been successful and will be issued a ticket. Ambulant Season Ticket Holders with 239 or more ticketing points who applied by the deadline have been successful and will be issued a ticket. Payment was taken on Tuesday 2 January. Successful applicants will receive their digital ticket by 5pm on Tuesday 9 January. Safe Standing Old Trafford has a licensed safe standing area in blocks E230, E231, E232 and S229 of the visitors’ section. We will contact all successful applicants once the deadline has passed advising how a seated ticket can been requested. The application window has now closed. Please monitor the website for updates. In the event that tickets are oversubscribed for this match they will be allocated in line with the Club’s ticketing point scheme. Digital Tickets For this fixture we will be issuing our allocation as digital tickets. As for home games, a link will be sent to the assigned supporter via email to download their ticket to their Apple/Google Wallet. This link will be sent to the individual successful Season Ticket Holder and not to the lead applicant. Any supporter who is successful with their application and who does not have a compatible device will be able to submit a request to receive a paper ticket. These requests will be monitored, and the ticket may only be available to collect on the day of the fixture at Old Trafford on production of photographic ID. BRENTFORD PREMIER LEAGUE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY KICK-OFF 7.30PM Ticketing Point: 3 Tickets for this fixture have sold out. Ticket Exchange is now open. This fixture is a Category B ticket pricing. All tickets are subject to availability. EVERTON PREMIER LEAGUE GOODISON PARK SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY KICK-OFF 12.30PM Please monitor the website for updates on when applications will be available for this fixture. BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION PREMIER LEAGUE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY KICK-OFF 3PM Ticketing Point: 3 Tickets for this fixture have sold out. Ticket Exchange is now open. This fixture is a Category B ticket pricing. All tickets are subject to availability. UPCOMING FIXTURES SALE DATES FOR FUTURE FIXTURES ON SALE WINDOW OPPONENT FIXTURE DATE PRICE CATEGORY ONE HOTSPUR + ONE HOTSPUR MEMBERS ONE HOTSPUR + ACCESS MEMBERS ONE HOTSPUR - ACCESS MEMBERS 5 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 10 FEB 24 B 10AM, MON 27 NOV 10AM, TUE 28 NOV 2PM, MON 27 NOV 2PM, TUE 28 WOLVES 17 FEB 24 B NOV CRYSTAL PALACE 2 MAR 24 B 6 LUTON TOWN 30 MAR 24 C 10AM, TUE 23 JAN 10AM, TUE 23 JAN 2PM, MON 22 JAN 2PM, TUE 23 JAN NOTTINGHAM FOREST 6 APR 24 B 7 MANCHESTER CITY 20 APR 24 A 10AM, MON 4 MAR 10AM, TUE 5 MAR 2PM, MON 4 MAR 2PM, ARSENAL TUE 5 MAR 27 APR 24 A BURNLEY 11 MAY 24 C
2 8 OPPOSITION THFC BURNLEY
THFC OPPOSITION 2 9 NICKNAME: THE CLARETS FOUNDED: 1882 STADIUM: TURF MOOR ALL-TIME MOST APPEARANCES: JERRY DAWSON (569) ALL-TIME MOST GOALS: GEORGE BEEL (188) The former Manchester City stalwart is in his second managerial job since hanging up his boots at the end of a storied playing career. His coaching journey began at Anderlecht, initially as a playermanager then head coach, before he took the Burnley role in June 2022. He won promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, being named Championship manager of the season as he won the league title with 101 points. The Clarets have found the going tough on their return to the top flight, currently sitting in 19th place in the Premier League table. However, a victory over Fulham during the Christmas period provided some much-needed festive cheer, only to be followed by defeats against Liverpool and Aston Villa, the latter thanks to a late penalty decision. Today’s FA Cup encounter brings a change of scenery and is a competition in which they reached the quarterfinals last season. SINCE LAST TIME… MANAGER PROFILE: VINCENT KOMPANY CLUB INFO
3 0 OPPOSITION THFC Enjoyed for 150 years. One way or another. Enjoyed for 150 years. One way or another. “Heineken®” is a registered trademark. Enjoy Heineken® Responsibly
THFC OPPOSITION 3 1 02.09.23 TURF MOOR PREMIER LEAGUE BURNLEY 2-5 SPURS (Foster 4, Brownhill 90+4) (Son 16, 63, 66, Romero 45+2, Maddison 54) We recorded our biggest-ever victory at Turf Moor thanks to a scintillating attacking display under new boss Ange Postecoglou, with skipper Heung-Min Son netting a hat-trick. The Clarets took an early lead thanks to Lyle Foster, but Son equalised before Cristian Romero curled us ahead. James Maddison scored a beauty after half-time, before Sonny slotted home two more in quick succession. Josh Brownhill’s late consolation couldn’t prevent us from climbing to second in the league table. SPURS WINS: 11 DRAWS: 3 BURNLEY WINS: 3 MATCHDAY OUR LAST ENCOUNTER: HEAD TO HEAD BURNLEY PL STATS* WHAT THEY SAID: “2023 WAS FILLED WITH ALL THE TYPES OF MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES YOU WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. LIFTING TROPHIES, WINNING FOOTBALL MATCHES, AND ALSO SHARING MOMENTS WITH THE FANS.” — KOMPANY ON THE YEAR JUST GONE “IT WON’T MAKE SENSE TO ANYONE OUTSIDE BUT I THINK I AM THE PROUDEST MANAGER IN THE LEAGUE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY WILL BOUNCE BACK FROM THIS AND WILL KEEP GOING.” — VINCENT KOMPANY AFTER DEFEAT AT ASTON VILLA MOST GOALS: LYLE FOSTER (4) MOST ASSISTS: DARA O’SHEA, LYLE FOSTER (BOTH 3) PASS COMPLETION: 80.9% AVERAGE POSSESSION: 47.2% (* STATS FOR 2023/24 PL SEASON) VICARIO TRAFFORD MADDISON VAN DE VEN BISSOUMA PORRO O’SHEA CULLEN BEYER BERGE AL DAKHILL GUDMUNDSSON SOLOMON UDOGIE SARR ROBERTS KOLEOSHO SON KULUSEVSKI ROMERO FOSTER AMDOUNI
3 2 OPPOSITION THFC FOUR TO WATCH JAMES TRAFFORD JOSH BROWNHILL JORDAN BEYER LYLE FOSTER AGE: 23 | SQUAD NUMBER: 5 The German defender was on loan at Turf Moor last season as the Clarets won promotion from the Championship, before sealing a permanent move from Hamburg at the start of this term. AGE: 23 | SQUAD NUMBER: 17 A South African forward who joined from Belgian side Westerlo in 2023, Foster has hit four goals in 11 league appearances for the Clarets this term. Has also appeared 10 times for his country, scoring three times. AGE: 21 | SQUAD NUMBER: 1 Trafford joined Burnley from Manchester City last summer, a matter of weeks after he played a starring role in England Under-21s’ European Championship triumph. Formerly on loan at Bolton. AGE: 28 | SQUAD NUMBER: 8 The former Preston, Barnsley and Bristol City man signed for Burnley in 2020, and has since made 152 appearances for the Clarets, scoring 13 times – including once against us in August. THE KEEPER THE MIDFIELDER THE CENTRE-BACK THE STRIKER
THFC OPPOSITION 3 3 THE STATS LAST PREMIER LEAGUE GAME LAST FIVE GAMES Despite playing just 11 games, Lyle Foster has been directly involved in seven league goals this season (4 goals, 3 assists). No team have received more red cards than Burnley (4) in the Premier League this season. Zeki Amdouni averages 1.7 shots per game this season, the highest number in the Burnley squad. Dara O’Shea averages 3.4 successful aerial duels per game this season, the highest number in the Burnley squad. ASTON VILLA 3-2 BURNLEY Villa Park, 30.12.23 GAME STATISTICS SHOTS SHOTS ON TARGET FOULS CORNERS PASSING ACCURACY IN % POSSESSION IN % GOALS 1-0 (28) L.Bailey (assist O.Watkins), 1-1 (31) Z.Amdouni (assist D.O’Shea), 2-1 (42) M.Diaby (assist O.Watkins), 2-2 (71) L.Foster (assist J.Gudmundsson), 3-2 (89) D.Luiz penalty 19 7 9 6 82% 66% 9 5 14 2 80% 34% D L W L L DID YOU KNOW? 19+7+9+6+82+66 9+5+14+2+80+34 AGE NATIONALITY GOALKEEPERS 49 ARIJANET MURIC 25 KOSOVAN DEFENDERS 3 CHARLIE TAYLOR 30 ENGLISH 6 CJ EGAN-RILEY 20 ENGLISH 14 CONNOR ROBERTS 28 WELSH 18 HJALMAR EKDAL 25 SWEDISH 22 VITINHO 24 BRAZILIAN 28 AMEEN AL DAKHIL 21 IRAQI 2 DARA O’SHEA 24 IRISH 44 HANNES DELCROIX 24 BELGIAN MIDFIELDERS 4 JACK CORK 34 ENGLISH 7 JOHANN BERG GUDMUNDSSON 33 ICELANDIC 16 SANDER BERGE 25 NORWEGIAN 24 JOSH CULLEN 27 ENGLISH 15 NATHAN REDMOND 29 ENGLISH 21 AARON RAMSEY 20 ENGLISH 42 HAN-NOAH MASSENGO 22 FRENCH FORWARDS 9 JAY RODRIGUEZ 34 ENGLISH 10 BENSON MANUEL 26 BELGIAN 19 ANASS ZAROURY 23 MOROCCAN 27 DARKO CHURLINOV 23 MACEDONIAN 48 ENOCK AGYEI 24 GHANAIAN 25 ZEKI AMDOUNI 23 SWISS 30 LUCA KOLEOSHO 19 ITALIAN 34 JACOB BRUUN LARSEN 25 DANISH 45 MICHAEL OBAFEMI 23 IRISH 47 WILSON ODOBERT 19 FRENCH 31 MIKE TRESOR 24 BELGIAN AND THE REST...
3 4 M AT C H D AY C O U N T D O W N THFC MATCHDAY SPURS 2-0 BRENTFORD 05.01.21, CARABAO CUP We booked our place in our ninth League Cup Final on this day three years ago thanks to a 2-0 win over Brentford in a one-leg, behind-closed-doors semi-final. Man of the match Moussa Sissoko opened the scoring against the then-Championship side, with Heung-Min Son securing the win with 20 minutes left. MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 SPURS 05.01.20, FA CUP Four years ago, we were held to an FA Cup draw by Championship outfit Middlesbrough, led by a management team of former Spurs legends Jonathan Woodgate and Robbie Keane. Ashley Fletcher put the hosts ahead at the Riverside, but Lucas Moura headed home to earn a replay which we won. BURNLEY 1-1 SPURS 05.01.15, FA CUP Tonight’s visitors Burnley were our opponents on this day in 2015 for another FA Cup third round tie. A low-key clash at Turf Moor saw Nacer Chadli fire us ahead in the 56th minute before Sam Vokes levelled for the Clarets to force a replay, which we won 4-2. SPURS 3-0 COVENTRY CITY 05.01.13, FA CUP A dominant display saw us ease past League One Coventry City at White Hart Lane 11 years ago today. All our goals came in the first half, Clint Dempsey putting us in front before his shot fell to Gareth Bale and he converted from close range. USA striker Dempsey add our third with a far post header. SPURS 1-0 PORTSMOUTH 07.01.23 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM We faced League One opposition at this stage last season as Portsmouth visited N17 and we needed a solitary strike from Harry Kane to settle the tie, the England international curling home a wonderful goal five minutes into the second half. SPURS 3-1 MORECAMBE 09.01.22 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM League One Morecambe came close to an upset two years ago after taking the lead through Anthony O’Connor and holding it until the 74th minute. MOST RECENT FA CUP 3RD RD WINS GAMES ON THIS DAY But that’s when Harry Winks levelled the scores and, having stepped off the bench, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane struck in the final five minutes to seal the win. MARINE 0-5 SPURS 10.01.21 MARINE TRAVEL ARENA The romance of the FA Cup was in full effect in 2021 as we faced eighth-tier side Marine of the Northern Premier League Division One North West. There were 161 places between the clubs – the biggest-ever gap between two teams in the competition’s history and we won thanks to goals from Carlos Vinicius (3), Lucas Moura and Alfie Devine – who became our youngest-ever goalscorer at 16 years, 163 days. SPURS 2-1 MIDDLESBROUGH 14.01.20 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM Following a 1-1 draw at the Riverside, we returned to north London to book our place in round four. Early goals from Gio Lo Celso and Erik Lamela put us in control, with George Saville pulling one back for Boro seven minutes from time. TRANMERE ROVERS 0-7 SPURS 04.01.19 PRENTON PARK Fernando Llorente hit a hat-trick and Serge Aurier netted a brace as we recorded our biggest-ever away win on Merseyside five years ago. League Two Tranmere had no answers to our attacking threat, with Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane also on target. HARRY WINKS LEVELS AGAINST MORECAMBE IN 2022
THFC M AT C H D AY C O U N T D O W N 3 5 COUNTDOWN AARON LENNON Exciting winger who joined us a teenager from Leeds United in June 2005 and scored 30 goals in 367 appearances during a 10-year spell in north London in which he won the 2008 League Cup. After a stint at Everton, he moved to Burnley for two years between 2018-20 and returned for the 2021/22 campaign after a year with Kayserispor. GEORGES-KEVIN NKOUDOU Another winger to feature for both clubs, the Cameroon international played for Nantes and Marseille before moving to Spurs in August 2016. Struggled to make an impact here, scoring once in 27 games over four years, which included an eight-game loan spell with Burnley in 2017/18. Currently with Damac in Saudi Arabia. PAUL ROBINSON Hugely popular goalkeeper who ended his career at Burnley, featuring three times for the Clarets in 2016/17. Spent four years with us between 2004-08, making 175 appearances and famously scoring against Watford at White Hart Lane. Also played for Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers and capped 41 times by England. HEUNG-MIN SON BURNLEY 2-5 SPURS 02.09.23 Not for the first time, Heung-Min Son was a thorn in Burnley’s side when we met in September. The South Korean had already scored a FIFA Puskas Award-winning goal in a 5-0 win against the Clarets in 2019 and this time netted a hat-trick in another five-goal show. After cancelling out Lyle Foster’s opener, Son scored twice in three minutes in the second half to complete his treble as we enjoyed a 5-2 victory. HARRY KANE BURNLEY 0-3 SPURS 23.12.17 Harry Kane gave us an early Christmas present in 2017 as he scored three times in another convincing win at Turf Moor. It was the Academy product’s seventh hat-trick of the year one which saw him equal Alan Shearer’s record for Premier League goals scored in a calendar year with a total of 36. The front man added to his early penalty with two well-taken secondhalf strikes in a game we dominated to climb up to fifth in the table. 12.02.66 SPURS 4-3 BURNLEY WHITE HART LANE Goals galore in our FA Cup fourth round clash with Burnley back in February 1966, as we edged through in a seven-goal thriller. Both sides had their own hat-trick heroes, with Burnley’s Northern Ireland forward Willie Irvine unfortunate to score a treble and still be on the losing side. Our star man at the Lane was Alan Gilzean, whose treble helped us progress in a game in which we only led in the final moments! Just 50 seconds were on the clock when Irvine put the visitors ahead and he doubled their lead after only four minutes. But Gilzean headed home a Cliff Jones cross in the 35th minute and he repeated the feat from a Jimmy Greaves corner five minutes after the interval. We fell behind again though, Irvine completing his hat-trick for the Clarets only for Gilzean to turn provider with a great pass for Jones to set up Frank Saul to make it 3-3 with 20 minutes left. With just two minutes remaining and a replay at Turf Moor looming, a Burnley clearance landed at the feet of our Scottish forward and Gilzean rifled home the winner to the delight of the majority of the 50,611 crowd. However, our cup hopes were ended at Preston North End in round five, as we slipped to a 2-1 defeat. PLAYED FOR BOTH HAT-TRICKS V BURNLEY FA CUP CLASSIC PAUL ROBINSON IN BURNLEY COLOURS ANOTHER HARRY KANE HAT-TRICK...
3 6 OPPOSITION VIEW THFC ou joined Burnley on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 2011 and then signed for the Clarets permanently in July 2012. How did your move to Turf Moor come about? Eddie Howe, who had been a player and then a manager at Bournemouth while I was there, was Burnley manager at the time. Eddie took me to the club. I was there on loan to begin with as you say, and then I made the move permanent the following summer. I’d loved my time there on loan and I was delighted to make it a permanent move. I’d had six loan moves before I signed for Burnley permanently (with Vokes also having played for Leeds United, Bristol City, Sheffield United, Norwich City and Brighton & Hove Albion whilst under contract with Wolves). I was looking for a home and I found that in Burnley. One of the big highlights during your time at Burnley must have been winning promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2013/14 season? Yeah, it was huge. When I was first there, Eddie Howe was there for six months, then he left and Sean Dyche came in. It was a bit of a transitional period. He brought in some new players and changed the squad a bit. I can remember at the start of that season, seeing in some newspapers that we were favourites to get relegated. But we obviously finished second in the Championship and got promoted. It was an amazing season, although I did my cruciate ligament three games before the end of the season, meaning I missed the last few games of that campaign and about six months of the Premier League season (2014/15). So, that promotion was a bittersweet moment too. Just two games into your return to first team action for Burnley after that cruciate knee ligament injury, you scored in an FA Cup third round match against Spurs at Turf Moor on 5 January, 2015? That’s right. It was a big moment for me and it meant a lot after being out with injury for as long as I was. We drew 1-1 in that game but we lost in the replay at White Hart Lane. What other FA Cup memories spring to mind from your career to date? I can’t say the FA Cup is a competition I have that many good memories from unfortunately, although it’s a competition you obviously grow up loving as a kid. I dare say the furthest I have ever got in the competition is to the fifth round with Burnley when we were knocked out by Lincoln (February 2017). That was a real low point, because you feel the opportunity was there for us to get to the quarter-finals or even the semi-finals. After relegation in 2015, the 2015/16 season must be one you have fond memories of, as Burnley won the Championship title with you scoring 16 goals in 46 matches in all competitions? That was the season when I felt back to myself after my injury. There aren’t many teams you see that manage to bounce straight back to the Premier League after being relegated, so to win the Championship title that season was very special. We were able to keep hold of the core of the squad that had got us promoted to the Premier League the time before and it held us in good stead. OPPOSITION VIEW Y Each matchday, ANDY GREEVES speaks to a player that formerly turned out for our visitors. Tonight, SAM VOKES, who currently plays his club football for Wycombe Wanderers, reflects on two memorable spells with Burnley between 2011 and 2019 that saw him score 64 goals in 267 appearances and gain two promotions to the Premier League.
THFC OPPOSITION VIEW 3 7 I remember losing at Hull on Boxing Day (2015) and we dropped out of the play-off spots at the time. We had 23 league games to go and we went on a run when we didn’t lose any of those and ended up winning the title. To do that in a league as unrelenting as the Championship was incredible. It was a great time in my career because after winning promotion, I went to the Euros with Wales that summer and we got to the semi-finals of the tournament. Then, the following season (2016/17) with Burnley, we were able to carry the momentum from that previous Championship season and it was enough for us in the end to stay in the Premier League. What have you made of Burnley this season? It has been an indifferent season for Burnley. They took the Championship by storm last season but it was always going to be tough for them in the Premier League. It was a tough start for them but they’ve managed to pick up some big results of late. Beating Sheffield United by the score they did (5-0) and then beating Fulham will give them that confidence going into the second half of the season. I’ll obviously be looking out for them, as I always have done since being a Burnley player. I’d obviously love to see them stay up this season. And what have you made of Spurs? Like many people, I’ve been really impressed by Spurs this season. Ange (Postecoglou) has been fantastic for them. He’s a great character and I admire his honesty and also the football he has got Spurs playing. It would be nice to see Spurs challenge for the Premier League title in the second half of the season. The football they are playing feels fresh and exciting. They’ve had quite a few injuries to contend with, but even with some big players out, you are still seeing them pick up big results. Who are the Tottenham players you most admired during your career? Some of my best mates during my career have played for Tottenham, including Kieran Trippier. Tripps did so well for Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino. And there’s obviously the Welsh lads. Ben Davies has had an incredible career for Wales. You see him as the leader of the group now as he’s been around for so long. He has worn the armband when Aaron Ramsey has been injured and what a job he has done. And what can you say about Gareth Bale. The greatest player I’ve ever seen in the flesh. In training, we were all like school kids just watching what he could do with the ball. There’d be a squad of 22 players all watching him take free kicks after training! You’re 34 now…how much are you continuing to enjoy your football at Wycombe Wanderers? I’m enjoying it hugely. When I left Stoke in the summer of 2021, it was all about enjoying football. I’m part of a great group of lads at Wycombe and, as a Bournemouth lad, I’m not too far from home. “like many people, i’ve been really impressed by spurs this season” SAM VOKES CELEBRATES ONE OF HIS 64 GOALS IN A BURNLEY SHIRT
THFC T H E D A LY C O L U M N 3 9 wins in five, one that may well have looked different were it not for Vicario’s recent performances. He’s yet to make a single error that has led to a goal according to Premier League statistics. All his saving stats are impressive, but he’s not all about defence. “I can define myself as an attacking goalkeeper. It’s a different way to see the role but I’m ready for this,” he said after his first conversation with Ange Postecoglou. He often does start the attacks. He’s bold in possession. He is the ideal modern keeper. As was Lloris when he arrived back in 2012. Now 447 appearances later, he leaves for MLS a legend. We’ll wait to see what legacy Vicario enjoys in N17 – but for now, there are few better goalkeepers in European football. ne of my favourite Guglielmo Vicario moments of the season wasn’t even a save – coming at the Emirates with the score at 0-0. It came after Destiny Udogie, pressed by the corner flag, played a poor back pass, with the goalkeeper having to swiftly narrow the angle to deny the pouncing Eddie Nketiah. But the 27-year-old then followed this up, not by performatively berating his young team-mate, but by giving a thumbs-up and applauding as if to say it was the right idea. It showed an understanding of the pressure on 20-year-old Udogie in that moment, playing against Bukayo Saka in the opening moments of a maiden north London derby. It felt like leadership – something Spurs were also trying to replace with Hugo Lloris’ time at the club coming to an end. “It is an honour to have had the opportunity to work with him for just six months,” said Vicario, when I asked him about the former club captain on Sunday. “An unbelievable player, a professional every day with me – he helped me a lot in every training (session).” It appears to have been an amicable handover and a successful succession too. In short, Vicario has been a revelation. Having climbed the football pyramid in Italy, he came to the fore after two excellent Serie A seasons with Empoli, earning an Italy call-up. However, this is his most high-profile role yet and one senses he’s not wasting the chance. Dejan Kulusevski even jokingly i m p l o r e d V i c a r i o o n I n s t a g ra m t o t a ke a d a y o f f – w i t h t h e goalkeeper regularly at the training ground gym even when not required. “It’s a dream for me to be here,” he said upon his arrival. “I started my career from the bottom. It was so difficult. I had to do all the levels. This experience makes me mentality strong. Every step helped me.” One only needs to watch back the best Spurs saves of 2023 to be reminded of his defining moments – crucial stops in wins over Manchester United, Fulham and Nottingham Forest. His heroics late against Everton last month, to keep out Arnaut Danjuma’s fierce deflected effort, earned another win. Even in the defeat to Chelsea with nine men, Vicario left the game with enormous credit for sweeping in behind the high-line. Spurs’ recent form guide reads four The latest instalment of ROB DALY’s popular feature, with our SPURSPLAY commentator this week lauding the performances of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario… W O R D S B Y R O B D A LY O GUGLIELMO VICARIO HAS BEEN A TRANSFORMATIVE SIGNING
4 0 THE SPURS SHIRT THFC
THFC THE SPURS SHIRT 4 1 A new edition of The Spurs Shirt book, which chronicles the history of the iconic Tottenham Hotspur jersey, is now on sale in the Spurs Shop. This highly-acclaimed official publication tells the club’s story through an incredible collection of historic match worn jerseys and this new, fully revised and updated edition includes a shirt worn during the 1961 FA Cup Final when the Double was secured. With its clean, white simplicity, the lilywhite jersey worn by Bill Nicholson’s glorious Double-winning heroes is one of the classic Spurs shirts. What sets great managers apart is the constant search to discover areas where even the slightest advantage might be gained. The great ‘Bill Nick’ would obsessively seek out small details which could make a positive difference to player performance, and that included the playing kit. The Spurs boss was a pioneer of the school of thought that considered style in terms of a potential performance advantage – the ‘if you look smart, you play smart’ ethos. This was of course an era when the team manager had influence over all aspects of the club, and that included having the final say on the club’s kit colour and design. This attention to detail was seen in Bill Nick’s first full season in charge of Spurs, in 1959/60, when he changed the home shirt to Umbro’s lighter cotton, short-sleeved v-neck ‘Continental’ style. Clean and stylish, just like the passing that characterised the Spurs team that wore it, the shirt looked good and felt good to play in. And the rest is history… Having secured the league title in mid-April 1961, the Double-winning campaign culminated in the FA Cup final against Leicester City, which prompted the production of a bespoke set of Umbro shirts with the match detail ‘WEMBLEY 1961’ boldly embroidered beneath the crest. This is the first time that a specific bespoke match detail appeared on the Spurs shirt. The jersey featured here was worn by full-back Peter Baker, one of the unsung heroes among the star-studded Lilywhites, whose reliability, composure, athleticism and innate understanding of the game played a significant part in providing the foundation for all the magic that took place further up the field. Unusually, Spurs failed to dazzle at Wembley but still ran out 2-0 winners to secure the FA Cup and become the first side in the 20th century to achieve the Double, something many had regarded as an impossible feat. A footnote to the story of this shirt that underlines Bill Nick’s attention to detail is his decision that Spurs would wear white shorts for the following season’s European Cup campaign, rather than the usual navy – a tradition that has been (mostly) followed ever since. For many years this was believed to have been a tribute to the mighty Real Madrid, winners of the first five European Cup competitions between 1956 and 1960. In fact, it was to help the players pick each other out in floodlit games. THE STORY OF THE SHIRT The Spurs Shirt: The Official History of the Tottenham Hotspur Jersey is available now from The Spurs Shop, price £40.
More exclusive images from Hotspur Way as the lads prepared to embark on our FA Cup journey this evening. TRAINING DAYS 4 2 T R A I N I N G D AY S THFC
THFC T R A I N I N G D AY S 4 3
4 4 I N T E R N AT I O N A L D U T Y THFC
THFC I N T E R N AT I O N A L D U T Y 4 5 s the club’s focus turns to the FA Cup today, January also brings us great entertainment in the form of two international tournaments that proudly feature ‘three of our own’, Heung-Min Son, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr. In the coming summer, the attention will be firmly on Euro 2024, but as the new year approaches, it is the AFC Asian Cup and African Cup of Nations’ turn to thrill TV audiences. Our first Asian player was Hung Dang, however, the highly-rated youngster failed to make the first-team. Hung arrived in England in the mid-1970’s seeking refuge from war-torn Vietnam. A Somerset 100m and high-jump champion, the athletic schoolboy was coveted by Aston Villa, Manchester United and Juventus but plumped for Spurs after winning Bobby Charlton’s Soccer Schools competition in front of 40,000 at Old Trafford. After scoring four England Under-16 goals, alongside Ian Walker and Scott Houghton, The FA School of Excellence graduate’s promising career was dealt a huge blow when a spinal fracture led to his release from the club. Rapid Chinese sensation Qu Bo was next on our radar after impressing at the 2002 World Cup, but following two friendly appearances, the striker was denied a work permit. Six months later, Japanese international Kazuyuki Toda arrived on loan from Shimizu S-Pulse for a short spell until the end of the season. HEUNG-MIN SON HAS 116 CAPS FOR SOUTH KOREA TO DATE INTERNATIONAL DUTY With three of our players heading off this month to represent their nations at international tournaments, we take the opportunity to peruse our rich history of Asian and African players and their achievements on the world stage. WORDS BY JOHN CHAMBERS A
4 6 I N T E R N AT I O N A L D U T Y THFC The first Asian to make a real impression here was South Korea’s Young-Pyo Lee who joined from PSV Eindhoven in 2005. Spending three years in N17, the tenacious left-back represented his country at the 2006 World Cup but missed the 2007 Asian Cup. Lee made 93 appearances and won 18 of his 127 caps whilst in our colours but missed the 2008 League Cup Final despite playing in four ties. Our very own Ange Postecoglou has history in the Asian Cup, winning the tournament as Australia manager in 2015. In the final against South Korea, former Spurs youngster Massimo Luongo, who made one League Cup appearance for us versus Stoke City, put Australia ahead before future Spurs captain Son equalised in injury time. An extra-time winner from James Troisi sealed the silverware and our current coach Mile Jedinak lifted the trophy. Just months later, Sonny moved from Bayer Leverkusen to N17, gaining superstar status over the last eight years. Undoubtedly the greatest Asian player in history, Sonny is now close to 400 appearances for Spurs, sits sixth in our all-time scoring chart with 157 and has been named ‘Best Footballer in Asia’ on an incredible eight occasions. Other personal notable achievements are winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2021/22 and the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award in 2020 for his mazy dribble from his own penalty box past numerous Burnley players before confidently finishing. Son has featured in two World Cups, one Asian Cup, one Olympic Games, won the Asian Games, and earned 73 of 116 caps at Spurs. He sits third in South Korea’s all-time scoring chart with 41 goals, behind Cha Bum-Kun (58) and Hwang Sun-Hong (50). Whilst at Spurs, Son has captained Korea 47 times, which has only been bettered by Hugo Lloris (107) and Harry Kane (59). Only Kane (58) and Robbie Keane (33) have netted more than his 30 goals and his appearance in this coming Asian Cup will see him draw level with our club record of six international tournaments set by Lloris. Our first African player was Wilf Waller in 1899, becoming our firstever player from abroad. A talented amateur goalkeeper, Wilf toured England with a South African club and decided to stay on. After turning out for Corinthians, Richmond Association and Tottenham, where he played five matches, Waller was selected for an FA XI Tour of Germany in November 1899 before featuring in the 12-0 thrashing of Germany at White Hart Lane in 1901. He also represented Bolton, Queens Park, Southampton and Watford before returning to South Africa in 1906. The next African to grace the White Hart Lane pitch was tricky winger John Chiedozie in 1984. After emigrating from Nigeria, aged 12, Chiedozie came to the attention of a myriad of London clubs after starring for Newham and London Schools. He eventually settled on Orient, where his performances earned a move to Notts County and international caps to boot. Whilst at Spurs, he won three Nigerian caps, becoming our first African international but did not feature at AFCON. Following Chiedozie was Nayim in 1988. Born in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in Africa that borders Morocco, the skilful midfielder made history by becoming the first Muslim to appear in the Premier League. Our first player at AFCON was Mali’s Frédéric Kanouté, who marked the occasion with a brace versus Kenya to also become our first scorer. A day YOUNG-PYO LEE SIGNED FOR SPURS FROM PSV IN 2005 FREDERIC KANOUTE WAS THE FIRST SPUR TO TAKE PART IN AFCON
THFC I N T E R N AT I O N A L D U T Y 4 7 later, South African centre-half Mbulelo Mabizela became our second representative in Tunisia 2004. Mabizela went out at the group stage, but Kanouté led Mali to the semi-finals, where they lost to Morocco – Kanouté topped the goal list with four, alongside three others. At Egypt 2006, we had two representations following Noureddine Naybet and Mido’s selections. Pitted against each other as Morocco and Egypt went head-to-head in Group A, they both featured in a goalless draw. The ever-present Naybet was unluckily eliminated at the group stage, where Morocco conceded just one Didier Drogba penalty in three games. Mido played four games, scoring versus Libya, but missed the final, which Egypt won on penalties, through a bizarre six-month ban imposed by the Egyptian FA due to a heated argument with the coach after a semi-final substitution. Didier Zokora, our first Côte d’Ivoire international, played four matches at Ghana 2008, eventually crashing at the semi-final stage to Egypt. Emmanuel Adebayor, our only Togolese international to date, was next at South Africa 2013. Scoring versus Algeria in the group, Adebayor became the first Tottenham player to captain at AFCON, where Togo bowed out in the quarter-finals by the odd extra-time goal versus Burkina Faso. Following in the footsteps of Moussa Saïb, our first Algerian international, Nabil Bentaleb featured at Equatorial Guinea 2015. Bentaleb played four games, scoring versus Senegal, before crashing to Côte d’Ivoire 3-1 in the quarter-finals. Serge Aurier was up next at Egypt 2019 when he skippered Côte d’Ivoire in the first two group games, but a serious hamstring injury caused him to miss the following three matches as the Ivorians crashed out on penalties to Algeria in the last eight. Our only Kenyan international, Victor Wanyama captained his nation to a group exit in 2019 before Pape Matar Sarr was part of Senegal’s successful Cameroon 2021 campaign played a year late due to Covid-19, however, the youngster only featured in a 12-minute substitute appearance in the semi-final victory over Burkina Faso. Sarr’s selection for this year’s tournament sees him become our first player to feature at two separate AFCONs. In total, we have had 27 African, or of African descent, players who have represented their country. Thirteen have featured internationally but not played at AFCON whilst at Spurs; Chiedozie (Nigeria), Saïb (Algeria), Thimothée Atouba, Sébastien Bassong, Benoît Assou-Ekotto, Clinton N’Jie (Cameroon), Hossam Ghaly (Egypt), Bongani Khumalo, Steven Pienaar (South Africa), Adel Taarabt (Morocco), Christian Maghoma (DR Congo), Kallum Cesay (Sierra Leone) and Bissouma (Mali). A further four have won caps either before or after their Lilywhite careers; Nacer Chadli played once for Morocco before switching to Belgium, Steven Caulker featured in an England friendly but now represents Sierra Leone and Georges-Kévin Nkoudou and KevinPrince Boateng have represented Cameroon and Ghana respectively. Our most-capped African is Zokora, winning 31 of his record 123 Côte d’Ivoire caps with us, and our highest scorer record is held jointly by Kanouté and Adebayor with seven goals. MIDO SCORES FOR EGPYT AT AFCON IN 2006 DIDIER ZOKORA WAS OUR FIRST COTE D’IVOIRE INTERNATIONAL
4 8 CLARETS IN THE CUP THFC Science in Sport is the trusted Performance Solutions Partner of Tottenham Hotspur, providing Hydration, Energy and Recovery solutions that are formulated from science for endurance. OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS PARTNER JOIN THE TEAM AND GET AN YOUR ORDER AT SCIENCEINSPORT.COM AND FUEL YOUR SEASON WITH SCIENCE IN SPORT EXTRA 10% OFF CODE: SPURS10
THFC CLARETS IN THE CUP 4 9 “They had Jim McIlroy, one of the greats of that time; Jimmy Anderson, a defender; striker Ray Pointer and John Connelly, a winger who was always a threat. It was always a difficult game against Burnley and always an attractive one. “They were tight matches and we had our ups and downs against them, but whether it was at Turf Moor or White Hart Lane, the fans knew they were going to get a quality game and we usually obliged.” Those sentiments were echoed by Maurice Norman, our commanding centre-half of the early 1960s who recalled the great rivalry before his sad passing in November 2022. “Ourselves and Burnley were two very good teams, arguably the two best around at the time,” he said. “Turf Moor was a very difficult ground to visit and I don’t think we got many results there. They obviously won the league the season before we did, so they were definitely one of our rivals for silverware.” Led by Harry Potts, manager at Turf Moor between It was the clash of the titans. Two footballing heavyweights met three times in the FA Cup between 1961-63. In the blue and white corner – Tottenham Hotspur. The first winners of the Football League and FA Cup Double in 1960/61, FA Cup winners in 1962, the first British team to win a European trophy in 1963, regarded as one of the greatest club sides of all time. In the claret and blue corner – Burnley. League champions of 1959/60 and supremely consistent in the period that followed with fourth place in 1960/61, runners-up in 1961/62 and third the next season. Cliff Jones, a key figure in the contests, summed up the rivalry: “We were the big two of the day, without question. “They had a lot of great players and were a special side. In many ways they were very similar to us, especially in their approach to the game. They passed the ball very accurately. The theory is always that it’s easy to get the ball, but much harder to keep it. CLARETS IN THE CUP While this evening sees the 10th FA Cup clash between ourselves and Burnley, it was back in the 1960s when the two powerhouses locked horns in some classic encounters in the world’s most famous cup competition… BOBBY SMITH IN ACTION IN THE 1961 FA CUP SEMI-FINAL W O R D S B Y J O N R AY N E R
5 0 CLARETS IN THE CUP THFC 1959-70, Burnley would play a notable part in our history during the glory, glory days of the early 1960s, none more so than in the Double season of 1960/61, when the reigning champions met the champions-elect in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Villa Park. “It was a big test, recalled Cliff. “Obviously, if we won, we knew we’d be in the FA Cup Final and that was something special. The semi-final was at Aston Villa, tricky conditions and I remember we took the lead through Bobby Smith.” Fast forward to the second half and a sensational restart in which, within four minutes, Burnley had a goal disallowed, we had two near misses, then Smith struck again. Burnley battled hard to find a way back into the contest but Maurice remained supreme at centre-half. Cliff then wrapped it all up with the third goal in the last minute and a final 3-0 scoreline – Spurs fans rushing onto the field to carry Smith to the dressing room entrance. “You could always rely on Bobby, especially on the big occasions,” added Cliff. “It was a big win for us and the first thoughts were that we were in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, not about the Double. It’s something all players dreamt of back then. Bill Nicholson was keen that we took it one game at a time. Even when we finally clinched the Double against Leicester at Wembley, Bill wasn’t too happy with the performance – he was a perfectionist.” The two teams met again on Wembley’s hallowed turf in the final a year later. “It was a much better final in ’62,” said Cliff. “Of course, we had Jimmy Greaves with us on that occasion, the best goalscorer in the world and he scored very early in the final. That was ideal for us, a very important goal.” After just three minutes of the Wembley showdown, Greavsie got a clear run at the Burnley goal. Having glided past a number of their defenders, he seemed to lose control of the ball for a second before retrieving it and firing low past Burnley keeper Adam Blacklaw to put us ahead. “Jimmy was Jimmy,” said Maurice. “He could play well, badly or indifferently, but he’d always get the goals. That was what he was there for and he never let us down. Alongside him, Bobby Smith was a hard man. I think we needed someone like that who was a real presence, was tough, good in the air and could score goals. Bobby did a lot of hard work for Jimmy that made it easier for him to score goals. The frontline as a whole was magnificent, with John White, Terry Medwin and, of course, Cliff Jones.” Added that man Cliff: “To Burnley’s credit, they came back and equalised (through Jimmy Robson) but Bobby scored a terrific goal to make it 2-1. Bobby was one of the best strikers at the time and I always say he CLIFF JONES AND JIMMY GREAVES WITH THE FA CUP IN 1962 “The frontline as a whole was magnificent, with John White, Terry Medwin and, of course, Cliff Jones” — maurice norman