2005-06 Season

5th in the Premier League
League Cup: 2nd Round, Grimsby Town a. 0-1
FA Cup: 3rd Round, Leicester City a. 2-3

Highlight:
1-0 win at Everton 15/4/06

Low Spot:
Only drawing 1-1 at home to Arsenal after outplaying them 29/10/05

Good:
Ledley King
King was monumental at the back and the side immediately looked wobbly when he was missing.
Equally dominant on the ground and in the air he should keep Spurs hovering around the top end of the table for a few years to come if the club can keep hold of him.
Michael Carrick
Calm, measured and constructive Carrick was instrumental in Tottenham's challenge for a Champions League place and played himself onto the very fringe of the England team.
If he can just force himself further up the pitch he will be an important player over the next few years because he can make the ball talk.

Bad:
Gregor Rasiak
The lumbering Pole was one of the more surprising summer signings and he never looked Premiership quality. Was willing to join in but had nothing to bring to the party.
Wayne Routledge
Comprehensively overtaken in the pecking order by Aaron Lennon he had to go to Portsmouth to get some football.
Has a lot to prove at this level, especially in his end product which consistently disappoints.

In Brief:
Spurs spent the season suggesting they were ready to compete with the big boys again but ended up proving nothing.
They were unfortunate in losing 4th spot to Arsenal, especially after seeing the squad hit by food poisoning on the eve of the last game, but there could be no excuses for defeat to lower league opposition in both cup competitions.
The defeat at Leicester in the FA Cup was especially embarrassing given that they had led 2-0 at one point.
Nevertheless, with a young squad there is plenty of hope for the immediate future but the squad is still a few players short of being real top quality.

Tottenham Hotspur FC - Club History

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, one of the most famous names in English football, was formed in 1882 emerging from the Hotspur Cricket Club.

The club came to national prominence in 1895 when they reached the 4th round of the FA Cup. The following year Tottenham applied for membership to the Football League but were refused entry. They were, however, allowed straight into the first division of the Southern League where the club flourished.

In 1901, starting a great tradition, Tottenham became the only non-league side to win the FA Cup. In doing so they overcame Preston North End, Bury and West Bromwich Albion, renowned cup fighters at the time, before overcoming Sheffield United in the final.

Spurs needed a replay to take the trophy after the first game at Crystal Palace finished 2-2 but they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners at Bolton in the second game despite the presence of William "Fatty" Foulke in the United goal.

The star of this cup run was undoubtedly Sandy Brown who became the first man to score in every round of the competition and managed 15 in total, which remains a record.

Tottenham were eventually elected into the second division in 1908 and confirmed their prowess by winning instant promotion to Division One. Although life in the top flight was initially difficult there was controversy surrounding the clubs' relegation to Division Two after the First World War.

Spurs had finished bottom of Division One in the final season before the war but the division was subsequently increased in size from 20 clubs to 22, a decision which seemed likely to save the club from going down.

Surprisingly, however, Arsenal were placed into the first division at their expense despite having finished only 6th in Division Two before the war. Very strange.

Tottenham responded in style, however, winning the second division championship at the first attempt and going on to claim their second FA Cup victory the following year in 1921, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the final.

After another strong season in 1921-22 when the club finished 2nd in the league and reached the semi finals of the FA Cup Tottenham entered a gradual decline and spent as much time in the second division as the first before truly establishing themselves among the countries elite in the early 1950's.

Having run away with the Division Two championship in 1950 Spurs repeated the feat the following season to become league champions for the first time. Under the management of Arthur Rowe the club became famous for their "push and run" style of attacking play.

Tottenham enjoyed even greater success after Bill Nicholson became manager in 1958. In 1961 Nicholson led his side to the league and FA Cup double, in 1962 they claimed another FA Cup success and they followed that up the next year by winning the European Cup Winners Cup.

Spurs beat Leicester City 2-0 and Burnley 3-1 to register their FA Cup triumphs before anihilating Atletico Madrid 5-1 in Rotterdam to become the first English side to win a European competition.

This was one of the truly great English sides boasting such talents as Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, John White, Cliff Jones, Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith.

In 1967 Spurs won the FA Cup again when they beat Chelsea 2-1 in the first ever all London final.

There was further cup success in the early 1970's with League Cup wins in 1971 and 73 either side of UEFA Cup success in a two legged final against Wolves.

In 1974, however, the club lost its first ever final when Feyenoord of Holland defeated them at the end of another UEFA Cup campaign.

Tottenham suffered relegation to the second division in 1977 but bounced back immediately and led English football into a new era with the exciting signing of the Argentinian World Cup winners Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa.

Again the club found success in cup competitions, winning back to back FA Cups in 1981 and 82 with wins over Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers and also beating Anderlecht on penalties to claim the UEFA Cup in 1984. Spurs also missed out on the League Cup in 1982 after a 3-1 extra time defeat to Liverpool.

Since that time Spurs have slipped down the pecking order not only nationally but also in North London where their bitter rivals Arsenal have held the upper hand for the past couple of decades.

The Gunners helped spoil what promised to be a memorable season for Spurs in 1987 by knocking them out of the League Cup at the semi final stage although greater disappointment came in the shape of a 3-2 FA Cup final defeat at the hands of unfancied Coventry City.

Tottenham therefore finished empty handed at the end of a season in which Clive Allen banged in a remarkable 49 goals for the club.

Revenge came in 1991 when Spurs recorded a famous 3-1 semi final victory over Arsenal on their way to another FA Cup triumph. They were inspired by a wonderful Paul Gascoigne free kick and a brace from Gary Lineker before Gazza showed the other side of his make up in the early stages of their 2-1 final success over Nottingham Forest.

Since then Tottenham's interest in honours has been confined to the League Cup, winning the competition in 1999 after victory over Leicester and finishing as runners up in 2002 after defeat against Blackburn Rovers.

With a newly constructed squad boasting a nucleus of young English talent under the management of Martin Jol Tottenham are currently suggesting that they might be about to challenge Arsenal for supremacy in North London and, perhaps, become a national force again.

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