Tottenham Hotspur

Of all the Premier League founder members Spurs have had the most tempestuous 12 years. 
There were many in football who felt they were destined as the next ‘big club’, after Leeds to 
drop into Division One. Indeed the team were in the bottom three at Christmas 2003, a 
traditional football albatross.

Internal politics, petty rivalries, ego clashes not to mention poor managerial appointments and 
even worse signings, all contributed to many a Spurs fans casting envious glances, privately 
anyway, towards Highbury.

Seven managers in 12 years, not to mention board takeovers, had an adverse effect on any 
title ambitions at White Hart Lane and for a club once considered ‘top six’ they were fortunate, 
at times, to be ‘top ten’.

Spurs’ highest ever Premiership finish was seventh, in 1995. The next best was eighth, three 
times and then comes three 10th places, so it’s easy to see why Tottenham supporters, with 
their ‘glory, glory days’ legacy, haven’t had much to shout about in contesting the title.

One wonders what Spurs might have achieved in their best ever season had they not been 
hamstrung by the six point penalty imposed by the Premier League for ‘financial irregularities, 
that wasn’t removed until nearly half the season was gone. With Jurgen Klinsmann scoring 
freely, in his first Premiership campaign, ably abetted by Teddy Sheringham, the team was in 
the top six by New Year’s Eve and stayed there until February but a draw with Liverpool and a 
shock Southampton defeat hit any title aspirations. Just four more wins followed, in the last 
eight games and a Premiership best of seventh was achieved. Since 1995 its been a steady 
decline in terms of Premier League impact.

Most of the first season was spent in the lower half of the table and only nine wins, from 20 
1993 fixtures ensured eighth place. The following season the feud between Alan Sugar and 
Terry Venables almost cost Tottenham their top flight status. It was during the conflict that 
the financial irregularities, concerning undeclared loans that were never intended to be repaid, 
came to light. Seven consecutive defeats meant 16th place by March and, despite a five game 
unbeaten run, three more reverses dropped Spurs to 18th though a couple of wins eased 
relegation worries for 15th finishing place.

In October 1994 Ossie Ardiles was sacked and Gerry Francis engineered a remarkable 
transformation. The defence was turned into a unit and a tough fitness regime instituted and 
the team improved from 15th to sixth inside two months. Spurs only lost five games in the 
second half of the campaign and might have finished higher than seventh had they not failed 
to win in their last five fixtures.

The team never recovered from a poor start and finished 1995–96, 8th,despite being in the 
top five until March, because of only one win in the last eight games.

An injury crisis the following season, at one stage 13 first choice players were out, contributed 
to mid-table mediocrity and the team was never higher than seventh. Teddy Sheringham, top 
scorer with seven goals, says it all as the team ended up 10th.

Tottenham were uncomfortably close to the drop zone for much of the next campaign. Gerry 
Francis was replaced by little-known Swiss coach, Christian Gross, who swept into White Hart 
Lane wielding his tube-ticket. Jurgen Klinsmann returned but made little impact, top scoring 
with nine goals. The start of January saw Spurs 19th but a five-game unbeaten run helped the 
side finish 14th.

Gross used the return portion of his tube-ticket after the 3–0 home defeat by Sheffield 
Wednesday and chairman Alan Sugar made, perhaps, the most controversial managerial 
appointment ever when George Graham was recruited. The team finished that season 11th, so 
there was improvement, but only three of the campaign’s 11 wins came against teams above 
Tottenham.

Spurs were actually second in August 1999 but soon dropped to 10th and the side were 
unable to match or exceed that start of three wins in a row and ended up 10th again.

2000–01 was memorable for Alan Sugar selling the club to ENIC, after 10 years in control, but 
the second half of the season, after being fifth in September, saw Spurs in the bottom half 
and they finished 12th in a season of bad will as George Graham suffered constant barracking. 
He didn’t help himself by selling the popular David Ginola. Without the enigmatic Frenchman 
Spurs lacked creativity and in April, after Graham rowed with the new owners they replaced 
him with Glenn Hoddle.

By the end of October 2001 eight top players were out injured but the side still proved 
inconsistent and three games without defeat, three times in the campaign, was the best they 
could manage, and ninth place was the finishing position.

An unbeaten start in 2002–03 meant top spot after four games but it was downhill afterwards. 
Spurs, with Robbie Keane and Sheringham combining well, were eighth at the turn of the year 
but could never go more than three games without losing and four defeats in the last five 
fixtures meant 10th place, again. White Hart Lane then lost its favourite Teddy as Sheringham 
left, in the summer, to join Premiership newcomers Portsmouth.

Glenn Hoddle’s poor start to 2003–04 ended his reign at Tottenham and for the bulk of the 
campaign director of football David Pleat picked the side, that was in the bottom three at the 
halfway mark. Although the team rallied to finish 14th, the second half of the season was 
marred with uncertainty as to who the manager would be for 2004–05.

After an inconspicuous first dozen years Spurs fans were left hoping that the incoming 
manager would be a combination of Bill Nicholson and David Blaine. They were at least owed 
that.

Managers

Ossie Ardiles           1993–1994

Gerry Francis          1994–1997

Christian Gross        1997–1998

George Graham        1998–2001

Glenn Hoddle           April 2001–2003

David Pleat             2003–2004