It was dangerous but there was more of a unity between the fans. There is a lot more pressure now. He was aged 29. The Club continues to recognise the legacy Walter has left on our game and our society, while educating local young people on the history of Tull through our Foundation. If you dont have time to tune in right now, you can listen to todays show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast or your favourite podcast app. You learned to anticipate the surge and it was always best to get down to the front, although even that was dangerous because people were falling towards you. Cheers! MattP.S. He went on to manage Ajax and Barcelona, and handed a young Johan Cruyff his debut. Tottenham Sweden on Twitter: "THANKS for EVERYTHING you've done for our It was so unusual to have a terrace at a second level running along one of the sides, rather than behind a goal. Home fans just before kick-off at the north London derby in April 2017. One of my earliest memories of White Hart Lane was training there when I was six or seven on an indoor ballcourt that was on the side of the stadium. He quickly made his mark, with the team avoiding relegation in 1913/14, although there was a disappointing slump toward the end of the season, with only one victory in the last nine games. Support for the series came from a wide range of local historians, heritage, and civic organisations. To stay in the loop aboout more great local stories, subscribe to our email newsletter or see who else weve interviewed here. Every man, it would appear, knew his place, and took care to be occupying it at the right moment, and if that kind of thing continues then we may well expect Tottenham to be in the running for any of the honours which are going., Scotlands Pele: Andrew Watson emerged from slavery to become a black football icon. Mr Fennelly says McWilliam possessed all the attributes a great manager needed, with an uncanny ability to spot talent others had not seen. So one regret is that I have never seen us win the league. I love how the Club is now as I leave. When I finished my apprenticeship on the Enfield Gazette, I was immediately offered the job of covering Spurs for the Tottenham Herald. Every European night that Ive been to or been involved in, whether its Europa League or Champions League, has been special. He grew up in a children's home in London after his parents died. In 1948 Duquemin played for Tottenham against Guernsey in a game at The Track. I can still reel off the famous team Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, Mackay, Jones, White, Smith, Greaves, Dyson. By the time things were getting back to normal he had assembled a squad of players way too good for the Second Division. You didnt mess with him. Can you imagine that these days? That was his way of doing things. The air seemed a bit fresher and it was as though you could run a bit longer and a bit faster. The Aston Villa goalkeeper Nigel Sims can only look on as the ball flies into the net from Cliff Joness diving header. He was the hard man of the team. Amongst their collection of Len memories is an historic piece of memorabilia. McWilliam died on October 1, 1951 in Redcar and is buried in Kirkleatham cemetery. It is much more formal now because the seats, obviously, had to come in. I am reminded of certain games, like when we beat Crewe Alexandra 13-2 in the FA Cup in 1960. My dad is a massive Spurs fan who started going to White Hart Lane with his uncle when he was knee-high, and Ive grown up with the club in my blood. That is reflected by the fact that back then there was just me - I did the programme, magazine and organised the press on matchday. Rowe was the first man to win a First Division championship with Tottenham before Nicholson took on McWilliam and Rowes philosophy to even greater effect, becoming the clubs greatest-ever manager, winning eight major trophies at White Hart Lane. Sky Sports News are everywhere and the game is massive. That result remains the clubs record win. I remember very clearly seeing him there, walking around. A seven-question introduction to the men and women behind the scenes at the club starting with Press Officer John Fennelly. There were quite a few times when I would finish training and see some of the first-team lads. The 1991 team were considerably fitter but there was, quite clearly, more skill in the 1981 team. What a stadium! Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. Everyone will be emotional and sad when White Hart Lane is knocked down because of the prestige and heritage of the place. Aberdeen Journals Ltd 2023. Now there is a team involved. He won the FA Cup as a player with Newcastle United, and then as a manager with Spurs in 1921, a feat very few have emulated. On the way I saw in the old Evening News a job for a kid with sports knowledge to act as a Fleet Street copy boy. From that day Eileen still has a signed hat from the Tottenham team. The family then moved to 13 Argyle Street as more McWilliams moved in, Peters brother John, also a widower, and his family coming to live next door. Tottenham Hotspur official handbook 1989-90 by John Fennelly - Goodreads Its just amazing. Its hard to overstate the shrewd Invernessians impact on the game of football. Fans used to jump up into the air and almost get on to the side of the pitch. Peter Snr was a grocers porter, and they settled initially at 23 Argyle Street with a growing family Peter Jnr being the youngest of four and the only boy. On the way out, close the door behind you. And that was it. But then Id never seen us reach the Champions League Final either! John Fennelly has 11 books on Goodreads with 11 ratings. It was just four standalone stands. Sky this week published a case study revealing that Game Zero, our Premier League match against Chelsea here in September, achieved net zero carbon emissions. After two goals in 10 senior games, Tull joined Northampton Town in October, 1911, in a deal that saw defender Charlie Brittan move to White Hart Lane. My dad would sit me on one. My first game at White Hart Lane was in 1966. If its your first time listening to a podcast, click here to learn how to listen and enjoy audio shows. JF: When I first arrived I was given the job as the club journalist. Home My Books World War One took its toll on his players and Spurs ended up bottom of the table in 1914-15. One time, Jimmy Greaves convinced me that I should go in to see Bill about a pay rise. Duquemin passed away in 2003 but his memory lives on in Guernsey. (Making them the first team to win both the League and the FA Cup in the 20th Century). When I first arrived at Tottenham, they used to have a marching band providing pre-match entertainment. Danny Blanchflowers episode was written/edited by Matthew Thompson and produced by Owen McFadden. The corners of the stadium were also not filled in with seating. Peter McWilliam: How Inverness footballer became Spurs manager and inspired Cruyff, Guardiola and total football, About Us 275 Years of The Press and Journal, https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/3397744/peter-mcwilliam/, World War One took its toll on his players, regarded by many as the worlds greatest coach, Knight Property Group: Founder and chairman James Barrack hails 'solid' performance, 'An irresistible location for golf tourism': Major conference will showcase Highlands around the world, Peterhead man thanks community for support after murder of 'kind and generous mum', Daffodil picker's dangerous near-miss with HGV on A92, Stephen Gallacher: Rickie Fowler proves nice guys can finish first with Rocket Mortgage Classic, Kerry Hudson: Actually, a pram in the hall doesn't stop but fuels great art, Prayers made in ancient ceremony at Coire Glas to patron saint of tunnels, Cricket: Michael Leask aims to make Scotland proud with World Cup qualification, Malky Mackay reveals timescale of return for Ross County's Canadian trio, Memorial services to be held for SNP icon Winnie Ewing in Inverness, Terms and Conditions for Subscriptions (excluding Home News Delivery Subscriptions), Evening Express and Press and Journal combined site. Three years later McWilliam rejoined Spurs, but had to contend once again with the attrition of war. Belfast Buildings Trust is a charity founded in 1996 to regenerate Belfasts landmark buildings. Never miss another issue of the official Matchday Programme of Tottenham Hotspur FC. I started going to White Hart Lane with my dad in the 1960s and, in those days, the ground was all about the crush barriers. He ran the club from the bootroom to the boardroom. He coached players who went on to become managerial greats Vic Buckingham, Arthur Rowe and Bill Nicholson and his legacy is alive in the legendary Pep Guardiola. . Both world class and we are more competitive on the field these days than ever before in my time. I almost did not make the FA Cup quarter-final replay against Sunderland in our Double-winning year. Tottenham Hotspur Annual 1989 book. They would march on the pitch and the bloke at the front would throw his baton up into the air. Tottenham Hotspur official handbook 1992-1993 book. By the 1980s, the Tottenham chairman, Irving Scholar, decided to see for himself. Tottenham Hotspurs new signing Jimmy Greaves is watched by Dave Mackay, as the debutant is stopped by a sliding tackle from a Blackpool defender in December 1961. We were bang on halfway, in the leather seats. Wed 21 October 2015, 10:30|Tottenham Hotspur. But the club reaped his eye for talent as he signed players who would have a profound effect on Spurs fortunes after the war including Vic Buckingham, Arthur Rowe and Bill Nicholson, who all went on to become managerial greats. Theyd just let them go. It was McColl (who also founded the newsagents R S McColl, now McColls) who first introduced McWilliam to a style of play that would reverberate in the home and European game to this day described as artistic play, combining team-work and quick, short passing., He was a real players manager with a simple philosophy on how to do his job.. As you came into the ground, you could buy a tea or a coffee or get burgers, hot dogs and chips, so all of these aromas would be swirling around. And I couldnt be happier that it did because Ive had the best of times and met some great people. Mr Fennelly said: He gave three months notice, more than enough time for the board to change their mind, but it was not to be. Spurs and Arsenal had to groundshare at White Hart Lane as Highbury had been requisitioned as an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) centre. Florence survived until 1970. They were both from Aberdeenshire villages near Huntly, he from Gartly, she from Forgue, and had settled in Inverness to improve their fortunes. JF: The fact that I'm a Spurs fan, was as a kid and I'm involved with the club. But working with him for 30 years has taught me a lot and I am proud to follow him and to take on such a key role at a club with such a rich heritage.. Meanwhile, by 1942 Peter McWilliam and his wife Florence were suffering ill-health and retired to Florences home town of Redcar, Yorkshire. The philosophy of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola regarded by many as the worlds greatest coach was also founded on the total football methodology he had practiced as a player under Cruyff at Barcelona in the 90s. But McWilliams talent radar went full throttle during the war years as he planned for the future. "Off the field we are also set up to really grow the brand with the ambition to make dreams a reality. I dont know how it got started but one bloke was sufficiently convinced to climb up and try to steal it. John Fennelly, Tottenham Hotspur historian, pictured at White Hart Lane in April 2017. representatives from Tottenham Hotspurs like Club Historian John Fennelly and Danny's . "When I started work at 17 as a copy boy in Fleet Street, my beat for phoning in the reporters match reports included White Hart Lane. He scored his first goal for us against Sheffield Wednesday on his debut so for him to score in the same game in the 50-51 season was astounding. The following year he rejoined Inverness Thistle, but his next step was the big one. JF: It's not as hands on as it was before when I was writing everything. Jones, right, scored the second goal in Spurs 2-0 win in their 1962 FA Cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane. He stayed with them for a season before joining Albion Rovers in 1900. A podcast made for Northern Ireland, by Northern Ireland. It was a key job with a massive Spurs following in those pre social media days when it was the only way to read about the club in weekly detail. One story surrounds the story of signing Jimmy Seed from Mid-Rhondda. I made my full Premier League debut at White Hart Lane in November of this season against West Ham and it was pretty surreal when I scored. My favourite game as a fan was probably the first one that my dad took me to against Middlesbrough, when I was six or seven. After that, Ill never forget our win over the league champions, Leeds United, in 1975, which we needed to avoid relegation. Most of them were in the Polish national team. "Its strange but our club has been a constant in my personal and professional life. Peter McWilliam was born in 1878 in Inveravon, Banffshire, to parents Peter and Jane. Tottenham Hotspur official handbook 1993/94 by John Fennelly - Goodreads A few of my mates are diehard West Ham fans and I got a text off one of them, saying: I cant believe youve done that.. The directors must have kicked themselves as McWilliam took Middlesbrough into the First Division twice and kept them there, while Spurs struggled. In addition he was a master of tactics, and probably no famous half-back had relied so much on science pure and simple. Then, journalists lived and died by their contacts, now they contact the press office, say they want to interview a player and we do it that way. This follows on from the annual schools workshops delivered on the subject of Tull around Black History Month (October), traditionally held at White Hart Lanes Spurs Learning Zone. I will never forget the look on the faces of the Gornik Zabrze players. Analysing the secret of Spurs early success while McWilliam was manager, The Sheffield Daily Telegraph wrote:Now in his day Peter McWilliam was the greatest left-half of the game. I didnt go to the Inter Milan game in 2010-11, when Gareth Bale ran Maicon ragged, but I remember going to the Real Madrid quarter-final tie later in that Champions League season. So, I had to make my way on foot. I tried to squeeze through. The Spurs defence clear their lines during their 2-1 defeat to Sunderland in January 1913 (top); the new stadium taking shape in April 2017 as the current ground hosts Arsenal for the last time. By Boxing Day 1912, McWilliam was in post, setting about building a team based on his own style of attacking football. Club historian John Fennelly looks back at what supporters were reading on their way, at half-time and heading home afterwards when NORWICH CITY visited in March 1938. I cant really describe the feeling when Im in the tunnel, about to walk out and they play the music. They used to tell me about an old boy who was employed to walk down the tunnel and bang two binlids together to drive away the pigeons. Graeme Souness played for us and he didnt get a medal because he had been sent off in the first match. He used to shout: Get your goal-time tickets ere. View the profiles of professionals named "John Fennelly" on LinkedIn. Brought up near the Club's old training ground at Cheshunt, John has worked as our Head of Publications for many years having joined the club as our first Press Officer in 1983. Laurence Gant, Head of Academy Sports Medicine and Science, is set to take part in a five-day charity cycle in memory of his friend, and our former Under-23s coach Ugo Ehiogu. He'd had a great season that season - he was the top scorer. We are told McWilliam is taking his responsibilities as team manager of Tottenham very seriously, a fact which does not surprise us, having regard to the manner in which he used to play, and that so far as is humanly possibly he intends to make Tottenham players tacticians after his own stamp. Danny Blanchflower: "The Greatest Footballer Who Ever Lived" Three months subscription - 9.99 (automatically renewed until cancelled) Six months subscription - 14.99 (automatically renewed until cancelled) One year subscription - 25.99 (automatically renewed until cancelled) Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. John Fennelly, our pioneering former Press Officer and Programme Editor, Head of Publications and Club Historian, has hung up his boots after 38 years at Spurs. 4: Do you consider us to have a good or bad press? Each one of them adds a layer of character to the place. You can share this episode with friends/family by clicking the buttons below. When I play now and I hear the crowd, it still gives me the buzz I had when I was that age. Tottenham Hotspur Publications Magazine - Get your Digital - Magzter There is an insatiable appetite for football as well now. McWilliam played for Newcastle from 1902 for nine years to great success, playing alongside fellow Scot, Robert Smith McColl. When I discovered more about his story and the incredible legacy he left behind, I decided to set out on a journey to find out more about the man, the myth and the legend but more importantly, to uncover why we in Northern Ireland are running the risk of forgetting about one of our greatest players. Club historian John Fennelly looks back at what supporters were reading on their way, at half-time and heading home afterward when BRENTFORD visited in December 1949. One of the things that would probably surprise people about the stadium is how low the ceiling is in the home dressing room. He turned down an offer to succeed Herbert Chapman as Arsenal manager, but did join the club as chief scout. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. Injury cut McWilliams playing career short, after 241 games for Newcastle in which he scored 12 goals; also winning eight caps and earning the captaincy for Scotland. Unfortunately, it got knocked down and we moved to Chigwell to train as I got older. He also led the Northern Irish team to the World Cup twice as team captain in 1958 and in his role as manager in 1976. A creative midfielder who was full of heart and desire, LEWIS HOLTBY made his Spurs debut against this afternoons opposition back in January 2013 and went on to make 42 appearances in our colours, scoring three goals. I dont believe in all of that but so many people tell you about them. I oversee the programme, the magazine, which is contracted out, the website and spurs (((on! As the country continues to mark a century since the First World War, we look back on the brief careers of the Spurs players who made the ultimate sacrifice'. I get hairs on my neck, like me and my dad did when we used to go as fans in the crowd. We had just been relegated! JF: I was looking for any job with a future so I went for a job in insurance but only had the interview and thought it wasn't for me. JF: When I finished my apprenticeship I worked on the Weekly Herald covering Spurs and built up my contacts. We always had the vision, but never seemed to make some great ideas work. McWilliam was an FA cup finalist in 1905, 1906 and 1908 with Newcastle losing each time to Aston Villa, Everton and Wolves, respectively. When I then started work on the Mail on Sunday, I was often used for Tottenham games - home and away - as I had such good contacts at the Lane! Tributes were paid today to our former player Walter Tull on the centenary of his death during World War One. McWilliam wore glasses and a false beard to watch Seed, then signed him after the game before anyone realised he had even been in the vicinity.. PDF For Whom The Bell Tulls - Tottenham Hotspur How offensive was that? I was up close with Cristiano Ronaldo I could see him up close. John Fennelly (Author of Tottenham Hotspur official - Goodreads All rights reserved. John Fennelly, who watched his first Spurs game at White Hart Lane in 1966, has been named as the Club's new Historian. And Mackay. Get out, graft and get a good reputation for reliability. He was responsible for Spurs adopting Northfleet United in Kent as its nursery club in 1923, resulting in numerous players learning the Tottenham way, ultimately saving Spurs a fortune. At dawn every day, these bloody things would be crowing away and the club would get hammered with complaints from the neighbours. It was totally different to what it is now. I do think we try to meet the press half-way and help them where they can but sometimes they get an agenda and it's very hard to switch them off that. He started his playing career at junior club Heatherley in 1898, joining Inverness Thistle in 1899. The people and buildings have been chosen to reflect a diverse set of Belfasts people: working-class to Knights, industrial power to sporting prowess, immigrants and survivors, and covers buildings from Arts centres to the old Town Hall, red-brick terraced houses to historic Victorian churches and industrial complexes.The project is a collaboration with Successful Belfast, a project of Belfast Buildings Trust. Sun 25 March 2018, 17:25|Tottenham Hotspur. On John Cameron, the man who put Tottenham Hotspur on the global map. When they created this job I was doing build-up to the Olympics at the Daily Mail but the chap who took the job didn't last too long and they asked me to come and do it. (Making them the first team to win both the League and the FA Cup in the 20th Century). Cliff Jones pictured at home, surrounded by memorabilia from his 19-year career. John Fennelly's most popular book is Tottenham Hotspur Annual 1989. to read some of John's recent articles on Spurs history. Tottenham Hotspur Annual 1989 by John Fennelly - Goodreads He passed away at home in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday, 26 November, aged 87. Duquemin passed away in 2003 but his memory lives on in Guernsey. Goodbye White Hart Lane: an iconic stadium remembered by those who knew 1: How did you start in journalism? Theyd wait until it had gone and youd hear it explode somewhere else and then theyd carry on. There are 30+ professionals named "John Fennelly", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Goodbye White Hart Lane: an iconic stadium remembered by those who knew it best. Walter, the first black outfield player to play at the highest level in this country, joined us as an amateur in April, 1909, and so impressed that he signed professional terms within a month.