Spurs on this day - no 34 in an occasional series

By Dave P
February 5 2005

Portsmouth are a team that have held their own against us in history. In 38 league and Cup games we have shared 11 victories each and drawn the remaining 13. We have scored 55 goals against their 53 though. In 59 other games (Southern league, Western league, Wartime and Friendlies) we hold the upper hand having won 26 of the 59 games and drawing 14 scoring 109 goals to their 74.

Our only previous meeting on the 5th of February took place in 1955 at Fratton Park in front of 27,539 supporters and we were worthy 3-0 winners with two goals from John Gavin and One from Len 'the Duke' Duquemin.

Outside right John Gavin is not exactly a name that is remembered by many Spurs Fans so I'll tell you a bit about him. He was born in Limerick in 1928 and after a spell with Jamesborough United he joined Norwich City for £1,500 in August 1948. He was transferred to Spurs in October 1954 and he scored 16 goals in 34 League and Cup games before returning to Norwich in November 1955 as part of the Maurice Norman deal. He went on to score 112 goals in 338 games for Norwich City before moving on to Watford and then as Player coach at Crystal Palace, Cambridge City and Newmarket. He was capped seven times by the Republic of Ireland gaining two of those caps while he was at Spurs.

Now going back in time to our first competitive game against Portsmouth which took place at our ground (and was one of the first games at the Lane) on 18th September 1899. This was a Southern and District Combination game played in front of a crowd of around 4,000 and we won 2-0 with goals fron J. Cameron and J.Kirwan. We finished that season in second place in the S & D combination behind Millwall and two places ahead of Woolwich Arsenal. That season the game between us and Woolwich at Plumstead was abandoned after 55 minutes with the score at 2-1 because of crowd trouble and never replayed. Now who said trouble at football was a modern phenomenon.

We also won the Southern League for the first time that season ahead of Portsmouth in second place and the home fixture was played at White Hart Lane on Christmas day 1899 in front of 14,000 fans. We won that match 3-0 with goals from T.Pratt, D.Copeland and J.Kirwan.

John Henry Kirwan who scored in both of those games played 343 first team games (including 23 in the FA Cup) for Tottenham scoring 97 goals. He was an outside left born in County Wicklow who played for Stockport and Everton before joining Spurs in July 1899. He remained with Spurs until 1905 when in a surprise move both he and David Copeland (another of the scorers against Portsmouth) left for Chelsea. In fact he played in their first ever league game. After that he went to Clyde before returning south again to play for Leyton. He was Tottenhams first Irish international gaining 13 caps while at Spurs. He went on to a coaching career, first of all in Holland and then at Italian Club Livorno.

Our biggest win over Portsmouth came in a London Combination game during the Great War. We won a home game played at Highbury by a score of 10-0. The scorers listed for that day were J. Elliott, J.Bassett, Five for J.Banks, two for W.Thwaites and a Hulme Own Goal. Most of our home games that season were played at Highbury as the War office had requisitioned White Hart Lane for use as an Arsenal, ironic that . Five of our home games (including the home fixture against the goons) were played at Clapton Orients ground at Homerton.

Another note from the 1916/1917 season regarding Portsmouth now. Pompey finished the season 2nd bottom but they entered the combination that year taking the place and record to date of Reading who had played and lost seven games scoring 8 and conceding 34. A sort of 'tail' start for Pompey.

And now back to February and last year when on the 7th February we entertained Pompey at White Hart Lane after having been unceremoniously dumped out of the FA cup by Man City. What a night this one turned out to be as well, as we finished 4-3 winners with a late goal from Gus Poyet after goals from Jermaine Defoe and a brace from Robbie Keane. Three times we took the lead only for Pompey to equalize before that Poyet goal left them no time to come back again. Entertaining stuff in a heart attack inducing sort of way.

A quick look at our team that night; Keller, Carr, Jackson, Gardner, Richards, Davies, Brown, King, Dalmatt (Ricketts 72), Keane, Defoe (Poyet 81) gives an indication of the changes that have taken place since then.

Four goals would be nice but lets not concede any, eh!