July 14 - Burkinshaw Gets His Spurs

BILL Nicholson will forever be remembered as the managerial titan of White Hart Lane and indeed he is still the most successful Tottenham boss ever having won trophies galore in his 16 year tenure at the north London club.

Today we are remembering the man who stands second only to Bill Nic in his achievements with Spurs, and it was on this day in 1976 that Keith Burkinshaw was appointed as the new manager of the club.

After Nicholson had retired in 1974 former Arsenal player Terry Neill had come in as boss but he was left with an ageing squad and struggled to continue the success the club had become used to. With echoes of George Graham’s tenure, Spurs fans never felt at ease with Neill’s Arsenal heritage and after nearly overseeing the club’s relegation in 1975, when the Gunner’s came-a-calling for their former player to take up the manager’s job at Highbury, Neill did not hesitate.

One thing he did get right in his two-year spell as boss was to bring in Burkinshaw as his assistant. Despite spending four years at Anfield, Burkinshaw managed only one appearance for Liverpool and played out the rest of his career at Workington and Scunthorpe United before taking up a job as a coach at Newcastle.

A quiet and unassuming man, many questioned whether he was right for the top job at Spurs, especially when the team was relegated in his first season in charge. In a show of loyalty not since seen at White Hart Lane or indeed many other clubs, the board kept faith with the man they had appointed and allowed Burkinshaw the time to make his mark. And make it he did, winning promotion at the first attempt.

Not content with achieving promotion, Burkinshaw then pulled off the most dramatic of coups when he signed Argentine World Cup winners Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa, fresh from their triumph in the 1978 World Cup held in their homeland.

The dual transfer shocked the football establishment in England, with foreign players not the commonplace feature of the game that they are today. They were the first Argentinians to play in England and people were quick to question the wisdom in bringing them to London.

Burkinshaw himself recounted years later: “I remember Tommy Docherty saying they wouldn’t last more than six months once the English winter set in.

“But neither of them had any problems adapting. One of the reasons is that they were happy from the word go.”

The two players settled straight in and both would help Spurs become a top trophy winning club under Burkinshaw’s management, with Ricky Villa’s stunning solo goal in the 3-2 FA Cup Final replay win over Manchester City in 1981 a particular highlight.

They retained the Cup in 1982, this time without the help of Ardiles and Villa who had returned home after England and Argentina went to war over the Falkland Islands.

In 1984 Spurs turned their attention to Europe and went on a great run to win the Uefa Cup, beating Anderlecht on penalties at White Hart Lane. It was to be Burkinshaw’s final match in charge as disagreements with the board led to him resigning.

Such was his disillusionment with the club that as he left White Hart Lane he pointed over his shoulder to the stadium and said: “There used to be a football club there.”

Take 11 seconds to have a look at Villa’s most famous goal below, and check this out for another event from this day when things were getting a bit out of hand.

We will be back tomorrow pop pickers to keep it OTFD.

(2 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

 Loading ...