TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 CITY 3
League Division 1
4th May 1968
Attendance 51,242
Scorers
City Bell(40, 46), Summerbee(74)
Spurs Greaves(84 pen)
Ref L Callaghan
City Mulhearn, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Heslop, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Coleman, Young – sub Kennedy(unused)
Spurs Jennings, Beal, Knowles, Mullery, England, Mackay, Robertson, Greaves, Chivers, Venables, Gilzean – sub Jones
A GOAL FROM COLIN BELL
Adapted from Mike Doyles Biography ‘Blue Blood’ by David Clayton. – White Hart Lane hadn’t been one of our favourite grounds in recent years. Spurs were up for the game and they had a damned good side. Martin Chivers, a big powerful striker was then at his peak and there was also their famous old warhorse, Dave Mackay to contend with in the middle of the park, while Jimmy Greaves was still banging in goals for fun.
It was just the sort of match you don’t want at such a crucial stage but at least we could go there knowing the City fans would be there in force to cheer us on.
We knew exactly what we had to do and that was go for the throat and try and hit them so hard they wouldn’t be able to recover. We set our stall out to win that game in the quickest possible time.
For the first half hour we virtually played Tottenham off the park and Colin Bell gave one of the finest displays I have ever seen … in those first 30 minutes I don’t think Spurs had one single shot …
We’d give the North London outfit a real hammering, we were three up and coasting towards victory by the time the interval arrived. But like a distance runner that hits the front too soon the pace we had set ourselves had been too great during the first 45 minutes.
As the second half wore on we began to tire dramatically … Spurs started to build up a head of steam … Chivers hit the woodwork twice… Spurs were awarded a penalty for a George Heslop handball ad it was 1-3.
For the final 20 minutes Spurs put us under fantastic pressure but that was the end of the scoring. We’d sweated blood and tears to ensure we didn’t throw the title away.
Joe [Mercer] went spare with Heslop about the handball. George explained “Jimmy Greaves caught me on the funny bone and my hand just flashed out and flicked the ball”. We all started to laugh, Joe just wiped his brow “You’re a fucking liar George, but we’ve won, we’ve won!
I was at that game. Mike is wrong when he says City were three up at half time. The half time score was Tottenham 0 Manchester City 1, Colin Bell scoring just before half time. Bell added a second shortly after the interval and Mike Summerbee made it 3-0 about 15 minutes from the end. Jimmy Greaves scored Tottenham’s consolation goal from the penalty spot late in the game after George Heslop had handled. The scorelin flattered Spurs as City were totally dominant.
I was at that game too. my first ever football match and I have been a Spurs fan ever since. you are bang on about the scoring.
I also at the age of 9 thinking that Greaves and Gilzean looked alike
I also was at this game. Started work in London in 1967, Arsenal one week Spurs the next. Arsenal were awful to watch in a quarter full Highbury. Spurs were the very opposite. This game was the one that still gives me goose bumps. The pace, athleticism and technique of Man City was awesome, they attacked as a swarm. Bell, Neil Young, Lee who was always wanting to get physical, Oakes also a great competitor. This game just flowed and my memory is that every attacking move seemed to have a goal just 10 seconds away. I remember Spurs being well in the game but just chasing shadows a bit. With Chivers up front who was always a bit immobile, and a stodgy midfield they just couldn’t keep up.
Having also seen City at Spurs in 1967 Ken Mulhearn impressed in goal for his game management. He also wore all black, very exotic when keepers normally wore green or yellow jerseys. Man City supporters when asked who the keeper was when they won the league will never get Mulhrearn’s name. Shame.
But my favourite part was seeing Jimmy Graves warming up Pat Jennings in the Spurs goal before the game. My two big heroes.
“The beautiful game?”. Yes this one was.
(Alert: Writing about games from 50 years ago does mean that memories do become somewhat romanticised. But this game is one I have an excuse to mention to people year by year over those 50 years.)
Coleman scorec one of the goals l was right behind the goal at the Paxton end . Right load of bollox here . That said city were a great side . Spurs equalized if lm not mistaken
No sorry!
Colin Bell grabbed 2 Mike Summerbee got the third and greaves from a penalty 3 – 1
I was there, aged 8. A young Spurs fan.
RIP Jimmy.