Tottenham 1960-61
This is how the Spurs team of 1960/61 usually lined up. The 2-3-5 formation and positions may seem strange to the modern football fan. By the end of the 1962 season this had been totally overtaken by the more conventional 4-4-2 and with it the decline of the orthodox winger.
GK 1 Bill Brown
GK John Hollowbread (Reserve)
DF 2 Peter Backer (Right Back)
DF 3 Ron Henry (Left Back)
DF Mel Hopkins (Reserve Fullback)
MF 4 Danny Blanchflower (Right Half)
MF 5 Maurice Norman (Centre Half)
MF 6 Dave Mackay (Left Half)
MF Eddie Clayton (Reserve Half Back)
MF Tony Marchi (Reserve Half Back)
MF 8 John White (Inside Right)
MF 10 Les Allen (Inside Left)
FW 7 Cliff Jones (Right Wing)
FW 11 Terry Dyson (Left Wing)
FW Terry Medwin (Reserve Winger)
FW 9 Bobby Smith (Centre Forward)
Players Profile:
Bill Brown (Goalkeeper). Born Arbroath Oct 8 1934. Signed from Dundee in June 1959.Full Scottish international. Done the simple things well and is up there with Jennings and Clemence as perhaps the best seen in Spurs goal. Died in Simcoe, Ontario, 30 November 2004.
Peter Baker (Right Back). Born 10 December 1931, Hampstead, London. Not the classiest full back but was steady and given the quality of wingers in those days was rarely embarrassed. Emigrated to Durban, South Africa in 1964.
Ron Henry (Left Back). Born 17 August 1934. Sound, fast and a good tackler. Won a single England cap but lost out to Ray Wilson. As with so many of this generation would have won more caps had a squad system been in place. Stayed on with the club as coach.
Danny Blanchflower (Right half and captain). Born 10 February 1926. Incomparable. No one could control a game like Blanchflower. Never missed a penalty. Danny made this side great. Signed from Aston Villa in December 1954 and went on to captain Northern Ireland. Took up a career in journalism and died on 9 December 1993.
Maurice Norman (Centre half). Born 8 May 1934. Powerful and commanding figure in defence. Signed from Norwich in November 1955. Should have been England's regular centre half but had to wait for Billy Wright to collect 105 caps and retire. Then his career was cut short when he broke his leg in a friendly.
Dave Mackay (Left Half). Born 14 November 1934. No one earned the right to be called 'great' more than Dave Mackay. A one man team. Always gave one hundred per cent even when the others believed the game was already won. Bill Nick believed him to be the heart of the team. A regular for Scotland and would have continued for more years had he not broke his leg twice. Signed from Hearts in March 1959.
Cliff Jones (Right Wing). Born 7 Fenruary 1935. Signed from Swansea in February 1958. Rated faster than the legendary 'Gento' of Real Madrid, was a superb crosser of a ball and scored goals with bullet like accuracy from flying headers. 'Jonah' was a Welsh International regular.
John White (Inside right). Born 28 April 1987. Perhaps the most skilful player ever to wear a Spurs shirt (including Hoddle and Ginola). Signed from Falkirk in October 1959 and was a Scottish International. Nicknamed 'the Ghost', could pinpoint a cross and stop any ball dead. Bill Nick was grooming him to replace Blanchflower but he was killed in a freak lightning strike whilst playing golf on 21 July 1964.
Bobby Smith (Centre Forward). Born 22 February 1933. Oh for the return of forwards like big, bustling Bobby Smith. A big man but was deceptively skilful and scored goals like shelling peas with foot or head. Signed from Chelsea in 1955 he won 15 England caps and scored 13 goals! Died 18 September 2010.
Les Allen (Inside Left). Born 4 September 1937. Always in the shadow of Bobby Smith he nevertheless scored 119 goals in his Spurs career from 1959 - 1965. He realised he would be the one to go the next season when Jimmy Greaves arrived. These days he would be an important and essential member of any first team squad. Two sons and two nephews also played on professional terms.
Terry Dyson (left wing) Born 29 November 1934 in Yorkshire. After scoring a typical wingers goal in the Cup Winners Cup Final against Athletico Madrid in 1963 Bobby Smith told him to retire whilst he was ahead. Terry was a short, snappy winger who could cross a ball - a good, honest players player. One of the few members of this side not to have won any International honours.
The Coach:
William Edward 'Bill' Nicholson OBE (Manager) Born 26 January 1919. A member of the famous 'Push and Run' side of the fifties Bill Nick was the architect of the Double Side. It was his belief that football should be played in a certain way that created such a footballing club and tradition. Spurs fans still believe that it is not the winning that is important, it is in the way that you do it. This is why Bill Nick will remain the greatest. Bill Nick died on 23 Oct 2004.
All informations found here:
http://www.johnbarber.com/double.html
