1990–91 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season

Season summary

Tottenham's league form was average at best: having stood in third place after 17 games, the club won only three of their next 21 league matches, slumping to tenth place in the final table. The club had better luck in the FA Cup: after defeating London arch-rivals (and that season's eventual champions) Arsenal in the semi-final, they defeated Nottingham Forest 2–1 in the final. As well as giving Tottenham their first post-Heysel European campaign (in the Cup Winners' Cup) and ending the club's seven-year trophy drought, the FA Cup win made Tottenham the first club to win the trophy eight times, although this record has since been surpassed by Arsenal and Manchester United.

The only downside of the FA Cup triumph was an injury to star midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who ruptured his cruciate ligaments in a tackle on Forest fullback Gary Charles early in the first half. The injury would put his transfer to Italian side Lazio on hold until the 1992–93 season. Gascoigne had earlier scored a tremendous free-kick in the 3–1 win against Arsenal in the semi-final (Gary Lineker scored Tottenham's other goals, with Arsenal's Alan Smith scoring Arsenal's goal).

Off the pitch the club were in danger of going into administration. With £20 million of debt (around £45 million equivalent in 2020) and shares in Tottenham Hotspur being suspended in the autumn of 1990, Irving Scholar resigned as Chairman of the club. In June 1991, manager Terry Venables and businessman, Alan Sugar, took over the club with equal shares and Alan Sugar being made chairman.

Squad

:Squad at end of season

First-team squad

Reserve squad

Transfers

Loans out

Transfers in

Transfers out

Overall transfer activity

Expenditure

Total: £200,000

Income

Total: £925,000

Net totals

Total: £725,000

Kit

The FA Cup final saw Tottenham debut a longer style of shorts as part of their kit. Although the long shorts were ridiculed at first, within the decade all clubs in English football would have adopted the style.

Pre-season and friendlies

[[Season (sports)#Preseason|Pre-season]]

• Allen
• Stewart |team2=ENG Ipswich Town|goals2=|stadium=Chase Lodge|location=Barnet|attendance=|referee=|result=W}}{{Football box collapsible|date=1 August 1990|time=|round=Tour|score=0–3|report=|team1=Shelbourne IRE|goals1=|team2=ENG Tottenham Hotspur|goals2=*Gascoigne
• Lineker |stadium=Tolka Park|location=Dublin, Ireland|attendance=|referee=|result=W}}{{Football box collapsible|date=3 August 1990|time=19:30 BST|round=Tour|score=0–3|report=|team1=Derry City NIR|goals1=|team2=ENG Tottenham Hotspur|goals2=*Stewart
• Lineker |stadium=Brandywell Stadium|location=Derry, Northern Ireland|attendance=|referee=|result=W}}{{Footballbox collapsible|date=17 August 1990|time=19:45 BST|round=Friendly|score=4–1|report=|team1=Tottenham Hotspur ENG|goals1=*Lineker
• Gascoigne
• Nayim |team2=ENG West Ham United|goals2=|stadium=White Hart Lane|location=Tottenham|attendance=17,456|referee=Tony Ward|note=Ray Clemence benefit match|result=W}}{{Football box collapsible|date=20 August 1990|time=|round=Friendly|score=1–4|report=|team1=Southend United ENG|goals1=|team2=ENG Tottenham Hotspur|goals2=*Walsh
• Stewart
• Samways
• |stadium=Roots Hall|location=Southend-on-Sea|attendance=|referee=|result=W}}

Mid-season

• Samways
• |stadium = Highbury
• Houghton |stadium=Boleyn Ground|location=London|attendance=10,443|referee=|result=L}}

[[Season (sports)#Postseason|Post-season]]

[[Kirin Cup Soccer#1991 Kirin Cup Soccer|Kirin Cup Soccer]] tournament

• Edwards |stadium=Mizuho Athletic Stadium|location=Nagoya, Japan|attendance=25,000|referee=|result=W}}{{Footballbox collapsible|date=9 June 1991|time=|round=Friendly|score=4–0|report=|team1=Japan XI JAP|goals1=*Kitazawa
• Miura
• Sakakura |team2=ENG Tottenham Hotspur|goals2=|stadium=National Stadium|location=Tokyo, Japan|attendance=45,000|referee=|result=L}}

Competitions

Overview

First Division

Main article: 1990–91 Football League First Division

League table

Results summary

Results by matchday

Matches

• Gascoigne
• Lineker
• Allen
• Nayim
• Beardsley
• Mabbutt
• Walsh
• Lineker
• McGee
• Bumstead
• Durie
• Lineker 58',
• Lineker
• Davenport
• Ward |team2 = Tottenham Hotspur
• Gynn |team2 = Tottenham Hotspur
• Wallace |team2 = Tottenham Hotspur
• McClair |stadium = White Hart Lane
• Curle
• Gibson
• Fashanu
• Cork |team2 = Tottenham Hotspur
• Allen |stadium = Villa Park
• Gallacher |stadium = White Hart Lane
• Crook |team2 = Tottenham Hotspur
• Deane |team2 = Tottenham Hotspur
• Walsh |stadium = Bramall Lane
• Mabbutt
• Nayim |team2 = Everton
• Stewart
• Cottee |stadium = White Hart Lane
• Speedie

FA Cup

• Lineker

• Gascoigne

• Gascoigne

• Lineker

• Walker

Football League Cup

First leg

• Gascoigne |team2 = Hartlepool United Second leg
• Stewart |team2 = Bradford City
• Stewart
• Gascoigne
• Dixon
• Wise

Statistics

Appearances

Clean sheets

References

References

1. "Tottenham Hotspur Home Page for the 1990-1991 season".
2. Bellwood, Tom. (12 May 2017). "Thanks for the memories, but no tears for White Hart Lane demolition… lessons from history for Tottenham chief Daniel Levy". Talksport.
3. "100 Owners: Number 81 – Irving Scholar (Tottenham Hotspur & Nottingham Forest)".
4. "Tottenham Hotspur » Squad 1990/1991".
5. "All Tottenham Hotspur players: 1991".
6. "Ian Walker {{!}} Football Stats {{!}} No Club {{!}} Age 52 {{!}} 1989-2008 {{!}} Soccer Base".
7. (1990-10-26). "Terry Fenwick - Leicester Loan". Leicester Mercury.
8. (1990-11-16). "Ian Walker loaned to Ipswich Town". Western Daily Press.
9. (1991-01-12). "Kevin Dearden Hull City Loan". Hull Daily Mail.
10. (1991-03-29). "Brian Statham and Matt Edwards Loan to Reading". Reading Evening Post.
11. Orient, Leyton. "Leyton Orient".
12. "John HENDRY - League appearances. - Tottenham Hotspur FC".
13. "Premier League icons: John Polston".
14. "Guy BUTTERS - Brief biography of his Spurs career. - Tottenham Hotspur FC".
15. "Bobby Mimms - 1987/88-1990/91 - Tottenham Hotspur FC".
16. (1991-01-01). "Article clipped from The Guardian". The Guardian.
17. "Tottenham FC Player Appearances | Past & Present | Soccer Base".