It is fair to say the Seventies and early Eighties left Spurs as uncomfortable bedfellows for Wolves given some hugely disappointing results, especially in the biggest three showpieces in which the two clubs locked horns.
Across the two legs of the UEFA Cup Final in 1972, Spurs prevailed by a one-goal margin. The same in the League Cup semi-finals later that year. And then, a 2-2 draw in an FA Cup semi-final in 1981 before clear daylight in the replay with a 3-0 victory for Tottenham.
From the 1970/71 season to 1983/84, Wolves won just four of 28 meetings. So, it’s clear to see where Richards and Hibbitt are coming from!
But what about the view from the opposition? And the often leader of the opposition?
Steve Perryman MBE captained Tottenham for many years, to many trophies. He is their record appearance maker, chalking up a staggering 866 in both defence and midfield during 17 years spent at White Hart Lane.
In November, he is coming up to Stourbridge Rugby Club, to speak to a newly formed supporters’ club, the Dudley Spurs, a night which will also support a charity, the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust. That’s because Perryman survived an aortic dissection in 2012, and speaks regularly about his recovery journey and the importance of early diagnosis and awareness.
Perryman is what you would call a true ‘football man’. At 73, his powers of recollection, and thoughts on the game, remain razor sharp. Whether it’s memories of Spurs, of being managed by Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw, of games, of modern football terminology, he has a forthright approach which underpins - and offers plenty of evidence - as to why his career was so successful.
“I was lucky enough to work under Bill and Keith, two of the most successful managers of the club,” Perryman explains.
“They were both straight-talking Yorkshiremen, and I think I linked well with them because I was homegrown.
“Also, neither of them were managers who were great at saying ‘well done, you played well today’. There wasn’t a lot of praise going about.
“If you were one of those players who needed that, then you had it all to do, but I didn’t need that, I was happy in my own skin.
“Sometimes, when you stay at a club for such a long time, people think you must be a crawler or similar, but I think I had more rows with managers and chairmen during my time than any other player I remember.
“That’s simply because I am a football man, and I stand up for football, so if something was working against football, I would let it be known.”
A football man for sure. It’s not very often that these pages would feature the thoughts of an opposition former player. But in this case, it most definitely feels worthy. Both because Perryman is very much a footballing legend, and also with his impending visit to the patch to Dudley Spurs.
And also, his memories of Wolves. Which are extremely positive. Probably because of those stats mentioned above.
“What I do remember about all those games with Wolves is that they were never nasty games,” Perryman recalls.
“We were two footballing teams as such, and whoever beat anyone on the day, it was down to the football.
“I have read in recent years about ‘Bill Nic’ going into the Wolves dressing room after the second leg of the UEFA Cup final, and saying how unlucky they were to only draw and not overturn our advantage.
“That is the sort of thing he would do, and I do remember that we struggled in the second leg.
“The first game was the Chivers game, wasn’t it? Martin Chivers scoring a header and then a fantastic strike.
“Those big occasions against Wolves, the really big occasions, they always seemed to go our way.
“I do always remember that big terrace at Molineux behind the goal, the South Bank I believe, which was particularly impressive both with the numbers and the noise.
“And then the dressing rooms, being so close to the road outside – you could hear everything the fans were saying walking past and look out and see your family and friends waiting to collect their tickets!”
The specifics then. Of those big games.
The League Cup semi-final in 1972/73 saw Wolves lost the home leg 2-1, hitting back to win the second leg by the same scoreline, only to be denied by Chivers – yes him again – scoring in extra time.
Before that came the UEFA final. Wolves players involved have all gone on record to suggest – and with no animosity towards Tottenham – that they would have preferred to have faced European opposition in the final, especially having been on a tour of the continent featuring Portugal, Holland, East Germany, Italy and Hungary.
Well, it turns out, they weren’t alone.
“Our semi-final was against AC Milan, and before the second leg, Bill (Nicholson) told us that all our wives would be treated to a trip to the final if we got there,” says Perryman.
“We got back in the dressing room after qualifying after the second leg, and it turns out it was Wolverhampton!
“I’m not sure the wives were too impressed - they were hoping to have a bit of a trip away and didn’t even have to get on a plane!”
Perryman is seemingly too modest to point out that he notched both goals in the 2-1 win against AC Milan in the first leg of that semi-final.
Spurs then prevailed across the two legs of the final against Wolves, and then nine years later, won the FA Cup semi-final replay, played not too far away at Arsenal’s Highbury stadium, after a 2-2 draw in the initial tie at Hillsborough.