The Game
Argyle v Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s. Home Park. Tuesday, 23 September. 7pm. Vertu Trophy.
The Opposition
Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-21 side compete in Premier League 2, which is a division for 26 under-21 sides, from the Premier League and some Sky Bet Championship sides with Category One academies. Spurs won Premier League 2 in 2023/24, finishing top of the division after 20 games of a ‘regular season’, and then winning the Champions League-style knockout format afterwards, too.
Last season, however, they finished just 22nd of 26 teams. This season they have won three out of four league games, beating Leicester City 6-3, Sunderland 5-3 and Nottingham Forest 1-0. They lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace.
The Gaffer
Former Pilgrim Wayne Burnett is the current head coach of Tottenham Hotspur’s under-21s. During his playing days, the midfielder featured on the pitch for Argyle, Blackburn Rovers, Leyton Orient, Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, and Grimsby Town.
Burnett spent two seasons at Home Park playing under Peter Shilton, Steve McCall, Russell Osman, and Neil Warnock from 1993-95, also scoring in the Devon Derby in that period.
Towards the end of his playing career, Burnett dropped into non-league to play for Woking, Grays Athletic, and Fisher Athletic before eventually retiring in 2004.
As a manager, he took over former club Fisher that same year, winning both the London Senior Cup and Southern Football League. After short spells with Dulwich Hamlet and Grays, he would link up with another former club, Leyton Orient, to become youth-team manager.
Only a few months later, he was on the move again, becoming assistant manager at then League Two side, Dagenham & Redbridge. After a few years in East London, Burnett became caretaker manager, eventually being given the role permanently. After a further season-and-a-half, Burnett was sacked. Just over two years later, he joined Spurs to become under-21s manager and has now held that post for over eight years.
Previous Meetings
Argyle have never played Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s in this competition. Argyle and Tottenham’s first teams have met 46 times in their histories, but have not played since 1962, when Spurs, double-winners the previous season, won 5-1 at Home Park, with players like Jimmy Greaves and Danny Blanchflower in the team.
Argyle TV
Supporters unable to attend Tuesday's Vertu Trophy game against Cheltenham Town can now purchase an Argyle TV match pass for the game at Home Park. Argyle TV will go live at 6.50pm, with commentary from Charlie Price and Ian Stonebridge.