Tottenham Hotspur

Live Blog: Spurs vs Liverpool  Tottenham Hotspur

Roy Low scored one goal in eight appearances for us between 1959-1967 - but it was a substitute appearance that would go down in our record books.

An England schoolboy international, Roy signed amateur forms on August 5, 1959 after being spotted by our Hertfordshire scout and former player, Percy Austin. He signed professional forms on his 17th birthday.

Five years later, having played in a variety of roles in our teams in the South East Counties League, Eastern Counties League and Football Combination, he stepped out for his first team debut against Sheffield Wednesday - December, 1964.

Roy then had the unenviable task of coming in for Jimmy Greaves - on England duty the next day - when he lined-up against Liverpool at the Lane on 9 April, 1965. He rose to the task though and opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, a lead we finally extended for a final 3-0 scoreline thanks to late goals from Frank Saul and Alan Gilzean.

He made a single appearance in 1965/66 - a significant appearance, as well - becoming our first league substitute to be used when replacing the injured Derek Possee midway through the north London derby against Arsenal. After one more appearance in 1966/67, Roy left for Watford in March, 1967.

The day Greavsie broke Shankly's heart...

We played Liverpool back-to-back over the Easter weekend of 1963. We led 2-0 in the Good Friday game at Anfield only to lose 5-2! However, the tables were turned as we put together a stunning performance and 7-2 win at the Lane on Easter Monday. Jimmy Greaves scored four goals with Cliff Jones (2) and Frank Saul completing the scoring. Cliff recalled: "Greavsie was sensational. After the game, Bill Shankly was seen wandering around the car park in a complete daze and when he was approached by one of the reporters saying 'Bill, 7-2 - any injuries?' he said 'no injuries laddy, just a broken heart'."

Goal feasts in December...

It's fair to say it's been snowing goals in our Premier League meetings against Liverpool in the month of December - with last season's nine goals topping the lot. We've played the Reds eight times in December in the Premier League era - interestingly, with seven of the eight staged in N17. Liverpool have the better of it with five wins with draws in 1993 and 2021 and a 2-1 victory for us on 5 December, 1998 - Ruel Fox and an own goal from Jamie Carragher seeing us home.

Olivia Holdt has been nominated for the Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Month award for December.

The nomination comes after the Denmark international produced three goal involvements in two games this month, scoring once and providing two assists.

Returning from the final international break of the calendar year with Denmark, ‘Oli’ continued her impressive run of form and was on hand to net an 94th-munute winner in the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa earlier this month, showing composure inside the box to fire past Sabrina D’Angelo with one of the last attacks of the games.

She then turned provider in our dramatic 3-3 draw with Manchester United last weekend, first delivering a cross for Bethany England to head home the opening goal before a surging run from her own half to United’s box allowed her to tee up Martha Thomas for our third goal of the contest.

Our number 11, who joined us in January from FC Rosengard, is currently our leading goalscorer this term with five goals in all competitions.

Up against Oli for the award are Manchester City’s Viviane Miedema and Khadija Shaw, Liverpool’s Beata Olsson, Everton’s Honoka Hayashi and Arsenal’s Olivia Smith.

But, as usual, you can help Oli to be named Player of the Month by voting for the forward via the link below. Voting is now open and will close at 11am on Monday 22 December.

Kevin Danso and Lucas Bergvall made a Club-led delivery of essential items to our local Foodbanks – North Enfield and Tottenham – continuing our proud annual tradition.

Foodbanks provide emergency food parcels containing at least three days’ worth of nutritionally balanced meals to individuals and families within the community.

The Club is a long-term supporter of its local Foodbanks and makes a donation ahead of Christmas every year, in addition to year-round support, to assist those living in crisis.

The North Enfield Foodbank opened in 2012 to help support those in the community facing a sudden crisis with food support.

Tottenham Foodbank first opened its doors almost six years ago and since then has been providing emergency food parcels for those in crisis across our community. Last winter, Tottenham Foodbank saw 20 per cent more people seeking such help — an additional 166 parcels – with this winter expected to be even busier.

The charity, which also provides essential items such as toiletries, has seen donations fall by 75 per cent since their peak during lockdown, forcing the Foodbank to spend over £5,000 every month on essential supplies to keep shelves stocked.

Kevin visited Tottenham Foodbank last month and helped volunteers prepare for an evening shift, continuing his work as an ambassador for homelessness charity The Passage.

He said: “This is the second time I have been to the local Foodbank, and I have really enjoyed both visits. There are volunteers who are here every day, making sure families in our community are fed, so it is a privilege that as a Club and as individuals we can do our little bit to help at this time of year.”

The Club sits within one of London’s most deprived areas and has long recognised its responsibility to support vulnerable people in our communities during the Christmas period.

Players and coaches across our Men’s and Women’s First Team have been handing out presents on children's wards at our local hospitals this week.

Members of our women’s team also spent time with residents at a local elderly care home recently to help combat the onset of loneliness during the Christmas period.

To find out more about our local Foodbanks and show your support, visit:

North Enfield Foodbank

Tottenham Foodbank

Local primary school pupils were in the fast lane at the finale of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Schneider Electric STEM programme as they were joined by motorsport star Abbi Pulling.

The Foundation and Schneider Electric, supported by CreativeHUT, have been delivering sessions in three local schools recently, introducing 90 pupils to the world of STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths.

To celebrate, the pupils of Lea Valley, St Francis de Sales and St Paul’s & All Hallows visited F1 DRIVE London – the official F1 karting experience at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – and demonstrated their newfound skills to Abbi by competing in LEGO and coding activities. The Spurs fan in turn shared words of wisdom with the children as they took to the track and simulators.

F1 DRIVE London is driving diversity in motorsport by providing apprenticeship and career opportunities for local young people, with a focus on women and underrepresented groups. This was the second time Abbi has visited to support youngsters on Foundation programmes, previously hosting a driving masterclass.

Abbi said: “It’s been really fun to see the kids coming together, getting involved and being very enthusiastic. You can see this isn’t just them turning up because they have to – they’re so engaged, loving what they’re doing, and it puts a smile on my face. Opportunities like this build that first connection to motorsport, engineering or other STEM careers. It’s so special to see.”

Ayhan, nine, from Lea Valley, said: “It’s been so fun – 10 out of 10! We got to experience lots of different activities and I’m excited to do more in the future.”

The Foundation is building out its STEM offering – recently opening a dedicated STEM learning zone in its Percy House HQ next to the Stadium – as research shows that many schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas, face significant barriers delivering STEM education.

A study by Haringey Council said attainment and participation in STEM subjects were well below London and national benchmarks, with another report last year highlighting that 46% of schools in England cite funding as a major barrier to STEM provision and 56% point to insufficient staff time.

Maria Kokotsis, Lea Valley head, said: “There’s no classroom in the world where the pupils can do what they’ve done today, and it was amazing for them to meet Abbi.

“Through our school sessions, the subject knowledge brought by the Foundation and Schneider Electric means we now have five STEM ambassadors and a STEM lunchtime club every day for different year groups, with our ambassadors supporting them so that they get high-quality STEM activities.”

Andrew Wands, Foundation education manager, said: “The kids today were very excited to meet Abbi and her presence brought the world of motorsport to life for them, showing that no dream’s out of reach.

“STEM careers aren’t just the future – they’re key to solving the challenges we face today. Thanks to our partnership with Schneider Electric, we’re giving local children the tools and inspiration to shape that future, especially in energy, sustainability and technology.”

Today’s event was the second of its kind following another for 120 schoolchildren that was attended by players from our Academy earlier this year.

The STEM programme aligns with the Club’s commitment to sustainability. We are recognised as the Premier League’s greenest club, having consistently topped the Sport Positive EPL league table, and our partnership with Schneider Electric – a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation - supports our journey to net-zero by powering 100% renewable energy of all electrical equipment at the Stadium.

Kelly Becker, president of Schneider Electric UK & Ireland, Belgium and Netherlands, said: “We’re proud to partner with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation on this programme to inspire the next generation of innovators. This isn’t just about teaching children new skills – it’s about preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow, particularly in green energy and sustainability, which will be vital to shaping a more sustainable future.”

Martin Ho says everyone who was available to face Manchester United last weekend in the Barclays Women’s Super League is ready for selection once again for this Sunday (kick-off 1pm) in the quarter-final of the Subway Women’s League Cup.

Charlotte Grant, Cathinka Tandberg and Olga Ahtinen will miss the trip to Leigh Sports Village this weekend – although our Head Coach revealed that all three are making good progress in their recoveries.

They will join long-term absentees Ella Morris, Maite Oroz and Jess Naz – who are all in rehabilitation for an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) – alongside defender Luana Buhler who is unavailable for selection for the trip to Manchester.

"It's the same squad,” Martin told the media in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. “The positive thing is that some of the players that were out from the last international break are starting to return to training so that's really good to see.

“Some of them have been on the pitch and other players are making good progress. But going into the game, we're around the same squad really."

Our Men’s First-Team will take to the field for this weekend’s match against Liverpool with shirts featuring a logo in support of a Thailand based children’s cancer charity.

In partnership with AIA, the Club’s Global Principal Partner, our regular AIA front of shirt logo will be replaced with a bespoke “Sharing A Life: For Children Cancer” logo to raise awareness for paediatric cancer. Shirts from the game will be auctioned on MatchWornShirt, with all proceeds going to the Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital Foundation.

Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital, located in Bangkok, Thailand, supports children from newborns to 15 years’ old, including those living with cancer, admitting up to 2,000 admissions annually. The Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital Foundation helps to build sterile isolation rooms for children undergoing cancer treatment.

Ryan Norys, Chief Revenue Officer, Tottenham Hotspur said: “We are proud to continue our work alongside AIA to provide a unique platform to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes from across the Asia-Pacific region every season. We know the funds raised from the auction of shirts worn in our match with Liverpool will make a huge contribution to the incredible work of Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital Foundation.”

Chalida Nakornchai, Chief Marketing Officer, AIA Thailand, said: “At AIA, we believe in making a real difference in people’s lives and helping them live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. This initiative combines the passion for football with a meaningful cause – providing children battling cancer with the safest care possible. We are proud to work alongside Tottenham Hotspur to make this happen, aligning with our commitment to health and wellness.”

Previous charitable causes to have benefitted from the AIA logo swap initiative include:

AIA China Youth Football Development Fund

AIA Thailand ‘Sharing A Life’

ISF Cambodia

AIA Better Lives Fund, Singapore

AIA China ‘Reading for Dreams’

AIA Foundation

Players and coaches across our Men’s and Women’s First Team united this week in a show of support for our local hospitals around the Christmas period.

Our players spent time at five hospitals, personally delivering gifts to young patients on the children’s wards.

Molly Bartrip, Eveliina Summanen, Luana Buhler and Araya Dennis visited Whipps Cross Hospital. “It’s important that we show our presence in the community," Molly commented. “It’s about giving back – all we want is for them to have a smile on their face this Christmas, and hopefully we played a small part in that.”

Matilda Vinberg, Lize Kop and Amanda Nilden were joined by women’s head coach Martin Ho at Whittington Hospital in Archway.

Martin said: “It absolutely puts things into perspective, and that is why as a playing group and a staffing group we have come to show our love and support to these families. We have a wonderful job in what we do, and we want to show as a Club and as a team that we are here for these families during a difficult time in their lives.”

Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson visited Barnet, while Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha headed to North Middlesex, the Club’s local hospital, surprising a young Spurs fan who was moved to tears at their arrival.

Ben said: “We’re incredibly lucky to be in the position that we’re in, so it’s important that we try and do what we can to put some smiles on the faces of the families that are currently facing a difficult festive period.”

Joao added: "For me personally it is important as a player to have these appearances, not just for myself but also for my teammates who have joined in other visits this week. It is a special moment for us, and it always puts things into perspective – it is great that the Club is so involved in its community."

And the visits were rounded off with James Maddison, Brandon Austin and Archie Gray dropping by the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

Madders said: “It’s always nice to have that moment with the kids and their parents, especially at this time of year, and to be able to lift their day.”

The Club sits within one of London’s most deprived areas and has long recognised its responsibility to support vulnerable people in its communities during the Christmas period.

Members of our women’s team recently spent time with residents at a local elderly care home to help combat the onset of loneliness during the Christmas period, while we have also made our traditional delivery of Club-donated items to foodbanks this week.

To continue the spirit of spreading festive cheer to children at hospitals, our mascots Chirpy and Lily visited one of Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Christmas parties this week to spend time with families around the festive period.

Any time we meet Liverpool, the legendary Jurgen Klinsmann is always reminded of day he felt the unmatched spirit of English football.

Back in March, 1995, we were drawn against this Saturday’s Premier League opponents Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Anfield, and it was quite the memorable game for Jurgen - which he detailed in an exclusive interview for our Official Matchday Programme.

Facing the Reds at Anfield, we produced a stunning comeback victory with Jurgen involved in both goals alongside fellow Spurs icon Teddy Sheringham to book a place in the semi-finals.

Robbie Fowler had opened the scoring for the home side on 38 minutes, but that lead didn't last long as Teddy levelled proceedings seconds before the half-time whistle after being played in by the German.

It looked like the tie would be heading for a replay but, with a minute to go, Teddy returned the favour for Jurgen, flicking the ball into his path before the forward proceeded to put the ball past David James to book our place in the semi-final at Elland Road.

A fine afternoon’s work but what was to follow is something that will stay with the German forever - a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd as he and Teddy exited the pitch and headed down the tunnel.

"What I will never forget coming off the pitch at Anfield is the ovation that we got from the Liverpool supporters," he said as we caught up ahead of the game.

"When heading back to the tunnel after clapping our fans, the whole stadium gave us a standing ovation. It was quite incredible.

"That was the spirit of English football encapsulated in a single moment. It was the Liverpool fans saying, ‘Do you know what, today you were better than us,’ and they gave us that recognition.

"I’ve never experienced that kind of thing anywhere else in my career. It meant a lot."

Our final game of the calendar year sees us back at Manchester United once again on Sunday afternoon (1pm UK) in the quarter-final of the Subway Women’s League Cup – and we’ll be looking to build on a strong group phase in the competition.

Accumulating eight points out of a possible nine from three group fixtures, we were the only team to progress into the knockout stages without conceding in normal time while we’ve kept five clean sheets in our last six games in the League Cup.

In fact, we’re the only team to have progressed out of the group stage in each of the last five campaigns but have failed to reach the final four of the competition since 2021/22 campaign – suffering defeats at the quarter-final stage in each of our last three seasons.

Watch | Last time out in the Women's League Cup

There have been 15 competitive games between us and the Red Devils, including last weekend’s dramatic 3-3 draw in the Barclays Women’s Super League, but this will just be our second ever meeting in a cup competition – the previous coming in the FA Cup Final in 2024.

Whereas our opponents this weekend were also defeated at this stage last term – Manchester City running out 2-1 winners at Leigh Sports Village in January, 2025 – although they hadn’t lost a quarter-final tie in their first three attempts prior to that.

This will be United’s first fixture in the Women’s League Cup this season as they enter at the quarter-final stage due to their participation in the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time.