Residents across South Herts celebrated yesterday as Tottenham Hotspur honoured 60-years as a London Club.
Tottenham were founded in 1882, but only became a London club in 1965 following the London Government Act 1963, when the municipal borough was combined with Hornsey and Wood Green to form the present-day London Borough of Haringey.
Prior to 1965 and becoming part of London, Tottenham was a local government district in the abolished historic county of Middlesex.
Before becoming a London club, Tottenham were fairly successful and were comfortably Middlesex’s most decorated football team.
With 2 league titles, 4 FA Cups and a Cup Winners Cup to their name, Tottenham’s then owners would have hoped that becoming a London club might lead them to challenging close rivals Arsenal, who had been a London club since Woolwich, Kent was incorporated into London in 1889.
Arsenal moved to Highbury, North London in 1913 – 52 years before Tottenham became a London club. The move saw The Arsenal go from a trophyless, struggling club to one of the most successful in English football.
Tottenham’s time as a London side started off promising, winning the FA Cup in 1967.
However, just 6 further trophies have followed in the next 52 years and in 1972 they became the embarrassment of North London as they were relegated.
With no league titles as a London club, fans yearn for those Middlesex years, with many blaming the then Government for forcing them to become part of London Borough of Haringey as a reason for the lack of success.
There would be no argument that had Tottenham been absorbed into Hertfordshire, rather than London, then they would be the biggest club in the county and on par with the likes of Ipswich Town and Norwich City as clubs that dominate their region.
Despite 60-years as a London club, Tottenham have struggled to create a strong fan base within North London. Many of those growing up in the region supporting the most established and successful Arsenal.
Spurs’s core support remains within South Hertfordshire. In towns such as Waltham Cross, Cheshunt and Broxbourne that were also formally part of Middlesex. They continue to also have a strong fanbase in the London Borough of Enfield, also formally of Middlesex. But their support dwindles as you enter Harringey and move southwards.
At Northumberland Park on a game day, the northbound platform heading towards Hertfordshire is usually overloaded with Spurs fans heading back north of the M25. The Southbound platform heading towards Finsbury Park and Central London is dominated by away fans.
Many fans had called for Hertfordshire County Council to designate yesterday as an official day of celebration. Whilst this was rejected by the Council, it did not stop hundreds of loyal Tottenham fans from taking to The Moon and Cross in Waltham Cross to celebrate 60-years of being a London club.
Everyone we spoke to on the day said they had one dream. To see Tottenahm with the league as a London club.