Football Sidelines: Winning their spurs at Chelsea

The Ex-Files

Jimmy Greaves made lightning look lazy when he scored on his Chelsea debut at Tottenham 40 years ago. Long before he metamorphosed into the rotund TV pundit known as Greavsie, this most perfect of predators was one of a large number of players with a niche in the history of both today's opponents.

Arriving at Spurs via Milan in 1961, Greaves linked with two forwards signed from Chelsea, Bobby Smith and Les Allen, Double-winners both. Terry Venables made the same switch in '66, and as manager would buy Gordon Durie from the Blues.

The earliest transfers between the Lane and the Bridge had been in the opposite direction. Two of Spurs' FA Cup-winning side in 1901, John Kirwan and David Copeland, appeared in Chelsea's inaugural fixture four years later. Vivian Woodward, who scored Spurs' first League goal when he was also a club director and an architect, resurfaced at Chelsea after retiring.

Others with a dual connection include Danny Blanchflower, Allan Harris, Tommy Harmer, Keith Weller, Micky Hazard, Graham Roberts, Colin Lee, Clive Allen (son of Les, who was swapped for Johnny Brooks), Peter Shreeves, Jason Cundy and Clive Wilson, back in Spurs' defence under Herr Gross. Talking of managerial Christians, Glenn Hoddle made quite a mark on both camps, though from Greavsie to Glenda, Spurs have had the better of the deals.

Ten things that Everton's Croat Slaven Bilic

might be missing

today

1 Sunshine. Croatia's 2,600 hours of it every year are amongst the longest in Europe. (While the blue side of Liverpool lives in darkness at the moment.)

2 The Kajkavian song festival in Krapina. Like Everton away wins, it happens annually.

3 The Una, Kupa, Sava, Drava and Danube delta.

4 Salty pilchards.

5 Licko Senjska. A region of natural beauty as opposed to a strange fetish club.

6 Huntsmen's cries of "Deer, doe, boar and bear." Makes a change from "Oh dear, doh! I'm bored, I can't bear this."

7 101 things Dalmatian.

8 The shrine of Marija Bistrica, where the Virgin Mary has been seen and miracles have been experienced after prayer. Howard Kendall has obviously never been there.

9 Plum and herb brandy.

10 The rejuvenating spas at Umag, Opatija and Crikvenica. As hot as a post-match Goodison bath, but the contents aren't as likely to go down the plug-hole.

NAME OF THE GAME

No 12: HARTLEPOOL UNITED

Poor old Hartlepool are arguably the Football League's most consistently unsuccessful club, having been in its bottom division for all but three seasons since joining the Third Division North in 1921. They had to seek re-election to the League an unequalled 14 times and have the worst FA Cup record, never having reached the last 16. Changing their name has been about the most exciting event in the club's history: founded as Hartlepools United in 1908, the club changed its name to Hartlepool in 1968 and to Hartlepool United in 1977. Which prompts just one question: why?

THIS

WEEK

On 9 December 1989, the draw for the 1990 World Cup in Italy saw England grouped for their first-round games with the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and Egypt.

The reaction of Bobby Robson, the England manager, was echoed almost verbatim on Thursday by Glenn Hoddle. "It could have been better, could have been worse," they said, eight years apart.

In the 1990 finals, draws against their European opponents and a win over Egypt saw England progress to beat Belgium and Cameroon before going out to West Germany in the semi-final. Scotland, drawn with Brazil, Costa Rica and Sweden, fell at the first hurdle.

HISTORY

LESSON

As Aston Villa attempt to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the second leg of their Uefa Cup third-round tie against Steaua Bucharest next week they can find some encouragement from their own record in European competition.

Although Villa have only ever lost the first leg in Europe but gone on to win on one occasion, they did so in impressive style. In the first round of the 1983-84 Uefa Cup, Villa lost 1-0 away to Vitoria Guimaraes, but a Peter Withe hat-trick helped them to a thumping 5-0 win in the second leg. Villa lost 4-3 on aggregate to Moscow Spartak in the next round.

Villa have played in the Uefa Cup four times in the 1990s, but this is the first time they have progressed beyond the second round.

THis WEEK'S TRANSFERS

Transfers

Free transfers or nominal fees unless stated

Chris Coleman (defender) Blackburn to Fulham (pounds 21.m)

Niclas Alexandersson (midfielder) IFK Gothenburg (Swe) to Sheffield Wednesday (pounds 750,000)

Dean Saunders (forward) Nottingham Forest to Sheffield Utd (pounds 400,000)

David Rennie (midfielder) Northampton to Peterborough

Darren Beckford (forward) TNS Llansantffraid to Bury

Loans/trials

Simon Charlton (defender) Southampton to Birmingham

Martin Foster (midfielder) Leeds to Blackpool

Andy Gray (midfielder) Leeds to Bury

Adam Reed (defender) Blackburn to Rochdale

Lawrence Davies (forward) Bradford City to Darlington

Craig Midgley (forward) Bradford City to Darlington

Bent Inge Johnsen (defender) Bodo/Glimt (Nor) to Leeds (trial)