White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur moved to White Hart Lane (site of a market garden) in 1899. These photographs show the first match played at the new enclosed ground, which had a capacity of 35,000. Notts County (stripes) were the visitors.

May 1913

 La Vie au Grand Air 

In May 1913 the French team Red Star (known at the time as Red Star Amical) played hosts to Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham had finished the season in 17th place in the First Division. Red Star had come second in Ligue de Football Association.

01.05.13 Paris Red Star 1 2 Tottenham Hotspur
04.05.13 Paris Red Star 0 9 Tottenham Hotspur  

 La Vie au Grand Air 

In the first match Red Star were 1-0 up. Their outstanding player, celebrating his 21st birthday, was goalkeeper Pierre Chayriguès. Tottenham came back to win 2-1 despite the dubious efforts of a (local) referee who disallowed 4 goals. 

In the rematch Tottenham were comfortable winners by 9-0. 

Standing room only...

In the second round of the FA Cup in 1904 Tottenham Hotspur were drawn at home against Aston Villa. On February 20th a crowd of about 50,000 crammed into White Hart Lane- the safe capacity of which was around 30,000. Unsurprisingly there were encroachments onto the field of play. The referee, Mr Howcroft, with the agreement of both captains, deemed that the match should continue as a friendly (complete abandonment at this point being considered too provocative a step). Half time was called after 35 minutes and within minutes of  the resumption the game was ended.
Tottenham won the replay 1-0. They also took the precaution against future crowd encroachment, not by limiting admissions but by erecting a 1.52 m iron fence around the perimeter.

The Gallant Rooster

The Sheriff of London Charity Shield

Introduced at the end of the 1897-98 season, this was a challenge match between the leading amateur club in the country and one of the leading professional clubs, for the benefit of charitable institutions, hospitals etc.
The competition was established by Thomas Dewar, the whisky magnate, and is sometimes referred to as The Dewar Shield. 
And the trophy was as big as a man!
The  Dewar Shield  lapsed in 1908 following a rift between the leading amateur clubs and the FA.

Let's look at the ten editions of the Shield.
Corinthians were chosen as the amateur representatives 9 times. This was good business, as Corinth usually featured a number of international players.The professional representatives were not necessarily the league champions or FA Cup holders.
Professional teams triumphed on 6 occasions
Amatuer teams (ie Corinthian FC) won twice.
The Shield was shared twice.

18981	Corinthians	0	0	Sheffield United	Crystal Palace
	Corinthians	1	1	Sheffield United	Crystal Palace
18992	Aston Villa	0	0	Queen's Park	Crystal Palace
1900	Corinthians	2	1	Aston Villa	Crystal Palace
1901	Aston Villa	1	0	Corinthians	Crystal Palace
1902	Tottenham Hotspur	5	2	Corinthians	White Hart Lane
1903	Sunderland	3	0	Corinthians	White Hart Lane
1904	Corinthians	10	3	Bury	Queens Club
1905	The Wednesday	2	1	Corinthians	Crystal Palace
1906	Liverpool	5	1	Corinthians	Craven Cottage
1907	Newcastle United	5	2	Corinthians	Craven Cottage

1 Sheffield United declined to play extra-time as they disagreed with some of the referee's decisions- the trophy was shared.
2 Shared, each club retained the Shield for six months.

In Memoriam

The late Victorian and Edwardian era were something of a Golden Age in mourning. The Memoriam card was much favoured among the working classes and the urban tradesmen who were at the time patronising professional football in rapidly swelling numbers. 
The era is not generally noted for it's black humour- but these In Memoriam cards display evidence of the sort of wit that has always graced the terraces.

The card above was supplied blank so that the supporter could fill it in himself...

London 1900-15

Continuing our look at London based clubs...

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1900-01	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.2	7

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1900-01	Millwall Athletic	Div. 1.	4
	Tottenham Hotspur*	Div. 1.	5
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	6
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	8
	Brentford	Div.2	1
	Shepherd's Bush	Div.2	4
	Fulham	Div.2	5
	Southall	Div.2	9

* FA Cup winners

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1901-02	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.2	4

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1901-02	Tottenham Hotspur	Div. 1.	2
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	4
	Millwall Athletic	Div. 1.	6
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	12
	Brentford	Div. 1.	15
	Fulham	Div.2	1
	West Hampstead*	Div.2	5
	Shepherd's Bush	Div.2	6
	Southall	Div.2	7

*Left league

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1902-03	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.2	3

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1902-03	Tottenham Hotspur	Div. 1.	4
	Millwall Athletic*	Div. 1.	7
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	9
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	10
	Brentford	Div. 1.	16
	Fulham	Div.2	1
	Southall	Div.2	6

* Dropped the Athletic

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1903-04	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.2	2

Woolwich Arsenal were promoted to the First Division

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1903-04	Tottenham Hotspur	Div. 1.	2
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	5
	Millwall	Div. 1.	7
	Fulham	Div. 1.	11
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	12
	Brentford	Div. 1.	13
	Southall	Div.2.	10

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1904-05	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	10

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1904-05	Tottenham Hotspur	Div. 1.	5
	Fulham	Div. 1.	6
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	7
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	11
	Brentford	Div. 1.	14
	Millwall	Div. 1.	15
	Clapton Orient*	Div.2.	8
	Southall**	Div.2.	10

* Joined Football League
**Left league

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1905-06	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	12
	Chelsea	Div.2	3
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	20

Woolwich Arsenal's position as London's sole Football League club came to an end when Clapton Orient came in from the Southern League and newly formed Chelsea were elected.

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1905-06	Fulham	Div. 1.	1
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div. 1.	5
	Brentford	Div. 1.	9
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	11
	Millwall	Div. 1.	12
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	13
	Crystal Palace	Div.2.	1
	Leyton	Div.2.	2
	Southern United*	Div.2.	6

*Left league

The 1905–06 season was the first in the history of the Isthmian League. London based clubs in this amateur league were:  London Caledonians, Clapton , Casuals , Civil Service and Ealing Association.

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1906-07	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	7
	Chelsea	Div.2	3
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	17

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1906-07	Fulham*	Div. 1.	1
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	5
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div. 1.	6
	Millwall	Div. 1.	7
	Brentford	Div. 1.	10
	Leyton	Div. 1.	14
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	18
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	19

* Joined Football League

Clapton won FA Amateur Cup 

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1907-08	Chelsea	Div.1	13
	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	14
	Fulham	Div.2	4
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	14

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1907-08	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	1
	Millwall	Div. 1.	3
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	4
	Tottenham Hotspur*	Div. 1.	7
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	10
	Brentford	Div. 1.	16
	Leyton	Div. 1.	19

* Joined Football League

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1908-09	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	6
	Chelsea	Div.1	11
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.2	2
	Fulham	Div.2	10
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	15

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1908-09	Millwall	Div. 1.	11
	Leyton	Div. 1.	13
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	15
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	16
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	17
	Brentford	Div. 1.	21

Clapton

Clapton won FA Amateur Cup 

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1909-10	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.1	15
	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	18
	Chelsea	Div.1	19
	Fulham	Div.2	7
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	16

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1909-10	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	3
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	7
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	9
	Leyton	Div. 1.	10
	Brentford	Div. 1.	14

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1910-11	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	10
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.1	15
	Chelsea	Div.2	3
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	4
	Fulham	Div.2	10

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1910-11	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	4
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	5
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	6
	Leyton	Div. 1.	7
	Brentford	Div. 1.	12

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1911-12	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	10
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.1	12
	Chelsea	Div.2	2
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	4
	Fulham	Div.2	8

Queens Park Rangers

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1911-12	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	1
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	7
	Millwall	Div. 1.	8
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	13
	Brentford	Div. 1.	14

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1912-13	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.1	17
	Chelsea	Div.1	18
	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.1	20
	Fulham	Div.2	9
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	14

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1912-13	West Ham United	Div. 1.	3
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	4
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	5
	Millwall	Div. 1.	6
	Brentford	Div. 1.	19

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1913-14	Chelsea	Div.1	8
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.1	17
	Woolwich Arsenal	Div.2	3
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	6
	Fulham	Div.2	11

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1913-14	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	2
	West Ham United	Div. 1.	6
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	8
	Millwall	Div. 1.	15
	Brentford	Div.2.	3

Football League
season		Div	Pos
1914-15	Chelsea	Div.1	19
	Tottenham Hotspur	Div.1	20
	The Arsenal	Div.2	5
	Clapton Orient	Div.2	9
	Fulham	Div.2	12

Southern League
season		Div	Pos
1914-15	West Ham United*	Div. 1.	4
	Millwall	Div. 1.	8
	Queens Park Rangers	Div. 1.	12
	Crystal Palace	Div. 1.	15
	Brentford	Div.2.	7

* Joined the Football League in 1919-20