Tottenham On This Day: Win At Old Trafford – Martin Peters Scored Four
By Logan Holmes
Last season Tottenham had a memorable win over Manchester United at at Old Trafford with Clint Dempsey scoring the winning goal. The sheer joy and delight that showed on his face and that of manager Andre Villas-Boas as well as every fan whether in the ground or thousand of miles away was a treat to behold. On this day, 28th October 1972 Martin Peters scored all four Tottenham goals in Spurs’ 4 – 1 victory.
Manchester United 1 Tottenham Hotspur 4
Scorers: Charlton Peters (4)
An exciting score line with all of the goals being scored by Martin Peters. Spurs had lost all of their previous nine League visits to Old Trafford but they over turned that record in style.United were having a poor season and although Spurs’ form to that point hadn’t been great they managed to put on a stylish display that day to win comfortably.
A memorable day for Spurs and Martin Peters. United finished 18th in the League and Bobby Charlton who had scored their goal that day was their leading scorer in season 1972 – 73 with six goals, retired after a distinguished career.
In his autobiography, The Ghost of ’66, Martin Peters recounts that day and gives an explanation or his four goals.
I scored four goals in the opening three games of 1972-73 and all four when Tottenham beat Manchester United 4 – 1 at Old Trafford in October. For a change, Bill Nicholson played me out on the right that day in the position usually filled by Alan Gilzean. Afterwards the media asked me how I scored all four and I explained that I was simply in the right place at the right time – four times!
Martin Peters signed for Tottenham in March, 1970 from West Ham and as part of the £200,00o deal Jimmy Greaves moved to Upton Park. Peters captained the Spurs team to the League Cup win over Norwich City in 1973 and in five years at White Hart Lane he scored 66 goals in 260 appearances. He moved to Norwich City in March, 1975. In the early 1970s he developed a great understanding with Martin Chivers and Gilzean as the trio worked together creating and scoring many goals in Spurs successful side.