Terry Dyson Hat-trick as Tottenham Defeat Arsenal – Know Your Tottenham History

Tottenham scored four goals at White Hart Lane to defeat Arsenal in the north London derby as they defended their League title on this day, 26th August, 1961. Terry Dyson, the unsung hero of the ‘Double’ winning team scored a hat-trick and still remains the only Tottenham player to score three goals in a north London derby game. Spurs had started their season with a win at Blackpool and a 2 – 2 draw at home to West Ham United but for the mid-week home game they had been without Dave Mackay and John White through injury and both were absent for the Arsenal match.

Tottenham Hotspur 4 Arsenal 3

Scorers: Allen, Dyson (3)      Skirton, Charles (2)

Bill Nicholson’s team selection showed one change from the team which drew with West Ham the previous Wednesday evening – John Smith replaced Jimmy Collins who had made his debut in that game for White. Tony Marchi continued to deputise for Mackay.

The match day programme for the next home game against Cardiff City provided the following match report for the Arsenal game:

‘Our local derby with Arsenal, which attracted an attendance of 59,371 last Saturday, was a ding-dong struggle for the points with the fortunes fluctuating throughout the game, and the interest held until the final whistle. After 16 minutes Les Allen put Spurs ahead by heading home a cross from John Smith. Five minutes later, from a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, Blanchflower flighted the ball over a row of Arsenal defenders on to the head of Dyson, whose first attempt struck the crossbar, with the second effort going into the net.

Now two goals in arrears. Arsenal continued to play with great spirit, and in the 27th minute Skirton, their outside-left, moving into the inside-left position, drove a fierce shot past Brown to make it 2 – 1, which was the score at half-time.

In the second half the excitement continued, and an overhead kick by Cliff Jones struck the crossbar, while at the other end Mel Charles had a shot cleared off the line by Ron Henry. Soon after, however, Charles put Arsenal on level terms, heading in a lofted cross from winger McLeod, and five minutes later the same player put visitors in the lead 3 – 2, again heading home a cross, this time from Eastham out on the right wing.

Their lead was short-lived, however, Dyson soon putting Spurs on level terms again, and one minute later, with ten minutes to go by the new clock on the East Stand, the same player completed his hat-trick to give Spurs the victory as the climax to a most entertaining match.’

Team: Brown; Baker, Henry; Blanchflower, Norman, Marchi; Jones, Smith, J., Smith, R., Allen, Dyson.

#knowyourtottenhamhistory  25th August, 1991