Tottenham Defeat Ajax in Amsterdam in 1981 ECWC Know Your Tottenham History
By Logan Holmes
Mark Falco Scored Twice against Ajax
Tottenham, as FA Cup winners, returned to European football in the European Cup Winners’ Cup on 16th September, 1981. Their first match was in Holland against Ajax of Amsterdam and it was a match that was greeted with great expectation. Tottenham were expecting a difficult encounter against a team who had won Europe’s top trophy, the European Cup, on three occasions during the 1970s.
16th September, 1981
Ajax Amsterdam 1 Tottenham Hotspur 3
Scorers: Villa, Falco (2)
Tottenham’s 1981-82 season had started indifferently. They had won at Middlesbrough on the opening day but then lost consecutive home matches conceding seven goals to West Ham United and Aston Villa. Their fourth match, on the Saturday prior to travelling to Holland saw them win by the only goal at Wolverhampton Wanderers. This was Spurs’ first European match since 1974 when it had ended so ignominiously with defeat and rioting in the final of the UEFA Cup against Feyenoord in Holland.
Much was expected from these two teams with reputations for exciting football and it was Tottenham who showed their capabilities with an outstanding performance and a thoroughly deserved victory. Spurs played their best football in the first half as they established a two goal lead by the interval. Tottenham took the lead after twenty minutes through Mark Falco who was causing the home defence numerous problems. After 34 minutes he earned Spurs a corner and from Tony Galvin’s kick he added Spurs’ second. Midway through the second half, Ossie Ardiles fed Ricky Villa with a free run on goal to score the third. Ajax immediately responded to pull one goal back and while they tried to reduce the deficit, Ray Clemence having to be at his best on a couple of occasions, Spurs saw out the match for an excellent win. The result in the first leg made the return match a formality which Spurs went on to win 3 – 0.
Team: Clemence; Perryman, Miller, Roberts, Hughton; Ardiles, Hoddle, Villa, Galvin; Archibald, Falco
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