They Played For Tottenham And Everton
By Logan Holmes
Gary Lineker – played for Spurs and Everton [Photo: Logan Holmes]Tottenham and Everton first met competitively in 1904 when Spurs as a non-League team defeated them in the FA Cup, the last time Everton lost at home to side from outside the Football League. Only fourteen players, however, have played for both teams and there have only been few direct transfers between the clubs but the list does include some prestigious and famous names.
Non-League Days
In Tottenham’s days in the Southern League, they strengthened their team with three players who would help them to their first major Cup success in 1901. John Cameron was a Scot who played for Everton but moved south to Tottenham as a player in May, 1898. The following February he took on the additional roles of manager and secretary. He made an immediate impact leading Spurs to the Southern League title in his first full season and the FA Cup the following year.
Cameron returned to Everton and signed two players – Ted Hughes and John Kirwan who were an important part of Spurs successful team at the turn of the century. Hughes remained with Tottenham until 1908 and was very influential as the club rose to League status.
Temperamental Scot
Alex Young, a centre forward, was the first player to be transferred between the two clubs after Spurs had gained entry into the Football League. Not Everton’s 1960s Alex Young, but a version from 1911. He had played for Everton for ten seasons and had scored over 100 League goals for the side as well as scoring the winning goal in the 1906 FA Cup Final. He had also won two caps for Scotland but his time with Spurs was short. He signed in June, 1911 and was gone by the following November. He scored three goals in his first two games but didn’t score again and when dropped demanded a transfer and was allowed to go to Manchester City. He emigrated to Australia in 1914 but a year later was charged with the wilful murder of his brother and was found guilty of manslaughter. Evidence had been produced from his football days in England showing that he had been subject to fits of temporary insanity. On completion of his year three year sentence he was not released immediately on grounds of ‘mental weakness’. He did later return to Scotland.
In January, 2011 Steven Pienaar joined Spurs from Everton but injury problems prevented him from making an impression at White Hart Lane. The South African international had three and a half seasons with the Goodison Park side having signed from Borussia Dortmond in 2007, at first on loan. He made over 100 League appearances, scoring 9 goals. He had played for Ajax Cape Town before joining Ajax at the age of eighteen. Twelve months later Pienaar returned to Goodison on loan and completed his transfer in the summer of 2012. Last season he scored Everton’s first goal at Goodison as the home side made a late recovery with two goals in added time to snatch a win.
As Pienaar was returning north at the end of January, so Louis Saha was moving south to join Tottenham. He scored twice on his home League debut against Newcastle, having made his first appearance as a substitute at Anfield a few days earlier. Saha, like Pienaar had a habit of scoring against Spurs but his time at White Hart Lane came to an end the following summer.
Simon Davies joined Spurs from Peterborough United along with Matthew Etherington in January, 2000. He made almost 150 appearances for Spurs before moving to Everton in 2005. After two years at Goodison, he joined Fulham.
Bobby Mimms was the second player to join Spurs from Everton, 77 years after Alex Young. He had played understudy to Neville Southall at Goodison and in February, 1988 Terry Venables decided he could help to resolve Spurs goalkeeping problems. This, however, didn’t prove to be the case and he was replaced by Erik Thorstvedt the following year. His time at Spurs is not remembered favourably by supporters and he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers in December, 1990 where he had a much more successful time.
Pat Van den Hauwe joined Tottenham in August, 1989. He helped Spurs win the FA Cup of 1991 and the title of his autobiography, ‘Psycho Pat’ sums up perfectly the hard-man full back. He was signed by Venables for a position which had caused Spurs problems for many seasons. He had enjoyed success with Everton as they won the League title twice, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup as well as reaching the FA Cup final on three occasions. He brought experience, strength and power to the Spurs defence. After four seasons and over 100 League appearances he joined Millwall.
Vinny Samways takes the honours as the first player to be transferred from Spurs to Everton. He developed through the Spurs youth system and after eight seasons with the club he moved north in August, 1994. He played 193 League games and scored 11 goals in his time at White Hart Lane and was in the FA Cup winning team of 1991. The introduction of Ossie Ardiles’ attacking five formation which included Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Barmby, Darren Anderton and Ille Dumitrescu restricted Samways’ opportunities to play. He failed to settle at Goodison and only made 23 League appearances. He had periods on loan and then moved to Spain in 1996 where he developed a reputation as a ‘hardman’, an aspect of his game not previously seen in England.
Famous Names
Other players who played for both Spurs and Everton include Gary Lineker who had three seasons in Spain under Terry Venables at Barcelona after a year with Everton, before returning to England to play at White Hart Lane.
Richard Gough was signed from Dundee United and had just over a season with Spurs from the summer of 1986 to autumn 1987. He captained Tottenham to their only FA Cup Final defeat against Coventry City. He was a stylish, commanding centre back but unfortunately for Tottenham, his family failed to settle in London and he returned to Scotland to play for Rangers. Eleven years after leaving White Hart Lane he had two years with Everton.
Paul Gascoigne had his success and heartache with Spurs and then after playing for Lazio, Rangers and Middlesbrough he spent two seasons with Everton from 2000.
Nick Barmby left Spurs in 1995 after developing through the Spurs youth system. He scored 21 League goals from 89 appearances for Spurs, before moving north to Middlesbrough to be closer to his home. A year later he joined Everton and four years on moved to Liverpool, a rare occurrence.
David Ginola joined from Newcastle United and enjoyed three seasons with Spurs, winning the Worthington Cup, and then joined Aston Villa in 2000. A year later he signed for Everton.
Espen Baardsen had four years at Spurs, mostly as understudy to Ian Walker. He made 29 appearances for Spurs and joined Watford in 2000. He spent two years there and in January 2003 played one game for Everton against Spurs at White Hart Lane. Spurs won 4 – 3.