Tottenham On This Day: Spurs Score 13 Against Crewe In FA Cup Replay

Les Allen scores his first goal against Crewe [Photo: Logan Holmes]Tottenham On This Day

3rd February, 1960

Tottenham Hotspur 13 Crewe Alexandra 2 (FA Cup 4th Round Replay)

Scorers: Allen (5), Smith (4), Jones (3, 1 pen). Harmer    Coleman, Llewellyn

Team: Brown; Hills, Henry; Blanchflower, Norman, Mackay; White, Harmer, Smith, Allen, Jones

Goals – notice the mistake [Photo: Logan Holmes]Having survived a difficult game at Crewe the previous Saturday, this FA Cup 4th Round Replay was over, long before half-time, providing Tottenham with their biggest ever win.

Spurs dominated the game from the beginning and were a goal ahead after two minutes from a header by Bobby Smith. It came from a header and went in off the inside of the post. Two more followed from Les Allen (10 minutes) and Smith (11 minutes) before Crewe scored through winger Tim Coleman. Then Tommy Harmer scored Spurs fourth, the best goal of the evening after 20 minutes.

In his match report, Sam Leitch described only Harmer’s goal,

‘John White cut the ball back from the right wing. Cliff Jones danced his way into the centre-forward position to flick the ball further back to Harmer. While the slogging, aching Crewe defence waited for the inevitable Harmer jinking and dribble, he let go from 25 yards.’

Amazingly, Spurs led 10 – 1 by half-time, Allen scored his second after 29 minutes, Smith scored a minute later to complete his hat-trick and made it seven after 36 minutes. Jones scored in the 39th minute and Allen found time to add two more before the interval, in the 41st and 43rd minute.

Bobby Smith makes it 6 (his hat-trick) [Photo: Logan Holmes]Spurs added another three in the second half, Jones added number 11, six minutes after the break. There was then a period of 23 minutes before spurs scored again through Allen, his fifth. Crewe pulled one back on 75 minutes through Bert Llewellyn and Jones completed the rout with the final goal in the 80th minute from the penalty spot, for his hat-trick, the third of the evening

This was an outstanding performance and will probably never be equalled. However, Spurs were defeated by Blackburn Rovers, the eventual Cup winners in the next round.

Spurs v Crewe Feb. 1960 [Photo: Logan Holmes]