Tottenham On This Day: Four Goals And Venables Sent Off Against Fulham

Tottenham scored four goals in a London derby against Fulham at White Hart Lane and Terry Venables was sent off as both teams were reduced to ten-men at the end of the first half.

Tottenham on this Day

11th February, 1967

[Photo: Logan Holmes]

Tottenham Hotspur 4 Fulham 2 1st Division

Scorers: Gilzean, Greaves, Jones (2)     Haynes, Clarke

This was an entertaining game which saw Spurs take an early lead through Alan Gilzean after a shot from Dave Mackay had hit the post in the 8th minute. Johnny Haynes equalised for Fulham on 17 minutes, only for Jimmy Greaves to restore Spurs’ lead two minutes later. Before half time Fulham scored their second through Allan Clarke but at the end of the first half, an incident involving Terry Venables and Fred Callaghan of Fulham resulted in both players being sent off.

The start of the incident between Venables and Callaghan [Photo: Logan Holmes]Two second half goals from Cliff Jones gave Spurs victory. The fourth goal and his second came a minute after Cyril Knowles had cleared the ball off his own line as the visitors threatened to draw level for a third time. Spurs deserved their victory but were flattered by their 4 – 2 margin. Having won at Craven Cottage earlier in the season Tottenham completed their third ‘double’ of the season.

[Photo: Logan Holmes]While Terry Venables claimed afterwards that it was a minor incident which got blown out of all proportion because other players became involved, the headline writers took a different view of what happened.

The incident which occurred in first half injury time was described in one of the following morning’s paper as ‘a brawl of flying fists and boots’.

‘It began when Fred Callaghan fouled Venables who retaliated. Soon they were fighting out their version of a middleweight championship. Before you could say “Jimmy Greaves” at least six players were involved in the battle either as supporters or peace-makers.

Sent off, rightly, for fighting were the chief culprits – Venables and Callaghan with another Fulham player booked by the referee striving to restore control.’

Afterwards Terry Venables, despondent and repentant, said,

"It was a silly thing to do. Probably, if there’d only been the two of us involved the whole thing would have blown over."