Tottenham On This Day: Hoddle Special: Spurs Score 5 Against Southampton
By Logan Holmes
Tottenham on this Day
23rd March, 1985
Tottenham Hotspur 5 Southampton 1 (1st Division)
Scorers: Ardiles, Falco, Hoddle, Crooks, Brooke
Team: Clemence; Thomas,D., Hughton; Roberts, Miller, Perryman; Ardiles (Brooke), Falco, Galvin, Hoddle, Crooks
Following the previous weekend’s victory at Anfield Tottenham celebrated at White Hart Lane with a convincing victory over Southampton. At this point of the season, with Peter Shreeves in his first season as manager, Spurs looked set for a challenge for the League title but their home form was to desert them.
Glenn Hoddle ‘Special’
Glenn Hoddle – the player [Photo: Logan Holmes]Tottenham were 2nd in the table, level on points with leaders, Everton, although the Goodison Park club had played one match less. A series of home defeats put an end to their title challenge. The win over Southampton was one of only two home wins in 8 consecutive League matches played at White Hart Lane in March, April and early May.
Ossie Ardiles, starting his first game of the season for Spurs, scored the opening goal five minutes before the interval but Southampton levelled two minutes into the second half. Spurs went ahead when Hoddle scored with a special strike after 63 minutes to beat Peter Shilton. Mark Falco added a third and substitute Garry Brooke created the fourth, a header by Garth Crooks, and then scored the fifth three minutes from time.
Spurs won only one of the the next six home League games, losing the others to eventually finish third on 77 points, thirteen points behind Champions, Everton, and missing second place to Liverpool on goal difference. Through the season Spurs lost 11 League games, seven of them at home and the four away defeats had been during September and October.
A good win over Southampton was followed by one of those end of season slumps of which we’re so familiar with at Tottenham
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