Tottenham On This Day: Spurs Win 11-Goal Thriller Against Wolves

Cliff Jones [Photo: Logan Holmes]Tottenham scored 7 goals at White Hart Lane in an 11-goal thriller against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Tottenham on this Day

27th March, 1965

Tottenham Hotspur 7 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 1st Division

Scorers: Clayton, Allen, Gilzean (2), Jones (3)

Team: Brown, W.; Knowles, Henry; Mullery, Brown, L., Clayton; Weller, Greaves, Allen, Gilzean, Jones

An eleven goal thriller at White Hart Lane as Tottenham maintained their unbeaten home record with nine goals being scored in the second half.

1964-65 – a Strange Season

Spurs were undefeated at White Hart Lane through the complete season but managed only one away win (at Forest on Boxing Day – 2-1). They completed the ‘double’ over Forest by winning 4-0 at home, two days later.

The season ended with some high scoring games at White Hart Lane:

v Leicester City won 6-2
v Blackburn Won 5 – 2
v Blackpool Won 4 – 1
v Liverpool Won 3 – 0
and on this day in 1965 defeated Wolves 7 – 4.

A number of interesting facts about this game:

• This was Les Allen’s last goal for Tottenham. He was transferred to Queen’s Park Rangers during the summer and later became their manager.

• Keith Weller a young forward made his debut and made 21 appearances before moving to Millwall, with Derek Possee in 1967. He scored one goal in a 2 – 2 draw against Newcastle at White Hart Lane.

• Jimmy Greaves was playing and surprisingly did not score.

Cliff Jones [Photo: Logan Holmes]Wolves had scored first in the 9th minute through Buckley but Allen equalized for Spurs after 37 minutes and at half-time the score was 1 – 1. Gilzean put Spurs ahead in the 49th minute and that was the first of 6 goals in the next 20 minutes. Three minutes later Clayton scored the third but Wolves pulled a goal back six minutes later through McIlmoyle. In the 62nd minute, Cliff Jones scored his first only for Kirkham to respond with Wolves third, two minutes later. In the 69th minute, Gilzean scored his second, Spurs 5th, but Wolves wouldn’t give up as Wharton scored their 4th after 74 minutes.

With six minutes to go the score was 5 – 4 and but for a save by Bill Brown from Peter Knowles, Cyril’s brother, it would have been level. Cliff Jones then secured the win for Spurs by scoring two late goals in the 84th and 85th minute to complete his hat-trick and to bring the 11-goal extravaganza to a close.

With six matches to play Spurs were fourth in the League but eleven points behind the top three teams.

Tottenham finished the season in 6th place.

Spurs v Wolves (March 1965) [Photo: Logan Holmes]