Tottenham 1990 FA Youth Cup Team: What Next After Spurs?

Scott Houghton [Photo: Logan Holmes]

Scott Houghton was a speedy winger who could use both feet and scored a goal in the 1st Leg of the Final at Middlesbrough. He made his Spurs debut in September, 1991 as a substitute against Manchester United. In his next game, he came on as a substitute against Luton Town and scored twice as Spurs won 4 – 1 at White Hart Lane.

It was a memorable match as Luton had gone ahead just before the interval. The second half was interrupted for fifteen minutes when the floodlights failed but on their return Spurs came alight and scored four, Gary Lineker scored twice as well. Houghton made 10 League appearances, all as a substitute before joining Luton in 1993. He played for a number of lower League clubs, having his best spells at Peterborough, Walsall, Southend United and Leyton Orient.

Ollie Morah was a first year apprentice in the Cup winning team who scored 28 goals that year, including the goal in the 2nd leg of the Final. He remained with Spurs until August, 1992 when he signed for Swindon Town. He failed to make any League appearances there and after two years dropped into non-League football with Sutton United. He later played for Cambridge United and Torquay United. He became a coach at Spurs in 2005 with the Academy Under-13 players.

Andrew Potts was another first year apprentice when winning the FA Youth Cup. He was leading scorer that season with 30 goals, including a goal in the Final. He was released in the summer of 1993.

Lee Fulling was released by Tottenham a few weeks after the Final.

Stuart Nethercott was a first year trainee when he made his substitute appearances in the FA Youth Cup Final. He made it to the first team, making his debut in 1993 in a 1 – 1 draw at Chelsea. He made a number of appearances over the next eighteen months and at the start of the 1994-95 season, Ossie Ardiles selected him, ahead of Gary Mabbutt, to partner Sol Campbell at the heart of the Tottenham defence.

It was in the attacking, care-free days of Jurgen Klinsmann and Teddy Sheringham and the defence was left over-exposed, leading to Ardiles removal as manager. Nethercott had a further three seasons at the club playing when others were injured. One such occasion was the FA Cup semi-final against Everton and unfortunately for Nethercott he had a poor game at full back as Spurs lost 1 – 4 and their Cup winning dream was shattered. He went to Millwall in 1997 and made over 200 appearances in seven seasons, helping them to promotion to the Premier League and an FA Cup Final although he missed it as he had been loaned out to Wycombe for whom he signed in the summer of 2004. He went into non-league football as a player and then manager.

Only Ian Walker made himself a regular team member with Spurs and only a small number of the players managed to have a career in lower League football. As with the 1995 FA Youth Cup team, being part of a successful youth team gives no assurance of making a career in League football.

Tottenham continue to spend vast sums of money on their Academy in the search for quality young players and it is good to see some of the former Academy graduates progress to the first team. Hopefully, more will follow in their footsteps in the coming seasons.