1979/80: Tottenham v Arsenal

Squad rotation is now sadly a pivotal part of the FA Cup third round experience. Each year most Premier League clubs and those in the Championship striving for a slice of the cash cow make sweeping changes to their starting XIs, with the famous old competition suffering as a consequence.

Of course it wasn't always this way. There are a number of tales from the distant past of marathon seasons, cup replay sagas, and players out on their feet as managers without the luxury of vast squads attempted to drain every drop of energy from their reserves.

A prime example of this was the 1979/80 season of Arsenal. A 70-match slugfest, taking in the Charity Shield, First Division, League and FA Cups, as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup. Unsurprisingly the schedule come the end of the season was relentless.

April would see Terry Neill and his players contest ten matches in league, FA Cup and Europe, as their quest for glory started to take on a slightly masochistic flavour. Trying to beat Liverpool and Juventus in cup semi-finals would be hard enough but to add an extra challenge Neill's men were also aiming for a top three finish to guarantee a place in the UEFA Cup.

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
02 Apr 1980	Norwich v Arsenal	L	2-1	Division One
05 Apr 1980	Arsenal v Southampton	D	1-1	League Division One
07 Apr 1980	Tottenham v Arsenal	W	1-2	Division One
09 Apr 1980	Arsenal v Juventus	D	1-1	European Cup Winners Cup
12 Apr 1980	Arsenal v Liverpool	D	0-0	FA Cup
16 Apr 1980	Arsenal v Liverpool	D	1-1	FA Cup
19 Apr 1980	Liverpool v Arsenal	D	1-1	Division One
23 Apr 1980	Juventus v Arsenal	W	0-1	European Cup Winners Cup
26 Apr 1980	Arsenal v WBA	D	1-1	Division One
28 Apr 1980	Arsenal v Liverpool	D	1-1	FA Cup

Arsenal really needed a little help from their friends. After their match against Southampton on Easter Saturday, the small matter of a north London derby awaited just two days later at White Hart Lane. Standard fare over the Easter weekend. But this was not a normal campaign for Arsenal.

With the home leg of their Cup Winners' Cup semi-final against Juventus to be played two days after the Tottenham fixture, and the FA Cup clash with Liverpool on the following Saturday at Hillsborough, Arsenal approached their north London rivals on March 24, requesting that the derby be moved to Monday March 31.

The Football League were fine with the proposal. The problem for Arsenal was that their neighbours were not so obliging. 

Tottenham secretary Geoff Jones explained the reason behind Tottenham's decision. "It's one of the biggest matches on our calendar, and has been sold out for a long while. Our first priority must be to our fans. They have known about this fixture since last August and many have arranged their Easter holiday around it."

How times have changed. A football club taking the consideration of their fans into account seems quaint now, in contrast to the age we find ourselves in where fixtures can be rearranged according to the whim of the host broadcaster. Back in 1980, Tottenham were not for turning.

"We had the same in 1972," Jones added. "In that year we had to play six matches in 12 days, including a UEFA Cup semi-final against AC Milan. We asked Ipswich to postpone an Easter Monday match and they refused. We sympathise with Arsenal and are also envious. It's the mark of being a successful club."

There was little Arsenal could do. With Sammy Nelson (hamstring), David Price (shin) and Steve Gatting (flu) definitely ruled out, four others doubtful, and the Juventus game on the horizon, Neill would risk the wrath of the Football League and shuffle his pack for the derby.

Neill would rest Pat Jennings, Graham Rix, Alan Sunderland, and Frank Stapleton, play Paul Barron in goal, move full back Pat Rice into a midfield which included the 17-year-old debutant Paul Davis, and deploy midfielder Liam Brady to partner Paul Vaessen (18) up front. 

Juventus had no such concerns. In fact, their manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his players would attend the match at White Hart Lane, probably amused and bemused at the situation Arsenal found themselves in. "We want English teams to succeed in Europe yet we seem to put as many obstacles as we can in their way, Arsenal coach Don Howe complained.

Howe was understandably unhappy about the schedule. "If the Arsenal players were horses the RSPCA would already have intervened. It's a crazy situation which is cruel on the players." Yet with crucial league points up for grabs, as well as local pride at stake, Arsenal just had to get on with it.

This was far from a vintage Tottenham team, with Keith Burkinshaw's side languishing in 12th place in Division One. But the fact that Arsenal arrived at White Hart Lane with a weakened team seemingly handed the advantage to the home team. What followed was a delicious dose of schadenfreude for the visiting Arsenal fans.

In truth the match was poor. Norman Fox in The Times described it as "no more exciting than an Easter Day trip to the Dartford Tunnel", which painted an accurate picture of the first 84 minutes of that Monday afternoon. But there was an added edge to the atmosphere.

After Arsenal's opening goal, a Molotov cocktail was thrown from the stands which landed in an empty section of the ground used for crowd segregation, resulting in a section of the stadium being partly singed. Both managers were scathing of the incident. "If that's what winning and losing has come to we would be better off packing it in," Neill stated.

In his excellent All Guns Blazing book, Jon Spurling highlights the tension surrounding Tottenham's refusal to move the match. "Arsenal fans and players were furious and atmosphere in the ground was vicious with the Gunners getting the upper hand both verbally on the terraces and on the pitch."

Arsenal's midfield kept a poor Tottenham team at arm's length. "Arsenal's main ambition on this occasion was to prove that, having beaten Spurs on Boxing Day, they could hold their neighbours with one hand tied behind their backs, as it were," David Lacey wrote in the Guardian. Rice, John Hollins, Brian Talbot, and Davis suffocated Spurs.

Davis earned rave reviews. Described as "a skilful quick-tackling newcomer" by Lacey, Fox noted that the young midfielder "strolled into the game with almost veteran assurance." Yet it took the introduction of Alan Sunderland for star man Brady to turn the afternoon into one of delight for the visiting fans. 

Sunderland had a happy knack (for Arsenal fans at least) of scoring against Tottenham. Coming on with 30 minutes remaining, the forward was instantly involved, sending Hollins through on goal only for Barry Daines to keep out his effort. Winning a disputed corner in the 84th minute, Sunderland also played his part in Arsenal's opening goal.

Talbot's corner was helped on by David O'Leary, allowing Vaessen to head home from close range. Delirium in the Arsenal end, and not the last time a header from the young forward would send a wave of ecstasy flooding through the fanbase. Just two minutes later, there was another shot of joy.

Lobbing Daines from 30 yards out, Sunderland had clinched the match, despite Chris Jones halving the deficit shortly before the final whistle. "Arsenal win with plenty in reserve" declared the Guardian headline, as Neill turned his attentions to the Juventus match at Highbury two days later.

"I never thought the League would inquire into whether we fielded a below-strength team but in any case the answer was out there on the pitch," Neill said. For Arsenal fans, the bragging rights were given an extra sheen due to the circumstances surrounding the win.

"Travelling Arsenal fans composed a new chant that day - which we used until '82/'83: 'We beat the Spurs with six reserves'," Spurling relates. In My Story, O'Leary took great delight in the win: "Spurs were sick. We thought it served then right."

Ultimately it would be a season of crushing disappointment for Arsenal. Somehow the twin threats of Juventus and Liverpool were dismissed - the latter after four matches in the FA Cup - only for final heartache against Valencia and West Ham. To add salt to the wounds, the club lost 5-0 at Middlesbrough in match number 70 to deny them a place in Europe.

But it was a season to remember in many ways. Highlights aplenty, even if there was no silverware to show for their efforts. The win at Tottenham was a memorable moment along the long journey. Any victory at White Hart Lane is welcome for Arsenal fans, so to win there with six reserves made it that bit sweeter.