Farewell to true legend Nicholson

14 April 2012

No history of English football could claim to be complete without a generous chapter on the achievements of Bill Nicholson. In fact, one chapter would hardly do justice to a career at White Hart Lane that spanned the best part of 70 years.

Nicholson, who has died aged 85, secured a place among the legends of football long ago.

It's shameful, in my opinion, that he was never considered worthy of a knighthood.

His 16 years as manager between 1958-74 produced Tottenham's golden era and, for me, evoke memories like a row of brightly-burning candles - the fabulous 1961 Double-winning side, Blanchflower and Mackay, the tragic loss of John White, the goals of Greaves and Gilzean, 'Big' Pat Jennings and, of course, the historic first success by a British club in Europe.

As a schoolboy, I used to squeeze into White Hart Lane to watch Nicholson's greatest team become the first of the 20th century to win the fabled league and FA Cup Double. Listening to a 60,000 crowd singing "Glory, glory Hallelujah!" is something I've never forgotten. Spurs played with style, grace and elegance and set a standard by which all that followed has been judged.

The seventh of nine children, Nicholson was born in the Yorkshire seaside resort of Scarborough in 1919. Young Nicholson was working in a laundry and playing for a local club when he received a letter from Tottenham offering a month's trial.

Given a job on the groundstaff at £2 a week, he made his first-team debut as a left-back against Blackburn Rovers in 1938 at the age of 19.

After the War he resumed his career at Tottenham, winning the championship under Arthur Rowe in 1951. Rowe's managerial successor at Spurs, Jimmy Anderson, made Nicholson coach. When he retired for health reasons in October 1958 he told Nicholson: "Put your coat on and go and see the chairman."

An hour later Nicholson was offered the manager's job. No mention was made of a contract. "I never had a contract in my time as manager," Nicholson once said. "I reckoned that they'd keep me if I was good enough and sack me if I wasn't. A contract wouldn't make much difference."

A few statistics help illustrate the significance of Tottenham's glorious achievements that season.

They won their first 11 games in Division One and in total scored 115 goals in 42 league matches.

What seems scarcely believable today is that the team collected just one booking and conceded just one penalty.

In December 1961 Nicholson paid AC Milan £99,999 for the incomparable Jimmy Greaves who, just for starters, scored three goals on his debut in a 5-2 win against Blackpool. Although they finished third in the old First Division, they retained that FA Cup and, as a result, marched through the Cup Winners' Cup the following season beating Atletico Madrid 5-1 in an epic final. It was the first triumph by a British club in Europe and even Nicholson, the perfectionist, admitted he was satisfied.

Sadly, Mackay broke a leg shortly afterwards. Blanchflower finally conceded that his career was over at 37 but, most tragic of all was the death of the talented White, 27, struck by lighting while sheltering under an oak tree at Crews Hill Golf Club.

Nicholson rebuilt the team and they won the FA Cup again in 1967 and then, as rivals Arsenal reemerged, created another team that won the League Cup (twice) and the UEFA Cup in the early Seventies.

Throughout his reign Nicholson recruited players impressively and spent Tottenham's money lavishly, though his own life style remained modest.

He lived with his wife Grace - he called her 'Darkie' - and their two daughters in a semidetached house around the corner from White Hart Lane. She used to ride a bike and tend a plot at the local allotment.

But the ideals he cherished were slowly disappearing from professional football.

Nicholson made up his mind he'd had enough in Rotterdam in May 1974 when the Dutch side Feyenoord beat Spurs 2-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Final.

The Spurs fans rioted. Bill's terrified daughter Jean was in the crowd. Two hundred people were hurt and 70 arrested. I was in the stadium that night and will never forget Nicholson's despairing plea to the Spurs fans over the public address system at half time.

A weary Nicholson reluctantly continued into the new season but, bottom of the table after their worst start for 62 years, he suddenly announced his resignation.

He hoped to continue in an advisory capacity but soon learned there was to be no place for him.

Keith Burkinshaw, appointed Spurs manager by a fresh board of directors in 1976, reinstated Nicholson as scout, consultant, advisor, elder statesman, resident legend and, most recently, club president.

Bill Nicholson OBE remains one of football's great names. He may be gone but you can guarantee his memory will go marching on.

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Farewell to true legend Nicholson

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