We Won The League At White Hart Lane

Just a couple of words about Fulham. Three to be precise. We were crap.

Let’s face it, Craven Cottage was just a taster for the main event this week anyway. For those of you in need of a lift I’m looking back at our two title triumphs at the Lane. Tomorrow log on for the 2004 success, for now I’m going back to May 3rd, 1971.

My own memories of the momentous night could have been so different. The teenage Goonerholic was outside the ground by 4pm for an evening kick-off, but so was half of London. The gates locked before I reached the turnstile at seven. Walking back dejectedly to find a pub with a radio I walked past one gate that astonishingly was open, with no queue, and I was in! Estimates of the numbers locked out varied from fifty, to two hundred and fifty thousand.

From the back of a packed Shelf I looked around and of the fifty thousand in the ground it would be fair to say well over half were Arsenal fans hoping to see the team draw 0-0, or win. Any other result would have handed the title to Leeds.

Tottenham were determined that the old enemy would not triumph on their patch and gave everything but with just four minutes remaining George Armstrong latched on to a Jennings clearance and from the left-wing produced the perfect cross for young Ray Kennedy to power a header in off the bar.

At the final whistle the pitch became a sea of celebrating Arsenal fans. They had waited eighteen years for this title, and were determined to enjoy it to the full. Five days later Liverpool were defeated at Wembley and Arsenal had the first of their three doubles in the bag.

That win at the Lane was a memory we thought couldn’t be bettered. Little did we know we’d go on to witness the title being secured at Anfield, Old Trafford, and of course, White Hart Lane all over again. More of that tomorrow.