It took a courageous man to antagonise the likes of Billy Bremner and firm at Leeds United within the Nineteen Seventies.
However former Rangers midfielder Alfie Conn was not your run-of-the-mill participant and when he arrived at Tottenham in 1974, it quickly turned clear that Spurs had somebody particular of their ranks.
His full debut in January 1975 couldn’t have gone higher. Away to Newcastle and needing a win, Spurs have been 4-0 up by half-time and ended up profitable 5-2, Conn scoring a hat-trick. “My dad and grandad got here down from Glasgow and I went again up with them afterwards,” he recollects to FourFourTwo.
The day Alfie Conn antagonised Leeds United
Conn had joined Spurs from Rangers in 1974 (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
“All of us had a number of drinks on the prepare journey again. When the ticket inspector got here spherical, my grandad stated we have been celebrating my hat-trick after which ended up taking up his duties!”
Conn quickly established himself as a followers’ favorite, taking up the King of White Hart Lane honour from Alan Gilzean. “I couldn’t imagine it the primary time I heard it – that kind of factor makes your chest stick out,” he says. “I bought on nice with the followers. I nonetheless consider Tottenham as my membership.”
Reigning Division One champions Leeds weren’t afraid to get caught in
However a run of eight defeats from 9 in the course of the run-in meant that Spurs wanted to win their last sport of the season to outlive. That sport was in opposition to reigning champions Leeds United , who had simply seen off Barcelona to achieve the ultimate of the European Cup and had nearly signed Conn as an adolescent.
Jimmy Armfield’s males can have wished they did, as Conn pulled the strings and was the architect of three Spurs objectives that put the hosts answerable for the match.
Then he sat on the ball to taunt Bremner, Hunter & Co. What was going by his thoughts?
“Nothing!” he chuckles. “I don’t know why I did that. However as quickly as I regarded spherical and noticed huge Pat Jennings shaking his head, I believed, ‘What have I performed?’
Conn in motion in the course of the 1973 Scottish Cup Last for Rangers in opposition to Celtic (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
“The Leeds gamers all of a sudden turned it on. It was a relegation battle for us and I might have been the villain slightly than the hero. Fortunately we gained 4-2 [Conn scored the fourth] and stayed up.
“I believed I’d higher apologise to the Leeds gamers,” he provides. And the way was that acquired?
“I don’t know – I popped my head across the dressing room door, stated, ‘Sorry, lads’ and bought out as shortly as I might!”
‘What’s It All About? The Alfie Conn Story’ by Jeff Holmes is on the market now
