Story of Spurs-Chelsea rivalry

Tottenham face old foes Chelsea live on Sky Sports on Wednesday night, but what’s the story behind the rivalry?

It’s the second time the London clubs have met in the space of a few weeks after Chelsea ended Tottenham’s unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in November.

The encounter evokes memories of the Battle of the Bridge at the end of last season, but the origins of the rivalry date back to the 1960s…

The Cockney Cup Final

The 1967 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Tottenham was dubbed the Cockney Cup Final as it was the first to be contested by two teams from London. For Spurs, 2-1 victors on the day, it was the fifth time they had won the competition.

They won it thanks to goals from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul, with Chelsea unable to complete a comeback despite a late strike from Bobby Tambling. The result was all the more difficult to take for the Blues as Tottenham’s team featured ex-Chelsea duo Jimmy Greaves and Terry Venables. A bitter rivalry was born.

Spurs send Chelsea down

The rivalry intensified in the 1974/75 season, when Spurs and Chelsea found themselves embroiled in a frantic battle to avoid relegation from the old First Division.

The two sides met in the third-last game of the season at White Hart Lane, with the north Londoners sitting a point below Chelsea in the relegation zone. It was a crucial game, and Spurs claimed the win they needed, with goals from Alfie Conn and Steve Perryman clinching a 2-0 win.

Chelsea were duly relegated after drawing their last two games of the campaign, …

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