[Lord Snooty]

September 19:

Following the surprise resignation of Herbert Chapman, it was almost business as usual under the new leadership of Cecil Potter. Town started the 25/26 season unbeaten in the first ten games. On this date in 1925, the sixth game of the season was played and the unbeaten run was almost ended in a remarkable 5-5 draw at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur.

Defences were trying to get to grips with the changes to the offside rule, introduced at the start of the season and high scoring games were a plenty. There was an 11-2, a 10-0, a 7-4 and a 6-5 during the First Division season, so this 5-5 wasn't all that strange.

It was Town who scored first, Alex Jackson firing home after being set up by skipper Clem Stephenson. That was after four minutes. It was 1-1 after seven when Frank Osbourne headed in from close range. A crowd of 20,880 had turned out to see the double league champions, who regained the lead in the 13th minute when Clem combined with George Brown to set up the recently signed Jackson for his second to make it 2-1.

That was the score at half time, but it was Spurs who took the upper hand after the interval as the pitch became a mess during torrential rain. Jimmy Dimmock equalised from a tight angle and then the ref took centre stage with a twice taken penalty giving them the lead. Tom Wilson had fouled Alex Lindsay and Tommy Clay took the spot kick. Ted Taylor in the Town goal saved it, but Mr WP Harper of Stourbridge went to look at the VAR monitor and decided that the Town keeper had moved before the kick was taken and so Clay had the chance to score from the re-take. And he took that chance.

Spurs 3-2 up on the hour then, but two minutes later George Cook brought the mighty Blue n Whites level. The telegram boy was on overtime now though, sending his messages back to the BBC Grandstand studio and within three minutes of the equaliser, Spurs had gone 5-3 up. Osbourne caught out Taylor when a cross cum shot sailed over his head into the net and then Osbourne crossed for Jack Elkes to score.

Town down and out? No chance! Luck had a bit to do with the comeback though. Jimmy Seed the Spurs inside forward collided with Town's Sam Wadsworth and had to be stretchered off unconscious and so with no concussion subs or any subs at all, they had to play the last ten minutes with ten men.

Alex completed his hat trick soon after and then centred the ball for Brown to equalise again in the 86th minute and the points were shared.

Town stayed in 4th place in pursuit of that third league title.

There was another high scoring game on this date in 1953. Only nine goals this time, but Town won it, a 6-3 victory at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United. Jimmy Glazzard scored a hat trick, Vic Metcalfe bagged a brace and Willie Davie got a single. A crowd of 40,065 squeezed into the stadium that still had a cricket ground on one side as Town moved up to 2nd in Division One.

On this date in 2012, we also played in Sheffield, at the other place. No not the Don Valley, it was Hillsborough and we beat Wednesday 3-1. It was our first season back in the Championship after beating the Blunts at Wembley in the Play Offs.

We went 2-0 up in the first half through Oliver Norwood and Lee Novak, but a minute after Réda Johnson had pulled one back, Joel Lynch decided he needed an early bath. He absolutely scythed down one of the t'Owls, cutting the poor lad in two and the ref sent him on his way.

All the second half for our ten to face eleven then? Nope. Joe Mattock decided to level things up by getting a second yellow and so the more even line up went in our favour and the ref actually awarded us a penalty. Adam Clayton stepped up and scored to give us a 3-1 win.

Going back a few years to this date in 1998, we faced Wolverhampton Wanderers at the McAlpine Stadium in a league game sandwiched in between the two legs of the League Cup tie with Everton.

Town led the match for most of the time after Paul Dalton gave us a 19th minute lead. But Wolves, with Steve Bull leading their attack, pressured us for the equaliser throughout the second half and in the last minute of normal time, the defence cracked and a young boy called Robbie Keane scored and somersaulted in front of the Wolves fans massed in the South Stand. Bugger!

But these were special times at the Town and Peter Jackson had instilled a sense of unbeatability in his squad. Whilst Wolves were still back slapping each other for their equaliser, we went up the other end and Ben Thornley bagged the winner.

Absolute scenes! 

We are top o' the league, say we are top o' the league.