Bill Nicholson honoured in home town of Scarborough
A blue plaque in honour of our greatest ever manager, Bill Nicholson, was today unveiled in his home town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
The Club was represented by our legendary Ambassador, Ossie Ardiles, at a ceremony organised by Scarborough & District Civic Society held at Bill’s first home, 15 Vine Street, where the plaque is now installed.
The event was attended by local dignitaries, members of Bill’s family – including daughters Jean and Linda - representatives of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, members of local Official Supporters’ Clubs and local residents.
A blue plaque is a permanent historical marker installed on a building to commemorate a notable person, group, or event connected to that specific location. It turns everyday streets into living history by linking familiar places to the stories of people who lived or worked there.
Scarborough & District Civic Society has installed plaques throughout the seaside town and commissioned a Heritage Trail for visitors to explore the area’s history.
Bill was born in Scarborough on 26 January, 1919, and first arrived in N17 in 1936 for a trial with the Club aged 17.
It would begin 68-year association with Tottenham Hotspur – first as a player, making 341 appearances between 1938 and 1954, and a member of Arthur Rowe's 'push and run' team that clinched the Division Two title in 1949/50 and our first Division One crown in 1950/51.
As manager, he won eight major trophies and led the Club through the 'glory, glory' years of the early 1960s, clinching an historic 'double' of the Football League title and FA Cup in 1960/61, retaining the FA Cup in 1962 and securing Britain's first European title, the Cup Winners' Cup, in 1963. We lifted the FA Cup again in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973 and the UEFA Cup in 1972 - all under Bill's leadership.
Leaving his post in 1974, Bill soon returned as Chief Scout and remained in our scouting set up until his retirement in 1997. Awarded the MBE in 1975, he was named Club President in 1991 and received the Freedom of the Borough from Haringey Council in 1998.
Bill sadly passed away in 2004 and will always be known as Mr Tottenham. His legacy lives on in N17 - the famous Bill Nicholson Gates that stood proudly outside White Hart Lane for generations were last year reinstated to the new stadium environs.
The initiative to have a blue plaque dedicated to Bill installed in Scarborough was driven by the Supporters’ Trust, who led on a fundraising campaign to which the Club, Bill’s family and many of our supporters contributed.
Speaking at the plaque unveiling, Ossie said: “I am extremely proud to have represented the Club here today on this special occasion.
“Bill was a consistent presence around the Club throughout my time as a player and later as Manager - following in the footsteps of Bill into that dugout was certainly one of the greatest honours of my career.
“The ‘Glory, Glory Years’ that he led us through continue to set the blueprint for what this great Club will always strive to be in the present day and long into the future.
"We are delighted to see Bill recognised in his home town of Scarborough, where he should rightly be celebrated as one of its most notable sons. A huge thank you to the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust and Scarborough & District Civic Society for their work on this project.”
Adrian Perry, President of the Scarborough & District Civic Society, said: “We are an entirely voluntary group of people concerned with preserving Scarborough’s unique heritage and public awareness of that heritage. The Blue Plaques are an ideal way to engage with people – I see them as small windows on history. We are excited to unveil this new plaque to commemorate the life of Bill Nicholson.
"A Spurs supporter who bought a copy of the civic society publication, ‘Blue Plaques in Scarborough’, was surprised to find that Bill did not feature among the notable figures, so we researched his connection with Scarborough.
“In the early 1990s, 15 Vine Street was a livery stable with dwelling accommodation attached. His father, Joseph, worked as the driver of a horse-drawn landau. Bill used to love helping his Dad care for the horses.
“Bill always remembered his Scarborough roots. Throughout his time as player and manager, he returned to the town every year to spend his summer holiday with his mother and sister.”
Bill’s daughter, Linda Feldeisen, said: “It’s amazing to see so many people here today and nice to know that when people visit Scarborough and find out about its history, they will now get to see a blue plaque for my Dad.
"We would come to Scarborough every year for our family holidays – we wouldn’t go anywhere else – and enjoy our time on the beaches like any family would.
“One of my parents’ favourite places in Scarborough was Peasholm Park – my Mum loved it so much that she called the family home in Tottenham, Peasholm.”
Roy Beck, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, said: “It’s an honour to be here on behalf of the Supporters’ Trust. When we were contacted by the Civic Society about funding the Blue Plaque for Bill Nicholson, it was something I threw myself into from the beginning.
“To see it unveiled and be here where Bill began his life is very special. We all know the contribution he made to the Club and I’d like to thank everyone involved in making this happen.”
With special thanks to David Duggleby Auctioneers & Valuers, current owners of the property at 15 Vine Street, for their support for the blue plaque and hosting today’s event.