Royal Antwerp to complete unique N17 double tonight
Thu 10 December 2020, 11:46|
Tottenham Hotspur
Royal Antwerp will this evening become the first Belgian club to play at our home stadium... for the second time ever!
Our opponents on matchday six in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 8pm), Antwerp coincidentally became the first Belgian club to play at White Hart Lane as well, when they provided the opposition in a pre-season friendly on 16 August, 1976.
Our visitors had enjoyed a convincing 5-1 aggregate win over Aston Villa in the first round of the previous season’s UEFA Cup and were seen as a good test ahead of the start of our Division One campaign in 1976/77.
Featuring a certain Louis van Gaal in their travelling squad, Antwerp took the lead in the 10th minute through a goal from Jos de Raeve, but we equalised after 36 minutes when Gerry Armstrong headed home a John Pratt cross and it ended 1-1 in front of just 9,880 fans.
There will again be a lower-than-usual number of supporters in the stadium this evening as we welcome Antwerp back to N17 during this initial period of supporters returning to watch the team live.
Whoever wins tonight will finish top of Group J.
Ossie and Ricky’s debut!
While we shocked the world with the double signing of Argentine World Cup-winning stars Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa in July, 1978, it was the supporters of Royal Antwerp who got to see their very first match in a Spurs shirt!
Back in the First Division having won promotion at the first attempt the previous year, we geared up for the 1978/79 season by bringing in the two midfielders and John Lacy to bolster the squad. But while Lacy appeared in our first pre-season friendly away to Aberdeen on 5 August, it was on our visit to Belgium three days later that the Argentine pair donned our famous Lilywhite shirt for the first time.
Only 3,700 fans were present as the late Ian Moores netted twice in our 3-1 win at Antwerp’s Bosuil Stadium, with Glenn Hoddle also scoring from a penalty. Two weeks later, Ardiles and Villa received a ticker tape welcome from 47,892 for their White Hart Lane debut as we took on Aston Villa in the league!
Read more about our Belgian connections, including the time our team coach lost one of its rear wheels on a close-season tour to Germany and Belgium, in tonight’s official matchday programme. Order yours now for delivery direct to your door.
