CLEMENCE, Raymond Neal M.B.E. (1981-91)
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6ft
Weight: 12st 9lbs
Born: Skegness, Lincolnshire, 5 August, 1948
Died: Broxbourne, 15 November, 2020
Signed from Liverpool August 1981
Retired March 1988
Also played for: Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, England
Spurs Record:
Debut: 29 August, 1981 v Middlesbrough (FL) (a) won 3-1
Appearances: League 240, FA Cup 25, League Cup 38, Europe 27
One of the greatest goalkeepers ever to grace the game, Ray Clemence arrived at White Hart Lane having won it all at Liverpool yet there was never any doubt he would continue to shine in north London.
We’d previously been spoilt with the likes of Ted Ditchburn, Bill Brown and Pat Jennings between the sticks and our tradition of fielding outstanding number ones continued with Clemence’s arrival in August 1981.
Clemence had begun his career with Scunthorpe United but played only 50 senior games, many of them behind the man who signed him for Spurs, Keith Burkinshaw, before joining Liverpool. He spent 14 years at Anfield, years when Liverpool dominated British football. Once established in the team he was rarely absent, missing only six League games in 11 seasons, testament to his consistency and fitness. He amassed over 650 appearances for the Reds, winning five Football League titles, three European Cups, two UEFA Cups, the FA Cup, the League Cup and 56 England caps. Many more caps would have come his way were he not competing with Peter Shilton.
Clemence was 33 when he joined us and made his debut at Wembley in the 1981 FA Charity Shield against Aston Villa. In his early days with us, the most obvious attribute he possessed was his organisational ability. Perhaps it was the respect his experience engendered; perhaps it was his persistent nagging and barking out of instructions. Whatever it was, the defence visibly improved, everybody knowing their job and Clemence making sure they did it.
He had not joined us to see out his career on easy street, he still possessed a fierce determination to add to his collection of trophies and expected everyone around him to have the same desire. He brought with him the professional attitude for which Liverpool were so well known and transplanted it at Tottenham. Confident in his own ability, he inspired confidence in those around him with his calm authority, positional sense and consistency. When all else failed he still had his sharp reflexes and bravery to fall back on and continued to prove an excellent shot-stopper.
In his first season in London he helped us retain the 1982 FA Cup and reach the League Cup Final where he looked like thwarting his old friends from Merseyside until constant Liverpool pressure eventually wore us down in extra-time. Injury meant he missed out on the 1984 UEFA Cup success but he returned the following season looking as good as ever as in a team that seriously challenged for the League title.
In 1985 he completed 1,000 first class games and was still playing at peak levels in 1987 when he played for us in the FA Cup Final against Coventry City before receiving an MBE for services to football in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Looking as if he would play well into his 40s, Clemence picked up a knee injury at Norwich City in October 1987. It turned out to be much worse than first expected and after struggling to return, he had to admit defeat and was forced to retire.
He accepted the post of goalkeeping coach at Spurs before moving up to manage the reserve XI. When Alan Sugar and Terry Venables took over Spurs in 1991, Clemence worked with Doug Livermore as first team coach but left in 1993. Clemence spent a short time at Barnet as General Manager before accepting an invitation from Venables to join the England coaching team in 1996 and he stayed within the set-up until 2012.