John Cameron

1898-1907
Appearances: 293. Goals: 139. 
1 cap for Scotland v Ireland, 1896
Player-manager of our history-making FA Cup winning team of 1901
Scored the equaliser in the 1901 FA Cup Final replay as we beat Sheffield United 3-1

Player, manager-secretary, tactical pioneer, union activist, journalist - John Cameron was a man of many parts, and he stands as one of the most important figures in the history of  Tottenham Hotspur.

At the age of only 26 in 1899, he was promoted from within to manage the team and act as club secretary while also being a crucial goalscorer - in his first full season in charge, Cameron, as player-manager, took Spurs to the Southern League title, and the next season the incredible achievement of lifting the FA Cup – the only time it has been won by a Southern League club and still the only time the famous trophy has been won by a non-league side.

Born in Ayr, Scotland, he began his football career with the local Ayr Parkhouse side before moving to the Glasgow giants, Queen’s Park. He gained a single Scotland cap in 1896, a 3-3 draw with Ireland which helped his country win the British Home Championship. Aged 24, Cameron joined the exodus of Scottish talent heading south by signing for Everton, where he played as an amateur in a team of professionals.

In February, 1899 he was appointed secretary/manager in succession to Spurs first boss, Frank Brettell. His first full season at the helm brought the Southern League title for the only time in our history. The following year exceeded all expectations with four first division sides being beaten in the FA Cup as we went on to gain a unique victory. Seven of our glory, glory team had been signed by Cameron who, on 27 April 1901 - some 85 years before another Scotsman did the same - Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool - led an FA Cup winning team as player/manager.

It was Cameron who pulled us back to 1-1 seven minutes into the second half of the replay against Sheffield United at Bolton. Goals from Tom Smith and Sandy Brown sealed our 3-1 win. Cameron went on to receive celebrity status, producing an early coaching manual 'Association Football and how to play it'. By 1904 he had wound down his playing career which resulted in a final tally of 43 goals in 111 Southern League games plus seven in 25 FA Cup ties for Spurs.

Cameron resigned his managerial post in March, 1907. He was involved in sports journalism and his printing firm, based just along the High Road at number 740, produced the White Hart souvenir of the club's entry to the Football League in 1908. Indeed, Cameron himself provided six pages of text covering the period since his arrival in 1898.

Prior to the First World War, Cameron worked as coach to Dresden FC. He was interned at Ruhleben prison camp along with several other Britons, including ex-players Steve Bloomer, Fred Pentland and John Brearley. They formed their own football team - Ruhleben FC! After the war he returned to Scotland where he had a brief spell as manager at Ayr United from October, 1919.

John Cameron passed away at Leith, Edinburgh in the early hours of 20 April, 1935.