Over the years us Spurs fans have had to put up with pundits continually ramming down out throats, some terrible records we've had against certain sides. None more so that the horrendous run we had seen at Anfield against Liverpool..
As the team lined up on 16th March 1985, it was well known and often reminded that we hadn't seen a win at Anfield since before the Titanic sank! In fact, but coincidence, it was 73 years to the day that Spurs had last seen victory at Anfield - 16th March 1912, a 2-1 victory over Liverpool (incidentally, was 2nd victory inside 3 visits) - who would have guessed at the end of that match that it would be 73 years before another Spurs victory at Anfield.
Many great Spurs teams and great Spurs players had visited, tried but never secured that elusive victory at Anfield. The 1950/51 Push and Run Title side succumbed 2-1 to the Reds. Over Easter 1963, just weeks before lifting the European Cup Winners’ Cup, a Spurs team including Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith, Dave Mackay, Cliff Jones and John White lost 2 – 5 at Anfield! Yet, just three days later, Spurs won 7 – 2 at White Hart Lane when the two teams played the return Easter fixture with Greaves scoring four goals.
The very best of Pat Jennings could only achieve a very honourable draw in March, 1973. He produced one of the most memorable performances by a Spurs player at Anfield in a 1 -1 draw, saving TWO penalties to deny Liverpool.
A few cup draws down the years, but the hoodoo remained in place. The hoodoo was well in place for Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa to discover with their baptism at Liverpool, losing by seven goals!
Fast forward to 1985 - Spurs were challenging near the top of the 1st Division but had lost in midweek at home to Manchester United. It was actually their away record which was keeping them in the title race and they were undefeated in their previous 10 away League games with six victories. They had lost at Anfield in the 4th Round of the FA Cup a few weeks earlier, but on this occasion a Garth Crooks goal with twenty minutes remaining earned them the three points. Spurs finished the season in third place, level on points with Liverpool.
Thankfully, we haven't had to wait another 73 years, with a number of victories at Anfield since then - including memorable 1995 FA Cup Quarter Final win, a 1999 League Cup win on the way to winning the cup and some league victories too.
