Returning to our only season in the First Division, Saturday 16th April saw us head down to London for our only visit to White Hart Lane in the last 95 years, to play Spurs. We had lost 0-2 at home to them, back in November 1965, in what was a very poor performance and we desperately needed something out of the game.
As I recall, it was raining heavily as we got to London and I remember I was standing right against the front wall behind one of the goals and saw George Hudson give us the lead. Unfortunately our keeper Bryan Harvey had to go off injured and, in the days when only one substitute was allowed, who was forward Jim Hall, so full back John Mackin went in goal. Mackin had previously been a goalkeeper and produced an outstanding display but, when Spurs were awarded a penalty, he was beaten by Jimmy Greaves. Before the game, we were the only team in Division One that Greaves hadn't scored against, so he was always going to snap up the opportunity of a penalty.
So it finished 1-1, not a bad score line, but the following Saturday was the big one, Fulham at home. The Spurs team featured 3 players with Cobblers connections, keeper Bill Brown who joined us about 1 year later, centre half Laurie Brown and centre forward Alan Gilzean, who's son Ian later played for us. The attendance that day was 29,749.
The Cobblers team at White Hart Lane was Bryan Harvey, John Mackin, Mike Everitt, John Kurila, Terry Branston, Joe Kiernan, Harry Walden, Don Martin, George Hudson, Graham Moore and Barry Lines, sub: Jim Hall.