1990–91 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season

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Tottenham Hotspur

1990–91 season
Chairman	Irving Scholar
Manager	Terry Venables
Stadium	White Hart Lane
First Division	10th
FA Cup	Winners
League Cup	Quarter-final
Top goalscorer	League: Gary Lineker (13) All: Gary Lineker Paul Gascoigne (19 each)
Home colours Away colours
← 1989–90 1991–92 →

The 1990–91 season was the 85th season of competitive football played by Tottenham Hotspur. Entering the 1990–91 season, Terry Venables stayed on as manager for his fourth season in charge of Tottenham with the team ending in tenth position. They won a record eighth FA Cup, beating Nottingham Forest in the final and they got knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Football League Cup by Chelsea.

Tottenham's league form was average at best: having stood in third place after 17 games, the club won only three of their next 21 league matches,^[1] slumping to tenth place in the final table. The club had better luck in the FA Cup: after defeating London arch-rivals (and that season's eventual champions) Arsenal in the semi-final, they defeated Nottingham Forest 2–1 in the final. As well as giving Tottenham their first post-Heysel European campaign (in the Cup Winners' Cup) and ending the club's seven-year trophy drought, the FA Cup win made Tottenham the first club to win the trophy eight times, although this record has since been surpassed by Arsenal and Manchester United.

The only downside of the FA Cup triumph was an injury to star midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who ruptured his cruciate ligaments in a tackle on Forest fullback Gary Charles early in the first half. The injury would put his transfer to Italian side Lazio on hold until the 1992–93 season. Gascoigne had earlier scored a tremendous free-kick in the 3–1 win against Arsenal in the semi-final (Gary Lineker scored Tottenham's other goals, with Arsenal's Alan Smith scoring Arsenal's goal).

Off the pitch the club were in danger of going into administration. With £20 million of debt (around £45 million equivalent in 2020) and shares in Tottenham Hotspur being suspended in the autumn of 1990, Irving Scholar resigned as Chairman of the club. In June 1991, manager Terry Venables and businessman, Alan Sugar, took over the club with equal shares and Alan Sugar being made chairman.^[2][3]

Squad at end of season^[4][5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ENG Kevin Dearden — GK  ENG Ian Walker — GK  NOR Erik Thorstvedt — DF  ENG Justin Edinburgh — DF  ENG Ian Hendon — DF  ENG Terry Fenwick — DF  ENG Gary Mabbutt (captain) — DF  ENG Mitchell Thomas — DF  ENG Dave Tuttle — DF  WAL Pat Van Den Hauwe — DF  IRL David McDonald — DF  ISL Guðni Bergsson — MF  ENG Paul Allen — MF  ENG Peter Garland — MF  ENG Paul Gascoigne

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ENG Danny Hill — MF  ENG Scott Houghton — MF  ENG David Howells — MF  ENG John Moncur — MF  ENG Vinny Samways — MF  ENG Mark Robson — MF  ENG Steve Sedgley — MF  ENG Paul Stewart — MF  ESP Nayim — FW  ENG Gary Lineker — FW  ENG Paul Moran — FW  ENG Paul Walsh — FW  SCO John Hendry — FW  NIR Phil Gray

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  ENG Neil Smith — MF  ENG Nick Barmby

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  ENG Ollie Morah

Date from	Position	Nationality	Player	To	Date until	Ref.
24 August 1990	GK		Kevin Dearden	Peterborough United	24 October 1990	[6]
31 August 1990	GK		Ian Walker	Oxford United	15 November 1990	[7]
27 September 1990	DF		David McDonald	Gillingham	31 May 1991
25 October 1990	DF		Terry Fenwick	Leicester City	24 December 1990	[8]
16 November 1990	GK		Ian Walker	Ipswich Town	May 1991	[9]
November 1990	FW		Phil Gray	Fulham	December 1990	[10]
November 1990	DF		Chris Hughton	West Ham United	December 1990	[11]
10 January 1991	GK		Kevin Dearden	Hull City	10 February 1991	[12]
28 March 1991	DF		Brian Statham	Reading	1 July 1991	[13]

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
1 July 1990	DF		Justin Edinburgh	Southend United	£150,000	[14]
31 July 1990	FW		John Hendry	Dundee	£50,000	[15]

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
24 July 1990	DF		John Polston	Norwich City	£300,000	[16]
28 September 1990	DF		Guy Butters	Portsmouth	£375,000	[17]
22 December 1990	GK		Bobby Mimms	Blackburn Rovers	£250,000	[18]
31 December 1990	DF		Chris Hughton	West Ham United	Free transfer	[19]

The FA Cup final saw Tottenham debut a longer style of shorts as part of their kit. Although the long shorts were ridiculed at first, within the decade all clubs in English football would have adopted the style.

Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Record
					Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
First Division	25 August 1990	20 May 1991	Matchday 1	10th	38	11	16	11	51	50	+1	028.95
FA Cup	5 January 1991	18 May 1991	Third round	Winners	6	6	0	0	14	6	+8	100.00
League Cup	26 September 1990	23 January 1991	Second round	Quarter-finals	6	4	1	1	11	5	+6	066.67
Total					50	21	17	12	76	61	+15	042.00

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
8	Nottingham Forest	38	14	12	12	65	50	+15	54
9	Everton	38	13	12	13	50	46	+4	51
10	Tottenham Hotspur	38	11	16	11	51	50	+1	49	Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round
11	Chelsea	38	13	10	15	58	69	−11	49
12	Queens Park Rangers	38	12	10	16	44	53	−9	46

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
38	11	16	11	51	50	+1	49	8	9	2	35	22	+13	3	7	9	16	28	−12

Pos.	Name	First Division		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Goalkeepers
GK	Erik Thorstvedt	37	0	6	0	5	0	48	0
GK	Ian Walker	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
GK	Kevin Dearden	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Defenders
DF	Guðni Bergsson	9+3	1	0	0	0	0	9+3	1
DF	Justin Edinburgh	14+2	1	5	0	5	0	24+2	1
DF	Terry Fenwick	4	0	2	0	2	0	8	0
DF	Ian Hendon	0+2	0	0	0	0	0	0+2	0
DF	Gary Mabbutt	35	2	6	1	6	0	47	3
DF	Mitchell Thomas	23+8	0	2	0	4+1	0	29+9	0
DF	Dave Tuttle	4+2	0	0	0	0+1	0	4+3	0
DF	Pat Van Den Hauwe	31+1	0	5	0	2	0	38+1	0
Midfielders
MF	Peter Garland	0+1	0	0	0	0	0	0+1	0
MF	Paul Allen	34+2	3	6	0	6	0	46+2	3
MF	Paul Gascoigne	26	7	6	6	4+1	6	36+1	19
MF	David Howells	29	4	4	0	6	0	39	4
MF	John Moncur	4+5	0	0	0	1+1	0	5+6	0
MF	Nayim	32+1	5	3+2	1	2+3	0	37+6	6
MF	Vinny Samways	14+9	1	4+1	0	4	0	22+10	1
MF	Steve Sedgley	33+1	0	4+1	0	4+2	0	41+4	0
MF	Paul Stewart	35	3	5	2	6	4	46	9
Forwards
FW	Phil Gray	3+3	0	0+1	0	0	0	3+4	0
FW	John Hendry	2+2	2	0	0	0	0	2+2	2
FW	Gary Lineker	32	15	6	3	5	1	43	19
FW	Paul Moran	0+1	0	1	0	0	0	1+1	0
FW	Paul Walsh	16+13	7	1+3	0	3+3	0	20+19	7

Rnk	Pos	Player	First Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1	MF	Paul Gascoigne	7	6	6	19
	FW	Gary Lineker	15	3	1	19
3	MF	Paul Stewart	3	2	4	9
4	FW	Paul Walsh	7	0	0	7
5	MF	Nayim	5	1	0	6
6	MF	David Howells	4	0	0	4
7	MF	Paul Allen	3	0	0	3
	DF	Gary Mabbutt	2	1	0	3
9	FW	John Hendry	2	0	0	2
10	DF	Guðni Bergsson	1	0	0	1
	DF	Justin Edinburgh	1	0	0	1
	MF	Vinny Samways	1	0	0	1
Total			51	13	11	75

Rnk	Player	First Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1	Erik Thorstvedt	12	1	3	16
Total		12	1	3	16

• 1990-91 in English football
• List of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. seasons

• Official website