The 1974 UEFA Cup Final in Rotterdam
May 29, 1974: Having drawn the home leg of the UEFA Cup Final 2-2, North London soccer team Tottenham Hotspur, a.k.a. "Spurs," go to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, home of Feyenoord, who had won the European Cup in 1970, and who had 7 players who would be selected for the Netherlands team that would star at the World Cup in West Germany over the next few weeks.
Just before halftime, Wim Rijsbergen, a right back, put a goal past Pat Jennings, Spurs' fine Northern Irish goalkeeper, putting Feyenoord up, 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate. At halftime, the angry Spurs fans started tearing up Stadion Feijenoord, nicknamed De Kuip -- "The Bathtub," for its shape. Some were picking fights with the Feyenoord fans. This was a mistake: Feyenoord had the toughest hooligan firm in the country, and one of the toughest in Europe.
The Rotterdam authorities found Sidney Wale, Tottenham's chairman, and gave him the public address microphone. He said, "You are disgracing yourselves as Tottenham supporters. You are disgracing the British people." He told the fans that if they didn't stop, the game might be forfeited to Feyenoord, and that UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) might fine the club. Things calmed down a bit.
Spurs' defense hung on, while their attackers looked for an equalizer. It didn't come, and Peter Ressel put the game away in the 84th minute. Feyenoord won the game, 2-0, and the tie on aggregate, 4-2.
The Spurs fans left the stadium, and went on the warpath in Rotterdam. The consequences were, by the standards of the time, devastating. UEFA banned Spurs from European competitions indefinitely. In other words:
* If they had won the Football League Division One, they could not compete in the next season's European Cup, the tournament that has been known as the UEFA Champions League since 1992.
* If they had finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th, they could not compete in the next season's UEFA Cup, the tournament that has been known as the UEFA Europa League since 2010.
* And if they had won the FA Cup, they could not compete in the next season's European Cup Winners' Cup. That tournament was last conducted in 1999. Since then, teams winning their countries' cups have been put into the UEFA Cup/Europa League.
And Spurs had been in Europe regularly. They had competed in the European Cup in 1961-62; the Cup Winners' Cup in 1962-63, 1963-64 and 1967-68; the Texaco Cup in 1970-71; the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1971-72; and the UEFA Cup in 1971-72, 1972-73 and 1973-74. Their win in the 1962-63 Cup Winners' Cup was the 1st European tournament won by a British team. And in 1972, they won both the UEFA Cup and the Anglo-Italian Cup.
This was on top of their domestic trophies: The Football League and the FA Cup, "The Double," in 1961; the FA Cup again in 1962 and 1967; and the Football League Cup in 1971 and 1973.
This was the 1st time any British team had been banned from European competition. Though it was lifted after 2 years, it is a great stain on Spurs' history. Ever since, every fan in every country in Europe, even if they are not fluent in English, knows at least 3 words: "Fuck you, Tottenham!"
But it got more personal: The glory that Spurs had achieved from 1961 onward had been under manager Bill Nicholson, who had been a player on their 1950-51 squad, the only other time that Tottenham has won the League. If any man, to this day, can be called "Mr. Tottenham," it is "Bill Nick." But this game turned out to be the last one he ever managed, as he resigned in disgust. He was only 55 years old, and lived another 30 years. Although he returned to their home ground of White Hart Lane, he was never actively involved with the team again.
Ask any fan of the other team in North London, Arsenal, and they'll tell you that Tottenham are disgusting. Of course, Tottenham fans will say the reverse. But Tottenham fans not only got their team banned from Europe for 2 years, they caused the greatest figure in their history to quit after managing in a cup final. That's something that no other fans in Britain, regardless of how hated their team might be, have to live with.
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May 29, 1974 was a Wednesday. These Major League Baseball games were played that day:
* The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Tony Pérez won the game with a home run off Harry Parker in the bottom of the 10th inning, ruining a good start by Jon Matlack. The Mets' runs came on solo home runs by Cleon Jones and John Milner. Pete Rose went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Johnny Bench went 0-for-5.
* The Houston Astros beat the Montreal Expos, 5-3 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4 at Fenway Park in Boston. The winning run scored in the top of the 13th inning, in unusual fashion. Luis Gómez led off with a single. Rod Carew grounded into a forceout that eliminated Gómez. Larry Hisle singled Carew to 3rd base. Then, with Jerry Terrell at bat, home plate umpire Merle Anthony called a balk on Sox pitcher Diego Seguí, forcing Carew home. The Sox got the tying run to 3rd with 1 out in the bottom of the 13th, but couldn't score.
Carew went 2-for-4 with 3 walks and 2 stolen bases. Harmon Killebrew appeared only as a pinch-hitter, and did not reach base. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-4, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
* The Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0 at Atlanta Stadium. (The name was changed to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium the next year.) Vic Correll singled Ralph Garr home in the bottom of the 11, ending a pitcher's duel between Steve Carlton and Carl Morton, with Tom House pitching the 11th inning in relief of Morton, and getting the win. Hank Aaron and Mike Schmidt went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Diego Padres, 13-3 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Bob Robertson hit 2 home runs. Willie Stargell went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Dave Winfield, in his 1st full season in the major leagues, had a bad day, going 0-for-4 with an error.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-2 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals, 10-3 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City. (It was renamed Kauffman Stadium in 1993.) Brooks Robinson went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Rookie George Brett went 0-for-4.
* The Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians, 3-0 at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Jackie Brown pitched a 3-hit shutout, with 8 strikeouts and no walks. This series would be marred by fights, spurred on by Rangers manager Billy Martin. There would be consequences when the teams played again, the next week, in Cleveland, on what would become known as Ten-Cent Beer Night.
* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the California Angels, 7-5 at Anaheim Stadium (which would be renamed Edison International Field in 1998 and Angel Stadium of Anaheim in 2004. The Brewers scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th, including a home run by George Scott, to win it. Robin Yount went 2-for-4. For the Angels, Frank Robinson went 1-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs.
* The Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-1 at the Oakland Coliseum. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Al Kaline went 0-for-4.
* And the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox were rained out at Shea Stadium, where the Yankees were groundsharing with the Mets while Yankee Stadium was being renovated. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on August 16. The Yankees won the opener, 9-8. Dick Allen hit a home run for the Pale Hose off Sparky Lyle in the top of the 13th inning. But in the bottom of the 13th, Bobby Murcer singled, and Thurman Munson hit a home run off Terry Forster to win it. The South Siders won the nightcap, 4-2. Former Yankee Stan Bahnsen outpitched Dick Tidrow.
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