May 30, 1908: The Dodgy Admission of Tottenham to the Football League

May 30, 1908: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, of Middlesex, north of London -- the boundaries will be redrawn in 1963, so that they would then actually be in London -- had finished 8th in the Southern League. They and West London club Queens Park Rangers are expelled from that League. Yet, on this day, somehow, they are invited into the Football League Division Two -- finally elected to it by that league's members, after previous denials.

On what grounds was this done? Their long history of success? "Spurs" didn't have one: At this point, they had won one Southern League title, and one FA Cup. A decent performance from a club only 26 seasons old, and more than Woolwich Arsenal had yet achieved in 22 seasons; but hardly worthy of promotion, unlike, say, finishing 1st or 2nd in the league they were in.

As it turns out, Stoke City, among the founding members of the Football League, had to drop out due to financial difficulty (although they would later be readmitted). As it turned out, Spurs may have bribed Stoke (who certainly needed the money) to drop out, so that a space in the League would open up.

Tottenham would finish 2nd in their 1st season in Division Two, 1908-09, and would be promoted to Division One. If we presume that there was no match-fixing in that season (and, as far as we know, there wasn't), that was legitimate.

But Spurs' getting into the League in the first place is a big, big question mark. Something to remember when you hear Spurs fans talk about their nearby rivals, Arsenal, and their promotion to Division One in 1919, for which no evidence of foul play has ever been found.

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May 30, 1908 was a Saturday. Comedian Mel Blanc, best known as the voice of several cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, was born.

The only major professional sport in America at this point was baseball, and these games were played:

* The New York Giants beat their arch-rivals, the Brooklyn Superbas (who became the Dodgers in 1911), 5-0 at Washington Park in Brooklyn. Joe McGinnity pitched a 5-hit shutout.

* A doubleheader was split at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. The Boston Red Sox won the opener, 6-0. Cy Young allowed only 1 hit, a single to Jerry Freeman. The Washington Senators won the nightcap, 7-4.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds, 1-0 and 4-1 at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh. Nick Maddox pitched a 5-hit shutout in the 1st game. Over the 2 games, Honus Wagner went 3-for-5 with 3 walks and 2 RBIs.

* A doubleheader was split at League Park in Cleveland. The St. Louis Browns won the 1st game, 5-3 in 14 innings. The Cleveland Naps won the 2nd game, 6-4. The Naps were named for Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, their manager, 2nd baseman and best hitter, who went 3-for-11 over the 2 games. The Naps became the Cleveland Indians in 1915, and the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.

* The Detroit Tigers swept a doubleheader from the Chicago White Sox, 6-3 and 9-5 at Bennett Park in Detroit. Over the 2 games, Ty Cobb went 2-for-8 with 3 RBIs.

* The Chicago Cubs swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-2 and 11-2 at Robison Field in St. Louis.

* The Boston Doves (they became the Braves in 1912) and the Philadelphia Phillies were rained out at National League Park (later Baker Bowl) in Philadelphia. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on August 12. Boston won the 1st game, 3-2. Philadelphia won the 2nd game, 5-2.

* And the New York Highlanders (who became the Yankees in 1913) and the Philadelphia Athletics were rained out at Hilltop Park in Upper Manhattan. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on August 31. The A's swept, 1-0 and 2-1. Jimmy Dygert pitched a 5-hit shutout in the 1st game.