In today’s ‘On This Day’ feature, we look back at what history the 5th of September has for the Toffees; not a transfer in sight, while Everton cannot seem to overcome Tottenham when they play today: Let’s begin.

Tottenham, Tottenham, Tottenham: An Everton Story

Everton don’t always play on the 5th of September, but when they do, they’ve played Tottenham. Including September 5th, 1987, Everton have played three times on the date; each time was against Tottenham and only the first, a 0-0 draw, wasn’t a loss for the Toffees.

That first match was at Goodison Park, the second and third were played at White Hart Lane.

Colin Harvey, the beloved Everton midfielder from the 60’s and early 70’s, was the manager when Everton drew to Tottenham that day; only little more than a month prior, he had led the Toffees, fresh from the resignation of his former teammate, and Everton’s former player-turned-manager, the late Howard Kendall, to an FA Charity Shield victory over Coventry City. While this is no excuse for the draw over three decades ago, it could be an explanation, as we know teams experience hangovers of this nature; overall the team made fourth spot on the league table with Harvey as boss in this campaign.

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The September 5th rematch in 1992 saw Everton lose to Spurs 1-2, despite the goal by Peter Beardsley. Overall the club would finish 13th on the league table during the campaign; the manager was no longer Colin Harvey by this time however. Howard Kendall had returned to the club in 1990 when Colin chose to return to his side as an assistant. It is highly doubtful, given the serious nature and financial benefits associated with the position, that a manager would ever step down today to allow his old teammate-turned-boss to reclaim his old job after an unsuccessful stint elsewhere, in this case, Bilbao.

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By the time the 2000 version of this matchup of Everton and Tottenham was played, neither Howard Kendall nor Colin Harvey would be managing the club. For its 2-3 loss at White Hart Lane this time, Walter 'Ferguson' Smith would prowl the sidelines; Francis Jeffers and Alex Nyarko strikes would prove insufficient to stop the defeat this time.

Smith’s stint as boss at Goodison Park began in June of 1998, having taken over from Howard Kendall following the 1998 campaign that saw the club save itself from regulation on goal difference alone. A nondescript tenure, he would last until March of 2002 and a 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup; the coach that would succeed him, David Moyes, would be with us for quite awhile and find memorable but relative success, if only fleeting still.

And these are but a few of the games played On This day, the 5th of September.