# 1986–87 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season

During the 1986–87 English football season, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

Tottenham enjoyed a stellar season under David Pleat. Under his management, the club finished third in the First Division, were losing finalists in the FA Cup and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup. Striker Clive Allen arguably played the most important role in Tottenham's success, scoring 33 goals in the league and 49 in all competitions as Tottenham played their best football in years. For his achievements, Allen won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

## Kit

Tottenham's kits were manufactured by Hummel and sponsored by Holsten. The club retained the previous season's home shirts and white shorts, but also introduced matching navy shorts to use when necessary. They also kept the all-blue diagonal-striped away kit, and introduced, for the first time, a third kit, identical to the away kit but rendered in a darker shade of blue.

## Squad

    Squad at end of season
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 | Ray Clemence |
| — | GK | ENG | Tony Parks |
| — | DF | ENG | Gary Mabbutt |
| — | DF | ENG | Paul Miller |
| — | DF | ENG | John Polston |
| — | DF | ENG | Neil Ruddock |
| — | DF | ENG | Gary Stevens |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Stimson |
| — | DF | ENG | Danny Thomas |
| — | DF | ENG | Mitchell Thomas |
| — | DF | WAL | Mark Bowen |
| — | DF | SCO | Richard Gough |
| — | DF | IRL | Chris Hughton |
| — | DF | IRL | Tim O'Shea |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Allen |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Glenn Hoddle |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Hodge |
| — | MF | ENG | David Howells |
| — | MF | ENG | John Moncur |
| — | MF | ENG | Vinny Samways |
| — | MF | ENG | Chris Waddle |
| — | MF | IRL | Tony Galvin |
| — | MF | ARG | Ossie Ardiles |
| — | MF | NGA | John Chiedozie |
| — | FW | ENG | Clive Allen |
| — | FW | ENG | Shaun Close |
| — | FW | ENG | Paul Moran |
| — | FW | NIR | Phil Gray |
| — | FW | BEL | Nico Claesen |

### Left club during season

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 | Danny Maddix (on loan to Southend United) |
| — | DF | ENG | Graham Roberts (to Rangers) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | ENG | Mark Falco (to Watford) |

## Reserve squad

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 | Danny Maddix (to Queens Park Rangers) |

## Transfers
### Loans out

| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Date until | Ref. |
| October 1986 | GK | | Tony Parks | Oxford United | November 1986 | |

### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| July 1986 | DF | Mitchell Thomas | Luton Town | £275,000 |
| August 1986 | DF | Richard Gough | Dundee United | £700,000 |
| October 1986 | FW | Nico Claesen | Standard de Liège | £600,000 |
| 2December 1986 | MF | Steve Hodge | Aston Villa | £650,000 |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| June 1986 | MF | Ian Crook | Norwich City | £80,000 |
| July 1986 | MF | Ally Dick | Ajax | Free |
| October 1986 | FW | Mark Falco | Watford | £300,000 |
| December 1986 | DF | Graham Roberts | Rangers | £450,000 |
| February 1987 | DF | Paul Miller | Charlton Athletic | Undisclosed |

## Results
### First Division

    Home teams listed first
* 23 August : Aston Villa 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
* 25 August : Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Newcastle United
* 30 August : Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester City
* 2 September : Southampton 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
* 6 September : Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
* 13 September : Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Chelsea
* 20 September : Leicester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
* 27 September : Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Everton
* 4 October : Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Luton Town
* 11 October : Liverpool 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 18 October : Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
* 25 October : Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
* 1 November : Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Wimbledon
* 8 November : Norwich City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 15 November : Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Coventry City
* 22 November : Oxford United 2-4 Tottenham Hotspur
* 29 November : Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Nottingham Forest
* 7 December : Manchester United 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur
* 13 December : Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Watford
* 20 December : Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
* 26 December : Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 West Ham United
* 27 December : Coventry City 4-3 Tottenham Hotspur
* 1 January : Charlton Athletic 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
* 4 January : Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Arsenal
* 24 January : Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Aston Villa
* 14 February : Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Southampton
* 25 February : Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Leicester City
* 7 March : Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
* 22 March : Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Liverpool
* 25 March : Newcastle United 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 28 March : Luton Town 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 4 April : Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Norwich City
* 7 April : Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 15 April : Manchester City 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 18 April : Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Charlton Athletic
* 20 April : West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 22 April : Wimbledon 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
* 25 April : Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Oxford United
* 2 May : Nottingham Forest 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
* 4 May : Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Manchester United
* 9 May : Watford 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
* 11 May : Everton 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur

### FA Cup

    Home teams listed first
* 10 January : Tottenham Hotspur 3–2 Scunthorpe United
* 31 January : Tottenham Hotspur 4–0 Crystal Palace
* 21 February : Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 Newcastle United
* 15 March : Wimbledon 0–2 Tottenham Hotspur
* 11 April : Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 Watford (@ Villa Park)
* 16 May : Coventry City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

### League Cup

    Home teams listed first
* 23 September: Barnsley 2–3 Tottenham Hotspur
* 8 October: Tottenham Hotspur 5–3 Barnsley
* 29 October: Tottenham Hotspur 5–0 Birmingham City
* 18 November: Cambridge United 1–3 Tottenham Hotspur
* 27 January: West Ham United 1–1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 2 February: Tottenham Hotspur 5–0 West Ham United
* 8 February: Arsenal 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur
* 1 March: Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Arsenal (a.e.t).
* 4 March: Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Arsenal

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

Last updated: 26 July 2020. Source:
| Pos. | Name | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| FW | Clive Allen | 38+1 | 33 | 6 | 4 | 8+1 | 12 | 52+2 | 49 |
| MF | Paul Allen | 34+3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 8+1 | 0 | 48+4 | 4 |
| MF | Ossie Ardiles | 15+9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 26+9 | 0 |
| DF | Mark Bowen | 1+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 |
| MF | John Chiedozie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Nico Claesen | 18+8 | 8 | 1+5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 24+13 | 11 |
| GK | Ray Clemence | 40 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55 | 0 |
| FW | Shaun Close | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3+1 | 2 |
| FW | Mark Falco | 6+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 |
| MF | Tony Galvin | 20+4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2+3 | 1 | 23+7 | 2 |
| DF | Richard Gough | 40 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55 | 2 |
| FW | Phil Gray | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Glenn Hoddle | 35+1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 49+1 | 8 |
| MF | Steve Hodge | 19 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 6 |
| MF | David Howells | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Chris Hughton | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| DF | Gary Mabbutt | 37 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 51 | 4 |
| DF | Paul Miller | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 |
| MF | John Moncur | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Paul Moran | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Tim O'Shea | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| GK | Tony Parks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | John Polston | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 |
| DF | Graham Roberts | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 3 |
| DF | Neil Ruddock | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 |
| MF | Vinny Samways | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| DF | Gary Stevens | 20 | 0 | 1+4 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 23+5 | 0 |
| DF | Mark Stimson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Danny Thomas | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DF | Mitchell Thomas | 35+4 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8+1 | 0 | 49+5 | 4 |
| MF | Chris Waddle | 39 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 54 | 11 |
Last updated: 15 May 1999 Source: []

### Goal scorers

Last updated: 26 July 2020. Source:
| Rnk | Pos | Player | Premier League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Total |
| 1 | FW | Clive Allen | 33 | 4 | 12 | 49 |
| 2 | MF | Nico Claesen | 8 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 2 | MF | Chris Waddle | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 4 | MF | Glenn Hoddle | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 5 | MF | Steve Hodge | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | MF | Paul Allen | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | DF | Gary Mabbutt | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | DF | Mitchell Thomas | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | DF | Graham Roberts | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | FW | Shaun Close | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | MF | Tony Galvin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | DF | Richard Gough | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | DF | Mark Bowen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | 67 | 15 | 25 | 107 |

### Clean sheets

Last updated: 26 July 2020. Source:
| Rnk | Player | Premier League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Total |
| 1 | Ray Clemence | 18 | 3 | 3 | 24 |
| 2 | Tony Parks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | 19 | 3 | 3 | 25 |