He became manager of Tottenham Hotspur Football club after Terry Neill left as manager for Arsenal in 1976. He was manager from 14 July 1976 to 31 May 1984, and he won more major football competitions at the club than all but one other Spurs manager (that being Bill Nicholson). Spurs were relegated in Burkinshaw's first year in charge but bounced straight back for promotion the following year. He signed two Argentine World Cup stars, Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa, in 1978. It was considered a brave move but Ardiles would become one of the Spurs greats and Villa would score one of the greatest goals ever seen at Wembley in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay. Burkinshaw's Spurs, with Ardiles, Villa and Glenn Hoddle, won two successive FA Cups (81 &amp; 82).