Bill Nicholson

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Lore & Background

Nicholson was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, the eighth of nine children. He attended Gladstone Road Junior School and Scarborough High School for Boys. After working briefly in a laundry, he joined Tottenham Hotspur as a ground-staff boy in 1936. He played for Spurs' nursery club Northfleet United and signed as a full professional in August 1938. During World War II he served in the Durham Light Infantry and played as a guest for several clubs, including Newcastle United. He returned to Spurs after the war and was a key part of the 'push and run' team that won the league in 1950–51. He made his only England appearance on 19 May 1951, scoring with his first touch after 19 seconds. He became Spurs manager on 11 October 1958 and led the club to the Double in 1960–61, the FA Cup in 1961–62 and 1966–67, the European Cup Winners Cup in 1962–63, the League Cup in 1970–71 and 1972–73, and the UEFA Cup in 1971–72. He resigned in September 1974. After managing, he worked as an advisor and scout at West Ham United and later returned to Spurs as a consultant until 1991, when he was made Club President. He died on 23 October 2004. His ashes and those of his wife were buried beneath the pitch at White Hart Lane and later re-interred at the new stadium.

In Their Own Story

On 11 October 1958, Nicholson was called to the Tottenham boardroom and appointed manager with the club sixth from the bottom of the First Division. That afternoon, Spurs beat Everton 10–4 at White Hart Lane—a new club record. Less than two years later, Spurs won the Football League championship and the FA Cup in 1960–61, the first 'double' of the twentieth century, winning their first eleven games and scoring 115 goals in 42 games. The following year they won the FA Cup again and narrowly missed the European Cup Final, losing to Benfica in the semi-final. In 1962–63, Spurs became the first British club to win a major European trophy, beating Atlético Madrid 5–1 in Rotterdam to win the European Cup Winners Cup. In 1966–67 they won their third FA Cup in seven years, beating Chelsea in the first all-London final. The early 1970s brought the League Cup in 1970–71 and 1972–73, and the UEFA Cup in 1971–72. Nicholson resigned in September 1974 after a poor start to the season and a 4–0 League Cup loss to Middlesbrough, saying 'The simple truth was that I was burned out, I had no more to offer.' The club severed all ties with a £10,000 payoff and refused him a testimonial.

Reader's Guide

The quote 'It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low' is often credited to Nicholson, but sports historian Norman Giller traces it to Danny Blanchflower. Giller wrote that Blanchflower both said it and wrote it in his newspaper columns, and that Nicholson, a blunt Yorkshireman, did not use this sort of language.

Did You Know?

• Nicholson scored for England with his first touch in international football after only 19 seconds, and never played for England again.
• He is the only player to have scored for England with his first touch and subsequently never play at that level again.
• Spurs won their first 11 games of the 1960–61 Double-winning season and scored 115 goals in 42 league matches.
• Nicholson was appointed an OBE in 1975.
• The main gates to White Hart Lane became known as the Bill Nicholson Gates after a photograph by Peter Robinson was published in the 1970s.