COYS - Hotspur Heritage

Come On You Spurs!

The familiar cry of COYS echoes around Tottenham on match days (and no doubt in many homes around the world!). No football club can exist without its fans. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) have been very active in the community, most recently commissioning and part-funding with the help of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club the mural of ex-Spurs player Ledley King. 

Here are some more stories about special fans and the things they love!

(Spurs fans memorabilia from when they Club won the FA Cup in 1961. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)
 

Spurs in Paint: Charles Holman

One of the most atmospheric paintings of fans attending a match day at the old Spurs Stadium was captured by Hornsey artist Charles Holman (1919 – 2008). Looking along Park Lane to the Stadium, it shows the popular Corner Pin pub which gave the painting its name. Charles likely painted this view not long after he graduated from Hornsey College of Art in 1953. You can read more about Charles’ life here and see his artwork, now part of Bruce Castle Museum and Archive. 

(The Corner Pin pub and Tottenham Hotspur Football ground, c.1953. From the collections of Bruce Castle Museum and Archive. ©  The estate of the artist Charles Holman)

The Corner Pin became the Spurs Ticket Office in 2010. More recently it has been converted back to a pub – The Beavertown Corner Pin, blending old heritage with new craft beer. You can find the Corner Pin and other sites on the Tottenham Hotspur Heritage Trail.

One of Europe’s Greatest Sports Illustrator: Paul Trevillion

The year 1934 witnessed the birth of a young boy at number 109 Love Lane in Tottenham. He exceeded all expectations of his poor education. Paul Trevillion surprised his teachers at St Francis de Sale School with his talent for drawing. Having seen Tottenham Hotspur play before he could even walk, his love for drawing and football saw Paul rise to become one of Europe’s most successful sports illustrators.

Drawing caricatures of his Spurs’ heroes, he went on to illustrate for the ‘Eagle’, Barratt’s sweets in Wood Green and the football comic ‘Roy of the Rovers’. From the 2000s he drew the game ‘You Are The Ref’ for The Observer newspaper. At one point Paul was even entertaining the crowds behind the cockerel costume of the mascots Tott and Ham!

At 90 years old Paul is still drawing and writing books! Find out more about the remarkable talent, professional life and art of Paul Trevillion.
 

(For the exhibition ‘From Love Lane and Back Again’ held at Bruce Castle Museum and Archive in 2006, Paul drew this new illustration of some iconic Spurs reference to be included for display. © The artist: Paul Trevillion)

The Spurs Opus and the Spurs Clock

When fans come to Bruce Castle Museum and Archive to book in and see the giant Spurs Opus book, staff get a fair bit of weight-lifting experience. The Opus is a giant, weighing in at 37 kilos (with 850 pages and 2,000 images) – a great heavyweight book of history for collectors of one of the top football clubs in the world. See more about the Official Tottenham Hotspur Opus.

In much the same way as fans come and see the Spurs Opus, there are many more who come to see the ‘Spurs’ clock – it has become part of the pilgrimage for fans. Read more about this special (and giant) clock – one of the gallery highlights at Bruce Castle. Its original owner Billy Mudge (whose home and business premises are highlighted on the Tottenham Hotspur Trail). was one of the most fervent and eccentric fans of Spurs in its early years. You can also find out all about his antics driving the Directors of Spurs to a matchday (he was one of Tottenham’s first motorists!). 

(The Spurs Clock. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

The HMS Hotspur

The ship HMS Hotspur was adopted by the people of Tottenham during World War 2. Locals started to raise money during Warship Week in 1942, with a target of £750,000! The cost of the ship was finally paid for in 1948 when the ship was decommissioned. Because of this - and of course the name Hotspur being that of the local football club - the bell was presented to the borough of Tottenham after the War by way of recognition to their fundraising for the war effort. In turn put the bell was transferred to the borough's museum at Bruce Castle – where it can still be seen today. 

The bell has HMS Hotspur 1936 inscribed on it. The ship was already known as the Hotspur and this was the reason why Tottenham adopted it.

(Warship Week 1942– a model of HMS Hotspur was on display outside Tottenham Technical College on the High Road. The people of Tottenham aimed high with a target of raising close to three-quarters of a million pounds. The crew of the HMS Hotspur visited residents in 1943 to thank them for their sponsorship. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive).