2005–06 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season

During the 2005–06 English football season, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. participated in the English Premier League. The club had a mixed, short season, securing what was their highest place finish in the Premier league at the time, but exiting both cup competitions at the earliest possible stage against lower league opposition, therefore playing just 40 games.^[1]

In September Tottenham faced Grimsby Town in the League Cup, losing 1–0 at Blundell Park.^[2] Their FA cup draw pitted the team against Leicester City, but the side let a two goal lead slip, and an injury time goal saw them defeated 3–2 at Walkers Stadium.^[3]

In the league Tottenham had occupied the crucial fourth place in the table more much of the later second half of the season^[4] and their win in their penultimate game of the season against Bolton on 30 April meant they were seven points ahead of their nearest rivals Arsenal in the race for possible Champions League qualification.^[5] Despite Arsenal winning their two games in hand, Tottenham only had to match their result in the final game of the season in order to secure fourth spot.

On the morning of the decisive match against West Ham United a number of Tottenham players were taken ill with suspected food poisoning, the players having stayed the night at the Marriott Hotel in Canary Wharf and eaten lasagne. The club appealed for the Premier League to delay the kick off game, but the police would not allow a kick off any later than 5 pm due to crowd control concerns so the club decided to play at the scheduled time.^[6][7] Despite the scoreline being 1–1 for much of the game, Tottenham looked set to clinch fourth spot due to Arsenal trailing 2–1 at Highbury against Wigan, but Arsenal went on to win their fixture 4–2 from a Thierry Henry hat-trick meaning Tottenham also required a win. Their fate was sealed when Yossi Benayoun scored a winner for West Ham, meaning Tottenham fell to fifth place and would therefore would only play in the following season's UEFA Cup.^[8]

Tottenham appealed to the Premier League to have the match against West Ham replayed, but this was rejected as no grounds were found for accepting the request.^[9] Club chairman Daniel Levy called in the police to investigate the Marriott Hotel and threatened to sue the hotel chain and Premier League over the incident, having wrongly suspected foul play.^[10][11] Tests by the Health Protection Agency on the food at the hotel soon proved to be negative for sources of food poisoning, and instead players were identified as having norovirus.^[12][13]

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Starting 11

• GK: #1, Paul Robinson, 38
• RB: #7, Paul Stalteri, 33
• CB: #20, Michael Dawson, 31
• CB: #26, Ledley King, 26
• LB: #18, Lee Young-Pyo, 31
• RM: #28, Jermaine Jenas, 30
• CM: #23, Michael Carrick, 35
• CM: #5, Edgar Davids, 28
• LM: #6, Teemu Tainio, 22
• CF: #10, Mido, 24
• CF: #15, Robbie Keane, 25

Transfers

In

• Tom Huddlestone – Derby County, undisclosed (est. £2,500,000) ^[14]
• Teemu Tainio – Auxerre, free transfer, 2005
• Paul Stalteri – Werder Bremen, 16 May 2005
• Aaron Lennon – Leeds United, £1,000,000, 15 June 2005 ^[15]
• Wayne Routledge – Crystal Palace, £1,250,000 rising to £2,000,000, 1 July 2005 ^[16]
• Edgar Davids – Internazionale, free agent, 3 August 2005 ^[17]
• Lee Young-Pyo – PSV Eindhoven, 31 August 2005
• Jermaine Jenas – Newcastle United, £7,000,000, 31 August 2005 ^[18]
• Grzegorz Rasiak – Derby County, undisclosed, 31 August 2005 ^[19]
• Hossam Ghaly – Feyenoord, January 2006
• Danny Murphy – Charlton Athletic, £2,000,000, 31 January 2006

Out

• Wayne Routledge – Portsmouth, season loan, 30 January 2006
• Sean Davis, Noé Pamarot, Pedro Mendes – Portsmouth, £7,500,000 pounds combined, January 2006
• Michael Brown – Fulham
• Reto Ziegler – Wigan Athletic, season loan

Transfers in: £13,750,000

Transfers out: £7,500,000

Total spending: £6,250,000

Results

Premier League

• Everton-Tottenham 0–1
• 0–1 Robbie Keane (33 pen)

• Tottenham-Manchester United 1–2
• 0–1 Wayne Rooney (8)
• 0–2 Wayne Rooney (36)
• 1–2 Jermaine Jenas (53)

• Tottenham-Bolton 1–0
• 1–0 Aaron Lennon (60)

Topscorers

• Robbie Keane 16
• Mido 11
• Jermain Defoe 9
• Jermaine Jenas 6
• Ledley King 3

References