The first north London derby in the League and what happened next
On 15 January 1921 the result was Tottenham 2 Arsenal 1; and that caused a fair bit of interest because it was the first league derby between the two clubs following Arsenal’s move to north London.
There had been a few previous friendlies which seemed to have calmed Tottenham’s anger at the move much of which centred on the concern that having two clubs within a couple of miles of each other.
Their view, based it seems on no evidence, was that crowds would be diminished with both team playing locally. However Henry Norris argued the opposite. He said that three teams in the area (there was Clapton Orient as well, who when Arsenal moved, were in the same division as Arsenal) would keep football in the local papers every day. That in turn would raise public awareness and excitement, and so crowd numbers would go up.
Indeed the Tottenham objection to Arsenal’s move was disappointing, given that when Tottenham had applied for a place in the Football League in 1908 (having been playing in the Southern League) it was Arsenal’s vote which had given them the place.
Tottenham had in fact resigned from the Southern League (as their rules required) before the election was held for new teams to enter the Football League, and to their horror (and despite the fact that Tottenham were by then previous FA Cup winners) they failed to get elected.
This left them without a league, but then another team dropped out – but Arsenal then stepped in. You can read the full story here.
So it was disappointing that Tottenham did not reciprocate Arsenal’s favour in getting Tottenham into the League, when Arsenal proposed the move to Highbury. They were either being vindictive or clearly did not believe Henry Norris’ vision that crowds would go up if there were three league teams all playing within a few miles of each other
In fact in 1913/14, Arsenal’s first year in north London, not only did Arsenal’s crowds leap up (by a staggering 142%, despite their having dropped to the second division), Tottenham’s went up by 17% as well.
As a result in 1913/14 Tottenham had an average home gate of 28,020. Arsenal had an average of 22,745.
By 1920/1 Tottenham’s average crowd had risen to 36,010 while Arsenal were now hot on their heels with an average crowd of 35,540.
The crowd at this first north London derby was 39,221, but the return match at Highbury a week later got a crowd of 60,600. So both teams got an above average crowd for their home derby game, but it was Arsenal who got the big benefit.
However as Arsenal’s crowd continued to grow, Tottenham’s slipped back, although in overall terms north London had by now become the centre of football in terms of crowds. Tottenham, in 1922/3 were the second most supported club in England, Arsenal the fourth.
And then the unthinkable (at least from Tottenham’s point of view) happened. Arsenal’s average crowd in 1923/4 at 29,950 was the second largest in the country, while Tottenham’s at 28,420, was fourth. And this despite neither club being anywhere near challenging for any trophy. Tottenham ended the season in 15th, Arsenal in 19th – just above the relegation zone.
Of course thereafter, once the Chapman revolution happened, the crowds went up even more, but we should not forget it was Norris’ vision that was right. Put two or three clubs in the same area, and the local papers will have a football story every day. Supporting one of the local clubs would be a central part of life for the menfolk in the area, and the children would grow up with that notion. It was not success that bred the big crowds, he argued, but local rivalry and a good transport system. (And of course not being by the river).