Sammy Mooner
Tottenham Hotspur are superior to Arsenal in the league... thus might have ran the headlines in 1961... and here is a bit more of a history lesson for you to consider:
50 years ago today on 17th April 1961 Tottenham Hotspur won the Football League First Division for the second and last time, with a 2-1 win over their last remaining fellow title contenders Sheffield Wednesday. Their fans paid 3 shillings for admission to the standing terraces to watch them win the league in 1961 (that's 15 pence in real money). And these fans would have travelled to the ground on steam trains from Liverpool Street or by Trolley Buses along Tottenham High Road.
Average weekly earnings for men were £15.34 and the average weekly earnings for women £7.73. The average house price in the UK was £2,700. The new fangled Mini car, including car tax and purchase tax, was £495.95. A pint of Whitbread Draught Bitter was 7p. A packet (of 20) Craven 'A' filter tipped cigarettes cost 20p. First class stamps were 1.25p. A black & white TV licence would set you back £5. Petrol was 24p a gallon. A Mars bar would set you back 2.5p and so would The Times newspaper. A pint of milk was 3.3p.
1961 was a year in which England beat Scotland 9-3 at Wembley and also beat Mexico 8-0. Benfica beat Barcelona 3-2 in the European Cup Final in front of 33,000 at the Wankdorf Stadium, Bern Switzerland - there were just 28 teams in the entire competition including the Preliminary round. Also in 1961 three people died and 35 were injured when a stand collapses during a Glasgow Rangers football match at Ibrox Park.
It was in 1961 that The Beatles performed at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool for the first time. Police arrest over 1,300 protesters in Trafalgar Square during a CND rally. The first US Polaris submarines arrived at Holy Loch. You could get 2.8 US dollars to the pound, 13.7 French Francs to the pound, or 11.3 Deutschmarks. Jaguar launched its new E Type sports car which was available as a two-seater roadster and 2+2 coupe. Black and white £5 notes ceased to be legal tender. The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, ceased to be legal tender in the United Kingdom. The government unveiled new "panda" crossings with new fangled push button controls for pedestrians. The new crossings were due to appear on British roads next year.
The top five singles in April 1961 were all played at 45 rpm on vinyl. At number 1 was 'Wonderful Land - The Shadows', 2 'Tell Me What He Said - Helen Shapiro', 3 'Dream Baby - Roy Orbison', 4 'Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley' 5 'Wimoweh - Karl Denver'
Included amongst the top grossing films in 1961 were: 'West Side Story' starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. 'The Guns of Navarone' with Gregory Peck and David Niven. 'El Cid' featuring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren'. On TV a northern soap called 'Coronation Street' went nationwide. The Avengers television series first screened on ITV. There were also debuts for Songs of Praise, Points of View, The Arthur Askey Show and Thank Your Lucky Stars.
I can find no record of a black and white DVD being released for some reason or other.
Let’s all laugh at Tottenham. 50 years and counting.
