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Hartson And Berkovic Torment Tottenham & Remembering Charles Ambler

Born on this day, 13th August 1868: Charles Ambler

Charles James Ambler was born 152 years ago today, on the 13th August 1868, in Alverstoke, Hampshire and began his career at Bostall Rovers before signing for Royal Arsenal in 1891, shortly before they turned professional and were renamed Woolwich Arsenal. As an amateur, he also turned out for Clapton, Dartford and Luton.

After struggling to make it with the Gunners, Ambler became part of a select club to swap Arsenal for Tottenham in the summer of 1894 but he returned to Woolwich Arsenal in November 1895. He made his only league appearance for Arsenal in a 5-1 Second Division defeat to Newton Heath (the club who went on to be Manchester United) on 30th November 1895. He again left Arsenal for Tottenham in the summer of 1896, remaining with Spurs for four years before joining Gravesend United in 1900. He was shortly on the move again, this time to New Brompton (the club now known as Gillingham) before signing for West Ham United in 1901.

Ambler (pictured) was reserve team goalkeeper with the Hammers but won a place in the limelight almost by default when an administrative mistake meant the Irons were to host Tottenham in a Southern League match at the Memorial Grounds on the same day as welcoming Leyton for an FA Cup third qualifying match. With the prospect of larger gate receipts from the league game, West Ham ceded home advantage in the Cup and sent the reserves to Leyton – the league was taking priority over the cup even back at the start of the 20th century! 33-year-old Ambler kept a clean sheet in the match at Leyton on his competitive West Ham debut in a 1-0 win on 2nd November 1901 while the first team lost to Spurs by the same scoreline at the Memorial Grounds in the league.

As a consequence, the West Ham management decided to rest regular custodian Hughie Monteith for the next league match, with Ambler making his only Southern League appearance for the Hammers the following week against QPR, on 9th November 1901. The Irons lost 2-1 at Rangers’ Latimer Road home in North Kensington – incidentally, the West Ham side had to change in the Latimer Arms pub and run down the road to the pitch! It was to prove to be Ambler’s second and last competitive appearance for West Ham United. Monteith was back in goal the following week when the first team were dumped out of the FA Cup at home by Essex village side Grays.

Ambler joined Millwall at the end of the 1901/02 season, his only campaign with the Hammers. In later life he changed his name to Charles James Toby – Charles Ambler passed away in 1952 at the age of either 83 or 84.

West Ham 2-1 Tottenham, 13th August 1997

Let’s now travel back exactly 23 years, to the 13th August 1997 – Men In Black topped the UK box office, Will Smith was number one with the theme song from the same film and Tamagotchis took the UK by storm as West Ham United secured a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in front of 25,354 at Upton Park.

West Ham took the lead after just four minutes, Stan ‘Skippy’ Lazaridis dispossessing Stephen Carr on halfway and carrying the ball into the Tottenham penalty area before squaring for Super Johnny Hartson (pictured below) to sidefoot home. Hartson’s strike partner Paul Kitson had a powerful header tipped over by Ian Walker and home debutant Eyal Berkovic sent a shot skimming wide of the upright before half-time.

The Hammers doubled their lead with twenty minutes remaining – Lazaridis was again the creator, providing the pass for Berkovic who shifted inside Ramon Vega before lifting the ball over Walker. In doing so Berkovic, who turned down Spurs to sign for the Irons, scored the first of his 12 goals in claret and blue. Tottenham grabbed what turned out to be no more than a consolation with seven minutes remaining, Andy Sinton released down the left by a quickly-taken throw-in and future Hammer Les Ferdinand sliding the ball in from the cross. There was still time for substitute Frank Lampard to rattle the crossbar for the Hammers before Vega forced a stunning tip-over from Ludek Miklosko with practically the last kick of an absorbing encounter.

Harry Redknapp’s Hammers would end the 1997/98 Premier League season in eighth position, while Tottenham would finish 14th. Rio Ferdinand was voted Hammer of the Year with Steve Lomas runner-up and Arsenal won a league and FA Cup Double.

West Ham United: Ludek Miklosko, Steve Potts, Marc Rieper, Rio Ferdinand, Tim Breacker, John Moncur (Frank Lampard), Steve Lomas, Eyal Berkovic, Stan Lazaridis, Paul Kitson (Michael Hughes), John Hartson (Iain Dowie).

Tottenham Hotspur: Ian Walker, Stephen Carr, Ramon Vega, John Scales, Sol Campbell (Stephen Clemence), Justin Edinburgh, Allan Nielsen (Andy Sinton), David Howells, David Ginola, Steffen Iversen, Les Ferdinand.

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