Club launches campaign to mark 125 years since groundbreaking 1901 FA Cup success

Back in April, 1901, 125 years ago, we became the first and only ever non-league club to win the FA Cup.

To commemorate the historic achievement, our Men’s First Team will wear a special edition 1901 kit during tomorrow’s FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa, unveiled in collaboration with Nike.

Additional activity taking place around the campaign for tomorrow’s match includes:

• Photo opportunities for fans with the 1901 FA Cup trophy itself
• Special commemorative edition of the matchday programme on sale around the stadium
• Free commemorative pin badges for Season Ticket Holders and Premium Members
• A special commemorative menu in Premium areas

This week, Spurs legend Gary Mabbutt visited Lancasterian Primary School to kick off a Club-led tour of local schools that will feature the 1901 trophy and educational content that engages younger generations in the significance of the achievement 125 years ago.

Modern-day grassroots teams from the Tottenham area will be given the opportunity to have their own day in the limelight by participating in The Spurs Legacy Cup, to be launched later this year.

The 125^th anniversary campaign will shine a spotlight on the heroes of yesteryear and the Club’s founding figures that laid the foundations for what Tottenham Hotspur has become today.

This includes Bobby Buckle, the Tottenham schoolboy that famously founded the club with a group of friends underneath a lamppost in 1882. It was his dream and vision that led Tottenham Hotspur to unprecedented glory just 19 years later.

Bobby’s grandson, Michael Mackman, said: "I’m sure my Grandad would be extremely proud to know that, 125 years on, the great club that he formed would still be celebrating that famous 1901 FA Cup campaign.

"Winning that trophy and overcoming the odds to defeat the best teams in the country at the time was the realisation of the dreams Bobby had for the club over the previous 19 years - he would never have imagined it would be the springboard for the club to reach the heights it would go on to reach. 

"Tottenham Hotspur was formed in the community and Bobby would be extremely impressed that the club remains committed to and involved in that same community today.”

The special edition shirt features a heritage crest which, along with our sponsor logos, will appear in Lilywhite, and no player surnames feature on the back, with only the shirt number visible. The shirts will be auctioned via MatchWornShirt, with part of proceeds donated to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to continue its work in local schools and transforming lives across the community.

From tomorrow (Saturday) at 9am, a limited run of just 1,901 shirts will be made available for fans to purchase from the Spurs Retail Shop, online only – delivering a unique collectors’ item ideal for any die-hard Spurs fan.

The product will be delivered in a premium presentation pack celebrating the shirt’s history, including player cards, a replica ticket of the 1901 Final, a certificate of authenticity with a limited-edition number, branded tissue paper and a wax seal marked “1901.”

The shirt is launched with an accompanying campaign film Carved From Our History, centring on a marble relief sculpture of the 1901 shirt, capturing every detail and texture of the shirt through exceptional craftsmanship, designed by artist Alasdair Thomson.

Duncan Pass, Merchandise & Licensing Director, Tottenham Hotspur said: “To mark 125 years since our groundbreaking FA Cup success in 1901, we want to bring what remains a historic achievement to the forefront of popular culture with what is a truly beautiful shirt, delivered in collaboration with Nike. Seeing the team step onto the pitch wearing a shirt inspired by the heroes of yesteryear is sure to capture the imagination of fans young and old, creating a unique collectors’ item that will itself go down in the club’s history.”