1962: Dougan double ends 24 years of hurt

It's 20th August 1962 and a Monday night.

Tensions are running high in the divided city of Berlin, Princess Margaret is on the verge of giving birth for the second time and nearly fifty-six thousand people have forgone the delights of watching Bonanza on ATV to head for Villa Park.

Just two days before Villa have started the season in good form with a 3-1 victory over West Ham at Villa Park. With another home game it's a chance to get the season off to a belting start. There's a snag though, we are playing Spurs.

Spurs have just been installed as favourites by the bookies for both the League and the FA Cup, the nucleus of Bill Nicholson's double winning side is there and Spurs never lose to Villa. You have to go back to 1938 to find Villa's last success against the Lilywhites. It's an embarrassment but a record that Joe Mercer's men are keen to put to bed.

In the twenty five post war clashes, we've managed just six draws and since our last win, television has taken off, we've defeated Hitler, had a new Queen and the movies have gone into colour. 1938 seems a lifetime ago.

Mercer's Minors fly out of the traps and batter Spurs for the first twenty minutes. Nicholson's men maybe taken aback with the furiosity with which Villa go about their work but they have the no-nonsense Dave Mackay and the solid Maurice Norman at the back and if we can manage to get past them we face the wall that is Bill Brown in goal.

For all our youthful energy and endeavour we can't find a way through.

Suddenly our failure to capitalise costs us. Jimmy Greaves has been subdued by his standards but suddenly finds himself with an opportunity, Nigel Sims saves but manages to spill the ball into the path of Terry Medwin. The winger accepts the gift with glee and puts Spurs one ahead.

As the game continues it's the Villa defence that looks more secure, manacling Spurs creativity while the Londoners' own back line seems to be having more and more difficulty dealing with the robust nature of wave upon wave of Villa attacks.

Then two minutes that turned the score line on its head.

Firstly, Harry Burrows puts a cross into the box with such force that the up until now seemingly unbeatable Bill Brown can only parry. Derek Dougan manages to leave Maurice Norman standing in the race for the ball and his header snakes in the back of the net.

With Spurs still scratching their heads as to what's just happened, Villa strike again in what will be the move of the match. Jimmy MacEwan goes on a powerful run through the middle, picks out Harry Burrows on the right wing. The speed of the move has left the Spurs defence struggling to get back as Burrows centres for Dougan who unleashes what can only be described as an unstoppable shot.

They call Dougan “Cheyenne” due to his cowboy walk. He's certainly proving to be a sharp-shooter tonight.

Spurs seem deflated after and never really manage to get back into the game. Villa's years of hurt are over. They've beaten Spurs.

Villa's cracking start to the season will continue with an away win at Manchester City the following Saturday but our lording it over Spurs lasts just nine days. In the return game at the White Hart Lane, despite goals from Dougan and Alan Deakin, a brace from Jimmy Greaves helps his team to a 4-2 victory.

At least the Spurs hoodoo has been broken though. Little do we know it'll be over three years before we manage to beat them again.

Aston Villa 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Competition: League Division One
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 55,630

Villa: Nigel Sims, Gordon Lee, Charlie Aitken, John Sleeuwenhoek, Vic Crowe, Alan Deakin, Harry Burrows, Bobby Thomson, Jimmy MacEwan, Derek Dougan, Alan Baker

Spurs: Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Ron Henry, Maurice Norman, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Bobby Smith, Cliff Jones, Terry Medwin, John White, Jimmy Greaves