Wearing kits from their first derby in 1887 (Spurs won 2-1), Arsenal and Tottenham stars pose for Sportsmail ahead of their next North London collision. The boots have changed a bit since those days...


Record - all competitions

Arsenal wins: 98

Tottenham wins: 81

Draws: 62

Abandoned 2

On a wintry November afternoon 125 years ago, the beginning of something special was born on Tottenham Marshes.



The newly formed Royal Arsenal were the visitors to face Tottenham, the sides meeting for the first time in what would become the north London derby. Back then, Arsenal, who had been formed just a year earlier as Dial Square, were based in Woolwich. Spurs had been formed five years previously.



Their first meeting had to be abandoned, Arsenal arriving so late it got dark before the end of a match that Spurs were leading 2-1.

If that was a bit of a damp squib, what followed was not. There have been goalfests, Arsenal's 'Double' decider in 1971 and Invincible title in 2004, a couple of sizzling Spurs semi-final wins, great comebacks and no shortage of passion.



Here, some of the greats who have played in the fixture pick their favourite games.

The way they were: From left, Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky, Gervinho, Olivier Giroud and Jermain Defoe, Michael Dawson, Kyle Walker and Jake Livermore

Alex Kay on the photo shoot

Doing work for the media is never going to be high up on the list of things footballers want to do. But all eight players who took part in this picture were fantastic. We bought the kit in to them and all took an interest straight away, surprised that the clubs' crests were different 125 years ago and amazed that players used to take to the field in such thick material. Tomas Rosicky and Michael Dawson were quick to spot that you wouldn't want to sweat in the heavy tops. There was genuine interest in the history of the derby too, as well as amazement at the length of the shorts!

It was nice that some of the players asked to keep the shirts. Olivier Giroud didn't take his off after the shoot, Jake Livermore kept his as a birthday present (it was good of him to take part on his birthday) and an excited Jermain Defoe had his name and No 18 put on the back of his before running around excitedly to show his team-mates.

It was fun to do, something different and made me realise that footballers get a hard rap sometimes.

Follow Alex Kay on Twitter @Alex_Kay_DM



CLIFF JONES



Tottenham 1958-68 (370 appearances, 159 goals)

I signed from Swansea in February 1958 and my first game was against Arsenal at Highbury. I was doing my national service in the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery so I was Gunner Jones, strangely enough. I travelled by Tube from St John's Wood to the Marble Halls.



Bill Nicholson said I had to be at the ground at 1.30pm. I got to Highbury and there was this big commissionaire standing at the door and he wouldn't let me in. He didn't recognise me. I said I'd just signed for Tottenham and he said: 'I've heard that one before, son.' I told him to get Bill, which he did.



Bill shook my hand, then looked at his watch and said: 'By the way, you're late.' When I went into the dressing room, Bill took me to one side and said: 'Son, this will be the biggest game you ever play in. Forget about Glasgow Rangers and Celtic, Man United and City, Liverpool and Everton, this is the biggest derby you will play in.'



Then he looked at my boots and said: 'I'm not very impressed with these, son.' My studs weren't good. In those days there were no screw-ins, no blades, you had to knock them in with a hammer. Then 20 minutes into the game I cut inside their big full back, Jim Fotheringham. I was 20 yards out and was going to smack it in the top corner, but I slipped. My legs went from underneath me. At half-time, Bill said: 'In future we'll be looking after your boots.' We drew 4-4 that day. Hell of a game.

MARTIN KEOWN



Arsenal 1981-2004 (449 apps, eight goals)

I won the Premier League with Arsenal at White Hart Lane in 2004 but the derby I remember most is the trip there three years earlier.



It was Sol Campbell's first game there since his move from Tottenham and there was venom from the start. As our coach turned into the ground, bottles flew through the back window. From that moment, we knew what was in store. It made us all more determined to get a result.



Spurs fans had been used to it being 'boring' Arsenal and all the style coming from them. But we had been winning with attractive football and the Tottenham supporters couldn't handle it. Sol handled the game well. It was the making of him. We drew 1-1, then had to wait for a couple of hours before leaving the ground because it wasn't deemed safe. We had a police escort when we departed.

Relive Arsenal's title-clinching draw at White Hart Lane in 2004

Tip top: Arsenal stars Olivier Giroud (left) and Laurent Koscielny

Origins of Arsenal's kit

The club now known as Arsenal was founded as Dial Square FC in 1886 by a group of workers at the Royal Arsenal, an armaments factory in Woolwich, southeast London. Dial Square was the name of one of their workshops. Among their early players were a small group of amateurs from Nottingham Forest - Fred Beardsley, Bill Parr and Morris Bates - who had moved to the area to work. With money tight at the fledgling club, Beardsley wrote to Forest asking for assistance and they supplied the new club with a full set of red jerseys and a ball. At the time, Forest wore a 'Garibaldi Red', a richer and darker shade of the kits that came later and this retained until the First World War. The shirts comprised long sleeves, a collar and three white buttons down the front. The strip was completed by white knee-length shorts and heavy woollen socks with blue and white hoops. Dial Square played their first match on December 11, 1886 against Eastern Wanderers on an open field on the Isle of Dogs. The precise number of goals is disputed, but it is believed Dial Square won 6-0. These shirts would have been plain red during the first two years of matches because the first club crest wasn't adopted until 1888. This first crest featured three cannons - which actually look more like chimneys - to reflect the long military history of the Borough of Woolwich.





MICKY HAZARD



Tottenham 1978-85, 93-95 (170 apps, 25 goals)

It was in 1982, we played at Highbury. We won 3-1. I made two goals and scored a wonder goal. I was voted man of the match as well. It was the best goal I ever scored for Spurs. Ricky Villa passed the ball to me on the right-hand side a yard inside their half. I went past one player, then I went past a second. Then John Hollins, who later signed me for Chelsea, came out. He was playing right back but I skipped past him about 25 yards from goal then rifled it into the top corner with my left foot. The Arsenal players had adverts on their shirts, and in those days they weren't allowed, so the match never got televised. Very frustrating! Whenever anyone asks about a favourite memory, it's always linked to when you've played great or scored. I did both.

ANDERS LIMPAR



Arsenal 1990-94 (116 apps, 20 goals)



My first derby was the third game into the 1990 season at Highbury. Gazza played and he kicked me down early on. I was on the floor with my shinpad split in two and he stood over me and said: 'Welcome to England you f*****g Swede.' I had to have two stitches in my leg. That was the perfect introduction to English football from Gazza. I loved it. When it came to Tony Adams firing up all the guys in the dressing room, it was amazing to see him before the games against Spurs. He was frothing like a bull. For me he was always man of the match against Spurs. He was Mr Arsenal and I was honoured to play with a captain like that.



JURGEN KLINSMANN



Tottenham 1994-95, 1997-98 (68 apps, 38 goals)

It was a game late in the season, a 1-1 draw at Highbury in April 1995. I scored a header and, even though I felt we should have won, I remember the atmosphere being special. I was up front with Teddy Sheringham and he was such an intelligent player to play with. That season, I won Footballer of the Year, which was very special. I've played in many derbies but none mean more to the fans than this one.

Flash: Spurs duo Michael Dawson (left) and Jake Livermore



Origins of Tottenham's kit

The Hotspur Football Club was founded by grammar school boys from the Bible class at All Hallows Church in September 1882 and associated with the existing Hotspur Cricket Club. The familiar Tottenham Hotspur FC came about in 1884 to avoid any potential confusion with another side called Hotspur FC. Spurs turned out in navy blue kits initially but, after being so impressed by the professional team Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup final of 1884, adopted their blue and white halved shirts. In 1888, Spurs moved to an enclosed ground at Northumberland Road and started charging admission of 3d (one pence). The 1890s saw them wear red shirts and navy shorts, and then a chocolate and old gold strip. Around the turn of the century, they adopted the now familiar white shirts, reputedly in homage to another all-conquering team of the age, Preston North End.





CHARLIE NICHOLAS



Arsenal 1983-88 (184 apps, 54 goals)

I was under a lot of pressure from our fans, especially in my first derby because I'd not scored in 10 or 12 games. But they were really supportive. When I went to White Hart Lane and scored twice, it helped me bed in with the Arsenal fans. A few were questioning whether I would fit into the system and my goals against Spurs helped. After the match we had a few drinks with the Spurs boys in the players' room. There was no malice or anger. We'd been kicking lumps out of each other for 90 minutes but let it go after the game. Graham Rix and I used to go for a drink and we'd meet up with Glenn Hoddle, even Graham Roberts at times.

JAMIE REDKNAPP



Tottenham 2002-05 (49 apps, 4 goals)

I played in that 2-2 draw against the Invincibles at White Hart Lane. At half-time, it could have been 6-0 - Pires, Henry, Vieira, Cole and Campbell were immense. We were delighted to only be 2-0 down. Then I scored after the break with a decent strike past Jens Lehmann, who then gave away a very dubious penalty to Robbie Keane in the last minute. We equalised but the draw meant they won the league. It was odd in that sense as both teams were happy. They won the title but we had a result against the best team in Premier League history. We were buzzing, we'd got out of jail. We'd been outclassed.



Smokin': Ashley Cole leads celebrations after Arsenal claimed league title at White Hart Lane in 2004

Not for faint-hearted: Tottenham's Graham Roberts and Arsenal's Charlie Nicholas end up in the crowd

BILLY McCULLOUGH



Arsenal 1958-66 (268 apps, five goals)

My first derby was at Highbury when Dave Mackay and Danny Blanchflower beat us. But it is the 4-4 at White Hart Lane in October 1962 that sticks in my memory. We had a centre half, Laurie Brown, who had been transferred to Tottenham earlier in the year. He didn't take much abuse though, I don't think it was as bad then. If anyone says they're not nervous when they play in a derby, there's something wrong with them. You can feel the tension in the dressing room before you run out, but once you're out there you're just concentrating. Afterwards, we'd have a cup of tea or a bottle of beer with the other players and their wives. There was never much animosity.

STEVE PERRYMAN



Tottenham 1969-86 (854 apps, 39 goals)

I probably played more derbies than any other Spurs player. The strangest was when the great Pat Jennings - who played for both clubs and was then with Arsenal - was given the red book at the end of a game for This Is Your Life. It had to be secret so no one could tell him. Some of us from Tottenham were invited to travel on the Arsenal bus to the studios. The Spurs fans were making their feelings known to the visiting bus as it left - until they saw some familiar faces on board - one being me. It was a special event to go to, but if you were a Spurs fan you'd probably think we shouldn't have been on that bus! I got in the team under Bill Nicholson and he was the type who would pull you up if you drove a red car or had a red coat. If an office lady had a red coat, he'd make her life a misery. If there was a speck of red in your tie, watch out. I got the message. There's more respect between the two clubs than some other derbies. After my heart problems I had messages from Arsenal fans, which was particularly nice.

True colours: Spurs legend Steve Perryman got the message



Magic moment: Paul Gascoigne scores with a free kick against Arsenal in 1991 FA Cup semi-final

CHRIS HUGHTON



Tottenham 1977-90 (398 apps, 19 goals)

Without a doubt our 5-0 win at home in April 1983. I'd watched from the sidelines in 1978 as Liam Brady scored a wonder goal when Arsenal won by the same scoreline, so it felt great for our fans to win so emphatically. On a personal note it was great as I scored two.

Watch Liam Brady's stunning goal in the Gunners 1978 triumph over Tottenham

PERRY GROVES



Arsenal 1986-92 (120 apps, 28 goals)

There's no better feeling than scoring the winner in front of the North Bank - I know because I did it in March 1988. I'm probably being self-indulgent but it was magical. The game was live on ITV, which was massive back then because not many games were broadcast. We were 1-0 up thanks to Alan Smith and I was played through in the 24th minute. The ball bounced up so sweetly for me and it was in front of the Clock End. I remember thinking: 'It's only Bobby Mimms in goal, I'll definitely score this!' But somehow I screwed my shot wide and I couldn't believe it. So you could imagine what was going through my mind when Clive Allen equalised. I was going to be hung by the fans for missing that chance. But then the moment arrived. Kenny Sansom took a throw and the ball dropped on my left foot. When the ball hit the net, it was a mix of exhilaration and relief. I dived into the North Bank!

Derby surprise: Eamonn Andrews stuns Pat Jennings

GERRY FRANCIS



Tottenham boss 1994-97 (146 games)

IT has to be the 1-0 win at home on January 2, 1995. It was always going to be special because it was my first as manager. We were playing well at the time, so went into it with confidence. Gica Popescu scored the only goal and White Hart Lane erupted. To make it more special, that was the last time Tottenham finished the season as London's top club.



