Tottenham Hotspur Women (0) 1 v1 (0) Arsenal Women
65 Rachel Williams 90+1 Vivienne Miedema
Yellows: Neville, Clemaron, Ayane Mead
Referee: A Fearns
Played Saturday 13 November 2021 at The Hive, attendance 2,896.
There were no Premier League (PL) matches last weekend, nor will there be this, but in the F.A. Women’s Super League (WSL) North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur Women and Arsenal Women met. The Spurs Women’s side, much improved from that which lost 1-5 in the FA Cup quarter-final, became the first WSL team to take any points off WSL leaders Arsenal Women (played 7, won 6, drawn 1). The home team defended strongly throughout, took the lead through forward Rachel Williams in the second half, and only lost it to a clinical equalizer by Arsenal Women’s Vivienne Miedema in added time.
The name Vivienne came up again among goal-scorers this week. One Vivienne, or sometimes spelt Vivian, (Viv) John Woodward was an amateur footballer born 1879 of remarkable goal scoring feats. He played for both Tottenham Hotspur (63 goals in 132 games, 1901-09) and Chelsea (34 in 116. 109-15). He did not play in the Chelsea FA Cup Final team of 1915 (they lost 0-3 to Sheffield United) being then a Captain in the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment. He was wounded in action, which ended his career.
Viv Woodward’s International goal scoring record prior to World War 1 was phenomenal: 57 goals in 44 matches for England Amateurs 1906-14; 29 in 23 for the England National team 1903-11; and he twice captained Great Britain to Olympic gold medals in London (1908) and Stockholm (1912) scoring 3 in 3 and 2 in 3 respectively! Truly remarkable!!
Viv Woodward’s tally of 4 England hat-tricks (2 behind the late jimmy Greaves and 1 less than Gary Lineker, both former Spurs) was equalled by the current Spurs and England centre-forward Harry Kane v Albania on 12 November. Then there were the 4 v San Marino on 15 November 2021 equalling ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright’s 4 in an England match. Harry Kane’s second child is called Vivienne Jane. I wonder if that’s just a coincidence?
Until next time, “Keep Safe”, and enjoy your football, Andrew at PLDs.