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That January night at Turf Moor was hard to take, as hard as anything in recent years. We were just a couple of minutes away from our first major cup final in 37 years when that goal from Roman Pavlyuchenko went in.
We couldn't have known it at the time but it provided the drive and the inspiration to take our season on. We got our day out at Wembley and I'm sure for every Burnley supporter it was the one we really wanted.
It's now given us another date with Spurs, this time in the league, and this week Wade Elliott revealed the significance of that defeat and how it galvanised a squad that lost only three more Championship games.
I remember talking to some Spurs fans before the first leg, reminiscing about our clashes in the days of McIlroy, Adamson and Connelly on one side and Blanchflower, White and Greaves on the other. I could never have believed then that I'd be back at their ground for a league game so soon.
It's another one to look forward to as this Premier League adventure continues with us currently in ninth place with those three home wins. It would be nice now to get the first points in away from home.
Harry Redknapp's honeymoon was over when we met in January and Spurs were having another difficult time, but things have picked up for them since. They lost only another four league games and this season has started well for them with just six points dropped with defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea. They currently sit sixth in the table but level on points with Liverpool who occupy third place.
Needless to say they started the season with some new players, Redknapp loves to wheel and deal. The most notable signings were Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjar, both from his former club Portsmouth, and Newcastle defender Sebastien Bassong.
There have also been some big sales which saw Didier Zokora, Darren Bent, Pascal Chimbonda and Kevin Boateng all leave whilst they currently have no fewer than sixteen players out on loan to other clubs.
Spurs have problems defensively. Sebastien Bassong was stretchered off last week but could play and Michael Dawson came back in the Carling Cup win at Preston. But Jonathan Woodgate is still out and Ledley King has now torn a hamstring.
Up front Peter Crouch could come in after hitting three at Preston and will contest the forward positions with Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes also came back from injury in that game.
They lost last Sunday at Chelsea and lined up for that game: Carlo Cudicini, Vedran Corluka, Ledley King, Sebastien Bassong, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, Wilson Palacios, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe. Subs: Heurelho Gomes, Alan Hutton, Kyle Naughton, Giovani, Peter Crouch.
Owen Coyle hasn't made a team change in the Premier League since bringing in Andre Bikey for his debut against Manchester United in the second game of the season. However, he will be doing for this game with both Chris McCann and Martin Paterson picking up long term injuries in the last seven days.
It looks certain that Joey Gudjonsson will come in for McCann and David Nugent appears to be the most likely replacement for Paterson.
Brian Jensen was still not training on Friday ahead of the journey to London but was expected to travel and has a good chance of making it to keep up his unbroken run of league appearances which has now reached 51 games.
If fit we should line up: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Steven Fletcher, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson, Robbie Blake, David Nugent. Subs from: Diego Penny, Richard Eckersley, David Edgar, Christian Kalvenes, Kevin McDonald, Chris Eagles, Fernando Guerrero, Steven Thompson, Jay Rodriguez.
Our last league meeting with Spurs at White Hart Lane came in November 1977. Burnley were rock bottom with just five points from thirteen games and were four points behind Bristol Rovers who were just above us. Spurs were second, two points behind leaders Bolton.
The game went with form, the Clarets going down to a 3-0 defeat with the goals coming from Peter Taylor, Neil McNabb and Glenn Hoddle.
The teams were;
Tottenham: Barry Daines, Terry Naylor, James Holmes, Glenn Hoddle, Don McAllistair (Gerry Armstong), Steve Perryman, John Pratt, Neil McNabb, Ian Moores, Colin Lee, Peter Taylor.
Burnley: Alan Stevenson, Keith Newton, Terry Pashley, Marshall Burke, Billy Rodaway, Jim Thomson, Terry Cochrane, Derek Scott, Paul Fletcher, Peter Noble, Malcolm Smith.
Our last top flight meeting at Tottenham had come two seasons earlier, again in November. This one was a 2-1 defeat but a very unfortunate one. We led through a Ray Hankin goal scored after 25 minutes, but injuries to both Willie Morgan and Doug Collins left us to play with ten men for half of the game, and they scored twice in the second half.
The Burnley team was: Alan Stevenson, Mick Docherty, Keith Newton, Brian Flynn, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Willie Morgan, Mike Summerbee, Ray Hankin, Doug Collins (Paul Bradshaw), Paul Fletcher.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1993/94 | LC | h | 0-0 | 16,844 | . |
| . | . | a | 1-3 | 20,614 | Eyres |
2002/03 | LC | h | 2-1 | 13,512 | Blake Davis |
2004/05 | LC | h | 0-3 | 10,639 | . |
2008/09 | LC | a | 1-4 | 31,377 | Paterson |
. | . | h | 3-2* | 19,533 | Blake McCann Rodriguez |