Spurs here for the cup should have been special

I wrote ahead of our recent league game at White Hart Lane how this was one of the big games in the country when I first started watching Burnley. Cup finals, championships titles for both teams, European football, some great players who played in some breathtaking games.

One game at a time says George Boyd

These two teams could hardly be separated just over half a century ago in the FA Cup. We met three seasons in succession and four times in six years. None of those games were played at Burnley, in fact I was surprised to find, just after the draw, that we haven't played them at Turf Moor in the FA Cup since a replay win in 1909, the only occasion we've met at Turf Moor in this competition.

Unfortunately, a lot has been taken away from this game tonight because of the ridiculous scheduling of it on a Monday evening. Most of the 3rd round has been played and when the balls go into the bag for the 4th round draw the players will be in the tunnel waiting to kick off this game.

The big question is who will be lining up in the tunnel. Both managers will make changes and some will be forced on us because of the injuries picked up at Newcastle.

Jason Shackell will be ruled out but he would have been a certain started had he been fit and I wouldn't have expected Sean Dyche to move away too much from his regular starting eleven.

But he will be without Shackell and he won't be able to call upon Kevin Long as a replacement with the Irish defender potentially facing a lengthy lay off following his injury on New Year's Day.

It's virtually impossible to imagine what the team might be but George Boyd, in sensational form in that 3-3 draw at Newcastle, and who featured in last season's FA Cup Final for Hull, said: "We just want to keep playing.

"We're a very fit bunch and we just take one game at a time. I think we've got the fitness to do both with this squad."

I've spoken to people today who have come up with potential line ups but they've differed so much. I think a lot will depend on whether we are able to play Michael Keane. If so, I think we might see Danny Lafferty come in at left back with Ben Mee in the centre but there could be minimal changes elsewhere in the team.

If Dean Marney  hasn't recovered then we could line up: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Keane, Ben Mee, Danny Lafferty, George Boyd, Scott Arfield, David Jones, Michael Kightly, Danny Ings, Ashley Barnes. Subs from: Matt Gilks, Cameron Dummigan, Steven Reid, Steven Hewitt, Ross Wallace, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Marvin Sordell, Sam Vokes.

There are no hints from the Spurs end but there was some rotation over Christmas, when they drew against Manchester United and sensationally beat Chelsea, that has left players such as Andros Townsend saying he's ready to fight for a place in the side on a regular basis.

He said: "The cup games have done me well this season. They've given me the chance to get 90 minutes under my belt so whoever the manager picks we know that they will give it their all and fight for the shirt and try to get us into the next round."

Last Time They Were Here

We've played Spurs six times in the FA Cup previously and they are currently 4-2 up on us. They beat us in 1906 but we levelled things up three years later with that Turf Moor replay.

Then came the rush of games in the 1960s; a semi-final defeat in 1961, a final defeat a year later and then one year on from that we won 3-0 at White Hart Lane in a game played on a snow and ice bound pitch that will forever be remembered as the day they lost their cool against us.

The brilliant Adam Blacklaw saves in the snow in our 3-0 win

Gordon Harris, John Connelly and Andy Lochhead all scored that day on a Wednesday afternoon with the game hastily arranged as soon as the opportunity arose during a bad winter.

A 4-3 defeat three years later was the last time we met in this competition. Willie Irvine scored a hat trick for us, including two in the first five minutes, on my first ever visit to White Hart Lane.

It was a special day for me. I went with my mate and his dad on a special train that also carried Blackburn fans to West Ham, something I cannot imagine happening today. It was my first experience of the underground too, but unfortunately , like my only previous visit to the capital for the 1962 FA Cup final it ended in defeat.

I can't believe it is 49 years since we last played them in the FA Cup. 

Previous Games against Tottenham

Click HERE to see all previous results against Tottenham