You may have noticed Tottenham adopt an entirely white strip for European games in N17.
Unlike in domestic action – where Spurs typically pair their traditional white shirt with navy shorts – the north Londoners opt for a full white strip when playing at home in Europe, whether it be the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League.
This traditional is taken so seriously, that Tottenham even refrained from wearing navy shorts in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool – despite the shirt being designed to transition nicely into navy shorts, as you can see below.
So, why do Tottenham – who want Tyler Dibling – always wear white shorts as the home side in Europe? Let’s take a look.
How poor floodlights sparked a change in Tottenham history
Under the guidance of legendary manager Bill Nicholson – arguably the best in Tottenham’s history – it was decided that Spurs would wear all white in Europe ahead of their first European outing in 1961, due to poor visibility during floodlit matches.
As Tottenham mention on their official website, games under the lights would often look quite gloomy due to the quality of floodlights back then, so there was a desire to improve player visibility and help the Spurs squad see each other clearly during evening matches.
⚪️ Tottenham’s last 6 Europa League home games =
6⃣ wins
0⃣ goals conceded@SpursOfficial | #UEL pic.twitter.com/Vsgpc05zXh
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) October 24, 2024
Nicholson – who held the reins amid a time where managers could make kit changes and other modifications within a club – had initially introduced a white shirt made from the reflective material Rayon, along with white shorts, although players complained about the top being too hot and uncomfortable.
However, the white shorts worked well, and a tradition was born.
Were Real Madrid involved?
There have long been rumours claiming that Nicholson simply admired Real Madrid – and wanted to mimic the Spanish giants, who have historically played in all white.
However – despite the fact the man affectionately known as Bill Nick did like Los Blancos – that is nothing more than a myth, as reinforced by Phil Beal, a player for Tottenham during this period of time.
He said: “Nobody ever mentioned Real Madrid, ever. Although I absolutely loved playing in all-white, it made you feel ten feet tall, unbeatable.”
Ricky George added: “The all white kit was for visibility. It was Bill Nick’s way of looking for those marginal gains. Those nights at White Hart Lane, under the lights, were just very special.”
Furthermore, Cliff Jones said: “We loved playing in all white. I honestly cannot say for certain it made any difference in making us see each other better under the floodlights, but we did love playing in it. European nights we felt fresher, the air was different.”
Will Ange Postecoglou fire Tottenham – who Johnny Cardoso wants to join – to UEFA Europa League glory this season in all white? Only time will tell.
