Modern Tottenham fans might not be familiar with the name Cyril Knowles, but the former Spurs left-back is a player that every supporter of the club must be aware of. The former English player came from a sports background family, as he was the son of rugby league footballer Cyril Knowles and his older brother Peter Knowles was a professional footballer as well. This article will be looking back at his football career, especially his legendary time with Tottenham Hotspur.
Early career
Born in Fitzwilliam, West Yorkshire, Cyril Knowles began his football career with local side Hemsworth as a left winger. However, this was followed by three top clubs at the time - Manchester United, Blackpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers all rejecting the player. This incident left Knowles questioning his future prospects as a professional footballer.
Despite this setback, Middlesbrough eventually signed the player and accepted him into their amateur squad. Knowles operated as a left-back by this time, and ultimately made his debut late in the 1962–63 season.
It was after 39 first team appearances at Middlesbrough that Knowles was signed by legendary Spurs manager Bill Nicholson in 1964 for £45,000.
A legendary Tottenham career
Upon his signing, Cyril Knowles was seen as a young replacement for Ron Henry, a member of the historic Spurs team that famously won the Double in 1960–61, the FA Cup in 1962 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963. It was evident that Knowles had huge shoes to fill.
Knowles made his debut for Spurs in a 2–0 win over Sheffield United at White Hart Lane on the opening day of 1964–65 First Division campaign.
What followed after this was years of excellence, as Knowles was a part of Tottenham for the next 11 years. He was immensely praised for his crossing ability, which created countless opportunities from open play as well as set pieces. His partnership with right-back Joe Kinnear was nothing short of magnificent as well. Above all this, the contribution of Knowles towards the acceptance of the overlapping, attacking full-back in modern football is what makes him an eternal legend of the game.
The English left-back was one of the most reliable members of the Spurs squad, missing only one league match between 1965 and 1969. Knowles earned 4 caps for the English national side as well, with his international debut being against the Soviet Union in December 1967. He had also represented the English under-23 side. It was only due to the consistent performances of Leeds United star Terry Cooper that Cyril Knowles was restricted to a fringe role in the national team.
The Englishman made his final appearance as a professional footballer in a 2–2 draw with Everton in December 1975. Frequent knee injuries meant that Knowles had to retire prematurely at the age of 31.His contributions and loyalty for Spurs saw him rewarded with a testimonial match against arch-rivals Arsenal in the same season.
A prime example of his exquisite quality was the memorable display against Leeds United in one of his final appearances for the club. Spurs needed a victory against the reigning First Division champions and 1975 European Cup finalists to survive relegation in the match. Knowles became the savior for Spurs in this David versus Goliath encounter, scoring a brace to help Spurs win 4-2.
Legacy
Cyril Knowles made 507 appearances in his 11 years at Tottenham, and scored a total of 17 goals as well. His time at the London club saw him win a total of 6 titles, including an FA Cup, 3 League Cups, and a UEFA Cup. Even though the decades have gone, Knowles is still widely acknowledged by both supporters and critics to be the greatest left-back in the history of Tottenham Hotspur.
