Terry Dyson, Spurs’ only north London derby hat-trick scorer, dies at 91

Terry Dyson, a member of Tottenham’s 1961 Double-winning side, has died at the age of 91, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday. He remains the only Tottenham player to score a hat-trick in the north London derby.

Dyson was a key figure in Bill Nicholson’s 1960-61 side, which were the first English team in the 20th century to achieve a First Division and FA Cup Double, and he scored in the FA Cup Final. Two years later he scored a brace in a 5-1 victory over Atlético Madrid to secure European Cup Winners’ Cup success. His time at Spurs spanned a 10-year spell.

Tottenham announced Dyson’s passing and issued a tribute to their former winger. The club said: "The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Terry Dyson at the age of 91," and added, "Terry was a key part of our Double-winning side in 1961, scoring in the FA Cup Final. He also scored twice in the 1963 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final." Dyson made 209 appearances and scored 55 goals for Spurs across his 10-year spell.

Dyson remains the only Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against fierce rivals Arsenal, which he achieved at the start of the 1961-62 campaign. In 2020, Dyson admitted: "One of them hit my hand. It bounced up, hit my hand and I lashed it in and the Arsenal players went mad. "They ran after the referee but he never saw it. I didn’t do it deliberately but it hit my hand and I just lashed it in. "To get a hat-trick was brilliant and nobody has done it since. There was a header, a left foot and a right foot. It was perfect!"

Dyson celebrated with "a few drinks" and also received small praise from perfectionist Nicholson. He said: "His praise wasn’t brilliant, he didn’t throw it out willy-nilly, but he said ‘well done’ and I was like: ‘Oh thanks Bill!’ We went out that night and had a few drinks, so it was good. "It is amazing, you don’t think of it at the time but it has gone down in history." After leaving Spurs he went on to play for Fulham, Colchester and Guildford, and he was Yorkshire-born.

The club concluded its tribute by offering condolences: "Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time."