Tottenham Hotspur legend Terry Dyson has died aged 91, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday, August 20. The former winger made 209 appearances and scored 55 goals for Spurs across a ten-year spell.
Dyson is remembered as a symbol of the club's glory days in the 1960s, having been part of the 1961 Double-winning campaign. He remains the only Tottenham player to have scored a hat-trick in a north London derby against Arsenal.
Club pays tribute
“The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Terry Dyson at the age of 91,” a Tottenham statement read. “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. Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”
Dyson was an integral member of Bill Nicholson's 1960-61 side, which became the first English team in the 20th century to achieve a First Division and FA Cup Double.
European glory and later career
One of his finest moments came two years later when he scored two goals in a 5-1 victory over Atlético Madrid, securing the European Cup Winners' Cup. After his distinguished spell at Spurs, Dyson also played for Fulham, Colchester and Guildford.
Speaking in 2020 about his famous north London derby hat-trick, Dyson said: “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 hattrick was brilliant and nobody has done it since. There was a header, a left foot and a right foot. It was perfect!”
