When did Tottenham last win the Premier League?
By Sean Walsh
Contrary to popular belief, Tottenham Hotspur have actually won a lot of trophies. The problem is few of them have come recently, while none of their triumphs have fallen in the social media era.
Spurs were traditionally a side who would scoop domestic and European honours on a semi-regular basis, but one problem they still have is conquering England.
Here's everything you need to know about Tottenham winning the Premier League, why they haven't won the title since their last victory, when they could next become champions of England and more.
When did Tottenham last win the Premier League?
Tottenham have not won the Premier League in its current form following the breakaway from the Football League in 1992.
In fact, they last won the old Division 1 title all the way back in 1961. Teams to have been crowned champions of England more recently than Spurs include Ipswich (1962), Derby (1975), Nottingham Forest (1978), Aston Villa (1981), Everton (1987), Leeds (1992), Blackburn (1995) and, of course, Leicester (2016).
Prior to that, the only other time Spurs had won the title was ten years earlier in 1951.
Team to have won the English league title more often than Tottenham
- Manchester United (20)
- Liverpool (19)
- Arsenal (13)
- Everton (9)
- Manchester City (8)
- Aston Villa (7)
- Chelsea (6)
- Sunderland (6)
- Newcastle (4)
- Sheffield Wednesday (4)
- Wolves (3)
- Blackburn (3)
- Leeds (3)
- Huddersfield (3)
Why haven't Tottenham won the Premier League?
The argument for Tottenham not winning the Premier League since its foundation is a fairly simple one - they've never had the money to go toe-to-toe with whoever the best sides in England were at any given point.
Spurs went into the 1990s with huge financial problems and spent much of the decade lingering towards the bottom of the table, not quite in danger of relegation but never threatening for a European place.
They made great progress in the 2000s when ENIC purchased a controlling stake in the club, returning to the UEFA Cup and reaching the Champions League in 2010, their first participation since 1962 when it was called the European Cup.
After a couple of steps back at the start of the next decade, Spurs twice came close to conquering England in the 2010s, but fell short to Leicester and Chelsea in successive seasons.
Why did Tottenham not win another Division 1 title after 1961? Who knows. They were consistently one of the best teams in England and as mentioned won plenty of trophies, but it never quite fell their way over the course of a full season.
Here's Tottenham's complete Premier League record and how far off they were from winning the title, charting where their best chances of victory came and went.
Tottenham's Premier League finishes & how many points they finished behind the champions
1992/93: 8th on 59pts, 25pt deficit*
1993/94: 15th on 45pts, 47pt deficit*
1994/95: 7th on 62pts. 27pt deficit*
1995/96: 8th on 61pts, 21pt deficit
1996/97: 10th on 46pts, 29pt deficit
1997/98: 14th on 44pts, 34pt deficit
1998/99: 11th on 47pts, 32pt deficit
1999/00: 10th on 53pts, 38pt deficit
2000/01: 12th on 49pts, 31pt deficit
2001/02: 9th on 50pts, 37pt deficit
2002/03: 10th on 50pts, 33pt deficit
2003/04: 14th on 45pts, 45pt deficit
2004/05: 9th on 52pts, 43pt deficit
2005/06: 5th on 65pts, 26pt deficit
2006/07: 5th on 60pts, 29pt deficit
2007/08: 11th on 46pts, 41pt deficit
2008/09: 8th on 51pts, 39pt deficit
2009/10: 4th on 70pts, 16pt deficit
2010/11: 5th on 62pts, 18pt deficit
2011/12: 4th on 69pts, 20pt deficit
2012/13: 5th on 72pts, 17pt deficit
2013/14: 6th on 69pts, 27pt deficit
2014/14: 5th on 64pts, 23pt deficit
2015/16: 3rd on 70pts, 11pt deficit
2016/17: 2nd on 86pts, 7pt deficit
2017/18: 3rd on 77pts, 23pt deficit
2018/19: 4th on 71pts, 27pt deficit
2019/20: 6th on 59pts, 40pt deficit
2020/21: 7th on 62pts, 24pt deficit
2021/22: 4th on 71pts, 22pt deficit
Listen now to 90min's Tottenham podcast, Oh What A Night. Each week, Sean Walsh and Jude Summerfield discuss all things in the world of Spurs.
When will Tottenham win the Premier League?
With a serial title winner in Antonio Conte in charge, Spurs have a window to win their first Premier League crown in the next few years.
Beyond the Italian's reign, the club are in a much healthier financial situation than they have ever been thanks to increased stadium revenues. Whether ENIC are the owners or if they choose to sell the club on for a figure that would likely be in the billions, Tottenham are in an opportune position.
However, unless they stumble into a squad that is all-conquering, they'll still need a bit of luck in the hope that their competitive rivals drop off. It's still hard to pinpoint when, if ever, they will win a league title again.