There was once a time when Chelsea and Tottenham appeared to have a good relationship, although you have to go back 71 years to find an example. 

It involved Eddie Baily, the brilliant inside forward in Spurs' first league title triumph. Baily was on Spurs' books as an amateur in 1939, but the Second World War happened and the exciting youngster was sent to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany with the Royal Scots Fusiliers. 

However, rumours that Baily was killed in action made their way back to north London and his registration was allowed to lapse, so when he returned to Britain he found himself without a club and this is when he signed for Chelsea. 

Spurs' historian, John Fennelly, explained the error was only spotted when Baily dropped by White Hart Lane to collect his kit, but once the mix up was explained to Chelsea, they released him from his contract and in February 1946 he was a Tottenham player again.  

"In a team of class performers, Baily was the true star," Fennelly told tottenhamhotspur.com. 

But he was more than just one of Spurs' best players. His flair and intelligent play saw him stand out among his peers and you'll find almost every reference to him claim he was one of the best inside forwards of his generation; a vital part of the 1951 title winners, who made the 'push and run' style famous under Arthur Rowe.  

He made his Tottenham debut in January 1947 and by 1950 he was a Division Two champion, with the club winning their first top flight crown a year later. 

Bill Nicholson was his team-mate in that side and he later brought Baily in as his assistant in 1963 where it wasn't uncommon to hear him use wartime metaphors in his pep talks - 'right, bayonets on' or 'over the top'. 

He left with his manager in 1974, having won two League Cups, the FA Cup and UEFA Cup with the club on top of his playing honours. He later became West Ham's chief scout and retired from football in 1992. 

​Baily's status as a Tottenham icon was established long before his death in 2010 at the age of 85 – and to think the club owe such huge thanks to a team that became such huge rivals. ​

What? You've never sold your boss' greenhouse to fund a night at the dogs? 

Before we begin, we must point out that despite evidence to the contrary, Stan Bowles has a lot of time for his old QPR chairman, the late Jim Gregory. This was someone who often sorted his star player out with an extra £200 from his own pocket when Bowles was skint. "Usually every Monday," according to the man himself, so what's not to like? The man was giving him free money to give to the bookies!

On top of that, Bowles even got to live in a house Gregory owned in west London rent free where, not for the first time, his gambling addiction got him in trouble. 

"[Former QPR midfielder] Dave Thomas was heavily into his gardening and one day, when he was giving me a lift to training, he came in to have a look around," he explained in his excellent autobiography.

Naturally the big greenhouse amongst all the weeds caught his eye and Thomas asked his team-mate what he was going to do with it. 

"Fuck all," came the reply. Bowles wasn't big on gardening and, in his own words, thought a Flymo was a can of deodorant. 

"I'll give you £100 for it," Thomas said, which Bowles refused until the gambler in him began to think what he could do with the money.  

"With a few wins under my belt maybe I could buy the glasshouse back with a few extra quid besides," he reasoned with himself. 

And just like that a deal was done, with Thomas returning later on with a truck to take delivery of his purchase. 

"I helped load it panel by panel, until all that was left was a large, flattened empty space where the greenhouse used to stand. There were a few discarded plant pots scattered around the lawn so to rid myself of any damning evidence I tossed them over the fence." 

As for the £100 and Gregory's greenhouse, Bowles lost the money on the first night and it was never seen again. 

"I remember a 14-year-old kid coming up to me and asking for my signature. I said: 'Not now, sonny. I've just done a greenhouse,'" as the magnitude of what he had done began to dawn on him.

"Later I felt guiltier about not giving him the autograph than losing the greenhouse." 

Bowles admitted there were a few anxious moments when his boss visited for a cup of tea and looked out into the garden from the kitchen. 

"I could almost hear him thinking 'didn't there used to be something there?' At that point I sidetracked him into a conversation about Bonanza, the popular western TV series he was fond of." 

It worked and the mystery of the missing greenhouse was soon forgotten. However, Bowles also revealed Gregory gave him the option of buying the house for £12,500, but he turned it down only for it to be eventually sold for £80,000. 

More from Bowles:

When Stan and Shanks thought they'd won a spot the ball comp

When Stan Bowles decided to wear two different boots in a game

This was a bizarre game.

Against Spurs in 1992, Sheffield United goalkeeper Simon Tracey was sent off by referee Geoff Pearson, who began the game as a linesman, but took over from Ian Mitchell - himself a replacement ref - who fell ill during the game. Make sense?

Anyway, Tracey got his marching orders towards the end of the 2-0 defeat for trying to stop Andy Gray from taking a throw-in.

What a year 1966 was. If you were English. 

So spare a thought for Scottish people living south of the border when England beat West Germany at Wembley to win the World Cup because, by all accounts, it was a pretty hard event to ignore. 

At least it was for Denis Law. 

Law is a fiercely proud Scot and one of the country's greatest strikers with 30 goals in 55 games; he is the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d'Or. In 1966, though, he was living in England and playing for Man United and managed to avoid watching the final. 

“I was playing golf in Manchester," he explained to BBC documentary Kicking and Screaming, as he was forced to remember a dark day he had since buried among happier memories.  

"Unlike Manchester it was raining," he continued in his deadpan style. "And the guy I was playing with was awful. And he beat me." 

Of course, members of the club he was playing at knew this great Scotland forward was out on the course while they watched the greatest moment in their football supporting lives and they were keen to rub it in, holding up four fingers to indicate the score as he approached the clubhouse.  

“As I turned the corner at the golf course, they were all at the window and of course, England had won 4-2.
 
"I thought it was the end of the world,” he smiled through gritted teeth.

Unfortunately, Law was at his peak when Scotland were unable to qualify for major tournaments and by the time he played against Zaire in the 1974 World Cup he wasn't the same player who had been so devastating during the 1960s and early 70s. He retired shortly afterwards. 

For Scotland they are unlikely to see another player like him don that famous shirt again.