Have a look at what is St Totteringham’s Day, the Premier League taunt between Arsenal and Spurs explained, its history and meaning
The belief among Gunners followers that their team is superior to its fiercest competitors is gleefully celebrated, and they have even given the situation a name.
It is fair to say that in the rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham, the Gunners have had more to cheer about.
What is St Totteringham’s Day, meaning, history and date in 2023
Spurs, who have eight FA Cup victories to their name and last won the national championship in 1961, have a trophy case that needs a lot more polish than Arsenal’s. Arsenal has won 14 FA Cups and 13 league championships.
Even though Arsenal has participated much more in leagues like the Champions League and Europa League, Spurs has won more continental championships.
Not how many more trophies they can win than Tottenham is what scares Arsenal fans the most every season. These days there is a day of celebration which does not even include silverware.
It’s referred to as St. Totteringham’s Day and here is all you need to know.
What is St Totteringham’s Day?
St. Totteringham’s Day is celebrated on the day Tottenham can no longer finish the Premier League above Arsenal.
Arsenal supporters may now gloat about their team’s superiority since it has been formally recognised by the league table’s structure, which is cause for celebration.
Though it is believed that the concept was first presented in 2002 when it appeared on the Arsenal fan website “Arseweb,” it wasn’t until 2010 that it began to acquire traction. Since then, discussions of the north London derby have regularly brought up St Totteringham’s Day.
Some people might be disappointed to hear that there is no saint named St. Totteringham. A combination of Tottenham and the adjective “tottering,” which Merriam-Webster describes as “being in an unstable condition,” gave rise to the name of the unofficial “holiday.”
When is St Totteringham’s Day?
St. Totteringham’s Day’s date changes every year and (whisper, if you are an Arsenal fan) occasionally does not occur at all due to the nature of the celebration. If it does happen, it often happens in March, April, or May.
A list of St. Totteringham’s Day dates going all the way back to the 2010–11 season is shown below.
| Season | St Totteringham’s Day | Games needed |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | April 21, 2023 | 32/38 |
| 2021-22 | N/A | N/A |
| 2020-21 | N/A | N/A |
| 2019-20 | N/A | N/A |
| 2018-19 | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | N/A | N/A |
| 2016-17 | N/A | N/A |
| 2015-16 | May 15, 2016 | 38/38 |
| 2014-15 | May 4, 2015 | 34/38 |
| 2013-14 | April 28, 2014 | 36/38 |
| 2012-13 | May 19, 2013 | 38/38 |
| 2011-12 | May 13, 2012 | 38/38 |
| 2010-11 | May 7, 2011 | 35/38 |
Under the leadership of Arsene Wenger as club manager, Arsenal supporters were able to celebrate finishing ahead of Spurs for a remarkable uninterrupted period of 21 years.
The Gunners’ victory was commemorated by the song “It’s Happened Again,” which has the following lyrics: “It’s happened again / It’s happened again / Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again.”
By convincingly defeating the Gunners 2-0 at White Hart Lane in the 2016–17 season, Tottenham ensured that the holiday was never observed.
However, the holiday has been losing popularity ever since the later years of Wenger’s administration, when the tide began to change. St. Totteringham’s Day did not occur in 2017–18 either, as Spurs finished third and finished 14 points clear of sixth-place Arsenal.
In the 2019–20 campaign, in which Spurs finished sixth and exceeded the Gunners by three points, there was also no St. Totteringham’s Day. Actually, it didn’t happen again in 2020–2021 or 2021–2022 either.
Nevertheless, St. Totteringham’s Day was once more celebrated in 2022–2023 when Southampton and Arsenal drew 3–3 to end Arsenal’s chances of winning the league. The good news was that Spurs would no longer be able to surpass Arsenal in the standings.
Is there a St. Totteringham’s Day equivalent at Spurs?
There doesn’t seem to be a recognised Tottenham analogue to Arsenal’s St. Totteringham’s Day, despite the fact that Spurs fans undoubtedly take great delight in finishing ahead of their biggest league rivals.
When Tottenham ‘cancelled’ St. Totteringham’s Day in 2017, The Telegraph reported that “St Arse’s Day” had been proposed as a potential name for a comparable unauthorised feast day.
But it doesn’t seem like that has gained any traction. St. Totteringham’s Day could be compared to St. Hotspur Day, which was the day Tottenham defeated Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semifinal.
Arsenal’s dominance from the late 1990s to the 2010s, when Gunners supporters were accustomed to seeing their team finish ahead of Spurs, contributed to the development of St. Totteringham’s Day.
Tottenham has surged back in more recent years, and if they can keep doing that in the years to come, perhaps a new holiday title will emerge.