Keith Burkinshaw got a lot right in his time as Tottenham manager, but one thing he did get wrong was in selling Pat Jennings to Arsenal in 1977 soon after Spurs had been relegated to the Second Division.
It was a judgement call by Burkinshaw, who believed Jennings' best days were gone—a mistake for sure, but one it was his job to make and what he thought was the best choice at the time.
Only after the arrival of Clemence in 1981 did Tottenham truly find a replacement for the monumental Jennings, who was still at that point going strong with the Gunners. Knowing it was not his decision, Spurs fans didn't blame the Northern Irishman like they would Sol Campbell so many years later. Besides, they can truly claim to have gotten his very best.
Upon joining from Watford in 1964, Jennings had to compete with Bill Brown for a couple of seasons, but it was an arrangement that proved beneficial as he adjusted to the demands of life at one of English football's glamor clubs.
Having cemented his place as Tottenham's No. 1, he never again looked like giving it up. Jennings was a genuine all-rounder, as dominant in the air as he was composed and controlling in denying opposition attackers on the ground.
Famous for utilizing any part of his big frame he could, Jennings would pull off extraordinary saves of such a frequent number that you could ask 50 different Spurs fans who saw him play and you might feasibly be told about 50 unique saves.
Acknowledged as a player of the year by football writers and his fellow players in '73 and '76 respectively, Jennings won an FA Cup (1966-67), a UEFA Cup (1971-72) and two League Cups ('71, '73) during his time at Tottenham.
Beyond that, all at Tottenham must just be grateful for being able to claim that, for just over a decade, they possessed one of the best goalkeepers the world has ever seen among their ranks.
