<P> When the club was first formed in 1882, the club played its matches on public land at the Park Lane end of Tottenham Marshes . As the ground was on public land, the club could not charge admission fees for spectators, and while the number of spectators grew to a few thousands within a few years, it yielded no gate receipts . In 1888, the club rented a pitch at Asplins Farm next to the railway line at Northumberland Park at a cost of £ 17 per annum, with the spectators charged 3d a game . The first stand with just over 100 seats and changing rooms underneath was built on the ground for the 1894--95 season . Overcrowding at the ground however would become an issue; in 1898, during a match against Woolwich Arsenal attended by a record crowd of 15,000, the refreshment stand collapsed when fans climbed up onto its roof in the overcrowded ground, prompting the club to start looking for a new ground . In 1899, the club moved a short distance to a piece of land behind the White Hart pub, which would become the White Hart Lane ground . </P> <P> The White Hart Lane site, actually located behind Tottenham High Road, was a nursery owned by the brewery chain Charringtons . A groundsman at a local cricket club, John Over, was tasked with demolishing the greenhouses and preparing a playing surface for football . The stands from the previous ground at Northumberland Park were moved to the new ground . The new ground was never officially named, although names such as Gilpin Park and Percy Park were suggested . In its early day it was normally referred to as the High Road ground or the White Hart after the pub, in time it became popularly known as White Hart Lane, which is in fact the name of the street that lies across to the west of the High Road away from the ground . </P> <P> The first game at the Lane was a friendly against Notts County on 4 September 1899, with around 5,000 supporters attending, generating a gate receipt of £ 115 . The first goal at the Lane came from Tommy McCairns of Notts County, followed by an equaliser from Tom Pratt and a hat - trick from David Copeland, ending in a 4--1 home win . The first competitive game on the ground was held five days later in front of a 11,000 crowd against Queens Park Rangers, which Spurs won 1--0 with the only goal scored by Tom Smith . </P> <P> In 1904, a large earth bank was built at the Park Lane end . The ground now had an overall capacity of 32,000, with a main stand that provided seating for 500, and covered accommodation for 12,000 . However, the club's ability to develop the site were restricted by the terms of the ground lease with Charringtons and, following a share issue, the club bought the freehold for £ 8,900 in 1905 . An additional £ 2,600 was used to purchase the land at the northern (Paxton Road) end, where another large bank was built the same year, matching that at the Park Lane end, and bringing capacity up to 40,000 . Spurs was admitted to the Second Division of the Football League in 1908, and played their first league game on 1 September 1908 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at White Hart Lane . Spurs won 3--0, and the first Football League goal on the ground was scored by Vivian Woodward . </P>

Who scored the first ever goal at white hart lane