In the end, it all came down to the FA Cup final replay and a Tottenham team hanging on to salvage something tangible from a season which, at one stage, had promised to be historic.
In 1981-82, a great Spurs side were in the hunt for an extraordinary quadruple but had a handicap that would make a modern footballer blanche.
The heavy winter had seen festive fixtures postponed and, because of their cup exploits at the time, Spurs were affected worse than anyone. They would have to play 18 games in 51 days.