Originally named Hotspur Football Club, the club was formed on 5 September 1882 by a group of schoolboys led by Bobby Buckle. They were members of the Hotspur Cricket Club and the football club was formed to play sports during the winter months. The club was based in the Northumberland Park area of Tottenham, named for the Dukes of Northumberland, and hence took its name from Harry Hotspur, a famous member of the Northumberland family.