White Hart Lane were suggested. In its early day it was normally referred to as the Hotspur's or Spurs' Ground by the club or the High Road Ground by the public, in time it became popularly known as White Hart Lane, which is in fact the name of the street on the western side of the High Road, away from the ground. It is however unclear how it became so-named; some thought that it acquired the name because spectators would first meet up at the White Hart Lane railway station, another suggestion is that it referred to the lane leading to the stadium
Essendon Association Football Club competed in the VFL but many locals protested that they were based at East Melbourne instead of Essendon. The Essendon Town Football Club came about as a result, a side which would play their home games in the district. A winless season in 1903 meant that they took home their first wooden spoon. In 1905, the club officially changed its name to the Essendon Football Club, the same name as the VFL club. To distinguish it from the VFL club, the club was referred to as Essendon (Association), Essendon (V.F.A.) or Essendon (A.) wherever there was confusion. The club's most