 | The Trust’s ticketing team met with the Club’s Head of Ticketing and Head of Supporter Engagement on 27 April for a session to discuss the key issues relating to ticketing at Spurs. Below is a summary of the main points raised by the Trust, including what we lobbied for on behalf of our members. |
Present:
Ian Murphy – Head of Ticketing, THFC
Levi Harris – Head of Supporter Engagement, THFC
Anthoulla Achilleos – Board Member, THST
Henry Ellis – Board Member, THST
HOME TICKETING
MATCH DAY PRICING
THST asked whether a decision had been made on match day pricing for the 2023/24 season. This had not been determined and will be decided at the end of the coming season. THST asked for an update and expressed opposition to any rise in prices.
GOLD CUP SCHEME
The Club reported that there are c9000 ST holders registered on the Automatic Gold Cup scheme and confirmed it will continue for the 2023/24 season. The Club also stated that the number of Gold ST holders has not risen since we moved from White Hart Lane. THST suggested that newer ST holders may not be aware of the scheme, and, with more publicity from the Club, it could grow. The Club noted this suggestion.
THST pointed out that those on the Gold Cup scheme were unable to take up the family packages offered in domestic cup games. The Club said they had responded to those who contacted them on this matter and, on a case-by-case basis, were able to manually apply the family package discount. Gold ST holders are encouraged to contact the Ticket Office directly should they wish to take advantage of any similar deal next season.
HOME MATCH CATEGORISATION
THST asked if the domestic cups will continue to remain outside of categorisation for the 2023/24 season. The Club stated they could not see a reason that this would change. THST asked for the Club to commit to a group stage package for next season, should the team finish in a European competition position in the league. The Club noted THST’s position and will inform us once a decision is taken.
SEASON TICKETS
THST asked if the Club would be willing to offer anything additional in the season ticket package for next season e.g., discount on food and drink. The Club stated there will be no change to the overall ST offering but the gift voucher offered on renewal will remain. THST asked what the renewal target was for this summer. The Club said that at present, sales progress is as expected in comparison to other years.
SEAT RELOCATIONS
At the previous meeting in November, THST raised the issue of people wanting to relocate from 1882 season ticket seats to General Admission season ticket seats. Since the renewal window announcement for the 2023/24 season, this issue has been raised again by members. The Club reiterated they would consider each relocation request on an individual basis and would take account of the longevity of ST ownership i.e., whether the person had held a GA ST previously when making decisions.
HALF SEASON TICKETS
The Club reported c500 half season tickets were taken up this season and they will review if this will be offered again after the close of the season.
CONCESSIONS
THST reported that some ST holders have contacted the Trust regarding not being able to access a senior rate in their current seats after turning 65 years of age, despite their seat being in a concessionary area. The Club clarified that, to be eligible for senior concession STs for the 2023/24 season, you must be aged 65 or over by 12th August 2023. The Club also clarified that the sections of the stadium with seats that qualify for senior concessions are those in price points less than £1200. THST agreed to forward on issues raised by fans to the Club’s ticketing team to be investigated.
[Subsequent to this meeting the Club has clarified that concessions in the stadium are subject to availability to strike a balance between different concessions and seasonal/matchday ticket types. They have suggested if any fans have issues with availability, they should contact the Club to assist. Our position firmly remains that concessions should be linked to the person and not the seat. But given the Club’s current policy, they should honour all those eligible for senior concessions in areas where concessionary pricing is available and not have a quota on the number of seniors allowed within a specified area.]
ONE HOTSPUR MEMBERSHIPS
The Club held fan focus groups in March looking at proposed changes to the One Hotspur Membership products. THST asked what the key outcomes were and if any changes to the 2023/34 membership products would be made as a result. The Club reported that no changes have been decided on yet and that they are still reviewing the outcomes from the focus groups.
THST asked if the Club would ever consider separating the OH+ membership from the ST waiting list to show clarity on the actual number of fans interested in taking up a ST. Whilst the Club agreed the possible merit of this, , they said there were other factors to consider such as fans who have benchmarked their position on the waiting list until family/friends are of a certain age to take up STs together.
PREMIUMS
The Trust raised that, following the announcement of the GA season ticket price freeze, Premium ST holders contacted the trust to express dissatisfaction that the freeze was not extended to Premium STs. THST suggested the Club should justify their position on this to Premium ST holders. The Club responded that they believe the GA STs and Premium STs are two very different offerings and should be viewed distinctly. The Club stated a GA ST is a payment for a seat for 19 games, whereas the Premium STs cover other aspects which need to be factored into their packages e.g., food and drink, upkeep of facilities and staffing in the premium areas. The Club have communicated this to Premium members that have contacted them on this issue. The Club asked for any Premium ST holders who would like to raise issues regarding their packages to contact their account managers.
THST requested they be put in contact with the premium team at the Club to better understand the premium package structures, and to better represent our premium members.
AWAY TICKETING
THST asked about progress on digital ticketing for away fans. This season, Spurs has taken the lead on this along with a few other Premier League clubs. The Club reported that digital trials are progressing well, and it is a constantly evolving situation. The Club remain committed to exploring all avenues to clamp down on the abuse of away tickets including efforts to create a changing QR code to prevent screen-grabbing and onward transfer of away tickets. They have trialled visiting fans from West Ham, Chelsea, Brighton and Palace with digital ticketing and Spurs fans were part of a trial at Everton. The Club will be offering digital away ticketing as a starting point to all visiting fans next season.
The Club’s new Investigations Officer has been following up on reports of misuse of away tickets this season and more work will be done next season to look at the passing on away tickets on online platforms. The Club stressed that fans should also be encouraged to report any evidence of abuse to the Club so that action can be taken. This can be done by emailing supporterservices@tottenhamhotspur.com with supporting evidence such as screenshots.
BOOKING FEES
THST raised the inconsistency in away ticket booking fees. Away ticket booking fees are £1 but if the lead booker is unsuccessful or the payment fails, the tickets become reserved on fan’s accounts for purchase. When these are added to the basket, the booking fee becomes £1.75. The Club have acknowledged this discrepancy and will be looking into rectifying it.
TICKETING COMMUNICATIONS
THST raised the number of incorrect communication emails sent this season. The Club recognised this and ensured that each error has been investigated and resolved.
End of Meeting Report
ONE HOTSPUR MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Subsequent to our meeting, the Club informed us at the time of wider publication that the pricing of the One Hotspur membership packages were to be increased for the 2023/2024 season, and would feature ‘added value and benefits’.
Whilst we welcome the Club acknowledging membership package benefits can be improved and understand that these are likely to come at an added cost, these new benefits must be ones that have genuine value to the One Hotspur membership experience. On initial review of the membership offering highlighted in an email to members, three of the four new benefits appear to require members to spend more money on non-football events to receive any benefit. We’re keen to understand more about the fan consultation process that led to this decision and will request a justification and explanation from THFC as to how this constitutes ‘added value’.
A meeting will be arranged with the THFC membership team to clarify the changes in more detail, where we’ll also be asking the Club to share anonymised and collated data from the fan focus groups.
THST Board
17 May 2023
Ian Murphy – Head of Ticketing, THFC
Levi Harris – Head of Supporter Engagement, THFC
Anthoulla Achilleos – Board Member, THST
Henry Ellis – Board Member, THST
HOME TICKETING
MATCH DAY PRICING
THST asked whether a decision had been made on match day pricing for the 2023/24 season. This had not been determined and will be decided at the end of the coming season. THST asked for an update and expressed opposition to any rise in prices.
GOLD CUP SCHEME
The Club reported that there are c9000 ST holders registered on the Automatic Gold Cup scheme and confirmed it will continue for the 2023/24 season. The Club also stated that the number of Gold ST holders has not risen since we moved from White Hart Lane. THST suggested that newer ST holders may not be aware of the scheme, and, with more publicity from the Club, it could grow. The Club noted this suggestion.
THST pointed out that those on the Gold Cup scheme were unable to take up the family packages offered in domestic cup games. The Club said they had responded to those who contacted them on this matter and, on a case-by-case basis, were able to manually apply the family package discount. Gold ST holders are encouraged to contact the Ticket Office directly should they wish to take advantage of any similar deal next season.
HOME MATCH CATEGORISATION
THST asked if the domestic cups will continue to remain outside of categorisation for the 2023/24 season. The Club stated they could not see a reason that this would change. THST asked for the Club to commit to a group stage package for next season, should the team finish in a European competition position in the league. The Club noted THST’s position and will inform us once a decision is taken.
SEASON TICKETS
THST asked if the Club would be willing to offer anything additional in the season ticket package for next season e.g., discount on food and drink. The Club stated there will be no change to the overall ST offering but the gift voucher offered on renewal will remain. THST asked what the renewal target was for this summer. The Club said that at present, sales progress is as expected in comparison to other years.
SEAT RELOCATIONS
At the previous meeting in November, THST raised the issue of people wanting to relocate from 1882 season ticket seats to General Admission season ticket seats. Since the renewal window announcement for the 2023/24 season, this issue has been raised again by members. The Club reiterated they would consider each relocation request on an individual basis and would take account of the longevity of ST ownership i.e., whether the person had held a GA ST previously when making decisions.
HALF SEASON TICKETS
The Club reported c500 half season tickets were taken up this season and they will review if this will be offered again after the close of the season.
CONCESSIONS
THST reported that some ST holders have contacted the Trust regarding not being able to access a senior rate in their current seats after turning 65 years of age, despite their seat being in a concessionary area. The Club clarified that, to be eligible for senior concession STs for the 2023/24 season, you must be aged 65 or over by 12th August 2023. The Club also clarified that the sections of the stadium with seats that qualify for senior concessions are those in price points less than £1200. THST agreed to forward on issues raised by fans to the Club’s ticketing team to be investigated.
[Subsequent to this meeting the Club has clarified that concessions in the stadium are subject to availability to strike a balance between different concessions and seasonal/matchday ticket types. They have suggested if any fans have issues with availability, they should contact the Club to assist. Our position firmly remains that concessions should be linked to the person and not the seat. But given the Club’s current policy, they should honour all those eligible for senior concessions in areas where concessionary pricing is available and not have a quota on the number of seniors allowed within a specified area.]
ONE HOTSPUR MEMBERSHIPS
The Club held fan focus groups in March looking at proposed changes to the One Hotspur Membership products. THST asked what the key outcomes were and if any changes to the 2023/34 membership products would be made as a result. The Club reported that no changes have been decided on yet and that they are still reviewing the outcomes from the focus groups.
THST asked if the Club would ever consider separating the OH+ membership from the ST waiting list to show clarity on the actual number of fans interested in taking up a ST. Whilst the Club agreed the possible merit of this, , they said there were other factors to consider such as fans who have benchmarked their position on the waiting list until family/friends are of a certain age to take up STs together.
PREMIUMS
The Trust raised that, following the announcement of the GA season ticket price freeze, Premium ST holders contacted the trust to express dissatisfaction that the freeze was not extended to Premium STs. THST suggested the Club should justify their position on this to Premium ST holders. The Club responded that they believe the GA STs and Premium STs are two very different offerings and should be viewed distinctly. The Club stated a GA ST is a payment for a seat for 19 games, whereas the Premium STs cover other aspects which need to be factored into their packages e.g., food and drink, upkeep of facilities and staffing in the premium areas. The Club have communicated this to Premium members that have contacted them on this issue. The Club asked for any Premium ST holders who would like to raise issues regarding their packages to contact their account managers.
THST requested they be put in contact with the premium team at the Club to better understand the premium package structures, and to better represent our premium members.
AWAY TICKETING
THST asked about progress on digital ticketing for away fans. This season, Spurs has taken the lead on this along with a few other Premier League clubs. The Club reported that digital trials are progressing well, and it is a constantly evolving situation. The Club remain committed to exploring all avenues to clamp down on the abuse of away tickets including efforts to create a changing QR code to prevent screen-grabbing and onward transfer of away tickets. They have trialled visiting fans from West Ham, Chelsea, Brighton and Palace with digital ticketing and Spurs fans were part of a trial at Everton. The Club will be offering digital away ticketing as a starting point to all visiting fans next season.
The Club’s new Investigations Officer has been following up on reports of misuse of away tickets this season and more work will be done next season to look at the passing on away tickets on online platforms. The Club stressed that fans should also be encouraged to report any evidence of abuse to the Club so that action can be taken. This can be done by emailing supporterservices@tottenhamhotspur.com with supporting evidence such as screenshots.
BOOKING FEES
THST raised the inconsistency in away ticket booking fees. Away ticket booking fees are £1 but if the lead booker is unsuccessful or the payment fails, the tickets become reserved on fan’s accounts for purchase. When these are added to the basket, the booking fee becomes £1.75. The Club have acknowledged this discrepancy and will be looking into rectifying it.
TICKETING COMMUNICATIONS
THST raised the number of incorrect communication emails sent this season. The Club recognised this and ensured that each error has been investigated and resolved.
End of Meeting Report
ONE HOTSPUR MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Subsequent to our meeting, the Club informed us at the time of wider publication that the pricing of the One Hotspur membership packages were to be increased for the 2023/2024 season, and would feature ‘added value and benefits’.
Whilst we welcome the Club acknowledging membership package benefits can be improved and understand that these are likely to come at an added cost, these new benefits must be ones that have genuine value to the One Hotspur membership experience. On initial review of the membership offering highlighted in an email to members, three of the four new benefits appear to require members to spend more money on non-football events to receive any benefit. We’re keen to understand more about the fan consultation process that led to this decision and will request a justification and explanation from THFC as to how this constitutes ‘added value’.
A meeting will be arranged with the THFC membership team to clarify the changes in more detail, where we’ll also be asking the Club to share anonymised and collated data from the fan focus groups.
THST Board
17 May 2023
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