The Board of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust met with the Board of THFC on the evening of Thursday 20 November. Minutes of that meeting can be read here.
We would like to thank the Club for putting what was obviously a lot of preparation into the meeting, and for being prepared to undertake such a full and, on occasion, candid discussion. During difficult times, it is all too often the case that people prefer not to be so open, and we thank Daniel Levy and his colleagues for being prepared to talk so frankly.
We would like to thank the Club for putting what was obviously a lot of preparation into the meeting, and for being prepared to undertake such a full and, on occasion, candid discussion. During difficult times, it is all too often the case that people prefer not to be so open, and we thank Daniel Levy and his colleagues for being prepared to talk so frankly.
There were, unsurprisingly, some clear concerns that we felt we needed to put across to the Club from the membership, fans and wider community.
The stadium project
Although we accept that expansion of the current stadium does not meet the Club’s requirements, we are still not completely clear why a temporary move away – particularly, but not exclusively, the option of one over 50 miles away in Milton Keynes – explicitly reduces financial risk to the extent that such a move is justifiable. We recognise that the Club takes this view, but we feel that we must continue to seek further evidence that this is unavoidable for well-established reasons relating to accessibility for fans, community and identity. If such a move is justifiable, then remaining in London has to be the preferred option.
Detailed discussion around some areas of the stadium project was already difficult because of outstanding legal issues and now, due to the incident at Archway Steel, we will be making no further comment, save that our thoughts are with those affected.
The manager and team
We were encouraged at the level of backing expressed for the current manager and emphasised the concerns fans have over the team and player recruitment, but also that fans are overwhelmingly in support of him being given the chance to succeed and that he should be given full backing to sign his preferred players. We also note the subsequent announcement that Paul Mitchell will be joining THFC as Head of Recruitment and Analysis from Southampton FC.
On the issue of the Real Madrid partnership, we are, of course, disappointed that this arrangement has yielded nothing of significance for our Club, and we hope that this experience can be learned from.
Ticketing
On ticketing, we believe we’ve taken some important steps forward on behalf of supporters, including that our opposition to the rise in prices for cup games will be reflected in pricing in future. We re-emphasised our view that a balance needs to be struck between the need to raise commercial income, with proper consideration given to the match going fan who has to buy tickets for games. We restated the strongly held view across the membership and fan base that ticket exchange schemes should be a service, not an additional source of income.
What was clear from the meeting is that the growing strength and activity of THST and its membership has shown the Club that we have a passionate and active fan base at Spurs, and one that is prepared to speak out on major issues that it is concerned about.
We believe that, as a result, the Club will need to make efforts to ensure that THST members, and the wider fan base are as informed and involved as much as possible. We will do all we can to facilitate this where possible, but will always – must always – ensure that we voice the concerns of our members, the wider fan base, and the community of Tottenham Hotspur.
All members should feel proud of this. And if you’re not a member – join us.
The stadium project
Although we accept that expansion of the current stadium does not meet the Club’s requirements, we are still not completely clear why a temporary move away – particularly, but not exclusively, the option of one over 50 miles away in Milton Keynes – explicitly reduces financial risk to the extent that such a move is justifiable. We recognise that the Club takes this view, but we feel that we must continue to seek further evidence that this is unavoidable for well-established reasons relating to accessibility for fans, community and identity. If such a move is justifiable, then remaining in London has to be the preferred option.
Detailed discussion around some areas of the stadium project was already difficult because of outstanding legal issues and now, due to the incident at Archway Steel, we will be making no further comment, save that our thoughts are with those affected.
The manager and team
We were encouraged at the level of backing expressed for the current manager and emphasised the concerns fans have over the team and player recruitment, but also that fans are overwhelmingly in support of him being given the chance to succeed and that he should be given full backing to sign his preferred players. We also note the subsequent announcement that Paul Mitchell will be joining THFC as Head of Recruitment and Analysis from Southampton FC.
On the issue of the Real Madrid partnership, we are, of course, disappointed that this arrangement has yielded nothing of significance for our Club, and we hope that this experience can be learned from.
Ticketing
On ticketing, we believe we’ve taken some important steps forward on behalf of supporters, including that our opposition to the rise in prices for cup games will be reflected in pricing in future. We re-emphasised our view that a balance needs to be struck between the need to raise commercial income, with proper consideration given to the match going fan who has to buy tickets for games. We restated the strongly held view across the membership and fan base that ticket exchange schemes should be a service, not an additional source of income.
What was clear from the meeting is that the growing strength and activity of THST and its membership has shown the Club that we have a passionate and active fan base at Spurs, and one that is prepared to speak out on major issues that it is concerned about.
We believe that, as a result, the Club will need to make efforts to ensure that THST members, and the wider fan base are as informed and involved as much as possible. We will do all we can to facilitate this where possible, but will always – must always – ensure that we voice the concerns of our members, the wider fan base, and the community of Tottenham Hotspur.
All members should feel proud of this. And if you’re not a member – join us.
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