UEFA Europa League Final
What a night! Against the backdrop of the poorest league campaign in decades, the team exhibited the resilience previously demonstrated in the away legs against Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt and delivered the Club’s most meaningful trophy since the UEFA Cup win in 1984. Whether at the San Mames, at the screening at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium or in pubs or homes, fans have a victory that will live on long in the memory.
No sooner had the final whistle blown at the end of the away leg versus Bodo, the Trust’s activity went into overdrive and included liaising with the Club on ticket distribution and attending briefings from UEFA/Football Supporters Europe and the Club on matchday arrangements and putting these out on social media channels so that fans knew what to expect. Where we could, we advised individual fans on travel options, ticket arrangements and the Bilbao fanzone. We pushed UEFA to ensure the match was shown at the fanzone for the benefit of ticketless fans and the Club to bring in pitchside screens for the screening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. We successfully lobbied the Club to push back the timing of the victory parade to a time that was more school/work-friendly, even if many of us (Trust Board members included) were still making their way back from Bilbao, such were the convoluted routes many had to take to get there and back. It was worth it in the end!
Bilbao was a welcoming host and we felt that the final itself and the fanzone were well organised. It’s also true though that the city’s infrastructure felt the pressure of the large number of fans that descended on it, with particular issues with travel back to outlying towns after the match. And, as usual, airlines and accommodation owners took the opportunity to cash in on fans desperate not to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity (we’d like the Club to rectify the latter in coming years).
As with every other away trip during this Europa League run, Football Supporters Europe are running a survey to gauge fan experiences, good or bad. The results are fed back directly to UEFA to allow for improvements in future. We’d encourage every fan that made it to Bilbao to take part: FSE Europa League Final 2025 Fans Survey.
We are delighted to share some great images from the parade courtesy of John Norman/Proud Lilywhites
End of season report
Thank you all for your unwavering support throughout this remarkable season, culminating in our long-awaited European triumph. This achievement was not only a testament to the team’s dedication but also to the invaluable contributions and passion of our supporters, and the independent and consistent scrutiny and lobbying of the Trust.
In this end of season statement, we aim to highlight the areas where the Club has positively responded to the THST’s input, demonstrating a commitment to valuing and integrating supporter feedback. We also acknowledge areas where improvements are still needed to enhance the overall experience for Spurs fans.
The following sections provide a comprehensive overview of these aspects, reaffirming our dedication to ensuring that fans remain at the heart of all Club decisions.
What Went Well
Europa League, final and celebrations.
- Collaboration with THST and FAB:
- Ensured fair ticket pricing for European and cup games.
- TIFOs and White Wall:
- Fans united in wearing white and creating stunning visuals with TIFOs, supported collaboratively by the Club and recognised fan groups.
- Scarves for Supporters:
- Provided special scarves for travelling fans to Bodo/Glimt and Bilbao.
- Bilbao FanZone:
- Created an unforgettable event with Club legends, live music, and entertainment.
- Flags and TIFOs:
- Inspirational displays like the “TO DARE IS TO DO’ Tifo at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium v Bodo Glimt and “DARE” Tifo in the final at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
- Stadium screening:
- Acted on THST’s lobbying to improve the screening experience at the stadium for those not in Bilbao.
- Victory and parade:
- Delivered a long-awaited major European trophy.
- Responded to THST’s request to adjust the timing (though not the day) of the victory parade to enable broader participation.
- Organised a parade that showcased the Club’s stature and fanbase, with thanks to resilient staff ensuring safety. An amazing achievement in such a short timeframe.
- Social media and media coverage:
- Outstanding season-long media presence, with special praise for coverage of the Final and celebrations.
- Paul Coyte’s hosting and the media team’s storytelling enhanced every major event:
- Special mentions also to the commentary team led by Rob Daly and Clive Allen along with Ben Haines’ interviews.
- Supporters Club event:
- Provided fans across the country and globally the chance to take photos with the trophy.
Beyond the Europa League
- Consultation and pricing:
- Regular consultation with the Trust/FAB led to a freeze on season and matchday ticket prices.
- Responded to our lobbying, and demonstrations organised by Save our Seniors, to reverse the ban on new senior concession season tickets (with some limitations).
- Reinstated the popular auto cup renewal scheme after overwhelming fan feedback presented by the Trust.
- Governance and values:
- Agreed to the Trust’s “Five Principles for Owners” to protect the unique relationship between the Club and its fans.
- Introduced a touching memorial video to honour deceased members of the Spurs Family. THST were proud to connect bereaved families with this special way of honouring their loved ones.
- Case work:
- A huge amount of individual case work was successfully dealt with by the Trust and supporter services, headed by Jake Heath at Spurs.
- Ticket integrity:
- Following the Trust’s input on large numbers of tickets appearing on secondary sites, targeted misuse of resale sites for key games (e.g., Manchester Utd at home and Liverpool away), enforcing ticket ownership rules.
- Reduced pricing for most home Europa League and Carabao Cup games following Trust input.
Areas for improvement
- Squad investment:
- More robust investment in transfers and wages is needed to fully support the manager and compete on all fronts.
- Leadership communication:
- The manager should not be the sole Club spokesperson—greater visibility and support from senior figures are essential.
- Affordability and fairness:
- Recognise the financial burden on fans, especially those who travel extensively.
- Ensure fair distribution of away tickets and proper use of the loyalty point system.
- Implement rolling QR codes to prevent away fans in home areas.
- Concessions:
- Restore concessions for all cup games.
- Allow concession ticket purchases via Ticket Exchange for children, young adults, and seniors.
- Expand senior concession season tickets to all eligible fans.
- Ticket share:
- Reverse the limitation restricting Ticket Share to Members only or introduce measures to mitigate the impact of the change.
- Parade safety:
- Address reports of crowding and safety concerns during the victory parade.
- Lap of appreciation:
- Allocate sufficient time and space for fans in all stands to be properly acknowledged before players’ families join.
Our commitment
We promise to continue as a critical friend, ensuring fans remain central to all Club decisions.
Because as we all know – football, without fans, is nothing.
Time to give your end of season verdict on THST’s five principles for the owners of THFC
THST members will know that we have agreed five key principles for any owners of our club. We’ve set clear standards that all current and future owners should be held accountable to, and these have been agreed by the Club:
- Commit to winning: Invest to the level needed to secure league and cup success.
- Attract & retain talent: Build a transfer policy and competitive wages to secure top players.
- Future-proof success: Develop elite youth talent to strengthen the squad and sustain excellence.
- Lead with integrity: Champion ethical standards, strong governance, and financial sustainability—reinvesting in the team while keeping tickets affordable.
- Fans first: Engage, consult, and collaborate with supporters and their representatives to build loyalty, passion, and success on and off the pitch.
You voted in large numbers at the beginning of the year, and these results were shared with the Club at an in-person meeting in February. The results can be seen here. They give a very clear message that the Club needs to do better.
Now, we need your voice once more. We’re meeting with THFC directors soon and will share how fans believe they’re measuring up, and whether there has been any improvement in these disappointing scores.
Your input matters. Our quick survey (less than 5 minutes!) gives us the leverage to demand real change—now and in the future. You can complete it here.
Changes at THFC Board Level
Monday 2nd June marked the first day for new CEO, Vinai Venkatesham, in his new role and also the news that Executive Director, Donna-Maria Cullen, is stepping down from the THFC Board. Donna has been the primary point of contact at the board level for the Trust for many years and while, inevitably, we haven’t always agreed with each other, there have been many times when she has responded positively to our lobbying and altered plans and policy as a direct result. We’d like to thank her for engagement with the Trust during this time and wish her well for her retirement.
We’d also like to welcome Vinai to the Club (definitely an upgrade on his previous employer) and look forward to working with him to promote positive fan engagement. He has already reached out to the Trust and we hope to meet him at our next meeting with the Club under the Memorandum of Understanding that governs our relationship.
Fair Game Conference
THST Board member Rachel Martin presented a workshop on ticket pricing at the Fair Game Annual Conference at AFC Wimbledon last week. This involved sharing perspectives from football club CEOs, staff, supporters and fan groups on fair and sustainable ticket policies which strike the right balance between financial sustainability and the fair treatment of supporters, who are the lifeblood of the game.
Clearly ticket income represents very different proportions of total revenue across the football pyramid, so a one size fits all solution would not be applicable or appropriate. What was encouraging was to see the total commitment from everyone present to a fair and sustainable approach that valued the football pyramid and the unique relationship between clubs, their supporters and their local communities.
Rachel was also on the panel which closed the two-day conference, where delegates heard views on the frankly unfair distribution of finance via European tournaments, guaranteeing income to the established clubs. There’s an interesting article on the subject by the host of this session, Philippe Auclair here.
Other subjects covered included Tottenham and Chelsea Supporters’ Trusts’ responses to the ESL debacle, and whether this really was a thing of the past, the unfairness of the current parachute payment system (something which up until this season didn’t appear to have much direct relevance to THFC), the unwelcome FIFA Club World Cup and, again, a sense of responsibility towards other clubs in the pyramid and the relative merits of our clubs’ financial management and sustainability. Fellow panellists were Dennis Gudasic, Union of European Clubs and Dan Silver from Chelsea Supporters’ Trust.
Tottenham Hotspur Fans Fund Tournament
In early May, the THST 6 a side team was invited to a fun and inclusive fans tournament at Hotspur Way. Run in aid of Haringey Foodbanks, the atmosphere was buzzing in the indoor dome, with teams from all sorts of Spurs supporter groups bringing their best versions of Ange-ball…
With the legendary Gary Mabbutt overseeing, the tournament was expertly run by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation team, as we at THST looked to improve on our semi final placing in the previous tournament at Haringey Borough.
After a number of close games in the group stage, a final game win against Spurs REACH saw us into the final where we ended up proudly sharing the trophy with a very talented Enfield Town Disability FC.
Whilst the football was competitive and enjoyable, what made the day truly special was the coming together of our community for such a worthy cause. Hats off to everyone involved!
Supporters survey
Next month, we will launch a new slimmed-down and more concise survey of supporters’ views across a wide range of topics including ticketing, atmosphere, club ownership and the influence of TV companies. As always this is open to all supporters regardless of whether they are members of the Trust. We encourage all fans to respond as we use the findings to shape our agenda and discussions with the club.
Fan Forum
It’s so good to see more members interacting on our THST Forum.