This month’s newsletter includes updates on ticketing, the Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign, details from our Annual Survey, issues around European away games, information on the Football Governance Bill, a recent event with David Pleat, details about Hugo Loris’s new book, campaign details from THFC Flags and the most recent media coverage.
Ticketing
We were very disappointed to see the Club announce category C level pricing for our forthcoming Europa League group game against Roma, and we contacted them seeking to understand the Club’s decision-making process.
It is a group home game against a known European team, but you would hardly consider them a giant. On this basis, we told the Club, if we draw a lesser-known team in the knockout stages (or a team deemed not as ‘big’ as Roma) can we expect pricing levels like the Qarabag FK and Elfsborg games? We do think the Club needs to be careful here: if they are saying the opposition is more important than the round, then we would expect that to be applied fairly throughout the competition.
With regards to the FC Elfsborg game on January 30, 2025, many season ticket holders were correctly furious with the Club’s plans to place tickets on sale three months before the game on October 30. We contacted the Club on this matter too and were pleased to see them move the on-sale date to December 4, with automatic payments due to be taken on December 2.
Stop Exploiting Loyalty
The Trust has participated fully in the FSA’s campaign against increasing ticket prices, most recently in its ‘two weeks of action’ covering last week’s and this week’s round of EPL matches. At the chosen matches, fans of opposing teams come together to demonstrate their solidarity against ticket prices increasing far beyond the rate of inflation, and despite massive increases in TV, sponsorship and other income.
At the match with Crystal Palace, representatives of the Trust Board, Save Our Seniors and Crystal Palace Independent Supporters Association came together to demonstrate with an FSA-provided banner. Similar events took place at most of the other EPL matches taking place that weekend.
For the match against Aston Villa, THST and SOS will be meeting with reps from Villa Trust at 12.45 outside the Corner Pin to undertake similar action including a photo/media opportunity with the FSA banner. Please join us to show the depth of concern felt by rising ticket prices and the erosion of concessions.
The FSA campaign will continue after this weekend and we’ll provide ongoing updates on future events as they are finalised.
Survey
Our annual survey revealed 85 per cent of Spurs fans disagree with the Club’s changes to concessions offered to senior season ticket holders. In March, Spurs announced that no new senior concession season tickets would be made available from the 2025-26 season, while existing senior season ticket holders will see their 50 per cent discount drop by five per cent a year to 25 per cent in 2029-30. Our survey shows that just six per cent of supporters agree with the club’s proposed changes.
Meanwhile 83 per cent believe senior concessions should be linked to the person rather than the area of the stadium they sit. THST has long argued for greater choice for younger and older supporters with concessionary areas in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium extremely limited.
Elsewhere, 78 per cent of those surveyed said they believed match tickets at the stadium were more expensive than other Premier League clubs.
In terms of priorities, 96 per cent of Spurs fans felt that winning a trophy was very important.
The survey was conducted in the summer of 2024 with 80 per cent of those surveyed saying they believed ENIC’s stewardship of the club had improved over the season. However, just 37 per cent said they were satisfied with the club’s transfer strategy.
You can read more about our survey by clicking here.
European Away Games
Galatasary
Before every European away game the Trust meets with Jake Heath, Head of Supporter Engagement at Spurs, to support the planning process. A THFC delegation always visits the stadium involved and they contribute to a thorough planning meeting. We are able to give a fan perspective and ask for additional information and clarification, often based on issues that have arisen on previous trips. Our views are generally welcomed by Spurs, as is our feedback after matches. However, the Club would be the first to admit that many of the measures put in place are at the behest of the local police or the local club, and at times these can be unmovable. That’s why it’s more important than ever that fans travelling abroad read carefully all correspondence provided by the Club and additional information from us, when applicable. We urged Spurs to make it very clear, prior to ticket application, that arrangements in Istanbul would be very different from the welcome we give away supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and that people should carefully consider whether they were willing and able to manage the restrictions imposed by the Turkish police and Galatasaray. We wish everyone who travels a safe journey, and a successful one. We would reiterate what the Club have said – please read comms carefully and adhere to meeting times and places as you will not be allowed in via any other route.
Here’s a link to the travel advice which includes the Club’s Travel Line number for fans while in Istanbul, as well as other vital information.
Ferencvaros
Thank you to everyone who completed the feedback surveys after their trip to Budapest. The vast majority of respondents reported very similar concerns, although a few people were satisfied with arrangements and their experience. The main issues, listed below, have been reported to the Club and learning points taken away. The survey also helps UEFA to see an overall picture from clubs in Europe and we would love to think that they would lead to improvements for Spurs fans, who are generally well behaved.
Concerns centred on:
- ticket collection arrangements;
- difficulties in scanning tickets to gain entry;
- safety concerns when leaving the stadium;
- the weather and its impact.
Because of your detailed accounts we were able to analyse the difficulties step by step, and to be fair to them, the Club acknowledged the very real issues. There were some mitigating circumstances but also some clear issues that can be learned from.
Football Governance Bill update
The Football Governance Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 24 October 2024. The next step on its passage through Parliament is the Second Reading on 13 November 2024.
The legislation is largely identical to the Bill tabled by the previous government prior to the General Election, but the Labour government has made some welcome improvements. Prominent among these is the explicit requirement that clubs must consult with fan groups on ticket pricing. This was missing from the previous version. THST, the Football Supporters’ Association and other fan groups had lobbied for consultation on ticket pricing to be included in the statute and it is very welcome that the government has listened and acted on this.
The Bill creates an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) for clubs in the Premier League, EFL and top division of the National League. All clubs in those leagues will be required to have Operating Licences, comply with certain statutory duties and to have owners and directors who comply with new, stricter requirements.
The main method of regulation and enforcement is through operating licences. All clubs will initially need to apply for a provisional operating licence and then, within three years, for a full operating licence.
All regulated clubs will be under the statutory duties, including the following:
- not to operate a team in a prohibited competition (to outlaw any further attempts at a “European Super League”);
- not to dispose of their home ground without approval;
- not to relocate without approval;
- not to change crest, home shirt colours or name without approval;
- not to appoint an administrator without approval.
These duties are also requirements of the operating licence. Any club which loses its operating licence will not be permitted to play in the regulated leagues.
The Threshold Requirements for a Provisional Operating Licence will require a club to satisfy conditions on financial resources, non-financial resources and fan engagement.
The fan engagement requirement obliges clubs to put in place adequate means by which they consult with fans and take their views into account on the following matters:
- strategic direction and objectives;
- business priorities;
- operational and match day issues, including ticket pricing;
- club’s heritage (home ground, home shirt colours and crest, team name);
- club’s plans relating to additional fan engagement.
It is welcome that the Explanatory Notes to the new Bill now state that consultation must be “adequate and effective” and also clarify that operational and match day issues should include accessibility.
The Full Operating Licence imposes additional conditions on clubs in relation to financial plans, corporate governance and fan consultation.
The corporate governance requirement has been expanded in the new Bill to include a welcome obligation on clubs to state what action they are taking to improve equality, diversity and inclusion.
The provisions on fan consultation permit the IFR to oblige clubs to consult with “persons elected by the club’s fans to represent their views”, depending on the club’s resources and the size and composition of its fan base. The Explanatory Notes stress that this may be necessary “to avoid any instances where it is felt the club may be influencing the selection of the representative groups”. It is reasonable to assume that, at the very least, all Premier League clubs will be required to consult with elected groups of fans.
The Explanatory Notes also state that “it may be that the IFR deems it appropriate to require that this representative group includes pre-existing groups such as Supporters’ Trusts”. The IFR may also require clubs to meet the fan representatives at least a specified number of times per season.
It is long overdue that clubs in the top five leagues will be placed under legal obligations to consult with fans and consider their views. Experience has shown that football clubs and leagues cannot be left to regulate themselves. It is true that Spurs and other clubs have moved to establish consultation arrangements in anticipation of this legislation, including in Tottenham’s case signing a Memorandum of Understanding with THST and establishing a Fan Advisory Board, but this legislation gives legal back up and powers of enforcement through an independent regulator. Clubs know that they can, and will, be held to account.
An evening with David Pleat and an endorsement for our campaign to stop the erosion of senior concession season tickets.
We were delighted to co-host a special evening for THST members, The Spurs Show Podcast and Spurs fans to hear from our former manager David Pleat. A packed audience at The Albany pub enjoyed hearing stories from David’s time as manager, his thoughts on the various chairmen he’s worked with, and the players he rated, as well as ‘the ones that got away’.
The Q and A session allowed us to ask David the most important question of all: “As a supporters’ trust we want the Club’s ticketing strategy to make it possible for the fanbase of the future to grow, but it should also value the lifelong support, of people like us here this evening. What do you feel about the way that senior season tickets have been eroded by Spurs, and would you, David, be willing to sign our petition?’” David replied that he supported the petition and that he didn’t believe they should stop the senior concession season tickets. If you haven’t signed our petition yet, please click the link and share widely – especially with Spurs friends and family who may not be on social media. Here’s the link.
Earning My Spurs, the official autobiography of Hugo Lloris
We’ve been contacted by Quercus Books who are publishing Earning My Spurs, the official autobiography of Hugo Lloris, former World Cup-winning goalkeeper and of course our very own Tottenham Hotspur legend. We only wish Hugo lived in England so that we could be promote his book in person. Instead we are happy to provide the details:
An illuminating memoir from Tottenham Hotspur star and World Cup-winning football legend Hugo Lloris.
Known for his ‘lightning reflexes’ and unique playing style, Hugo Lloris has always set himself apart from other goalkeepers. He played for the French national team for fourteen years, as captain for twelve, and won the World Cup in 2018. He spent eleven years with Tottenham Hotspur and as long-time club captain, there are few who know the club better. In Earning My Spurs, Hugo takes us through the glory days and scandals of his career for both clubs and country.
Lloris has always been an immensely popular player, commanding respect for his actions and achievements on the pitch. Behind his clean-cut image lies a tumultuous reality of personal highs and lows, revealed here for the first time. In this riveting autobiography from one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern game, Hugo Lloris shows what made him a unique player, and why he never hired an agent but decided to make his own way in a world of sharks.
Signed copies are available from The Cleeve Bookshop here.
Querus have kindly agreed to donate copies of the book to the Trust, which we will be raffling at future social events.
THFC Flags
We work with many other Spurs groups to promote initiatives that help Spurs fans, including atmosphere initiatives. This month we’d like to highlight the work of THFC Flags who are the group behind the TIFOs and the large flags displayed in the South Stand before matches. We know how much these help to create a great atmosphere ahead of kick offs. Their work is voluntary and primarily fan-led and they urgently need support. Here’s how you can help:
- if you are in the lower South Stand it would be great if you could commit to distribute or wave flags;
- make a monthly DD to help buy flags – from as little as £5 a month – this really helps them to plan forwards;
- make a one off donation eg if there is a particular flag you want, or to support a particular TIFO;
- notify them that you could help put out TIFO items on seats;
- purchase Spurs items from their website.
They can be contacted via their website.
Media log
Stop Exploiting Loyalty: Second weekend of action.
Spurs Supporter’s Trust hit out at Daniel Levy for Europa League decision.
Tottenham fans in uproar as club reveal HUGE price rise for Europa League tickets.
Daniel Levy agrees to meeting as Tottenham fans given hope on ‘misguided’ ticket price plan.