We recently received correspondence from Change for Tottenham. Our reply is below:
Dear Change for Tottenham
Thank you for your open letter dated 20 February 2025. We respond on a similar open basis.
We feel there are several misconceptions within your letter about the nature of THST and about its relationship with the club (or indeed any supporters’ trust’s relationship with its respective club).
The Board of THST currently comprises 8 people who have all been elected to their positions by the members of THST. Their names are available on the THST website in a transparent way as are the Rules of the Trust. The Board collectively has considered your letter in detail and agreed this response.
The Board always has sight of its obligations to its members. THST is not a means for elected board members to express their personal views or manifesto. With such a diverse membership and, indeed, a diverse fanbase, we take on a broad church of views. Within the last few days alone we have been accused of being biased both towards and against ENIC.
The Board is always subject to the ultimate sanction of not being elected/re-elected. THST is a democratic organisation. Any Tottenham supporter can join THST, and with an annual fee of just £10, membership is not a bar to participation. Members may stand for election to the Board annually and the elected members usually stand for a term of 3 years.
THST is therefore a democratic vehicle for liaison with the club. The club can be assured that if the elected board members are not accurately representing views, they can be replaced through the election process. The suggestion in your letter that THST “step aside” is therefore misplaced. It is “baked in” to THST’s constitution that the board is elected by members for a limited term. It would be a betrayal to the supporters to abandon this democratic process. Especially so if the suggestion is to do so and pass responsibility to an undemocratic and opaque organisation.
As a Board we consider the right for people to conduct peaceful protest to be sacrosanct. Where there is strength of feeling, this right is a fundamental part of democratic society and can be a powerful agent for change. This right goes hand in hand with the right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression must be within the law and should not fetter the rights of others to express (lawfully) their views.
THST members are not in favour of an expressly “Levy Out” or “ENIC Out” position. We have received very real and passionate concerns about who might replace the current owners in the future. We would invite you to clarify whether this is in fact your position.
We regularly survey not just our members but Tottenham supporters generally to inform our position. Every year we conduct a detailed survey of Tottenham supporters in the close season. Last summer, the respondents indicated they felt ENIC’s stewardship of the club had improved over the preceding 12 months. However, the position has clearly changed for many supporters, and we are currently canvassing opinion from a wide range of supporters (not just members) to inform our position when we meet with THFC Board. We would encourage you and your supporters to complete our survey, which you can do here: https://t.co/OnGzLRV59F.
We also wanted to make our position crystal clear on the points raised in your letter. The five principles did indeed draw upon the Spurs Charter. The current THST Secretary was a co-author of the Charter and THST supports the Charter. The five principles were co-created with our members at our AGM at the beginning of this month. We did not have sight of CFT’s objectives in this process but would welcome any clarification you can provide as to the exact wording of these objectives.
We believe the five principles articulate a vision for the club that addresses feedback we received. The five principles are:
- Commit to winning: invest to the level needed to secure league and cup success;
- Attract and 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.
THST has always argued for senior concessions to be linked to a person and not to a seat. We do not agree with the current “pause” in granting new concessions and have consistently lobbied the club against this. We similarly always lobby the club to do more to prevent unauthorised passing on of away tickets and to do more to combat the issue of away fans in the home end. We have done so in a fully transparent way. Our newsletters provide regular updates on progress made and our website contains a (freely available) auditable archive of our activity. When we meet the club formally, minutes are produced and published, as are the minutes of the Fan Advisory Board meetings.
Similarly, we lobby the club to improve atmosphere and to work with the dedicated fan groups that have made considerable achievements but could do so much more with more support from the club. We are in regular contact with ROTS, for example, not least through our respective representation on the Fan Advisory Board. Individual THST Board members donate to THFC Flags and promote their work, and the need for regular donations.
We carry out a detailed financial analysis when the club makes it accounts public. THFC does not, understandably, share its management accounts with us so our data is always subject to a time lag. We have pressed THFC for more transparency in this area, which is something they have been reluctant to agree to.
The Trust has therefore raised with the club the matters referred to in your letter and will continue to do so, including in the forthcoming board meeting with the club, directly with club contacts and via the Fan Advisory Board.
At the end of the day however, football is not currently regulated and no supporter group can “enforce” anything with a football club. We proactively canvass opinion and faithfully project this to the THFC board. We do so because we all share a love of Tottenham Hotspur. We acknowledge and fully respect the passion and commitment that CFT similarly has for the football club. We think our shared interests would be best served by directing our time and attention where it matters: to those in decision-making positions at THFC.
THST Board