Updates on:
- Future ticket pricing at Spurs
- Ticket pricing nationally
- Policing the North London Derby
- Increased security at home games
- Shadowing match day security at White Hart Lane
- THST Board meeting
- Olympic Stadium coalition
- Football to Amsterdam
Other:
Media:
1.Ticket pricing at the new stadium
The Trust’s finance working group has begun looking at drawing up properly costed suggestions for accessible ticket-pricing models at the new stadium. We continue to argue for a spread of price points as wide as possible, and to make the Club aware of the considerable financial burden regular match-going fans already bear. We also to continue to argue against the rise in adult home ticket pricing that has been proposed for next season.
2.Ticket pricing nationally
Along with a number of other Trusts, we were very disappointed that the last Premier League shareholders meeting failed to discuss ticket pricing. Despite much being said in the run-up to the meeting about the need to take some action, particularly on away ticket pricing, nothing was mentioned specifically during the session. The comments made by Premier League CEO, Richard Scudamore, subsequently around accessible pricing also raised some concerns. We continue to work alongside other Trusts and national fan organisations to secure an increase in the Away Supporters Initiative and for a proportion of the new TV deal money to be used to address fans' concerns. We also continue constructive discussions with the THFC Board to persuade them to make a positive contribution to any discussion on ticket pricing at Premier League level.
3.Policing the North London Derby
THST representatives attended a policing meeting at New Scotland Yard ahead of the match at Arsenal on November 8. Reps from AFC, the FSF and various Arsenal fan groups were also present. This was an opportunity to discuss with all stakeholders key areas for concern following an eventful match in the Capital One Cup at White Hart Lane in September. Police presence and approach, fan escorts, catering arrangements (including alcohol) in the away end at the Emirates and any potential hold back of Spurs fans were covered in a session that was valuable in the push for formal fan representation in such meetings and on Safety Advisory Groups in the future. Following the match, THST canvassed fans for feedback on policing and stewarding – both positive and negative – and those responses have been compiled into a report which will be shared at the debrief meeting with the Met, THFC, AFC and FSF in mid-December. Thank you to supporters who took the time to submit accounts of their experiences to THST. This is valuable and appreciated.
4.Increased security at White Hart Lane
THST liaised with THFC regarding the increased security in place for the West Ham match and subsequent delays experienced by some fans in entering the stadium. While most fans appreciated the need for enhanced checks, some were not aware these were taking place and had left insufficient time to reach their seats as a result. Communication was subsequently improved ahead of the match v Chelsea, with every fan who had bought a ticket receiving an email from the Club on the Thursday before the match, as well as posting detailed information on the usual Spurs Official channels. THST thanks THFC for listening to feedback and working swiftly to improve communications with supporters
5.Shadowing match day security at White Hart Lane
The Premier League match v Aston Villa at the start of November saw the THFC Safety Team shadowed by Trust Co-Chair, Katrina Law. With the match starting at 8pm, Kat joined the Senior Stewards briefing at 4.30pm, by which time THFC’s Senior Safety Officer (Sue Tilling) and Safety Officer (Dean Smith) had been hard at work for several hours. This meeting was followed by the North Stand stewards and turnstile operators briefing and checks on the ticket collection windows at Tottenham Sports Centre and on transport and ticket touting at White Hart Lane station with THFC’s Head of Supporter Services, Jonathan Waite. Kat watched the match in the Control Room (suspended between the South and West stands) with the Safety Team, representatives from St John’s Ambulance, Metropolitan Police and Haringey Council Building Control and was impressed with the organisation and efficiency of the operation, which continued well after the match had finished at 10pm. Fellow THST co-chair, Martin Cloake, is observing the Newcastle United match in December, after which we’ll produce a fuller account of our experiences across the four matches THST has shadowed this season.
6.THST Q4 Board Meeting, 16 November 2015
THST’s Board met in mid-November. Some time was spent discussing internal organisation, with the make-up of the board and the responsibilities taken on by board members a focus. It was agreed to mount a ‘back-to-basics’ drive to ensure the day-to-day functions of THST were running properly, and to examine a new, more accessible membership database. Current positions on key campaigns were also discussed and agreed. It was noted that preparation for February’s AGM needed to begin soon.
7.Olympic Stadium coalition update
The Olympic Stadium Coalition of 14 club Trusts released an update on what was known about the deal between WHUFC and the LLDC, and this can be found on the campaign website. The campaign has also written to Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Sport, Culture and media John Whitthngdale, and other MPs and GLA members regarding the deal. Several meetings have been held and arranged with interested partied and we expect further progress in the New Year.
8.Football to Amsterdam
As you’ll be aware from previous newsletters, THST is in the process of assembling a team of cyclists for the annual Prostate Cancer fundraiser next June. Hundreds of football fans will depart from the Olympic Stadium and ride to Amsterdam, raising money for the charity. THFC is supporting this initiative and shared our call for volunteers on social media last week. We have also contacted other Premier League Trusts in the attempt to boost the number of riders and teams. We now have seven riders (we need three more) and sit joint top of PL teams, with Man City (a good omen?). To get signed up you have to raise £600, by the end of March, towards a total of £1000 by June. Registration costs £149, very good value as it includes a fully supported ride, a ferry crossing out, Eurostar back, accommodation and a celebratory dinner in Amsterdam. You can find out more and register here: http://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/find-a-fundraising-event/football-to-amsterdam-2016 or Email kevin.fitzgerald@thstofficial.com
Other
Qarabag away
We lobbied the Club to follow the example of Celtic by paying for the visas of fans who put the effort into making the long journey to Baku. The Azerbajaini Embassy was not, it seems, the easiest to deal with but, in view of the precedent set by Celtic, we were disappointed this could not be done. THFC did, however, cover the cost of match tickets for all fans who travelled to Baku.
Everton away
We also lobbied for a subsidised train to the Everton game at Goodison Park on 4 January. For the second season running, our fans must travel to the north of England and back on (or just ahead of) the first working day of the New Year, and those returning to London face a later journey after a 4pm kick-off. The train companies have, once again, been unable to guarantee adequate rolling stock or offer what the Club considers a competitive price, so our fans have been left facing expensive and demanding journeys. We are trying to work with contacts at Premier League as well as Club level to persuade the train companies to be more cooperative in future. And we have also asked THFC for a clearer indication of how it intends to spend the £200,000 ring-fenced from the Away Supporters Initiative this season.
Matchday playlists
THST is always looking for ways to involve fans more in the match day experience so when we came across an initiative by Barnsley FC encouraging supporters to suggest tracks for pre-match, half time and post-match intervals at Oakwell, we got in touch with the marketing department at Spurs to ask if they would be interested in doing something similar. We were delighted when Spurs took this on board and invited fans to suggest music for the content on the stadium jumbotrons in the hour before kick-off. Fans will be credited on screen and will also be sent a graphic afterwards, in case they miss their track or are not at the match. Look out for the requests for suggestions across THFC’s official channels and play your part in building up the atmosphere at White Hart Lane on match days!
THFC Members' Forum
THST was pleased to receive eight places for our members at the THFC Fans’ Forum with Daniel Levy, Mauricio Pochettino and Hugo Lloris at Lilywhite House on Wednesday December 2. All full (paid) members of THST were invited to complete a short questionnaire to be entered into the ballot for one of these spots, with the successful applicants being notified on Friday 20 November. THST representatives Kevin Fitzgerald and Keith Sharp were in attendance to meet and greet the winners on the evening and we hope they had an enjoyable and memorable night. Successful THST members for this event were Edward Ragg, John Harley, Alan Norman, Liam Knight, Philip Wiseman, Gareth Hagarty, Tony Wise and Anthony Bradburn and we hope they enjoyed an informative and entertaining event. Many thanks to all who entered.
Membership
Many of you will have received membership renewal reminders at the end of your year of membership. We hope you will renew for another year at just £10 for full membership. If you are unsure of your membership status, please do get in touch. We’re entering a vital period in the Club’s history, and it is vital that the voice of supporters is as strong as possible as we work on key issues around the new stadium, ticket pricing and fan representation. Please do renew your membership, and perhaps even recruit a fellow Spurs fan to increase our strength.
Media
Guardian on Premier League ticket pricing
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/18/premier-league-away-tickets-cheaper-richard-scudamore
BBC on Premier League ticket pricing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34793248
Evening Standard on Matchday security
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/spurs-step-up-security-at-white-hart-lane-in-the-wake-of-paris-attacks-a3120486.html
Finally...
As we approach the festive season, now seems an appropriate time to thank all our members for their continued support throughout 2015 and to wish each and every one of you a good Christmas and a successful 2016 for both yourselves and, of course, Tottenham Hotspur!
For more exclusive and live updates follow us on our social media sites:
Twitter: @THSTOfficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THSTOfficial
LinkedIn: Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust
- Qarabag away
- Everton away
- Match day playlists
- THFC Members' Forum
- Membership
Media:
- Ticket pricing: The Guardian
- Ticket pricing: BBC
- Matchday security: Evening Standard
1.Ticket pricing at the new stadium
The Trust’s finance working group has begun looking at drawing up properly costed suggestions for accessible ticket-pricing models at the new stadium. We continue to argue for a spread of price points as wide as possible, and to make the Club aware of the considerable financial burden regular match-going fans already bear. We also to continue to argue against the rise in adult home ticket pricing that has been proposed for next season.
2.Ticket pricing nationally
Along with a number of other Trusts, we were very disappointed that the last Premier League shareholders meeting failed to discuss ticket pricing. Despite much being said in the run-up to the meeting about the need to take some action, particularly on away ticket pricing, nothing was mentioned specifically during the session. The comments made by Premier League CEO, Richard Scudamore, subsequently around accessible pricing also raised some concerns. We continue to work alongside other Trusts and national fan organisations to secure an increase in the Away Supporters Initiative and for a proportion of the new TV deal money to be used to address fans' concerns. We also continue constructive discussions with the THFC Board to persuade them to make a positive contribution to any discussion on ticket pricing at Premier League level.
3.Policing the North London Derby
THST representatives attended a policing meeting at New Scotland Yard ahead of the match at Arsenal on November 8. Reps from AFC, the FSF and various Arsenal fan groups were also present. This was an opportunity to discuss with all stakeholders key areas for concern following an eventful match in the Capital One Cup at White Hart Lane in September. Police presence and approach, fan escorts, catering arrangements (including alcohol) in the away end at the Emirates and any potential hold back of Spurs fans were covered in a session that was valuable in the push for formal fan representation in such meetings and on Safety Advisory Groups in the future. Following the match, THST canvassed fans for feedback on policing and stewarding – both positive and negative – and those responses have been compiled into a report which will be shared at the debrief meeting with the Met, THFC, AFC and FSF in mid-December. Thank you to supporters who took the time to submit accounts of their experiences to THST. This is valuable and appreciated.
4.Increased security at White Hart Lane
THST liaised with THFC regarding the increased security in place for the West Ham match and subsequent delays experienced by some fans in entering the stadium. While most fans appreciated the need for enhanced checks, some were not aware these were taking place and had left insufficient time to reach their seats as a result. Communication was subsequently improved ahead of the match v Chelsea, with every fan who had bought a ticket receiving an email from the Club on the Thursday before the match, as well as posting detailed information on the usual Spurs Official channels. THST thanks THFC for listening to feedback and working swiftly to improve communications with supporters
5.Shadowing match day security at White Hart Lane
The Premier League match v Aston Villa at the start of November saw the THFC Safety Team shadowed by Trust Co-Chair, Katrina Law. With the match starting at 8pm, Kat joined the Senior Stewards briefing at 4.30pm, by which time THFC’s Senior Safety Officer (Sue Tilling) and Safety Officer (Dean Smith) had been hard at work for several hours. This meeting was followed by the North Stand stewards and turnstile operators briefing and checks on the ticket collection windows at Tottenham Sports Centre and on transport and ticket touting at White Hart Lane station with THFC’s Head of Supporter Services, Jonathan Waite. Kat watched the match in the Control Room (suspended between the South and West stands) with the Safety Team, representatives from St John’s Ambulance, Metropolitan Police and Haringey Council Building Control and was impressed with the organisation and efficiency of the operation, which continued well after the match had finished at 10pm. Fellow THST co-chair, Martin Cloake, is observing the Newcastle United match in December, after which we’ll produce a fuller account of our experiences across the four matches THST has shadowed this season.
6.THST Q4 Board Meeting, 16 November 2015
THST’s Board met in mid-November. Some time was spent discussing internal organisation, with the make-up of the board and the responsibilities taken on by board members a focus. It was agreed to mount a ‘back-to-basics’ drive to ensure the day-to-day functions of THST were running properly, and to examine a new, more accessible membership database. Current positions on key campaigns were also discussed and agreed. It was noted that preparation for February’s AGM needed to begin soon.
7.Olympic Stadium coalition update
The Olympic Stadium Coalition of 14 club Trusts released an update on what was known about the deal between WHUFC and the LLDC, and this can be found on the campaign website. The campaign has also written to Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Sport, Culture and media John Whitthngdale, and other MPs and GLA members regarding the deal. Several meetings have been held and arranged with interested partied and we expect further progress in the New Year.
8.Football to Amsterdam
As you’ll be aware from previous newsletters, THST is in the process of assembling a team of cyclists for the annual Prostate Cancer fundraiser next June. Hundreds of football fans will depart from the Olympic Stadium and ride to Amsterdam, raising money for the charity. THFC is supporting this initiative and shared our call for volunteers on social media last week. We have also contacted other Premier League Trusts in the attempt to boost the number of riders and teams. We now have seven riders (we need three more) and sit joint top of PL teams, with Man City (a good omen?). To get signed up you have to raise £600, by the end of March, towards a total of £1000 by June. Registration costs £149, very good value as it includes a fully supported ride, a ferry crossing out, Eurostar back, accommodation and a celebratory dinner in Amsterdam. You can find out more and register here: http://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/find-a-fundraising-event/football-to-amsterdam-2016 or Email kevin.fitzgerald@thstofficial.com
Other
Qarabag away
We lobbied the Club to follow the example of Celtic by paying for the visas of fans who put the effort into making the long journey to Baku. The Azerbajaini Embassy was not, it seems, the easiest to deal with but, in view of the precedent set by Celtic, we were disappointed this could not be done. THFC did, however, cover the cost of match tickets for all fans who travelled to Baku.
Everton away
We also lobbied for a subsidised train to the Everton game at Goodison Park on 4 January. For the second season running, our fans must travel to the north of England and back on (or just ahead of) the first working day of the New Year, and those returning to London face a later journey after a 4pm kick-off. The train companies have, once again, been unable to guarantee adequate rolling stock or offer what the Club considers a competitive price, so our fans have been left facing expensive and demanding journeys. We are trying to work with contacts at Premier League as well as Club level to persuade the train companies to be more cooperative in future. And we have also asked THFC for a clearer indication of how it intends to spend the £200,000 ring-fenced from the Away Supporters Initiative this season.
Matchday playlists
THST is always looking for ways to involve fans more in the match day experience so when we came across an initiative by Barnsley FC encouraging supporters to suggest tracks for pre-match, half time and post-match intervals at Oakwell, we got in touch with the marketing department at Spurs to ask if they would be interested in doing something similar. We were delighted when Spurs took this on board and invited fans to suggest music for the content on the stadium jumbotrons in the hour before kick-off. Fans will be credited on screen and will also be sent a graphic afterwards, in case they miss their track or are not at the match. Look out for the requests for suggestions across THFC’s official channels and play your part in building up the atmosphere at White Hart Lane on match days!
THFC Members' Forum
THST was pleased to receive eight places for our members at the THFC Fans’ Forum with Daniel Levy, Mauricio Pochettino and Hugo Lloris at Lilywhite House on Wednesday December 2. All full (paid) members of THST were invited to complete a short questionnaire to be entered into the ballot for one of these spots, with the successful applicants being notified on Friday 20 November. THST representatives Kevin Fitzgerald and Keith Sharp were in attendance to meet and greet the winners on the evening and we hope they had an enjoyable and memorable night. Successful THST members for this event were Edward Ragg, John Harley, Alan Norman, Liam Knight, Philip Wiseman, Gareth Hagarty, Tony Wise and Anthony Bradburn and we hope they enjoyed an informative and entertaining event. Many thanks to all who entered.
Membership
Many of you will have received membership renewal reminders at the end of your year of membership. We hope you will renew for another year at just £10 for full membership. If you are unsure of your membership status, please do get in touch. We’re entering a vital period in the Club’s history, and it is vital that the voice of supporters is as strong as possible as we work on key issues around the new stadium, ticket pricing and fan representation. Please do renew your membership, and perhaps even recruit a fellow Spurs fan to increase our strength.
Media
Guardian on Premier League ticket pricing
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/18/premier-league-away-tickets-cheaper-richard-scudamore
BBC on Premier League ticket pricing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34793248
Evening Standard on Matchday security
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/spurs-step-up-security-at-white-hart-lane-in-the-wake-of-paris-attacks-a3120486.html
Finally...
As we approach the festive season, now seems an appropriate time to thank all our members for their continued support throughout 2015 and to wish each and every one of you a good Christmas and a successful 2016 for both yourselves and, of course, Tottenham Hotspur!
For more exclusive and live updates follow us on our social media sites:
Twitter: @THSTOfficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THSTOfficial
LinkedIn: Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust