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THST THFC Board to Board Meeting - 24 May 2016

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Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Board to Board Meeting
 
Minutes and Report
 
Tuesday 24 May 2016
Tottenham Hotspur Football & Athletic Co Ltd, Lilywhite House, 6pm

THST:   
Martin Cloake, Co-chair                    
Katrina Law, Co-chair
Keith Sharp, Secretary
Adam Bailey, Treasurer
Rachel Martin
Martin Buhagiar
Michael Green
 
THFC:   
Daniel Levy, Chairman          
Donna Cullen, Executive Director
Sue Tilling, Safety Officer
Ian Murphy, Head of Ticketing & Membership
Jonathan Waite, Head of Supporter Services
Beth Demery, Ticket Office Manager

1. Recap on action points from February meeting 
  • MC opened up by acknowledging the ongoing discussions with IM, JW and ST around specific issues of ticketing and safety, which helped provide the detail ahead of these set piece, executive meetings. MC then began by recapping on action points from the last formal session in February:
  • DC/JW/IM to review the comments made about the Founder Member Scheme in the survey responses with KL/MC and discuss that initiative further
DC confirmed that no firm decisions had been taken at this stage and reiterated the support for the scheme in earlier fan surveys. MC again registered THST’s dissatisfaction with the scheme. It was agreed to discuss further outside of the meeting
  • JW to arrange for a breakdown of how the Away Supporters’ Initiative is spent each season to be posted on the Spurs official website
KL confirmed this had been discussed with JW and a full breakdown of monies spent wasn’t possible owing to commercial sensitivities with Thomas Cook. However, as much detail as possible over the past 3 seasons would be provided. KL asked whether the introduction of the £30 away ticket price cap meant an end to subsidised travel. DC confirmed that the Club would continue to assist for matches without any alternative public transport options. KL expressed concern over the loss of the subsidised coaches, which had proved popular amongst a certain demographic. DC asked JW to report back with take up figures and costs for last season. DC, JW and KL to discuss further
  • THST to confirm their representative at May’s Haringey SAG session and  ST to arrange a separate meeting to discuss SAG training with MC
MC confirmed he would be the THST representative at the SAG on 9 June. ST suggested arranging training post session so as to better identify needs
  • KL to email NLD policing and stewarding fan feed back to JW and ST
KL confirmed this had been completed
  • JW to arrange a further meeting with current caterers to discuss match day catering
RM asked for an update on the catering situation at WHL. JW confirmed that last season’s caterers were no longer the stadium caterers and a new partner would be announced shortly. JW offered a meeting with the Stadium Catering Director once the new contractors were in place to discuss outstanding complaints from the prior caterer’s time at the Club with the aim of avoiding the same problems. RM asked for clarification on the new contractor’s policy on Waste Food and Recycling, acknowledging sustainability and green concerns. JW to report back once new team in place
  • THST to confirm representative for Stadium Construction Liaison Group
MB confirmed as the rep. MB attended the first meeting of the committee on 17 May and found the session informative and productive. The group is to meet monthly with the next session scheduled for 14 June
 
2. Final season at White Hart Lane 

North-east corner works
  • IM reported that the planned works meant stadium capacity would be reduced by 4,000. Of these, 1800 were season ticket (ST) holders. All had been written to (by physical post), as soon as the need to close the NE corner was confirmed, to be informed where their 16/17 seat would be. These are mainly in the South Stand. 12 complaints maximum have been received. Over the summer, further accommodation requests (e.g. re-locate to a different seat) would be considered, but no promises could be made owing to lack of physical options
  • KL asked for a breakdown of the lost seats, totalling 4000. JW confirmed those lost were a combination of General Admission (GA), Executive boxes, player/ family allocation, academy allocation, a lounge and 6 x disabled places (latter relocated)
  • MB asked why the communication of the NE closure had been left so late. IM reassured fans had been informed as soon as the decision to begin work on the NE corner had been confirmed. Boundaries had been pushed in terms of timescales
 
Champions League (UCL) matches
  • DC advised the location of home UCL matches will be announced shortly. Should the NE corner need to come down, that had implications in terms of UEFA requirements. Any potential move for European matches would not just be due to the reduced capacity issue at White Hart Lane. It would also be a decision based on media and access requirements. It would be because of delivery issues inside and outside of the ground. The fact that not every existing ST holder would be able to get a seat was also a key issue
  • KL and MG stressed that while there is an emotional wish among supporters for UCL matches to be played at WHL, THST’s key point is that as many fans as possible should be able to attend UCL games. Also, THFC should explain clearly why WHL is not viable for UCL; otherwise, many would assume the move was being made financial reasons. DL stated there will be absolutely no financial advantage in moving away from WHL given the alternative venue costs
  • KL asked that, once the UCL location is confirmed, ticketing policy and pricing and seat allocations be given careful consideration. DL said he is very conscious of the costs of going to UCL games

 Ticketing 16/17 
  • A briefing meeting between IM/JW and KL/MC had been held on 23/5; and an announcement on 16/17 ticketing is due very soon
  • KL restated the THST position that loyalty points should be factored in to how tickets will be allocated to Premiership Category A games and the final home game of the season
  • IM confirmed that the Club would include these views in the planning for the ticketing strategy for 2016/17 and full details will be confirmed shortly
  • IM confirmed that in light of the likely reduced allocation, pro-rata reductions would be implemented for Overseas Supporters Clubs, partner and staff seats
 
Bronze member benefits/cost
  • THST proposed reducing Bronze membership costs from £47 to £42, if benefits (multi-game packs, 24 hour advance ticket booking) are to be reduced. JW explained that £5 of the Bronze cost was for a place on the ST waiting list. It was agreed to revisit the Bronze proposition and discuss further outside of the meeting
 
Stub Hub
  • MC raised the implications of StubHub next season. While THST acknowledged the modifications already in place on the platform such as the £150 price cap (the only cap globally across their portfolio), there were concerns that any home match allocated by Loyalty Points could be bypassed by those fans willing and able to pay up to £150 on the platform. IM confirmed a meeting with Stubhub at the start of June and agreed to explore the possibility of installing further filters on the platform
  • MC asked for reassurance that the deal would not be renewed with StubHub next May, stating THST’s opposition to the secondary ticketing market and preference for an ethical, face value exchange. DL commented that all options remained open at this stage.
 
Final season farewell plans
  • RM asked about the plans to mark the last season at WHL. DC was open to all suggestions, especially from fans and it was thought THST may be used as the conduit to collate these ideas. The Club was in the process of establishing a regular group to handle this
  • RM asked whether the last match at WHL would be a league match or a specially arranged game. DC explained the build programme made It difficult to host another match at the end of the Premier League calendar, so it would likely be a league game
  • KL asked whether the Club would ask for dispensation to play a block of Premier League matches away from WHL at the start and end of the forthcoming campaign. DL confirmed this had been requested – not a block, but two matches at the end of the campaign – and this was being considered by the PL
  • It was confirmed that fans would be able to purchase their seats once the final game had been played at White Hart Lane

 Transport
  •  KS asked for an update on match day transport for next season. JW confirmed that the service offered by LOROL had improved since taking over the line last summer. LOROL are upgrading signalling on the Enfield Town/ Cheshunt line, which should enable a more regular service. New trains would be ready for 2017/18, also. JW reported that the Northumberland Park line, run by Abellio, had engineering works scheduled for next season but as THFC was now out of the Thursday/ Sunday cycle, Sunday works should be less of a problem

3. Stadium/ Northumberland Development Project 


Current progress
  • MC asked for an update on the planning process. DL advised that there will still be a series of  smaller planning submissions to Haringey Council as was to be expected with a development of this scale and complexity
  • Mace, the construction firm, is now working 15 hour days, seven days per week. Construction is currently on schedule, though it remains a hugely complex project. ‘Above-ground’ signs of the new stadium will become visible over the summer
  • THST reported a big appetite among fans for new stadium details ranging from the technical progress updates to the granular details (e.g. seat width, leg room). This was noted
  • DL agreed that the current webcam needs a big upgrade. THFC will look at tweeting and instagram/visuals to keep everyone informed, also
  • DL was supportive of the suggestion of a ‘demolition cam’ inside White Hart Lane
  • AB asked about catering in the new stadium. Fans had asked about vegetarian and pescetarian options as well meat pies and sausages with lashings of fried onions. DC confirmed that the widest choice of food options will be made available in the new stadium, including franchises. There was also a strong desire to work closely with local suppliers and caterers, where possible
  • KS queried transport upgrades for the new stadium. DC advised that Tottenham Hale is being extensively re-developed and will be part of CrossRail 2. There is also to be a new ‘STAR’ line, which will link the Angel Rd to Tottenham Hale and onto Stratford. Northumberland Park upgrade is out to tender. On WHL station, JW said TfL is being pushed to improve the capacity – e.g. longer trains – for when the new stadium opens

 Funding
  • AB and MG asked about funding and naming rights. DL said that THFC will go to market on naming rights shortly
  • AB referenced reports of a £300m shortfall in funding, which DL dismissed as being inaccurate. DL stated he was aware of the level of debt the Club could sustain and there were lots of options open at this point
  • DL assured that no player will be sold to fund the stadium
  • MG asked about further funding options. DL acknowledged that a classic project finance structure is an obvious option but will be dependent on final contractor costs which have yet to be fixed. Ownership of the stadium could be via a separate SPV, but will be ultimately owned by THFC. £150m has been invested in the new stadium to date
 
Safe standing
  • MC asked for the latest position on Safe Standing. DC confirmed the new stadium will be able to accommodate safe standing areas, if the legal position changes. Agreed THFC would review its earlier statement which confirmed this. THST would be able to campaign for safe standing, as this is a popular ‘ask’ from supporters 


4. Groundshare 
  • MB asked for an update on the venue for the season away from WHL. DC confirmed an announcement was due imminently
  • MB asked whether there would be a provision for any construction overrun. This was confirmed. Contingencies would be built in
  • KL asked for clarification on any ST amnesty in a ground share venue. IM confirmed an amnesty would be offered in MK but not at Wembley. It was felt there had been a push for a London venue and that was the overwhelming favourite in terms of neutral venues, therefore an amnesty wouldn’t be offered at an alternative London venue
  • KL reiterated the Trust’s point of view around pricing in the temporary stadium: that no fan should pay more than they’d paid at White Hart Lane during any time away. This was noted by IM and DL
  • KL asked whether there was an intention to open up more ST’s to Bronze members should the season away be at Wembley. IM confirmed this was being explored
  • KS asked whether there would be accessibly priced parking at Wembley for fans wishing to drive to games. JW reiterated that Wembley was a public transport destination so that was unlikely
  • There was a point of interest in that the CPZ was expanded when the top tier was in use at Wembley


5. Season review and looking ahead
  • KS reported concern among fans at the lack of squad depth, as evidenced by limited substitution options in the final games of the season when the team was weakened by suspensions. Cover for key positions (eg H Kane) and the ability to genuinely compete in cup competitions – especially the FA Cup and of course UCL – were key concerns expressed
  • DL said the intention is to strengthen the squad and to do so as early as possible; it is, though, not always possible to complete deals well ahead of the transfer deadline. It is likely to be a tougher transfer window than ever given the extra finance available to all clubs, due to the new TV deal. It was felt the Euro’s had an impact on timings but DL stressed this was the same for all clubs
  • DL confirmed that final decisions on signings are the Manager’s (Mauricio Pochettino (MP)). MP’s new contract, which names him as ‘Manager’ not ‘Head Coach’, recognises the wider role he already fulfils (player conditioning and nutrition; academy in addition to coaching)


6. General ticketing
  •  KL opened up this section by thanking the Club for the freeze in Season Ticket and match day pricing for the third season in a row
  • KL also thanked DL for voting in favour of the £30 Away price cap at the Premier League Shareholders meeting in March. DL confirmed this was a unanimous vote by all 20 member clubs
  • The impact of the price cap on away applications had been discussed prior to this meeting with JW and IM. KL restated the THST wish for the sale of any new Platinum Season Tickets to be suspended next season
  • KL touched on cup pricing for domestic cup competitions at WHL next season and thanked THFC for the accessible pricing policy displayed for all of the previous campaign up until the Dortmund match. KL asked that cup competitions be kept outside of match categorisation for next season
  • Presuming the 21 game ST package would comprise of 19 league matches and 2 home domestic cup ties with UCL matches being played elsewhere, KL asked for confirmation of the ‘refund’ mechanism should there not be two home cup games next season. IM to follow up on this
  • KL asked for clarification of allocations for away fans in cup competitions next season given reduced capacity. IM confirmed that THFC had approached the FA for dispensation not to offer the full 15% in the FA Cup next season. League Cup at 10% would be as per league matches. IM also clarified that there would be no reduction in away seats for league matches at WHL next season. The Premier League rule clearly states away allocations must be 3,000 minimum in stadia over 30000 or 10% in stadia smaller than 30k
 
New stadium pricing
  • MC moved onto ticketing in the new stadium. DL confirmed that all major surveys for the new stadium are completed. IM confirmed there would be more research pieces to add more colour over the coming months
  • MC expressed concern at the multi-year packages in the previous surveys and KL expressed concern over the pricing points. THST to follow up with IM outside of the meeting and once the pricing for UCL matches and the ground share season had been defined
  • MC touched on concessions in the new ground. IM’s view was to make this as accessible as possible but nothing had been agreed at this point. THST offered to include questions on concessions in the new stadium in their End of Season Survey

7. Policing and Stewarding
  • KL thanked ST for working so closely with THST over the past year, including allowing the Trust to shadow the safety team across 4 match days. This experience proved invaluable in dealing with issues such as those encountered at Dortmund away
  • With reference to Dortmund away, KL expressed how well THFC and THST had worked together on the night and in the days after the event and had managed to achieve real, tangible results for our fans. Dortmund had implemented changes to their entry procedure within 10 days of THFC playing there, which was pleasing. THST has written to every fan who submitted an account of their experience on the night and issued a wrap up statement earlier this week
  • KL referenced the Policing meetings ahead of London derbies this season, stressing the value of the input of Clubs and fans at these sessions. There was still concern over the police’s attitude to these meetings, however, with every wash up session cancelled over the past season
  • ST agreed the value of these meetings for Clubs and fans and cited the positive outcome of the meeting with CFC ahead of the match at Stamford Bridge on 2 May, where combined Club and fan messaging had resulted in the smoothest entry procedure in many years on the night. CFC’s Safety Officer had asked for her thanks to be passed onto THST for our assistance
  • ST confirmed a policing meeting is being arranged for over the summer and THST would be kept updated
  • MC asked if the Club could help push the case for supporter involvement with the police and public authorities and ST agreed to look at this


8. AOB

Merchandising
  •  RM questioned when the new kit will be available – fans feel this happens very late. In response, THFC said the new kit will be available on July 7, in time for a pre-season tour of Australia (Melbourne) playing 26 and 29th July 
Stadium connectivity/Ents
  • MG expressed exasperation at the lack of any signal at WHL. DC advised that this was largely due to the density of data that fans sent and that the new stadium spec was for the best possible wi-fi connectivity
  • KL also raised a member request that Paul Coyte’s half time interviews be heard in the concourse. THFC will attempt to remedy this
 Flags and visuals
  • KL thanked the Club for working with THST on the ‘Fan-tastic Finale’ at the Southampton match. It was agreed the flag display in the South Lower had looked spectacular. All agreed more of this was needed - it should be a regular part of what fans do – and was felt to be especially important for making our ground share venue our ‘home’
 Communication and collaboration
  • RM thanked THFC for notably improved communication to fans in 15/16 season. She specifically mentioned the Chairman’s message in the final home game programme. KS added the Fans Forum with DL, MP and Hugo had been a big success and should be repeated and expanded. DL said he would look at this
 
DC thanked THST for the time and effort made by Board members, particularly on issues which required covering substantial amounts of detail, considering everyone is a volunteer.
 
Meeting finished at 7.45pm.


ACTION POINTS
  •  DC to pick up on Founder Member Scheme detail with MC/KL
  • JW to provide THST with as detailed figures as possible for the ASI breakdown over the past 3 seasons, bearing in mind commercial confidentiality with Thomas Cook
  • JW and DC to explore costs of continuing to run subsidised coaches to away matches outside of London next season. THST to be updated once calculations have been made
  • JW to confirm new caterer’s policy on waste food and recycling with THST
  • JW to arrange a meeting for THST reps with the Stadium Catering Director once new contractors in place
  • IM and JW to revisit the Bronze membership proposition in light of possible removal of benefits. Further discussion with THST around possible reduction in price point for next season to follow
  • IM to inform THST of viability of introducing additional filters on StubHub platform post meeting with SH in early June
  • DC to liaise with THST regarding collecting ideas for commemorating the final season at WHL
  • DC to review quote in respect of Safe Standing
  • IM to confirm the ‘refund’ mechanism should both domestic home cup vouchers in the ST package not be used next season
  • THST to include questions around concessions in the new ground in their End of Season Survey
  • ST to share details of policing meeting with THST
 
 Next meeting to be scheduled for early September 2016.



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