Updates on:
- Meeting with the Executive Board at THFC
- Ticketing at Spurs for the 2016/17 campaign
- Wembley Stadium confirmed
- Stadium Construction Liaison Committee meeting
- THST Board Meeting
- Crowd management at Dortmund
- THST End of Season BBQ at the Antwerp Arms
Other
Media
1. Meeting with the Exec Board at THFC
Representatives of THST met with the Executive Board of THFC on 24 May. The full minutes of that meeting can be found here. This gave us the chance to discuss many pressing issues including where we will play our Champions League games next season, the season away from White Hart Lane in 2017/18, the status of the current stadium build and the expected imminent removal of the North East Corner at White Hart Lane.
We also posed questions submitted from Trust members covering a vast array of issues ranging from stadium funding to purchasing seats when the current stadium is demolished. Other submitted questions focussed on catering at WHL, the quality of webcams currently filming the building work at the construction site, issues with Bronze memberships next season with an expected reduced capacity at WHL and this summer’s transfer activity.
THST also thanked the Club for notably improved communication with fans during the 2015/16 season, highlighting the Chairman’s message in the final home game programme. The Club also thanked THST for the time and effort made by Board members, particularly on issues which required covering substantial amounts of detail.
The next meeting of the Boards of THST and THFC will take place in early September 2016.
2. Ticketing at Spurs for 2016/17 campaign
On 31 May, THFC announced its ticketing policy for One Hotspur members for the 2016/ 17 campaign. THST has been involved in detailed discussions with the Club about ticketing during the final season at White Hart Lane, one we all know will be challenging. We’ve consistently argued for solutions that were as fair as possible, and that benefitted the broadest range of fans. An explanation of the positions taken and the decisions made was covered in our comment piece which can be read here.
We completely appreciate that there is no ideal solution for the final season at White Hart Lane, which will see the number of tickets available for One Hotspur Members reduced by 4,000. With 52,000 Bronze members alone, plus thousands more Lilywhites, the supply and demand ratio means it’s impossible to make every fan happy. However, we feel that the mix of ensuring those fans with the most loyalty points will be able to see the Category A games and the final game ever at White Hart Lane along with all other members having an equal chance of securing a seat for the other league matches is the fairest outcome possible given very challenging circumstances.
We are in constant dialogue with the Club over all aspects of ticketing and will be producing an FAQ sheet specifically around the arrangements for next season over the next few days.
3. Wembley Stadium
On 28 May, THFC announced that Champions League home matches would be played at Wembley next season. Their statement can be read here. THST responded with a statement issued the same morning, which can be read here.
THST fully appreciates the emotional connection fans have to White Hart Lane and why this would have been mixed news for many, but we believe it was the only pragmatic and realistic option once all factors were considered. Building work in and around the ground meant that UEFA requirements for staging Champions League games could not be met and Wembley was the logical alternative.
We are in the process of lobbying for accessible pricing to enable as many of our fans as possible to see the team play against top European opposition and will communicate the outcome of those discussions as soon we can.
Coupled with the Champions League announcement was the news that THFC will play all home matches at Wembley throughout the 2017/18 ground share season. This is terrific news and something we’ve campaigned for over the last 2 years. Keeping Spurs in London was always the objective and we’re delighted the Club listened to the fans wishes and managed to achieve this solution after negotiations with the FA and Wembley National Stadium Limited.
There is work still to do here to ensure we make Wembley as much of a home as is possible and we are already discussing ways to achieve the best possible atmosphere and make tickets accessible for all. Expect regular updates!
4. Stadium Construction Liaison Committee meeting
THST Board member, Martin Buhagiar, was confirmed as the Trust’s representative on the Stadium Construction Liaison Committee. The committee will meet monthly to discuss the latest news and issues arising from the construction of the new stadium, with the first session held on 17 May. Representatives of THFC, construction company MACE, Haringey Council, Northumberland Park Area Regeneration, Northumberland Park Residents’ Association and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation were also present. Most of the discussion focused on building works, the number of hours construction employees are currently allowed to work and the impact, if any, this has had on local residents.
The next meeting is scheduled for 14 June.
5. THST Board Meeting
The Board of THST met for their Q2 meeting on 17 May. The focus was mainly around internal operations, with a recap on latest finances, a membership update and a website review. Final plans were discussed for the social event at the Antwerp Arms on 29 May, a committee was chosen to work on the 2016 End of Season Survey and round ups were given on various external meetings attended by Board members over the previous 3 months, including those at a national level with Supporters Direct and the Football Supporters Federation. The approach and attendees for the Board to Board meeting with THFC the following week was also agreed.
Those attending the B2B meeting on 24 May also met for a pre meeting on Friday 20 May to finalise the agenda and work through member questions.
The Q3 Board meeting is scheduled for 1 August 2016.
6. Crowd management at Dortmund
In the past fortnight, THST has written directly to the 60+ supporters who shared the problems they experienced entering Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iguna Park with us to update them on developments since the Europa League Round of 16 game in March.
BVB has now implemented significant changes to the entry procedure at the Nord Tribune as a direct result of the issues on the evening of the Spurs match and as a result of the detailed submissions made by many of our fans to both BVB and UEFA subsequently.
A full update can be read in the THST statement issued on 24 May. Securing changes to the entry system at Dortmund and clearing the name of our fans who had been blamed for the problems is another example of the success we are having through being involved in working closely with the Club and authorities on matchday security matters.
We would like to thank all those who took the time to submit personal accounts and to THFC for their support with this matter, which we now consider closed.
7. THST End of Season BBQ at the Antwerp Arms
To say a big 'thank you' to Spurs fans for their support throughout what was - despite the last two games – a memorable campaign, THST held an End of Season BBQ at Tottenham's only community owned pub, The Antwerp Arms, on Sunday 29 May.
Former Spurs skipper, legend and Club ambassador, Ledley King, spent several hours mingling with fans before an enjoyable Q&A with Club announcer, Paul Coyte. There was also a raffle with some fantastic prizes.
The day was the perfect way to send off the team of Spurs cyclists riding to Amsterdam for Prostate Cancer UK.
Other
Football to Amsterdam
Our team of cyclists will don their lycra and head for Holland on Friday 3 June. The team raised over £17,000 for Prostate Cancer UK. Thanks to all who supported our wonderful cyclists and this truly brilliant charity.
Flags at Southampton
The scoreline may not have been what we had expected or hoped for, but the atmosphere and sight of Spurs fans flying flags in their numbers as the teams walked out of the tunnel before the Southampton game was a thing of beauty. THST is delighted so many supporters backed our call to bring flags and their own banners to the stadium for this match. We are also encouraged by the excitement this generated and the positive response by fans on social media during and after the game and that of THFC. We shall look to develop this idea further next season.
Football fans not criminals
A new campaign, Football Fans Not Criminals, highlighting the criminalisation and over-regulation of ordinary law-abiding football fans will be launched in central London on Thursday 2 June. Speakers include THST co-chair Martin Cloake, Ken Meech (a Grimsby Town fan who was convicted of assault after his blow-up shark accidentally made contact with a steward), Amanda Jacks (case worker, Football Supporters' Federation), Duleep Allirajah (sports columnist, spiked), Peter Lloyd (author, Criminalising Football Fans: The Case Against Bubble Matches), Sarah Ricca (solicitor, Deighton Pierce Glynn). Further event details can be found here.
Europa League Final ticket allocation
Prior to the first leg of the Round of 16 matches, THST joined the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, the Spirit of Shankly (Liverpool) and the Football Supporters Federation to lobby UEFA for more tickets for fans of the teams competing in the Europa League final. This year’s final was staged at Basel’s St Jakob Park – a stadium with a capacity of 37,500. Of that 10,600 tickets went to fans of Liverpool and a further 10,000 to Sevilla. For so many to be denied access to a ticket for the final is in our opinion unfair and we asked UEFA to consider bolstering the number of tickets available to fans in future. UEFA says it had preferred to select slightly smaller venues for the UEFA Europa League final as this enabled it to give more of its national associations an opportunity to host a club final. It added stadiums are selected up to two years in advance of the event for logistical reasons. However, UEFA's interim general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, has admitted stadium capacities for future Europa League finals will need to be reviewed.
We will continue to work with the FSF and FSE on this matter moving forward.
BT Sport – 100% Sport Sustainability workshop
THST attended BT Sport’s workshop on sustainability on Monday 9 May at the National Football Museum in Manchester. The event looked into how best to mobilise fans to take action for a world that is better for society and the environment. Areas covered included incentives for fans from clubs and broadcasters to adopt sustainable behaviour, what is currently being done by clubs and what would motivate football fans to support a more sustainable future.
SD/ FSF Supporters Summit 16 July
The annual Supporters Direct/ Football Supporters Federation joint Fans Summit takes place across Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July at Wembley Stadium. THST Board members will be present and will be participating in a presentation along with fellow members of the Olympic Stadium Coalition, too. This event is open to all fans so if you’re interested in getting involved, then register here. It’s free and is a great opportunity for meeting like-minded fans from up and down the country.
End of Season Survey 2016
The End of Season Survey is the biggest piece of research THST undertakes each year and it’s coming up to that time again. We’re currently stripping out questions that are no longer of relevance, adding in a few new areas and tidying up the flow of questions before rolling out w/c 20 June.
Media
Hotspur Family Podcast – 11 May
Ticketing and UCL games away from WHL
Europa League final tickets
Spurs at Wembley – Yahoo Sports
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
- Football to Amsterdam
- Flags at the Southampton match
- Football Fans Not Criminals – Launch event
- Europa League Final ticket allocation
- BT Sport – 100% Sport Sustainability workshop
- SD/ FSF Supporters Summit: Olympic Stadium Coalition presentation
- End of Season Survey 2016
Media
- Tottenham Hotspur Family Podcast
- Ticketing at Tottenham for 2016/17
- UEL Final ticket allocations
- Spurs at Wembley – Yahoo Sports
1. Meeting with the Exec Board at THFC
Representatives of THST met with the Executive Board of THFC on 24 May. The full minutes of that meeting can be found here. This gave us the chance to discuss many pressing issues including where we will play our Champions League games next season, the season away from White Hart Lane in 2017/18, the status of the current stadium build and the expected imminent removal of the North East Corner at White Hart Lane.
We also posed questions submitted from Trust members covering a vast array of issues ranging from stadium funding to purchasing seats when the current stadium is demolished. Other submitted questions focussed on catering at WHL, the quality of webcams currently filming the building work at the construction site, issues with Bronze memberships next season with an expected reduced capacity at WHL and this summer’s transfer activity.
THST also thanked the Club for notably improved communication with fans during the 2015/16 season, highlighting the Chairman’s message in the final home game programme. The Club also thanked THST for the time and effort made by Board members, particularly on issues which required covering substantial amounts of detail.
The next meeting of the Boards of THST and THFC will take place in early September 2016.
2. Ticketing at Spurs for 2016/17 campaign
On 31 May, THFC announced its ticketing policy for One Hotspur members for the 2016/ 17 campaign. THST has been involved in detailed discussions with the Club about ticketing during the final season at White Hart Lane, one we all know will be challenging. We’ve consistently argued for solutions that were as fair as possible, and that benefitted the broadest range of fans. An explanation of the positions taken and the decisions made was covered in our comment piece which can be read here.
We completely appreciate that there is no ideal solution for the final season at White Hart Lane, which will see the number of tickets available for One Hotspur Members reduced by 4,000. With 52,000 Bronze members alone, plus thousands more Lilywhites, the supply and demand ratio means it’s impossible to make every fan happy. However, we feel that the mix of ensuring those fans with the most loyalty points will be able to see the Category A games and the final game ever at White Hart Lane along with all other members having an equal chance of securing a seat for the other league matches is the fairest outcome possible given very challenging circumstances.
We are in constant dialogue with the Club over all aspects of ticketing and will be producing an FAQ sheet specifically around the arrangements for next season over the next few days.
3. Wembley Stadium
On 28 May, THFC announced that Champions League home matches would be played at Wembley next season. Their statement can be read here. THST responded with a statement issued the same morning, which can be read here.
THST fully appreciates the emotional connection fans have to White Hart Lane and why this would have been mixed news for many, but we believe it was the only pragmatic and realistic option once all factors were considered. Building work in and around the ground meant that UEFA requirements for staging Champions League games could not be met and Wembley was the logical alternative.
We are in the process of lobbying for accessible pricing to enable as many of our fans as possible to see the team play against top European opposition and will communicate the outcome of those discussions as soon we can.
Coupled with the Champions League announcement was the news that THFC will play all home matches at Wembley throughout the 2017/18 ground share season. This is terrific news and something we’ve campaigned for over the last 2 years. Keeping Spurs in London was always the objective and we’re delighted the Club listened to the fans wishes and managed to achieve this solution after negotiations with the FA and Wembley National Stadium Limited.
There is work still to do here to ensure we make Wembley as much of a home as is possible and we are already discussing ways to achieve the best possible atmosphere and make tickets accessible for all. Expect regular updates!
4. Stadium Construction Liaison Committee meeting
THST Board member, Martin Buhagiar, was confirmed as the Trust’s representative on the Stadium Construction Liaison Committee. The committee will meet monthly to discuss the latest news and issues arising from the construction of the new stadium, with the first session held on 17 May. Representatives of THFC, construction company MACE, Haringey Council, Northumberland Park Area Regeneration, Northumberland Park Residents’ Association and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation were also present. Most of the discussion focused on building works, the number of hours construction employees are currently allowed to work and the impact, if any, this has had on local residents.
The next meeting is scheduled for 14 June.
5. THST Board Meeting
The Board of THST met for their Q2 meeting on 17 May. The focus was mainly around internal operations, with a recap on latest finances, a membership update and a website review. Final plans were discussed for the social event at the Antwerp Arms on 29 May, a committee was chosen to work on the 2016 End of Season Survey and round ups were given on various external meetings attended by Board members over the previous 3 months, including those at a national level with Supporters Direct and the Football Supporters Federation. The approach and attendees for the Board to Board meeting with THFC the following week was also agreed.
Those attending the B2B meeting on 24 May also met for a pre meeting on Friday 20 May to finalise the agenda and work through member questions.
The Q3 Board meeting is scheduled for 1 August 2016.
6. Crowd management at Dortmund
In the past fortnight, THST has written directly to the 60+ supporters who shared the problems they experienced entering Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iguna Park with us to update them on developments since the Europa League Round of 16 game in March.
BVB has now implemented significant changes to the entry procedure at the Nord Tribune as a direct result of the issues on the evening of the Spurs match and as a result of the detailed submissions made by many of our fans to both BVB and UEFA subsequently.
A full update can be read in the THST statement issued on 24 May. Securing changes to the entry system at Dortmund and clearing the name of our fans who had been blamed for the problems is another example of the success we are having through being involved in working closely with the Club and authorities on matchday security matters.
We would like to thank all those who took the time to submit personal accounts and to THFC for their support with this matter, which we now consider closed.
7. THST End of Season BBQ at the Antwerp Arms
To say a big 'thank you' to Spurs fans for their support throughout what was - despite the last two games – a memorable campaign, THST held an End of Season BBQ at Tottenham's only community owned pub, The Antwerp Arms, on Sunday 29 May.
Former Spurs skipper, legend and Club ambassador, Ledley King, spent several hours mingling with fans before an enjoyable Q&A with Club announcer, Paul Coyte. There was also a raffle with some fantastic prizes.
The day was the perfect way to send off the team of Spurs cyclists riding to Amsterdam for Prostate Cancer UK.
Other
Football to Amsterdam
Our team of cyclists will don their lycra and head for Holland on Friday 3 June. The team raised over £17,000 for Prostate Cancer UK. Thanks to all who supported our wonderful cyclists and this truly brilliant charity.
Flags at Southampton
The scoreline may not have been what we had expected or hoped for, but the atmosphere and sight of Spurs fans flying flags in their numbers as the teams walked out of the tunnel before the Southampton game was a thing of beauty. THST is delighted so many supporters backed our call to bring flags and their own banners to the stadium for this match. We are also encouraged by the excitement this generated and the positive response by fans on social media during and after the game and that of THFC. We shall look to develop this idea further next season.
Football fans not criminals
A new campaign, Football Fans Not Criminals, highlighting the criminalisation and over-regulation of ordinary law-abiding football fans will be launched in central London on Thursday 2 June. Speakers include THST co-chair Martin Cloake, Ken Meech (a Grimsby Town fan who was convicted of assault after his blow-up shark accidentally made contact with a steward), Amanda Jacks (case worker, Football Supporters' Federation), Duleep Allirajah (sports columnist, spiked), Peter Lloyd (author, Criminalising Football Fans: The Case Against Bubble Matches), Sarah Ricca (solicitor, Deighton Pierce Glynn). Further event details can be found here.
Europa League Final ticket allocation
Prior to the first leg of the Round of 16 matches, THST joined the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, the Spirit of Shankly (Liverpool) and the Football Supporters Federation to lobby UEFA for more tickets for fans of the teams competing in the Europa League final. This year’s final was staged at Basel’s St Jakob Park – a stadium with a capacity of 37,500. Of that 10,600 tickets went to fans of Liverpool and a further 10,000 to Sevilla. For so many to be denied access to a ticket for the final is in our opinion unfair and we asked UEFA to consider bolstering the number of tickets available to fans in future. UEFA says it had preferred to select slightly smaller venues for the UEFA Europa League final as this enabled it to give more of its national associations an opportunity to host a club final. It added stadiums are selected up to two years in advance of the event for logistical reasons. However, UEFA's interim general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, has admitted stadium capacities for future Europa League finals will need to be reviewed.
We will continue to work with the FSF and FSE on this matter moving forward.
BT Sport – 100% Sport Sustainability workshop
THST attended BT Sport’s workshop on sustainability on Monday 9 May at the National Football Museum in Manchester. The event looked into how best to mobilise fans to take action for a world that is better for society and the environment. Areas covered included incentives for fans from clubs and broadcasters to adopt sustainable behaviour, what is currently being done by clubs and what would motivate football fans to support a more sustainable future.
SD/ FSF Supporters Summit 16 July
The annual Supporters Direct/ Football Supporters Federation joint Fans Summit takes place across Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July at Wembley Stadium. THST Board members will be present and will be participating in a presentation along with fellow members of the Olympic Stadium Coalition, too. This event is open to all fans so if you’re interested in getting involved, then register here. It’s free and is a great opportunity for meeting like-minded fans from up and down the country.
End of Season Survey 2016
The End of Season Survey is the biggest piece of research THST undertakes each year and it’s coming up to that time again. We’re currently stripping out questions that are no longer of relevance, adding in a few new areas and tidying up the flow of questions before rolling out w/c 20 June.
Media
Hotspur Family Podcast – 11 May
Ticketing and UCL games away from WHL
Europa League final tickets
Spurs at Wembley – Yahoo Sports
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