 | With updates on: Fan Engagement at THFC Fan Led Review of Football Governance THST AGM 2023 Ticketing Meeting with THFC NEW Equity Issue at THFC Transport Issues A Date for your Diary THST Forum Update |
1. FAN ENGAGEMENT AT THFC
Since we reported last month, we have received further revised documents regarding the structure, remit and operation of the proposed Fan Advisory Board from the Club. We remain concerned about a number of issues and have sought further changes to the documents. Discussions regarding those outstanding issues are continuing and we have a further meeting with the Club during the first week of January.
The Club has said that it intends to proceed with the launch of the arrangements at the beginning of following week. We will report to THST members following our meeting with the Club and will communicate with you about the Trust’s position on the final documentation.
2. FAN LED REVIEW OF FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE
Last month we reported that the Sports Minister had said that the White Paper on legislation to implement the recommendations would come “soon”. Since then, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said it is “imminent”. That sounds even sooner than soon, but still nothing has been produced and no publication date set.
Of more concern are the reports that the government will not be setting out any new legislation to Parliament before the autumn of 2023. This means that the necessary laws to implement the fan led review recommendations would not even begin their journey through Parliament until the winder of 2023 at the earliest.
3. THST AGM 2023
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust Annual General Meeting will be taking place at CMS Cannon Place at 7pm on Tuesday 7 February 2023. We’re pleased to be returning to an in-person AGM after a few years of holding the meeting remotely.
The formal Convening Notice was sent via email to all Full and Life members on 19 December 2022. The next AGM-related email sent out to Full and Life members shortly and full communications will be posted on the dedicated AGM web page on the THST site throughout the process.
4. TICKETING MEETING WITH THFC
As reported last month, we met the Club on 30 November for an extensive and in-depth meeting about ticketing. We prepared a note of that meeting and sent it to the Club that same week for agreement so that we could share that information with you. That was returned to us over three weeks later, and with several points requiring further clarification, and other parts of the discussion retrofitted. We have gone back to the Club on these specific areas and are now sharing all other points raised in the meeting in full on our website.
Areas covered in the meeting included ticketing for the rearranged Premier League fixture away at Manchester City and the pricing and loyalty points for the FA Cup match at home with Portsmouth; Categorisation for AC Milan at home and operation of TEX and Ticket Share for UCL games; Away ticketing; the Club’s Concessions policy and the pricing and renewal dates for 2023-24 Season Tickets.
You can read the meeting report here.
5. NEW EQUITY ISSUE AT THFC
Earlier this month the Club posted documents with Companies House to announce the conversion of certain A class shares into ordinary shares of Tottenham Hotspur Limited, the holding company for the various subsidiaries that among other things run the men’s and women’s teams and own the stadium and the training ground. THST board member, Michael Green, contacted the Club and obtained confirmation that this was related to the new equity issue from earlier in the year. The conversion gives the new shares the same rights (e.g., voting rights) as the ‘regular’ shares and marks the formal completion of the new equity issue.
6. TRANSPORT ISSUES
While it is the Club’s responsibility to communicate transport news to supporters and to make contingency plans where possible, as the official supporters’ trust we lobby for provision of additional coaches, subsidised travel and clear communication around match day transport.
Recent examples of successful interventions include:
7. A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
We are delighted to confirm that we will be holding our annual THST Quiz Night on Thursday April 20th at The Antwerp Arms in Tottenham. These events are always great fun and raise much needed funds for local charity Studio 306 Collective. You can learn more about their wonderful work here. We’re already getting questions ready and thinking of entertaining new, Spurs related rounds to include. There will be more details about how to book a place for your team, nearer the time, but for now, it’s a date to pop into your shiny new 2023 diaries.
Don’t forget that the Antwerp Arms is a lovely, community pub and offers THST members a 10% discount on presentation of the THST badge. The pub’s website is here.
8. THST FORUM UPDATE
This month on the Forum we have been thinking about the return of Premier League matches and the difficulties around travelling to them, and even securing tickets in the first place. We’ve also been discussing our forthcoming AGM.
The THST Forum is open to full and life members of the Trust. Full and life members should apply via the link on our website and set up an account. We should emphasise Trust membership alone doesn’t give you automatic access to the forum, you need to register via the link.
To join the Trust, please register here. To upgrade from free Associate Membership of the Trust to Full membership, please click here. If you’re already a Full or Life member of the Trust, click here to register for our Forum.
THST Board
1 January 2023
For more exclusive and live updates follow us on our social media sites:
Twitter: @THSTOfficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THSTOfficial
TO BECOME A TRUST MEMBER, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
Since we reported last month, we have received further revised documents regarding the structure, remit and operation of the proposed Fan Advisory Board from the Club. We remain concerned about a number of issues and have sought further changes to the documents. Discussions regarding those outstanding issues are continuing and we have a further meeting with the Club during the first week of January.
The Club has said that it intends to proceed with the launch of the arrangements at the beginning of following week. We will report to THST members following our meeting with the Club and will communicate with you about the Trust’s position on the final documentation.
2. FAN LED REVIEW OF FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE
Last month we reported that the Sports Minister had said that the White Paper on legislation to implement the recommendations would come “soon”. Since then, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said it is “imminent”. That sounds even sooner than soon, but still nothing has been produced and no publication date set.
Of more concern are the reports that the government will not be setting out any new legislation to Parliament before the autumn of 2023. This means that the necessary laws to implement the fan led review recommendations would not even begin their journey through Parliament until the winder of 2023 at the earliest.
3. THST AGM 2023
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust Annual General Meeting will be taking place at CMS Cannon Place at 7pm on Tuesday 7 February 2023. We’re pleased to be returning to an in-person AGM after a few years of holding the meeting remotely.
The formal Convening Notice was sent via email to all Full and Life members on 19 December 2022. The next AGM-related email sent out to Full and Life members shortly and full communications will be posted on the dedicated AGM web page on the THST site throughout the process.
4. TICKETING MEETING WITH THFC
As reported last month, we met the Club on 30 November for an extensive and in-depth meeting about ticketing. We prepared a note of that meeting and sent it to the Club that same week for agreement so that we could share that information with you. That was returned to us over three weeks later, and with several points requiring further clarification, and other parts of the discussion retrofitted. We have gone back to the Club on these specific areas and are now sharing all other points raised in the meeting in full on our website.
Areas covered in the meeting included ticketing for the rearranged Premier League fixture away at Manchester City and the pricing and loyalty points for the FA Cup match at home with Portsmouth; Categorisation for AC Milan at home and operation of TEX and Ticket Share for UCL games; Away ticketing; the Club’s Concessions policy and the pricing and renewal dates for 2023-24 Season Tickets.
You can read the meeting report here.
5. NEW EQUITY ISSUE AT THFC
Earlier this month the Club posted documents with Companies House to announce the conversion of certain A class shares into ordinary shares of Tottenham Hotspur Limited, the holding company for the various subsidiaries that among other things run the men’s and women’s teams and own the stadium and the training ground. THST board member, Michael Green, contacted the Club and obtained confirmation that this was related to the new equity issue from earlier in the year. The conversion gives the new shares the same rights (e.g., voting rights) as the ‘regular’ shares and marks the formal completion of the new equity issue.
6. TRANSPORT ISSUES
While it is the Club’s responsibility to communicate transport news to supporters and to make contingency plans where possible, as the official supporters’ trust we lobby for provision of additional coaches, subsidised travel and clear communication around match day transport.
Recent examples of successful interventions include:
- Asking THFC to include a link to the Wood Green / Alexandra Palace Shuttle Bus in Club emails. This not only makes it easier for supporters to reserve their places, but reminds everyone that this service has to be booked in advance.
- When THST member, notified us that Club travel information for the Brentford away match was inconsistent with the TfL information, in light of industrial action and line closures, we were able to advise the Club supporter liaison officer. After liaison with BFC he then sent out revised information to ticket holders in time for them to re-plan their routes.
- Requests for additional coach provision for all matches on days where there is industrial action.
7. A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
We are delighted to confirm that we will be holding our annual THST Quiz Night on Thursday April 20th at The Antwerp Arms in Tottenham. These events are always great fun and raise much needed funds for local charity Studio 306 Collective. You can learn more about their wonderful work here. We’re already getting questions ready and thinking of entertaining new, Spurs related rounds to include. There will be more details about how to book a place for your team, nearer the time, but for now, it’s a date to pop into your shiny new 2023 diaries.
Don’t forget that the Antwerp Arms is a lovely, community pub and offers THST members a 10% discount on presentation of the THST badge. The pub’s website is here.
8. THST FORUM UPDATE
This month on the Forum we have been thinking about the return of Premier League matches and the difficulties around travelling to them, and even securing tickets in the first place. We’ve also been discussing our forthcoming AGM.
The THST Forum is open to full and life members of the Trust. Full and life members should apply via the link on our website and set up an account. We should emphasise Trust membership alone doesn’t give you automatic access to the forum, you need to register via the link.
To join the Trust, please register here. To upgrade from free Associate Membership of the Trust to Full membership, please click here. If you’re already a Full or Life member of the Trust, click here to register for our Forum.
THST Board
1 January 2023
For more exclusive and live updates follow us on our social media sites:
Twitter: @THSTOfficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THSTOfficial
TO BECOME A TRUST MEMBER, PLEASE CLICK HERE.