Tottenham On Mind is proud to be working with the Stop Stubhub group and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust to protest against the club’s links with ticker reseller Stubhub, a partnership that it is not in the long-term interests of Spurs supporters.

Thanks to the work of the Trust, the club and Stubhub have produced data that covers the scheme’s operation thus far. TOMM unequivocally endorses our statement in response to what was discovered:

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUPPORTERS’ TRUST/ ‘STOP STUBHUB’ GROUP

JOINT STATEMENT ON STUBHUB RESALE FACILITY

 20^th JANUARY 2014

Having received headline data on StubHub sales for the first six Premier League home games of this season, it is clear that the StubHub resale platform is pushing up the price of tickets to watch Tottenham Hotspur.

The evidence provided shows that 91% of tickets are being sold above face value. At the two category A games included in the data, Chelsea and West Ham, tickets were sold at an average price of 135% and 53% above face value respectively.  

These figures show that StubHub and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) are misguided to continue insisting that that the high prices shown on the StubHub platform do not equate to actual sales.  

The evidence is clear for all to see.  

A system in which 91% of tickets are being sold at above face value, and substantially more in a significant number of cases, is not one that supporters’ organisations can back.  

We also believe the Club should be concerned at the fact that 19%, almost one fifth, of season ticket holders have not been able to make one or more of the opening six league games of the season.  

We note the Club intend to make changes to ticketing T&Cs to prevent abuse of the ability to relist tickets on the StubHub platform, also known as ‘flipping’. We are not confident that a fair and transparent method of identifying what is legitimate relisting and what is abusive relisting exists. The Club is, in our opinion, dealing with a symptom of the StubHub system, which it has willingly agreed to. 

We believe a ticket exchange should be a service to supporters, not a means of pushing up ticket prices or generating additional revenue. 

In support of the campaign against licensed ticket touts, the Football Supporters’ Federation said: “Fans already find ticket prices more than demanding enough. The introduction of an additional level of profiteering at our expense can only serve to price more fans out of the game, and must be resisted”. 

We, therefore, call on THFC to end the partnership with StubHub at the earliest opportunity and, instead, to work with supporter groups, the FA and Premier League in their efforts to establish a genuine ticket exchange scheme that does not drive up prices or incentivise fans to exploit fellow fans.

Signatories:

The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust

Total Tottenham website

The Fighting Cock

Dear Mr Levy website

Alan Fisher – Tottenham on my Mind

TottenhamBlog

Mel Gomes @ The Substantive website

Spurstalk website

Martin Cloake, author and fan

It seems a long time ago now but remember that the club introduced the Stubhub scheme as a service to supporters, replacing the old club-operated Ticket Exchange scheme that sold tickets at face value. Previous Tottenham On My Mind articles such as this one have highlighted my personal concerns about the scheme. The involvement of the FSF indicates that the ticket exchange issue could soon have a national profile.

 If you have not already done so, please sign the petition to show your support: Stop Stubhub 

Thank you.