The supposed lack of atmosphere at White Hart Lane has become ingrained into the story of Spurs’ season. As each home game passes without a victory, so early season passivity turned to audible dismay and moments of outright hostility, most notably the raucous booing of Vicario after his howler last Saturday.
Driving the narrative is the assertion that this is all the fault of supporters. Although Frank subsequently attempted to recant his ‘not real fans’ line, and to be fair English is not his first language, this wasn’t the first time he has criticised Tottenham fans. The players are also feeling hard done by. They had a post-match meeting to discuss it, apparently, then Frank says this was not a meeting, they just talked about it. At half-time against Fulham, captain Van der Ven gathered his men in the centre circle before they went into the dressing room. Rather than the pep-talk I assumed, supposedly this is a display of solidarity in defence of the abuse from the stands. Perhaps if they applied themselves to the defence of our goal with similar dedication and initiative, they would face less of a problem.
Blaming the fans is superficial and derogatory, a calculated insult to the loyalty and commitment of Spurs fans across the generations. Here’s another part of the story, one which the manager, players and especially the board would do well to hear and digest. Spurs fans have filled that stadium since it was built, week after week, regardless of the quality of football, and some of it has been awful, while paying the some of the highest prices in the country. Away fans – you can’t get a ticket for love nor money. Newcastle on a work night, 8.15 kick-off to suit Sky, Spurs songs loud and clear.
This commitment dates way back, but just taking this century – the old Lane permanently full and huge crowds at Wembley including British record attendances, in a context where the board conspicuously failed to match the fans’ ambitions, and that’s putting it politely. Part of the narrative picked up by sections of the media is that Spurs fans possess some overweening sense of entitlement. This is ludicrous. There are no glory-hunters at Spurs because there has been precious little glory.
The current anti-fan narrative conveniently excuses the team, manager and the club from taking responsibility for the problems at Spurs, many of which run deep-seated within a club without a coherent strategy to ensure a consistent challenge for honours. If I were a cynical soul, I might go so far as to suggest this was a deliberate ploy. I want to focus on the actions of the club itself, where a series of decisions stretching back many seasons has soured the relationship with supporters and caused much of the frustration, dissatisfaction and alienation many long-standing fans experience. These decisions directly hamper the team’s efforts to succeed because they create the disgruntlement underlying the lack of vocal support at home.
Spurs, like all clubs, constantly express their gratitude to supporters. They have many ways of interacting, including the Supporters Trust and FAB, but I’m always left believing that they don’t completely understand us. They fundamentally misconceive the relationship as one-way. Crudely expressed, we essentially give to them, giving our time, money, vocal support and undying, lifetime loyalty and the club take this for granted.
In reality, there is a degree of reciprocity in the relationship. It remains unequal and unbalanced, for the reasons I’ve just listed. There’s a power dimension here too. There are 13 other league clubs in London but I’m not going to support them, and Spurs know that. But that’s not an excuse. Fans want something back. Not much, we’ll tolerate a lot, we have to, but if Spurs fans do have a sense of entitlement, it is that we wish to be treated fairly by the club and understood as individuals, rather than as consumers or customer reference numbers. It is not asking a lot, but it seems beyond the comprehension of the club, judging by many of their choices.
Over the past few years, I’ve researched the relationship between fans and the club via a series of in-depth interviews with supporters. The biggest source of dissatisfaction was the price of tickets. I make no apology for repeating a familiar refrain that Spurs’ prices are unnecessarily and, for an increasing number of fans, prohibitively high. In these straitened times, families cannot afford to come, or if they do, it’s a once or twice a season treat rather than regular attendance. With the income from television, sponsorship and merchandise, the club can generate the money it needs to compete and consider a price cut. Or, cheaper tickets might earn as much by filling the empty spaces currently visible on the ticketing site for upcoming matches.
Supporters can see this. We understand that the club has a choice here, and the choice impacts negatively on us. The club has made other choices too, such as the price banding for games and the way senior and youth concessions are limited. Also, the ramifications of choices made during the seat allocation process before the new stadium was occupied are still being felt. Long-standing groups of supporters who had become friends were broken up. We sat with the same people for the best part of twenty years and saw our children grow up, but it was not possible to transfer that to the new ground. Prime viewing spots on the Shelf became premium seating. The south stand, trumpeted as the wall of noise, was pockmarked with more areas of premium seating. Many fans I spoke to missed their familiar stewards – the experienced stewards were apparently transferred to the upmarket areas of the ground and replaced by temporary staff.
For some of you, this may not sound significant. However, the single most important factor for fans coming to games is their relationship with the family and friends they come with and also meet at the ground, more significant for their attendance and expenditure than how the team is performing. This isn’t about entitlement at all, therefore. It’s about how fans are treated and how these needs are respected by the club. To labour the point, I’ve advisedly emphasised that the club had choices about these and many other elements of their relationship with fans, and the consequences of many of these decisions made several years ago create this underlying dissatisfaction that comes to ahead when the team are not giving their all.
Coming back up to date, Tottenham’s ticketing policy deprives large numbers of supporters of their chance to go to a game and contributes towards a poor atmosphere because seats are left unoccupied. This is not just about price. There are two significant factors here. Before the start of this season, the club removed the right of season ticket holders to transfer their seat to a member of their network, basically any fan they nominated who held a Customer Reference Number (CRN), which was free and easily available from the club after filling in a simple form. Instead, season ticket holders must now put their ticket on the exchange if they are unable to go, whereas until now, this was merely one option. The club told me that if I do not use my ticket and do not put it on the exchange (for medical reasons I knew I would miss a few games in the autumn), it was now their policy to reconsider my future use of the ticket come the end of the season. They might take it away from me, in other words.
This decision reeks of their short sighted approach when considering their relationship with supporters. While it potentially increased the number of tickets available for members – to use the exchange you must hold a membership – it meant the ticket could not be used by family and friends. However, to use business language, the language most familiar to the board, this method of securing lucrative lifetime brand loyalty, available free to the club, has been seriously undermined. My son and now my granddaughter are loyal Spurs fans (and season ticket holders) because they followed in my footsteps, a story repeated in countless families down the generations. Spurs are family and family are Spurs. To repeat, this is the most important reason fans keep supporting the club and keep coming to games. It would be a simple matter to find a compromise here, for instance before the season starts, season ticket holders nominate a limited number of fans who could use their ticket occasionally.
The other element is that at the moment, it seems you must hold a membership to buy a ticket. I’m not sure when this changed or indeed if it was ever announced – I certainly missed it if was – but in the past, tickets went on general sale if there were any left after the members’ window closed, i.e. were available to anyone with a CRN. Now, for all upcoming games, click on the ‘non-members’ info button on the ticketing site and it takes you to the page where memberships are on sale, minimum cost £45. In other words, to buy a ticket in one of the most expensive grounds in the country, you have to give the club more money. If a few family members want to go, we’re easily into three figures for a membership that you may not use more than once or twice a season.
This is a screenshot of ticket availability in my section of the south stand, taken the day before the Fulham game, available seats in colour. The combination of the team’s form, the kick-off time, being close to Christmas and price (back row of the stand is the cheapest at £62.50) meant fans had had enough. The unavoidable conclusion is that Spurs would rather those seats remained empty. Bearing in mind that season ticket holders have already paid for their seat, their revenue is more important than creating the best possible atmosphere to back the side or to give other fans, including families and the fans of the future, a precious chance to see the game.
One argument in favour of the members only policy is that it prevents opposition fans from buying tickets in home areas, and that the club are responding to complaints about this. I suspect the club’s safety officers may be involved, which is fair enough. Also, ticket touts have gone online but it remains a problem, and other clubs like Newcastle and Brighton have taken action on this. However, surely there is a way round this that does not justify keeping seats empty. If we want fans to get behind the team, give supporters, especially young fans, the chance to come to the Lane, and the fans will do the rest.
I don’t agree with the way Vicario was targeted last Saturday, and in fact stood up to remonstrate with fans who were booing, not that it did any good. However, I understand where this comes from, which apparently the club, manager and players do not. In particular, and I wrote about this at the time, the club’s ticketing policy and associated measures cause a simmering tension. Fans I spoke to felt the club perceived them as faceless consumers – the club don’t care who sits in the seat as long as somebody does, regardless of a lifetime of loyalty. Or, this recent iteration where the club don’t care if anyone sits in the seat as long as it has been paid for. Blaming the fans is a handy cover for the club, who should take their fair share of responsibility to look after supporters who, we are told repeatedly, are the life blood of the game, except it feels all too frequently that we are at the bottom of a long list of club priorities.
On a more positive note, longtime friend of Tottenham On My Mind Harvey Burgess has written a memoir of his time as a fan. It’s a rattling good read, and Christmas is coming! More Trauma Than Triumph is available now here.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
first class appraisal
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what should worry the club is the fact all season ticket holders will at some stage need to be replaced at the momment apart from child cruelty in being made to carry on the family tradition of supporting spurs what youngster looking for a club for life is going to chose us over Chelsea or South London s finest
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There can be no excuses for booing a player for a mistake
The blame culture is embedded in some Spurs spectators. Ask Danny Rose!
We have had the handicap of some Spursy fans for years. .And have most fair weather supporters compared to rest of the Premier league.
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Alan, some very compelling points, as usual. Specifically in relation to transferring tickets to friends and family, I am not sure that this has to be done by putting those tickets up for sale. As before, if your friends and family have a CRN, then I believe that you can transfer any given fixture from your season ticket to them. The significant change this season is that a CRN comes only with membership, so they have to pay for the privilege of having tickets transferred to them. There may also be an admin fee because, as we all know, despite the fact that no admin is actually carried out, every seller of tickets adds some totally unjustified extra margin by way of admin fees.
I have some reservations about tickets being put on general sale. This effectively encourages supporters of the opposing team to sit in the Home section and that is bad for a host of reasons.
What the club desperately needs to do is focus on filling the ground with genuine supporters.
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Very clearly written from the heart, Alan and very well done so too.
I’ve held very similar views and shared a similar level of heartache with you. I’d say your views (and mine for that matter) are, simultaneously, both fair and naive.
Fair because they are shared and borne stoically by a multitude of fans at a broad number of football clubs (certainly not just Spurs) and without question have merit. Naive because the Premier League is a money machine and money machines drive potential for great personal wealth on the part of those in a position to benefit.
Global audiences are burgeoning and commercial dealers are attracted to burgeoning audiences/brands. The first two components of the financial triangle, TV and ‘Commercial‘ are areas of significant success for Spurs. The third, Matchday (tickets, merchandise, refreshments and food) is also doing very well thank you very much as a direct consequence of ticket price, visits by very affluent (often foreign) fans and demand for tickets that far exceeds availability.
Far sighted owners and their managers would/should adhere closely to the family driven relationship that you champion. However, short termism, get-rich-quick motivation, sometimes coupled often with a real need to drive down debt, forces your visionary relationship to back of mind while the going is good.
Should the current sheen disappear from global football/soccer at the tip of the pyramid, Spurs finances may suffer decline from their current historically high level and declining attendance figures may become a factor. IF that occurs, Spurs management will likely turn their minds to your recommendations. Until then, I think you (we) need to come to terms with the fact that we’re punters, bums on seats in their eyes and be grateful for what we have (including beer that pours faster, apparently at your new stadium. Marvelous! Apparently it’s the only thing that Arsenal think you outperform them on and they’re throwing money at a solution).
There is, of course, the alternative option of sauntering a little further along the road to Leyton where resides the mighty Leyton Orient. There you’ll find that absent the golden financial triangle and driven primarily by a need to grow ticket sales – difficult to achieve in London’s competitive sports arena – a club exists that does actually treat their customers as valued customers as deserved by loyal family fans, not just another arse on a seat. It’ll cost you less per game and the home team play better football too. Few nice pubs around Leyton and the ladies are pretty. What’s not to like (as long as you recognise that the beer pours more slowly there – manage that and you’ll be fine)?
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Where is this footballing Brigadoon? You’ll have me thinking that Wanstead Flats is better than Kew Gardens next! But I love your commitment to the cause. Orient is lucky to have you.
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All more than fair and justified comments. Though club clearly don’t deserve the support they get and undermine their true fans.
I have called myself a Spurs fan, as did my late Dad and as they still do both of my Daughters. But we support from afar and I’ve taken the convenient and semi illegal option to watch home and away on my Firestick. Yes, I’ve sold out. But reading articles like this, I really don’t care. I had a season ticket in the seventies, through relegation and rebirth and supported at the ground until young kids and then moving away from the London area made it financially impossible.
I paid my money then and have made the odd trip back, but Football as an industry sickens me in the way that clubs like Spurs treat their fans. The traditions and emotions of following a team allows the clubs to have their fans by the short hairs and they take full advantage.
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To talk about Spurs away support in the context of the home atmosphere is highly misleading. Spurs away support is and always has been great. Our home support is a completely different animal.
Talking about ticket prices would make more sense if you explained how the size of the stadium was going to magically increase to cater for the increased demand once ticket prices went down. Alternatively who was going to decide which supporters actually got these cheap tickets and the basis on which it would be done. Obviously regardless of the ticket prices a stadium that is already pretty much full for every game isn’t going to cater for any more people.
Economics applies in football the same as everything else. One empty seat in the stadium against Fulham belonged to a friend of mine. He couldn’t go, tried to sell his seat but there were no takers. That doesn’t cost the club anything, only him. As long as sales of season tickets holds up the club’s income is guarranteed and there is no pressure to reduce prices. Were season tickets sales to drop there would be imediate pressure.
Personally I’ve been a season ticket holder of one sort or another since the late 70s, during that time both ticket prices and my income have increased a lot. What you can say is the crowds now are not the same as they were back when I first started going regularly to games. No longer predominately working class, less passionate maybe but also less violent. The hard fact is that the players are no longer getting as much from the stands most games, they have to generate everything themselves, and I don’t expect that to change much. It’s the way it is.
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Absolutely spot on Alan. If the (new) ownership actually mean even 50% of what they have said they would take steps to remedy all of the above. Mind you given when the club talk about the fans they mention the Trust and Fab. I have yet to be contacted by either the club or the Fab . As a member of the trust I get emails from them telling me of ‘their’ successes in dealing with the club. As a supporter since the mid fifties ( 1955) first match 1955. I occasionally wonder how I’ve never been contacted personally be the club. Except when ‘Mabbsy’ rings me on my birthday!! He is a top man and in my estimation gets the frustration of the fans especially us Elders… mind you this last summer we had a long chat about the Europa league and the architect of the win. UP THE SPURS!
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Spot on, as ever. Have never felt so disenchanted with Spurs than thus season.
The video season ticket can’t come soon enough.
A solution: make the lower South standing unallocated so singing groups can be more easily organised? Not thought through but I prefer a massive cut in prices. It alarms me to see guys like me as the crowd.
Sean
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I Actually think the Abolition of CRN’s without Membership causes more crowd issues than the previous ‘forward to a family/friend’ for free option. It is fairly obvious to me that Man U, Lpool fans are more than willing to pay the membership fee + ticket to ‘hoover-up’ those seats left empty by season ticket holders (who are no longer able to pass to Spurs fans they know and trust). Man U or Lpool fans would willingly pay a £140 ticket fee (membership + ticket) as a one-off – and particularly if they are unable to secure an Away ticket, or if they are a tourist fan of them visiting. This was apparent at the recent Man U home game when there were pockets of their support all around the ground. Expect something similar v Lpool.
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Powerful stuff, Alan, and your hat-trick of recent postings should be sent to Messrs. Charrington, Venkatesham, and Collecut and pinned to their office notice boards. Maybe send a copy, too, to Vivienne Lewis. But their eyes are probably glued to the balance sheet and trained to look away from any potential interaction with their mug punters, -oops, sorry, supporters. Companies can get away with murder when demand outstrips supply, as we see with their disregard of the fanbase.
Eaststander.
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I’ve been a Spurs fan for all 41 years of my life passed on through my Dad who went in the 70s/80s and passed away when I was 3.
But I’ve always played football on Saturdays so could never justify a season ticket so would always get a ticket on the exchange and when I went I’d sing my heart out.
Now, I want to take my 3 year old to her first game and pass on the joy/misery to her. I logged in the other night for the Fulham game and as stated I needed two memberships then to pay for two tickets… looking at £250… to watch a football game with a toddler before anything else! A toddler that when she saw the lights, heard the songs and saw the players would be a fan for life.
As you and a couple of commenters have said it’s fan growth vs commercial/customer growth and in modern football at this level, and especially in London, the latter is always going to be chosen by those in power.
I don’t know when I’m going to take my daughter to a game at the moment, when it should be a joyous thing to look forward to and simple to arrange!
The only way any of this changes is through government regulation and something that Neville has gone on about with an Independent Football Regulator.
Only then will a football club HAVE to do right by fans.
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Great article. It’s my view however spurs season ticket allocation is too high. This is good for tottenham board as it guarantees income however it leads to “fair weather” fans buying season tickets in syndicates in the knowledge they will only attend a handful of games and will sell the games they cannot attend to “others” (often tourists not true spurs fans). My proposal would be to reduce the number of season tickets making sure they went to the fans who were able to attend most games, give these fans the prime south stand seats and increase the membership allocation at a much reduced membership cost. Members should then be rewarded with cheaper tickets as the number of games they attend increases.
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So basically only those fans who you approve of should be allowed to buy tickets and attend games. Not only isn’t the club going to do that I don’t think British laws on discrimination would allow it.
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nailed it as always Alan. To underline your point and indicate the Club “care” of long standing fans: I didn’t renew my season ticket this summer after 37 consecutive years. Not a single email to ask why or “can we tempt you” to renew…nothing. A lost CRN quickly snapped up no doubt. Doesn’t engender much from me and feel like I’ve escaped an obligation. It wasn’t meant to be like this
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One problem that could be addressed with the current system is any ticket resold has to be at full price. If you take my friend’s seat that remained unsold for the Fulham game I’m sure he would happily have sold it for less than cost and got some of his money back, which would have given someone a cheaper seat. But at the moment that isn’t possible so the seat was empty.
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Possibly your best and most important post in a long time, Alan. Very well put and far better at representing fans that the THST are presently.
Brian
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Great article but the booing must stop NOW. It’s now headline news, ahead of a transfer window. It’s self destruction.
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I get the point of this article but I can’t agree with the clear implication that targeting of Vicario is wrong but it’s justified by all the simmering resentments of the fans. It’s just wrong. Full stop. And Frank was right to call it out. It’s no coincidence that our away form is better than our home form.
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One of your best posts Alan, you’ve articulated exactly how I’ve been feeling this season about our club. I have condemned my son to a lifetime of frustration and he says he wouldn’t have it any other way. However with a young family himself he’s struggling to get to every match, so my wife, my daughter and any other friend that wants to join me now has to stump up for a season’s membership first.
As we found on Saturday no matter how grumpy we are it only takes a decent win and performance to bring some positivity back, but until some of the long term issues are addressed we will remain in this doom loop
Keep up the good work
Martin
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I agree with the spirit of everything you say in this post, and your book is still the best on fans’ view of the club and, by extension, our relationship with it – thanks for writing it! But…
I do think that the comments by jod make valid points about the economics and reality of modern football. It’s a business with a captive audience, us, that it can exploit…so it does. This is never going to change. Stay or walk away. We know that the second option isn’t really an option for most of us. As do they. But it remains a choice.
I detest and oppose almost everything about football culture, yet I love the game. I love the decades of being involved in the Spurs’ story. But I’m under no illusions that I’m anything other than a customer. Never have been. I don’t own the club. None of us do. So we shout into a void. Pointless, but I completely get the feeling. It comes from complete impotence and knowing that we’re caught. To support Tottenham for a lifetime you have to be a masochist. Now the pound of flesh is just a far heftier piece of meet.
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