The north London club’s supporters’ trust have sent a letter to Tottenham’s non-executive chairman about the concerns of the fanbase
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust have sent a letter to Spurs’ non-executive chairman Peter Charrington to convey the concerns found in a survey of its members.
It was a dreadful season for the north London club with another 17th place finish and a year that brought four different head coaches before Roberto De Zerbi finally ensured Spurs escaped relegation by just two points on the final day of the miserable Premier League campaign.
In the days after that desperately-needed victory against Everton there were public communications to the supporters from Charrington, CEO Vinai Venkatesham and also a rare statement from Lewis family, who own the majority of the club.
Since then the Trust invited their members to take part in a consultation designed to gauge confidence in those responsible for leading the club and delivering success on the pitch.
Their survey received 1,696 responses and when asked whether they had confidence in the current club leadership to build a team capable of competing for league titles and cups, the results showed 57.15% scored one for no confidence and 24.57% scored two meaning a combined low-confidence score from 81.72% of those surveyed.
Members were also asked whether they had confidence in the current club ownership to build a team capable of competing for league titles and cups and the results were similar. They showed that 54.97% scored one for confidence and 28.48% answered two, meaning a combined low-confidence score percentage of 83.44% of those asked.
Alongside those scores, supporters raised concerns about leadership and decision-making, their perceived lack of elite football expertise within the club’s senior structure, recruitment and squad-building, the level of injuries suffered during the season and the performance of the medical department. Many also highlighted concerns around the pathway from academy football into the first team, while a recurring sentiment was that football considerations had not been prioritised sufficiently in recent years.
The trust sent a letter to Charrington in order to present the concerns of their members and the urgent need to strengthen De Zerbi’s squad in the summer transfer window.
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“In response to the consultation findings, the Trust has written to Peter Charrington, the club’s Non-Executive Chairman, following his recent letter to supporters,” read a statement from THST.
“The Trust welcomed the acknowledgement from both Mr Charrington and the Lewis Family that the past two seasons have been unacceptable and that football success had not been the driving factor behind key decisions. However, the letter also reflected members’ concerns that there has been insufficient recognition of decisions taken during the current season that contributed to the club’s decline, despite repeated warnings from supporter representatives.
“The Trust made clear that supporters’ trust and confidence in the club’s leadership has reached an historic low and that fans now want to see meaningful action rather than further promises.
“The Trust’s letter emphasised the need for leadership with proven elite football expertise, urgent strengthening of the squad and a significant change in approach to demonstrate that lessons have been learned.
“We stressed that this summer represents both a critical opportunity and a critical challenge for the club. The coming months will be crucial in rebuilding not only the team on the pitch but also supporters’ trust and confidence off it.
“While the Trust welcomes the commitments made by the club and its owners, the message from supporters is clear: actions must now match the words.
“We will carefully assess both the club’s response to our letter and, more importantly, the actions it takes in the weeks and months ahead. We recognise that many members believe the club has reached a critical juncture, and we will continue to engage with the club on the supporters’ behalf while monitoring developments closely.
“The message from members is simple: the commitment to put football first must now become a reality.”
