In this modern era of football one cannot really be naive enough to believe that business savvy is not equally as important to big clubs as their on pitch efforts, but it strikes me that Tottenham Hotspur have a very special disregard for their supporters.
There are two things that have tipped me over the edge recently, first of which is the frankly pathetic members package I received in the post the other day. I swear it wasn't that long ago that I was paying £28 for the privilege of being able to buy a ticket before the public could, and in reward for this investment my club would send me an assortment of goodies including quality pens, scarfs, clocks and car stickers (OK, most of it was good anyway). Regardless of whether I need these things, it showed me that Tottenham Hotspur appreciated me. My Spurs clock still sits on my work desk today and the pen from a couple of years ago travelled the world with me as a prized possession. I may be a sentimental old fool but I like this crap.
This year, the price of basic membership has topped £40, and what I got for that is a bloody joke! My face was a picture of disappointment when I opened my eagerly awaited package to discover a DVD/CD ROM that looks suspiciously like the one I got with my application pack, and a poxy pin that is identical to one they sent a couple of years back (what exactly am I supposed to do with this pin?). On top of that Tottenham refuse to cap the number of members so that the benefit on purchasing early tickets gets more tenuous. I seem to have to be logged on at 10.01am on the launch day to get tickets for any opposition of reasonable quality, and God forbid I get that ticket and then Spurs change the match date a week before the game to a date I can't make - don't get me started on that one!
And so the price goes up, the deal gets worse, nobody complains (or if they do they are ignored) and Tottenham get away with it. I'm not even going to get into ticket price hikes vs on-pitch success...
The next point is this: Why do football clubs completely disregard the views of their members when it comes to transfer policy. Obviously I'm not suggesting we hold a referendum over every aspect of running the club, but I reckon if you asked 100 supporters whether we should sell Berbatov, 99 of them would say no. I can't believe the board doesn't know this.
The manager doesn't want to sell, the fans don't want him to leave and yet here we are on the brink of shipping our best player off to one of our Premiership rivals. Don't give me this bullshit about him wanting to leave and that "you can't keep an unhappy player"- utter twaddle. Somebody could easily remind him that he is under contract and that unfortunately Mr. Berbatov, you are going nowhere son.
He hardly seems to me like the type to go on strike, and so what if his value plummets by half next summer, or he eventually walks out on a free? If selling him costs us a Champions League spot it is a false economy. Berba is the perfect player to be up front on his own in Ramos' rumoured 4-2-3-1 formation. He holds a ball up brilliantly and has sublime vision with which to bring the attacking midfielders into play. I don't care who we sign, Dimitar Berbatov is irreplaceable and, having funded his original transfer, the fans have right to watch him ply his magical trade for the duration of his contract - if we so desire.
And yet the board hear the cash register ring with the quick profit of Mancunian dollars, the money burns a hole in their bank account until we panic buy someone in mid-August for a fraction of the price and the fans views continue to stand for shit.
I thought we were supposed to be part of a CLUB. I will support Spurs until the day I die but I want to feel like a member of that club. I want to feel like everyone who coughs up their £40 (or more) is part of Team Tottenham and together we are working towards success, that somehow we are more valued by the club than someone who's support runs to donning last seasons shirt and turning on Sky Sports One. (I'm not saying those people are worse fans, just that... well you know what I mean!).
At the moment I feel like I am a customer of Tottenham Hotspur Plc, not a member of Tottenham Hotspur FC. Why is 90% of the correspondence I get from my "club" junk mail trying to sell me stuff from credit cards to ludicrously expensive photo albums? I am not adverse to Spurs making money out of us, I just think it's about time they thought about how they could give us a little more value for it. The problem is that the board have a bigger responsibility to the shareholders than they do to the members.
I don't think it would be too much to ask to expect the following for my £40:
- A return to decent gifts!
- A cap of 50,000 members (exluding season tickets) - or at the very least a tiered system that allows basic members with more loyalty points access to tickets before others
- FREE season ticket waiting list entry to all members who want it, with those who have more loyalty points getting priority
- A complete no questions asked refund on tickets if the match date is changed
- A return to an online booking system where I can choose my exact seats
- FREE THTV accessible via my online account (this may even pay for itself with the extra site traffic generated)
The reality is that unlike our money, our views are not important to those in charge. They have the luxury of brand loyalty to an extent other industries can only dream of, and those running Tottenham Hotspur Plc are experts in how to exploit it. Perhaps if we got to vote for our President, like they do on the continent, Mr. Levy would give us a bit more consideration...
63 comments:
Nice rant! Apart from that, how is life back there in the sixties?
I can understand the bit on what you are getting for being a member. On the transfer part, I have to disagree. Berbatov wants to go and keeping him around does not help. The speculation will continue and team morale is also affected.
some valid points about the membership scheme...
except priority for members who have more loyalty points - that would leave those with no points no chance of gaining any. FACIST! lol.
the transfer of dimi up to the fans tho? would NEVER work...
email the club.
I strongly agree with all comments except the Berbatov one. I recognise he is our most gifted player, and marvel at the man's ability, but also wanted to punch him at times last season with his lask of respect shown to his team-mates. My opinion is he should be sold IF he does in fact won't to go. As you say, his value will drop to £15mil next summer, and that's after another season of spitting his dummy out, which simply is'nt good for the team. If we can get £25mil for him now then surely most/some of that can be used to find a top top forward?
BTW,I am a lilywhite member from the West Mids, and was also very dissapointed with the members pack.
Life in the sixties is great we have just won the league
Christ! some people just aren't happy. We have approx 35,00 capacity stadium. When compared to other clubs, it is understandable that tickets are going to be pricey. Secondly, Why would a club turn down revenue by closing memberships???????what school of economics did you go to??? In fairness to the Club, The multi ticket scheme is really fair to all members, I dont know anyone yet who was turned down on the Category one package. I have paid £137 for Chelsea, Sunderland, Stoke & Villa without any hassle. This is a good way of rewarding loyal fans and not just fair weather supporters. From reading your piece , you just seem a little mean with money.
No, I just don't buy into the proposition that Berbatov would experience 8 months of misery and bring the team down with him if he were forced to stay. I think he would get on with it and make the best of it like the rest of us would.
We're hardly asking him to clean the toilets after each match are we?
Actually Jon, members with less loyalty points would just have to build them up like the rest of us did, by attending home matches against the likes of Hull and mid week cup games!
They ain't called loyalty points for nothin'!!!
Interesting read... Good job! With regards to Berbatov, yes he is brilliant player but is he consistent enough? both home and away? I don't think so! In an ideal world we should sell him abroad, but if Man Utd offer £30m + i think Ramos can more than compensate his loss, for the good of the squad.
12:52 - I'm not tight, I am not griping about the price, I just want some value.
The club don't have to turn away members, that much is true, but why not use the loyalty point scheme for something other than cup finals?
A verbose, interesting and lucid article. How refreshing. It certainly makes a change from the myopic, ignorant rants found on most other sites. However, while I think you are right in your asseertion that fans, having invested time, money and loyalty, probably deserve a say in how 'their' club is managed, I fear that any influence from the majority of fans would result in catastrophe because most of them, like me, would make decisons of the heart, rather than the mind. Let's cash in on Berbatov, buy in young, promising players, and ensure that we do not get left behind in terms of stadium expansion etc in the coming years. Slow and steady progress (like Man Utd all those years ago) rather than the crash and burn of Leeds Utd who demonstrated that living beyond your means is a recipe for disaster. £28 mill for a 28 year old who doesn't want to play for us is good business.
Not bad rant. Twaddle on Berbatov though. He should be sold. I have seen almost every home game he has played, and whilst he has a great first touch, he is no god. He plays for the match of the day highlights, trying audacious flicks and first touches which dont always come off. He misses chances, quite a few chances. He isnt that quick, so in the 4231 formation, he would never work the channels properly. He isnt brilliant in the air. If we get 28 million, im happy.
Last thing we need is him moaning at all the other players when they pass wrong whereas when he does it noone shouts at him.
I feel you have only seen the highlights of hom. Watching him for 90 minutes week in and out, and you see he doesnt always put it in for the team, and if we are ever going to break the top 4, we need someone who will.
mmmmm is a player who has scored 20+ goals in each of his 2 seasons here consistent? tough one that....
Without wishing to sound like i am in my sixties also, i actually completely agree with the initial rant(christ i hope i dont get a pin every year).
I also completely agree about berba, congrats to the scouts on a truly superb initial acquisition, but why blow all the good work by selling him to a quarter of the bit of the league we want in on?
yes we may lose 10-15 million next summer should we not qualify for the champions league and he goes anyway to avoid going for free, but correct me if I am wrong, but does spurs not fritter away about that much on players bought for huge fees that do not make the grade?(for this season see kaboul, boatang etc)
as for Morale, Berba wanted out last season did he not? really affected his performance.....
Well said that man, I could not have put it better myself!!
Wow, seems like I was wrong about my 99 out of 100 estimate!!!!
What a difference a year makes.
I'd be happy to take 28 mill for berbatov, find another person out of the 99 and you're point of view will become invalid.
Berba has scored 46 in 101 games... A very respectable tally, however if he is not happy at the club he can F off as far as i am concerned, as long as we get £30+ as i said b4. We should only sell on our terms and not a penny less.
the members pack was pretty ropey. I havent checked out the DVD yet but it DOES look suspiciously like the free one we got with the reapplication pack in May.
The issue is, are we, as fans, willing to voice our complaints as a collective? In this day and age, gate receipts make up such a small amount of our overall revenue, a drop in prices for us all would make very little dent on their profit margin.
Foreign supporters have been shown the door by the club this year. The Norwegian supporters club with about 3000 member (biggest outside UK) do not get any more benefits from the club. No tickets, no WHL-tours, nothing... Basicly no reason to be official supporters club anymore. Options are being considered. It is a shame the way the club are treating their own supporters...
Nice point. I too am annoyed with the amount of expensive junk mail sent through to me from the club. Unfortunately I have to include the recent 'free gift' in this category. I know how expensive all this colour print is, keep it simple, increase the membership benefits and reduce flashy leaflets!!
I am getting fed up with it. Like you I am finding it more and more difficult to get seats and this has forced be to get Bronze membership this year (ch-ching!). As I tried to book seats with my son the software did not let me book 2 seats of my choice (as the seats sold adjacent seats got harder to find) close together but not necesary to be next to each other. Complained on the web-site and ignored. Conference football anyone?
they are penny pinching with membership packs,[bronze] only 1000 tickets on first day,that,s going to be a scramble.what about the way they are treating supporters clubs
"most of it was good anyway" You are having a laugh there surely? The 'paper weights' and crap members scarves and weird lapel badges have always been tatty old trash the club shop couldn't shift the previous season. At least this year we have something actually created for members/season tix holders. I have lost count of the times I've written to the club, my supporters club and the trust about getting Spurs to stop sending this useless crap out and instead post a cheque to children/dogs/plants in need instead. We certainly don't need the junk they send us with the members package and that's not the reason we buy the membership. Tickets are the only reason we sign up. Nothing else. So let's not get sentimental about loyalty and rights. Spurs are a business and we are the customers. If we don't like it they will quite rigtly tell us to f*k off as there are plenty of other punters queueing up behind. That's life! (in the premiership at least).
Totally agree with your comments regarding the imbalance between the idea of being a 'member of' and a 'customer at'. Tiered membership tied to loyalty points should be a given, and whilst I have no desire for another neck-chaffing nylon scarf in my members pack, the current offer is pathetic.
Interesting and disappointing to hear about the treatment of established official foreign supporters clubs - sorry Norweigans, you're just not as profitable as those emerging asian markets...
At least you have got your membership pack - the money was taken from my account a few weeks ago but I am still waiting for the pack to get to me.
Totally agree about the way the club is treating supporters, I feel we are being leeched to pay for the expansion of the ground, which will then raise more gate receipt revenue for the shareholders / bonuses for the chairman and directors.
And finally, we really suffered when we sold Carrick to Man Utd a couple of years back - we got £18M to not replace his quality, whilst Man Utd won the Premiership! If we 'have' to sell Berbs we should only sell to an overseas club for shedloads of dosh and make sure we sign a replacement of at least equal ability, especially as it looks like Robbie might be going too.
We managed to finish 5th with Mido leading our line. We do not need a striker who thinks he is bigger than the team. We need a fit King & Woody and someone to be our new Carrick. Bent could lead our line easily with Modric, Keane, Dos Santos etc pulling all the strings around him.
haven't even got my pack yet.
(Great Blog by the way).
I don't think keeping Berba is a sensible idea. He is not interested in playing for us. Last season he was only ever half interested. What about all those 1-1 all draws towards the end of thes season - he would score and then pack up shop for the day.
I am sure he will be brilliant for Manure but we won't get his full potential. We are better off going with someone who is pretty good but well up for it, rather than someone who is brilliant and can't be bothered. Besides it's bad for the moral of the team as a whole to have someone in the dressing room who has got a cob on all day long. Bye bye Berba. Thanks for the mammaries! (Having said all that I will now contradict myself by saying that we must keep Keano though - LFC can't afford him which he will have to accept is not our fault - and I think he will).
I can't believe what I'm reading from some of these Yiddo's
Every ten years at this club we get a legend to brighten up our saturday afternoon, (Greavesie, Klinsmann, Ginola) and these tossers want 28 mill. sitting in the club bank account,
Hows' all that cash going to entertain me with my £60 ticket, when one of the club's legends' is out there with a manyoo shirt on?
When he's gone, another ten year wait for the adrenalin rush.
Of course we should be members of a club, not a franchise, luckily, we're not quite where the US are with their NFL, NBA, MLB and whatever other letter combination they might have...
However, leaving the say of transfers to the fans? Noble as it may sound, but would never work. Yea, I never quite understood the concept of a contract if it at any time can be broken for a larger lump of cash. Clubs pay big money for a player and sign him for the time they feel they need him/can sign him for. It takes time to build a team as you want it to be. God knows we at Spurs have been trying to do that for ages...
When it comes to loyalty points.. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Sure, you guys in London go to more matches, but as a Swedish fan, it's harder to get the seats that you want. Especially for the bigger games. Then we're just lucky to get a ticket at all. So goes both ways.
I haven't received my membership package yet, but from the sound of it, I'm not sure I wanna do... :(
COYS
Have to agree with the majority here - and further undermine the 99% assertion in the initial blog.
Membership stuff is pure tat, agreed, but would happily say ByeBye Berba @ £28m.
1) Because he wants to go; and
2) Because I don't believe he is cut out for the lone striker role.
Not robust nor energetic enough.
Ideal would be Santa Cruz, David Villa or, strike me down, Adebayor.
Bent would be a good stand in, but don't think he has the requisite class.
I reckon we now need to focus on clearing out the deadwood, bringing in a quality CB back-up and finding the lone striker and we are ready to hit the ground running.
Top 4, probably not, but definitely Top 6 potential and undoubtedly another season of thrills & spills at the Lane.
COYS
I cant believe some people think Berbas good days outweigh all the negatives he brings. Honestly I feel he weakens us overrall. He's basically a virus to the rest of the team. His attitude is just not on, and I'm not talking about the sulks when he doesn't get the perfect pass (although that is just as hard to deal with as a watching fan) but his absolute determination to leave the club after his first season. How can anybody be hoping he gets "made" to stay? We will only have another season from him like the last and probably even worse. Sure he scored goals, but that's irrelevant really if he's not up for giving his best overrall. He messes things up, misses pretty easy chances and doesn't work hard enough so often, that I actually feel embarrassed for him at times. Seeing as he is so quick to moan at everyone else for the slightest thing. Wake up folks he's heart isn't at Spurs and never really has been. He used us as a stepping stone and does just enough to show he does have alot of ability, but isn't prepared to really give his all for the club or the fans. Get rid, let him have his move as I for one could not handle another game of him so blatantly unhappy at our club, and he is so unhappy with us it's ridiculous. Is that what we really want to put up with?
Personally, I don't give a damn about the freebies. I'd rather the money went on players/new ground/keeping up with the CL clubs... It's the card that counts.
By virtue of the membership scheme I'm able to get to most games I want to go to, including places like the Library & the West London place... So no complaints.
The badge comes in handy as I don't have to show my membership card to get in the boozer before the game... just a quick flash of the lovely and it's 2 pints of Stella please.
I support the club and whether they give me a set of tumblers with my gallon of petrol won't sway me in whether I think they care about me... I'm realistic enough to know that between fan & club, the love is a one way deal.
Berbatov is the class act that brightens up everyones Tottenham experience every time he plays.Such quality is hard to come by and should be savoured.I dont care about his body language,his moody face, his impatient gestures,or whatever.he has an outstanding scoring and assist record and should be kept at any cost9or nearly0.We not going to allow ourselves to be mugged by Man.U.again surely.We did it with Carrick and the £18 million turned to dust in our hands.40 goal strike partnerships are hard to come by.
For the record the THST have raised questions about the price of Lilywhite and Bronze Membership and the value that it represents
It's a modern premiership football club operating in a market forces led system in a broadly capitalist world. This is how humanity has decided to structure itself. Pay the going rate or stay away. Or spent your free time doing what you can to change it. Good luck.
You lost me as soon as you said supporters should have a say in transfers get a grip - if someone doesn't want to play for spurs they can go
For the record, I wasn't saying that supporters should have a say in transfers, just that perhaps the board should take popular concensus into consideration when making these decisons.
However, by the looks of the responses it appears as though they are!!!
get rid of berba it sickens me to see a player of his ability play for us with no heart,just look at the way kean or o hara strive to perform then look at that wanker moaning and under achieving
Totally agree about the club ripping fans off - the season ticket waiting list is another scam. I think I am number 256,782 in line. I really will have literally bought a seat by the time I get to "rent" one each year.
What worries me the most is how this approach is driving younger fans and families away. Fans that may well turn to our hated rivals :(
Does anybody know that berbatov actually wants to leave? no, all we hear is the shit in the sun and mirror etc that is always made up bollocks but everybody seems to beleve! and his slimey agent trying to get some money from a transfer!!!!
Membership pack is a total con for 40.00 and not even guaranteed to get a ticket/the seat you want to sit in, The club don't have a clue about customer care and lets face it we are customers, isn't the old saying the customer is always right, clearly not a concept football clubs care about anymore. And don't get me started on the poor quality kits they're spewing out for 39.99 a pop with 3 new kits 3 season in a row now which is especially annoying when you have two sons that want the new kit. So those that think not having the latest kit is some sign of disloyalty I say well done you, you obviously have more money than sense and are clearly so much more loyal than the rest of us poor peasants.
Re Berba, would rather see him go for the reported 28mill than see Keano go for 20mill lets face it we're never going to topple Manusa/Chelski, but Luckypool and Ar5ena1 we are much more likely to be able to compete with in seasons to come, so why on earth sell one of our most consistent performers, (a player that Berba could learn a lot about team ethics and workrate from.) to a team that we need to be looking to dislodge from those top 4 spots. Again something the Tottenham heirarchy don't seem to have grasped. Don't get me wrong I'm not anti Mr Levy he has done wonders for the club but every season he seems to be withdrawing more and more benefits from those that help him raise funds week in week out by buying the shirts buying the tickets and signing up to be members. Sorry rant over now.
not sure ramos want's berbi as he seems to wants to play a different style with alone striker and he seems to be signing players who can adapt to different styles good news could be liverpool alonso deal has fell through so they will struggle to buy my grannie now
This is not about letting berbatov go its about ferguson letting spurs blood players and keaping is massive ego going against benitez and arsoles and chelski and he is to old to blood players or buy is own and between robbo and fergie fucking they have damaged our chances of progressing.And next year it will be bale to replace the scull giggs we will never get in the chumps league the only person that has not come calling is wenger because he has a bigger ego than fergie. And even if we hate him he is still a proper manager not a cherry picker like red nose and the hated one benitez
yet here we are on the brink of shipping our best player off to one of our Premiership rivals.
ManU are hardly our rivals, again, this season. More like Everton, Liverpool, ManC and Portsmouth... perhaps even the arseholes, but we are not in the same league as Manu
22:30 - you don't think ManYoo are our rivals? Well maybe we are not about to compete with them for League position - but tell me that when Berba sticks 3 past us in the FA cup you mug
i cant understand why u blame the board if berba wants to leave.are u suggesting we keep the serial sulker at the lane to piss our new signings off, ur talking utter rubbish.get the dough and let him go .good riddance.and stop slagging the board, levy is the best chmn. weve ever had u muppet
I attach my pin to my golf hat. Brings me luck. Sometimes...
Please tell me. Who on the board put a gun to your head and made you pay your money? No one, i'm guessing. I'm a season ticket holder and paid a hell of a lot more than you and got exactly the same stuff in the post. I'm not complaining, i didn't sign up for that, i want football. Here's an idea for you. Stick that pin in your eye because then you can experience the pain i went through reading your shallow and pointless twaddle. More fool me. Stop moaning you little prick and start posting on subjects that REALLY matter. Then again, just stop posting.
Like you I was waiting for this years members pack with gleeful anticipation. my dissapointment upon opening was matched only by our post Carling Cup Final results and Ramos' failure to blood Perkart, Rose, etc in that period of developement stagnation.
Yes I can understand the need to see how senior players performed, the majority of which that have been earmarked for departure we all knew had either given their best years of frankly weren't good enough.
I didnt read your comments about Berba, as the whole saga is becoming boring.
Back to the pack, a badly designed lapel pin which as in previous years, rotates so that the head falls to the bottom. Not only is it cheap it should be scrapped.
I paid £850 for my season ticket, and it was with a heavy heart. For the first time in a long while I am not confident about new season and had contemplated not renewing but the expectation of a members pack stuffed full of cup winners memorabelia wastoo much to resist.
Come Spurs, lift you game on and off the pitch!
Reasonable point of view, but at the end of day (it's 2359 hours)and the club can only cater for 36000 fans. Solution?...they're trying to work on it. In the meantime, anyone going to the Norwich match on 28th July? Should be good and you don't need to be a season ticket holder or member (with or without shite gifts)to purchase a £12 ticket - just call NCFC today, get your ticket and cheer on the lillywhites.
You are an idiot
Agree entirely with your views on membership.......which is exactly why i chose not to renew my membership. I have come to the conclusion that Spurs and top-flight football in general work in some kind of fantasy land detached from the reality of those who take an interest in it. It's entertainment nothing more, nothing less. I went to two games last season as the price of a ticket is getting to be unjustifiable. Essentially, for the privilage of being able to purchase a ticket, you are now charged £40. Utter crap!
I appreciate that my view to keep Berba may seem flawed as his interests seem to lay elsewhere, but people seem to forget that when we go looking for replacements, they would look at the potential team mates. If we keep feeding those above us our better players and those below our overpriced failures, nothing is ever going to change. We will find it increasingly difficult to build a squad capable of giving the players champions league football at the lane if we continually cash in, reluctantly or otherwise, on the quality of player it takes to get there. We need to add to these ranks, not replace them. If we carry on as we are, true quality players will always have one eye on the teams above because we will never genuinely challenge them, and by selling that makes it clear to everyone.
If we dig in our heels and keep with what we have upfront(maybe giving Perkhart a go?) the money men can sort out our defensive failings.
Apart from the Berbatov comments, I think your spot on mate. Didnt bother with my membership this year!! Im not worried about Berbatov, I regard Keane, someone who has ALWAYS given his all as a worry if he goes.
Stoney, this blog has dealt sensibly with issues that concern members, your psychotic response is grossly insulting to people expressing a point of view.
Stick to the agenda mate, or go get some help with your anger management issues.
The Spurs members package this year is a joke. I upgraded from lilywhite to bronze hoping to ease the pain of getting a ticket only to be told after (on the phone) that only a 1000 tickets will be on sale.I did not recieve either a email or letter informing me about this. It took me 1 hour and 15 mins to eventually get to ticket site which was too late to a get ticket. I feel the upgarde has been misold to me and am writng to Tottenham to complain and demand a refund and a return to lilywhite status.
i wanted another scarf and i got a stupid CD, pathetic. at least i get to see great football next season...........oh!
Sorry stoney, maybe you'd prefer a piece on the transfer of David Bentley?
Dickhead.
Get over yourself mate!!
Your only a Frigging member......become a shareholder like me if you want to own a part of the club and have a vote.
Twaddle is right....you have no idea! Berbatov or any other player who will not fit into the team spirit has to either sit in the stands or go.....I would rather see the money come back into the club than sit him in the stands and get rid! If we were already in Champs league I would be tempted to make him sit it out, but we cannot afford that luxury! Get the money that might buy the next Berbatov!....no one , including you sunshine, had rated him until we bought him, how do you know we will not uncover an even better player!
We keep saying we want top four....well grow up and realise that if you are top four material get used to clubs trying to get your best players ever year!!!!
All of europes top clubs have there best players undermined every year...it's part of being a top team.
The best we can do is hope that our board has the vision to decide the correct direction of the club. Levy has proved that by getting rid of Jol who was ruining this squad and appointed a great management team. I have great faith in this current regime, the squad look the fittest a Spurs squad has been at this time of year for many years! Along with some very decent additions already I think you are getting great value for your poxy 40 quid!
COYS
COYS
Let's face it people, we're all just customers/consumers even if we quaintly like to call ourselves fans/supporters.
If Tottenham have 500 ways of getting their hands on our dosh this year, then by next year they will have invented 540 ways.
Get it?
I accept that Football is a commercial business and that they will try to strip me of as much money as I am prepared to give them is return for a service that any sane person would never consider as value.
I also accept that Robert Mugabe will be in charge of Zimbabwe until the day he dies.
That don't make either of them right.
I actually prefer the DVD to the junk they used to send me.
Anyway, and I can't believe nobody has mentioned this so far, what irks me the most is the existence of the Bronze membership. I have been a loyal Spurs fan for what seems like forever now, and I recall a time not so long ago when there was just the one membership tier. People who wanted to go on the season ticket waiting list could do so, and those who didn't could just buy tickets to matches. I have no intention of becoming a season ticket holder as I don't have the kind of income that would allow me to, so the Bronze membership is clearly not for me. However, Bronze members get allocation to 1000 tickets early, and they also get tickets through buying the group packages (not sure how many, let's say 1000 tickets per package). Our closest rival, The Scum, feature in two of the packages available to Bronze members so let's assume that 3000 tickets have already been sold even before Lillywhite members get to buy any. That's probably all of the South Stand gone, then.
Last season I queued up outside Paxton Road from 5am in the morning for the Scum game and was about tenth in the queue. By the time the doors opened up (at 9:45am I might add, giving online tickets a 15 minute head start) I managaed to scrape up the last three seats in the South Stand Upper (I was told SSL was sold out, despite me being one of the first in). This season I can't imagine I'll be able to get any seats in the South Stand. It f*cks me off that when I've been a loyal fan for so many years, my 100+ loyalty points means diddly squat unless I pay even more than the extortionate £40 per season and commit myself to buying a season ticket that I cannot afford.
To those people who are telling us to quit complaining and cough up, it's your bloody fault the tickets cost so much in the first place! This season I will only be going to away matches methinks.
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