The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust [THST] has announced that it will stage a demonstration against the club’s ticket price rises ahead of Ange Postecoglou‘s first official home game in charge against Manchester United on Saturday 19 August.
The THST has accused Spurs of “exploiting fans’ loyalty” during a cost-of-living crisis.
The protest, which will commence at 3.45pm – with kick-off at 5.30pm – and take place opposite the club’s ticket office, threatens to overshadow a new era under Postecoglou, who joined from Celtic earlier in the summer.
In a statement, THST said it wants to send a clear message to the club to “stop ticket price rises and to stop exploiting loyalty”, going on to say that “enough is enough”.
Speaking to i last month, THST chair Martin Buhagiar said that the change in prices would “hit families hardest”.
As of next season, tickets for “Category B and C” matches will be raised by between £3 to £15 compared to 2022-23, while “Category A” fixtures, against Spurs’ “Big Six” rivals and as of next season Newcastle, are now priced at £10 to £17 more. The most expensive individual ticket for an adult supporter is £103.
Spurs announced in April that season ticket prices would be frozen for 2023-24.
The club faced further backlash for concealing details of the price rises in an article published on their website with no mention made on social media. The changes came after One Hotspur and One Hotspur+ members were required to renew their memberships for the upcoming season.
A THST statement read: “Ticket prices at the club are already amongst the most expensive in the Premier League and Europe. To make matters worse, full details were hidden in a general statement released by the club, indicating it is fully aware the decision cannot be justified.
“The move was made without any consultation with supporters or fan groups and was immediately opposed by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust and then every elected member of the new fan advisory board at its first meeting in July.
“If these rises are not opposed, we believe there will be more to come. A corresponding increase in season ticket prices would mean rises of between nine and 13 per cent for the 2023-24 campaign, and there is no guarantee that match day ticket prices will not increase further. This is clearly unacceptable so any price increases must be resisted.
“Supporters should be at the heart of every decision the club makes, instead, our loyalty is being exploited. Ticket price increases are not an economic necessity for the ninth richest club in world football. They are a choice: a choice the club’s board has chosen to make against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis with prices already sky high. We therefore call on all Spurs fans to join us in telling the club: enough is enough.”
According to THST, the increase in matchday tickets will earn the club approximately £2.5m in revenue, representing a 2.4 per cent increase from June 2022 and a 0.6 per cent increase of the club’s total income.
The THST hopes that the demonstration will encourage the club to fully reverse the ticket price increases, improve their communication with fans over proposed changes in the future and ensure that there will be no further rises made for the 2024-25 season.
Spurs finished 8th in the Premier League in 2022-23, their lowest position in 14 years, and will not play in Europe in the upcoming campaign.
Fans staged protests against the club’s board and chairman Daniel Levy during the second half of last season as their trophyless run stretched to 15 years.
Despite an initial surge of optimism following Postecoglou’s appointment and the signing of James Maddison from Leicester, supporters have grown increasingly frustrated at the transfer saga surrounding Harry Kane’s potential move to Bayern Munich and the failure to sign a centre-back.
Last week Joe Lewis, the 86-year-old billionaire who founded Enic, the company that has been majority owner of Spurs since 2001, was indicted on 19 counts of insider trading in the United States. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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