With regard to things on the field, the gloom around Tottenham Hotspur is starting to lift a bit. The Ange Postecoglou team has won three consecutive Premier League matches. Players come back from an injury and the team goes back to the competition. Next week they are going to Alkmaar for a Europa League Last-16 first stage that could take them a step closer to the final in Bilbao in May.
But the mood remains uncertain outside the field. It was only nine days since thousands of fans marched on the ground under the banner of 'Change for Tottenham'. The improved competitions will do something to assemble that, but only a bit. There were still many anti-daniel Levy hymns in the end in the city of Ipswich, a game that won comfortably with 4-1.
There is a big question outside the field that will determine much of the mood on the terraces during the final phase of the season: what will the club do about ticket prices and concession policy for the 2025-26 season?
It is a question that has hung over the club all year round. Since Tottenham announced in March 2024 that seasonal card prices for the 2024-25 season would rise by six percent, with controversial changes in senior concession season cards, there has been fear of fans about what the following changes would be. Would the club dare to increase the prizes for a second year in a row? And would they alleviate the unpopular policy in senior concession season tickets?
At least there was no uncertainty about when fans would learn about next season's prices. Tottenham published a new 'ticketing charter' last March, which anchored that the prizes would be announced “no later than March 15 every year”. An announcement was always expected in the coming weeks.
Spurs -fans marching prior to the recent victory over Manchester United (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)
But we are now coming to the end of that process. Tottenham Hotspur supporters Trust (Thst) has been negotiations with the club all year round. They have a new Crunch meeting on Tuesday evening with the club. During the entire process, the club has been very clear that they are opposed to future increase, and that there should still be a freezing in seasonal card prices. The Trust has also called for the club to change its policy with regard to new senior concession season tickets.
The power of feeling fans on this subject has never been questioned. There was a meeting of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) on 22 May 2024, three days after the end of last season. The notes of that meeting, published on the club website, say that the FAB 'repeated its unanimous opposition against the removal of new senior seasonal card concessions from season 2025-26, further removal or erosion of concessions and any ticket price increases. “
When the FAB met the club on December 10, 2024 (two days after the 4-3 home defeat against Chelsea), the notes of the meeting again point to the power of feeling. “FAB is at all price increases for the following season,” says it. While also acknowledges that the club “continues to assess the senior seasonal card concessions in consultation with the FAB”.
More than two months later, with the deadline for a decision that is ticking closer and closer, they remain the two most controversial points. Will the total prices rise? And will the club investigate their unpopular pricing policy again? There is certainly a certain degree of fear of fans about the outcome of the Tuesday evening meeting, and what the policy for next season will be.
On the Mars on 16 February, before the 1-0 win over Manchester United, there were high ticket prices, in combination with record income and a lower wage account, consistent themes among those who marched in protest against the way the club is run. A fan, Ben Kauffman, spoke about the increase in the six percent ticket price compared to last season and his fear of a new walk. “My family has come here since the sixties,” he said, “and very, very quickly, I, as the youngest person in my family, will not be able to come here anymore. I can't afford it.” Aniel, one Fan who pays £ 1,600 ($ 2.020) for his season card, said that fans “pay some of the most expensive prices in Europe”.
Other fans have broadcast displeasure in the recent recategorization of Premier League matches, which means that an extra fixture falls under the more expensive category A, and the removal of two cup matches from season tickets in 2017.
For many fans, this will be the head of the club announcement. When the club increased the prices last year in March, this only followed one increase (and that of 1.5 percent) in the past five years. “Football is not immune for the increasing costs of goods and services across the board,” said the club statement, which pointed to a “significant rise in the matchday costs outside our control”, as well as the “need to keep operating a sustainable one basis ”.
The 'Save Our Seniors' campaign is a regular face this season (Charlotte Wilson/Getty images)
There is a lot of public pressure at a different price increase. First, there are the Spurs-specific requirements of both the FAB and Thst, who have both been very clear with the club about their opposition at a price increase.
Then there is the general climate. The Football Supporters Association (FSA) held a striking campaign this season under the title 'Stop Exploy Loyalty', with banners on the basis of the country throughout the country.
Last week the FSA wrote to Premier League chairman Richard Masters who called for a freezing of the season-ticket prices in the competition. “We have the best competition in the world, with some of the best atmosphere, and we want to ensure that it stays that way,” wrote FSA chairman Tom Greatrex. “This cannot be achieved without the support of loyal supporters from villages and towns throughout the country. That love and dedication should never be taken for granted, nor exploited. '
There has already been some success on this front. Brentford and Liverpool have already announced that they would freeze the ticket prices for next season. The rest of the competition awaits to see if other clubs will follow the example.
A spokesperson for Tottenham Hotspur told The Athletic: “We formally participated in dialogue and consult with our fan Advisory Board and Tottenham Hotspur supporter Trust with regard to ticket prices and concessions on no less than 10 times since September 2024 and continue to do this.”
The other song at stake is senior concession season tickets. According to the policy announced a year ago, no new senior concession season tickets would be created from the 2025-26 season. This means that everyone who runs 66 from this summer would not be able to reach a cheaper rate. Moreover, the percentage discount for the existing senior concession senior tickets would decrease in the next five seasons, so that it was only a 25 percent reduction by the 2029-30 season.
Fans were furious. The banner 'Save our Save Our Seniors has since been a common sight at Spurs games, and during the March protest nine days ago it was proud to transfer the main road to the stadium. It remains a live interview topic between fans. And one of the reasons why so many Spurs fans are waiting to hear the result of these conversations and the decision of the club.
(Top photo: Jacques Feeney/Getty images)
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