With growing unrest amongst Tottenham fans and recent protests organised by such groups as Change for Tottenham, what changes do we want at Spurs and are these changes realistic? I think one thing we can all agree on is a change to our 17 year trophy drought because the Audi Cup just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid.
The debate among Spurs fans on who they want to run this club has been ongoing for some time. On more than one occasion it has been argued that Levy must get it right this time or he could be the next one out of the door.
We have all seen the banners on match day and heard the calls from the stands “Levy Out!”. However, 24 years later I would say both Levy and Enic are standing pretty strong. But that hasn’t stopped the debate from remerging each time Spurs have on field troubles and questions are raised again like a long running soap opera that just refuses to call it a day.
When Enic took over Spurs in 2001 it appeared to be a fantastic move following Alan Sugar’s era, in which Mr Sugar had formed a solid base after saving Spurs from liquidation. Daniel Levy was already managing director of Enic and he soon became our new chairman at Spurs. A new owner, a new era, the only way was up, right?
Despite transforming this club into a global brand that can compete with any football club in the world in terms of revenues, there is still so much discontent within the fan base. The reason for this is quite simple, a lack of trophies is plain for anyone to see and for all their efforts and achievements off the pitch, the majority of fans will judge a club’s success according to that trophy cabinet.
Now of course there is always a divide, with some Spurs fans quite content to play the ‘long game’ with Enic. For some fans just the match day experience alone at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium is enough to put a smile on their face as they marvel at all the facilities and if you are really lucky, enjoy some fine cheeses in the virtual cheese room!
Perhaps that’s what the modern football experience is now all about and those of us that are still obsessed with winning trophies are simply from a different era, a dying breed maybe? For a lot of fans, the modern match day experience is about more than just watching a football game, it’s a full day activity that can be enjoyed in a safe environment with all the trimmings. And for others it is simply another tourist attraction they can tick off the list while sightseeing in London.
It’s not just on matchday that Enic can entertain you, they offer stadium tours, the Dare Skywalk, Legend tours and now the F1 Drive for racing fans. The stadium has held concerts including top artists such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few. There are frequent NFL games being held at the stadium, not to mention Box office fights with the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua involved.
It’s all pretty impressive and is why in 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was estimated to be worth a staggering £2.6 billion. That’s not a bad return on an initial investment of £22 million paid to Alan Sugar back in 2000.
So why do so many fans want Levy and Enic out?
Well I guess there is the old saying “money doesn’t buy you happiness”, at least not for many of the Spurs fans.
Daniel Levy has faced much criticism down the line, largely down to transfer policies and manager appointments which are two of the biggest things in football, especially from a fans point of view. Criticism for hiring the manager, criticism for not backing the manager, criticism for not sacking the manager sooner, it’s tough being the boss! But should a chairman of such a big club be even making these huge footballing decisions? Is Levy even qualified to make such calls? Some would argue not and maybe that’s where much of the problem lies.
As a lifelong Spurs fan I’ve been following Spurs matches for some time and one thing I have noticed is Daniel Levy is a frequent participant of Tottenham’s games both home and away. You don’t follow this amount of games if you don’t have the passion for it, he is more than passionate, he is dedicated to Spurs, for those close to him may even say he is obsessed. As a lifelong fan himself he bleeds Tottenham and I imagine this trophy drought is hurting him just as much, surely?
Despite this lack of trophies Levy has shown much restraint from panic buying and has not swayed from his beliefs that this club must be run in a sustainable way for the future of this club. Whilst other owners of football clubs like Jack Walker at Blackburn Rovers and Roman Abramovich of Chelsea were like kids in a sweet shop buying everything they could get their hands on, Levy has been cool and calm like Charlie Bucket, just biding his time!
Last year Scott Munn was brought in at Tottenham as Chief Football Officer, which technically makes him number two in the club hierarchy behind chairman Daniel Levy. Is this evidence of Levy and Enic trying to make changes, some improvements to the set up at Tottenham to prevent a repeat of mistakes we have seen before. Or will Scott Munn merely be used as a sacrificial lamb when the going gets too hot for Mr Levy? I don’t know if this Scott Munn is even qualified himself to make football decisions that involve the appointment of a manager or player. What I do think is essential for change is for Mr Levy to stop interfering with on field football matters and just concentrate on the global brand of Tottenham Hotspur that he is clearly passionate about.
So do we really want Levy and Enic out? Or do we just need to see a bit of tweaking to get it right?
You know, Spurs, Brighton and Brentford are the only three Premier League clubs that are entirely English-owned now. Just three of us left, it would be a shame to see another club sold to foreign investors. Sometimes we have to appreciate what we have, “the grass is not always greener on the other side” they say and right now we have a 100% English owned club with a chairman that claims to love Tottenham Hotspur. What more could you ask for from an owner? Well, obviously a few trophies would be nice lol.
Clubs like Spurs saw the future, they looked at other countries and other sports such as the American sports and they knew where football was heading. Whether we like it or not (and alot of us won’t), football has grown into something bigger and the club is no longer about just supporting its local fans, this commercial brand has gone global and they have been preparing for this for years. Of course there are always pros and cons, Tottenham has financial security that we could never have imagined 20 years ago, but as we become increasingly commercial, it does feel like we are losing part of our identity.
As an old skool fan it is difficult to appreciate everything that modern football has brought us and perhaps I will never fully understand, but it would be good to see a clear distinction between Tottenham the football club and Tottenham the global brand because at the moment the two seem very muddled.
Do I want Levy and Enic out? Whilst I’m a believer it is “better the devil you know”, I accept that if we don’t see changes at the club, that Trophy cabinet will remain empty! A ‘break-up’ is never easy, but sometimes you have to accept it is for the best.
I just hope we don’t end up with some numpty on the rebound 🙂
