Tottenham Hotspur have now made an official statement on the future of the board and the European Super League, claiming they have learnt their lesson.
Spurs were one of the 12 clubs to sign up for a European breakaway league but eventually retracted their involvement after uproar from fans.
This new statement reveals that Tottenham always intended to have open dialogue with the Premier League, FA, UEFA, FIFA and fans regarding the format of the Super League.
However, the club were reportedly unable to consult fans early in the process due to legal issues, something they apologise for.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust recently called for the resignation of the entire board after the events of the European Super League and subsequently turned down meetings with the club.
Tottenham have now expressed disappointment that the THST have not met with the club, claiming that their door remains open on all beyond a change of ownership and resignation of board members.
Finally, Spurs announced the upcoming creation of a Club Advisory Panel, which would be made up of elected representatives from the fanbase. Essentially, this means fan representation on the board.
The statement read as follows: ‘We have seen football fans around the world come together to show their strength of feeling regarding the future of the game we all feel so passionately about, with strong views expressed on the proposed establishment of a new European Super League (ESL).
‘It’s important to underline that we entered the ESL with the expectation that the format, rules and structures would evolve through dialogue with key parties, namely the Premier League, FA, UEFA, FIFA and, crucially, fans.
‘It should never have been conveyed with certainty when it was in fact a framework agreement for consultation going forward.
‘We should have challenged and reconsidered the annual access system. We wholeheartedly regret that we involved the Club and that the legal process itself meant we were unable to consult our fans early on – we apologise unreservedly.
‘We have all learnt lessons from recent events and have reviewed fan engagement as a priority.
‘As a result, we shall be liaising with key stakeholders and establishing a Club Advisory Panel, comprised of elected representatives from the different constituencies of our fanbase, inclusive and reflective of our fans’ diversity.
‘The Chair of this Panel will be appointed annually as a full Non-Executive of the Club Board. We believe this provides for authentic, genuine representation and will ensure fans are at the heart of Club decision-making, something we greatly welcome.
‘The selection criteria, mandate and constitution will be developed by independent advisors in consultation with fan groups to ensure it is truly representative of our supporter base.
‘Further details will be released in due course. Going forward we shall constantly look to review and improve these new lines of consultation. We shall also fully support the government review into football governance.
‘We are disappointed that the Board of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) has not yet met with the Club. The THST, with whom we have worked and, indeed, promoted, for 20 years has called for the resignations of the Executive Board over the ESL – individuals who have lived and breathed this Club for the best part of two decades.
‘We have offered on several occasions to meet Board-to-Board and discuss an open agenda – excluding a change of Club ownership and the resignation of the Board. Our door remains open on this basis.
‘We are excited to be welcoming 10,000 fans back next week. Our stadium will hopefully soon re-open to full attendances and non-football events will return. Like many clubs, we shall need to recover from the loss of substantial revenues.
‘The still-new stadium is the game-changer in our progress – it will deliver the revenues for investment in the First Team. Be assured, we are absolutely clear that the heartbeat of the Club is success on the pitch and our fans.
‘It’s important to now get behind Ryan and the team as we look to finish the season as strongly as possible and strive to retain a European spot.’
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