Last night, Eric Dier was prompted to clamber into the West Stand in order to confront a home supporter who, it is alleged, was insulting Dier’s brother, who was at the game along with other relatives.
This unsavoury sideshow was merely symptomatic of the unmitigated chaos that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has slowly slipped into over the last few years of ENIC’s meddlesome reign.
Of course the stadium is magnificent, indeed it ought to be, it cost in excess of a billion pounds, of which Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is liable to its various bankers to the tune of £637million, a number that even eclipses the behemoth debts accrued by Manchester United.
Hotspur Way is equally fine, and just looking at photos, one could mistake this training facility for a resort in Dubai. It ought to be, that was also paid for with loans, in the name of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
My laboured point in respect of both building constructions being… that neither were gifts to the club. There were calculated expansions for which, amongst his day-to-day duties, Daniel Levy has been compensated handsomely.
This new business model adopted by ENIC at Spurs has been revolutionary, make no mistake about that. No other successful English football club has ever opted to demolish their existing stadiums*, in order to magnify existing revenue streams and add previously unimagined ones. The convention up until ENIC, was to build teams, win silver-wear and grow their empires organically. The men most commonly associated with this method are household names to most fans. Bill Shankly, Brian Howard Clough, Alex Ferguson and Bill Nicholson.
*Arsenal demolished their Highbury ground, however some have suggested to me that they did this as they simply ceased trading.
The premise of the ENIC model is a financial utopia, where the football club would have unrivalled spending power from money generated by the broader portfolio that a huge, multifunction stadium would bring. Indeed, if one Google’s our current ground, and opts for the satellite view, the only branding visible is an NFL logo in the middle of the grass. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (naming rights still available) is not a football ground any more. ENIC have made this crystal clear.
While we wait for the utopia, the football itself has fallen to pieces, under Pochettino’s tenure, there was a sense of progression, or at least an implied threat of the same, despite a continued trophy drought. The focus on the stadium clearly proved too much of a distraction and even Paul Mitchell recently remarked that the challenge to manage the squad and the ground development had proved too much.
Poch was removed from post as the side drifted in a comatose state towards relegation. José Mourinho was brought in, on double Mauricio’s money, to rejuvenate the team. It’s pretty obvious that the task before the Special One is too onerous, even for the celebrated, wily Portuguese.
Dier’s storming into the crowd last night, hurdling row after row of seats, looked crazy because it happened spontaneously, live on TV in real time.
What ENIC have done to Spurs looked a lot less crazy because it has happened at a glacial speed, with every minutia of detail swathed in what appeared to be rational explanations and implied wisdom.
The bottom line is, the debt is generational and the core audience of this non-millennial blog won’t get to see the benefits of any financial utopia, IF it were to ever happen anyway.
Which will undoubtedly prompt accusations of “entitlement”? Yup, guilty as charged. I believe I’m entitled to say that I want to watch Spurs do well while I’m still alive, rather than suffer, in order that future generations might get to witness an advantage.
The damage to our football team is not Pochettino’s fault, the damage to our football team is not Mourinho’s fault.
Eric Dier shouldn’t have hurdled seats last night in order to confront a stranger he should have taken the stairs. ENIC shouldn’t have done what they’ve done, in order to confront what they clearly felt was a limited return on their original investment. Which was also a loan.
To dare is too dear. Unless of course, the dare is to knock down a much loved spiritual home, and replace it with a sports themed shopping centre. In which case …money’s no object.
Defo helps eh
Norwich can pass & move
Fans are split, you only have to read stuff on here every day to see that , and those are just a small percentage of the fan base all round the world. The way it was has gone for fans, its a new era with a new mindset, and I like everybody else doesn’t know where the club are going in its present form.
Kazakhstan is a bit of a schlep… 😂
Don’t bring the fans into it Mike, endless trips to Wembley when the stadium overran by nearly a year. The fans can do no more. It’s the ba$tards that run the club that are 100% accountable.
Not Jose’s fault either, would you turn down 15m a year job after being sacked from Utd? Don’t like his footy or his lame excuses either but not his fault.
“traveling vast distances” – only if the Ropey League beckons.
You win some, you lose some. What’s unacceptable is only deciding to attack in the 85th minute when you’re getting desperate.
Jose is doing his best but his best isn’t good enough. Look at the match stats, the run of results, the cup exit at home to a relegation side.
This is sackable form, end of story. What are he and Levy honestly going to do in the summer that is going to transform us into Cheatski circa 05?
The whole thing is a dead project. Correction, it isn’t a project it’s just a complete shambles…
Some might remember Levy’s pathetic ‘attempt’ to sign Morientes many years ago as some spin and display of intent. A few seasons later he ends up at Woolwich as their third choice striker.
When it comes to football, Levy is a complete fraud.
There are too many divided parties here based on their own individual beliefs and opinions, so how the hell can this lead to success on the pitch ?
The whole infrastructure of this club needs to be redefined and redesigned just like the stadium, all parties are pulling in different directions, starting at the top with the board , through the managers, players , fans and probably down to those who tidy up the place post match. Dont see any hope of a peaceful outcome to this sorry saga anytime soon, but if I was Daniel , I would look at that result and the aftermath that went with it to realise it has to be a pivotal moment. The way he has conducted matters that directly affect what happens on the pitch has to change, starting with a blank piece of paper and a discerning ear.
What I really dislike is the cynical P R links with Bruno F, Dybala, LEVY in Madrid to bring back Gareth etc
You seriously think you could get money back from Dan the man????? I’d call him desperate Dan but I suspect he doesn’t give a toss
He ain’t got a clue. This is George Graham the 2nd. We can’t even attack Norwich at home😂😂😂
🤣 or your money back!
He hasn’t been since the 1980’s. Why would he change the habit of a lifetime?
Yes, but please remember, our new manager guarantees trophies!
Levy is killing us as a club, stamping all over the fan’s dreams, paying through the nose for tickets, traveling vast distances to support their team.
ENIC are obviously just taking a massive dump on the supporters…
Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall when the Editing team (and assume Levy) try to put together a positive spin at the end of this season with the Amazon documentary..
Spurs is/was a huge part of my life (of which I won’t go into) and to be told I’m not a real supporter is laughable….my last year as a ST holder so feel free Mr Bear to purchase the seat….
It’s all about ‘high finance football’ you see… Not signing players for a year, not backing the manager, sacking people with a cohesive transfer strategy.
None of this should be questioned by the plebs, the punters, the mugs that line these people’s pockets.
It’s far too complicated for us to understand why a club like Spurs expend half the finances a season of a club like Southampton and have a 5 year net spend that ranks 17th in the Premier League.
There’s being frugal and smart with your money, and there’s just refusing to run your business properly within the industry it operates.
The industry of football is about money, of course it is, most fans understand that. What they don’t understand is illogical decisions, ones that clearly undermine the team on the pitch and the coaching staff.
So you pay them handsomely to keep their traps shut. Not all fans are mugs, in fact most aren’t.
There’s one or two that don’t demand the absolute best possible for their club, from the players, the management, AND crucially the owners.
I have no time for these time wasters, 20 years and one League Cup. The cult of ENIC exists, and their zombie like, client reference numbers are a complete embarrassment.
Anyone backing these owners with their track record just cannot be lucid, logical individuals…
The chickens are coming home to roost. There is no guarantee that should revenues increase from non-footballing matters that it will go towards strengthening the team. I know Poch didn’t win any trophies but at least he gave the fans and the club some self respect. Four top four finishes and a CL final isn’t all bad. No manager can achieve success at Spurs whilst Enic are the owners. The heart and soul of the club have been ripped out and devoured by the vampire squid that is Enic. Meanwhile, we remain anchor tenants. RIP Spurs.
Well many have been calling this for over a decade, there’s absolutely no proof anywhere that spending all the club’s money on buildings makes a winning successful team.
There is however plenty of evidence that spending money on the team is much more likely to bring success.
Success on the pitch equals bigger revenue & sponsorship etc, A larger capacity stadium does too but one method gives the punters joy the other leaves them feeling like they’ve been mugged.
ENIC OUT!