There’s something particularly insidious about the manner in which the Tottenham Hotspur Supporter’s Trust have repositioned themselves from being confidantes of the Tottenham board to now being the organizers of a demonstration to have that board removed, and have one or more of their own supplanted.
The Trust enjoys a healthy membership, but against the bigger backdrop of the club’s global fanbase, it is a comparatively small-time operation. To some fans, they are a useful conduit on a day-to-day basis, but that isn’t the discussion now.
Since the European Super League reveal, a good few have reacted badly to the notion, and whilst it’s easy to say ‘oh, most people were against the plans‘, truth be told, there’s never been a vote as such. Rather, we’ve had big voices in the media and a few modest crowds outside a few stadiums. It’s important I believe that nobody seeks to pass this off as being on par with the creation that says the introduction of the Poll Tax received. Indeed, had one listened to big social media voices etc on both the chances of Brexit and the appointment of Donald Trump as President of the United States, then one might have also believed both of those to be deeply implausible, too.
The Trust’s recent statement made for uneasy reading, with a request that supporters’ ‘need to focus on that anger‘, which I think we can all agree is not a great place from which to approach any subject productively.
The demand has also been made to ‘create a new board structure at Spurs that better connects with our principles and priorities‘ – which for what it lacks in subtlety it sure makes up for in arrogance. Isn’t THFC a private business, operating lawfully, in a western democracy?
This all smacks of Marxism, whose fundamental tenets include revolt, a fight against capitalism, and eventually power to be placed in the hands of the working class, or in this instance, the fans. Make no mistake, what tips this initiative over the line is the business of seeking to not just infiltrate the board, but to implement their own principles and priorities.’ This is not just ‘some fans’ deciding they disagree with a suggested pathway in the business, this is a revolt design to overturn the existing board and have significant power handed over to ‘some fans’.
Let me know what you think – and if the THST can succeed here – who might an angry mob target next? Perhaps Flannels for some cheaper clothes? Or perhaps Waitrose, so we can help every home in the country to have goose fat on their roast potatoes?
I didn’t vote for the Trust and most Tottenham fans globally didn’t either. In a civilized western democracy, we affect change in society by the ballot box, and against private businesses by refusing to endorse them with our spending.
I believe this is a power grab by an organization that had no legitimate sway with THFC in the first instance. Whilst I can cope with so-and-so out hashtags, the idea that this can then somehow be manipulated into ‘…and one of us in‘ fills me with utter dread.