Protecting and enhancing the name of 'Tottenham'

Another week is upon us. Buckle up. I'm feeling confident something will happen in the next seven days to break us free from the weary chains of summer boredom. And such is my boredom that I've resorted to browsing the Tottenham OS, trailing for anything worthy of a mention which has successfully resulted with the discovery of a certain clause in the One Hotspur terms and conditions that I missed first time round.

Do you read T&C's before signing up? Did you read them when purchasing/renewing your season ticket? I'd hazard a guess and say you probably didn't read all the small print. Who does? We all know that if you're naughty at games you'll be punished for it - and deservedly so. It's a given. But what's there to know other than the usual blurb you get with any type of purchase?

Well here's the gem in question:


1.2 Members must at all times do everything within their power and control to protect and enhance the good name of the Club and not to diminish the good name of the Club in any way or through any means. The Club does not tolerate foul and/or abusive behaviour towards staff. This applies to any form of communication with Club staff.


Ouch. Don't supporters do this by their very definition, at the ground or away from home - giving their support for the team and players?

But what does this actually mean in context with regards to bloggers or anybody who posts about the club on unofficial message boards? No wonder the official Tottenham Hotspur forum has less bite than a toothless bed-bug, with everyone far too scared to say anything that may be frowned upon considering you can only post once your membership number has been validated through registration. You have to be careful not to be too critical, and people who are get slated for being so.

And since some of my articles incite some fans (I've got a few 'admirers' over on the official forum that think I have an anti-Spurs agenda, the melters) to suggest that the content on this blog is derogatory towards the club, I'm curious for some clarity.

What constitutes diminishing the good name of the club? It's a little ambiguous and vague.

I don't like the new yellow-streaked home shirt. I posted about it. Several times. Even signed a petition. Am I in violation of my contract? And am I failing to enhance the name of the club?

Who am I kidding? Of course I'm not. I have an opinion and I can make my feelings public if I so wish, in whatever writing style I see fit.

IMO, protecting the name of the club is standing up for what you believe in, as a fan. We are the true shareholders. The club belongs to us, be it in a romanticised way. But much like anything in life, we can choose to stand back and be critical if we don’t agree with something - anything - the club representatives do or say. One perfect example was the doomed Director of Football structure. Even though people within the club swore by it, many fans disliked it. And in the end we were proved to be right. Arguably, the club did little to enhance the good name of the club, by dragging it through a dizzying mess of embarrassment. Maybe I can sue for the trauma and emotional stress I was put through during this uneasy period in our history?

Would like to hear from someone at the club about this. I’m not stirring. And I’m not concerned or worried. I always find these type of entries in a legally binding contract to be susceptible to several forms of interpretation and because you agree to it as a member, the power of how its translated to any number of things is not in your hands – but in the clubs and thus, they can exercise it to their hearts content when they see fit. I guess that's the point of it.

Also, re: This applies to any form of communication with Club staff.

I best be grateful that my letters never make it into Levy's in-tray. Small mercies. Going forward I may take to burning my season ticket in the men's gents as nobody is likely to notice with all the smoke emanating from the cubicles.