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questions4spursfans said:
- How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today?

I think it's great. I believe that in life, not just in football, that you have to aim high to achieve a goal. There is no point just running amongst the crowd, you have to separate yourself, be different and dare to dream. If you have that belief and determination then you will always be a winner. I'm not really sure how well it relates to today, as the club has to be realistic in such times where rivals are spending a lot of money that they haven't actually earned.

- How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad?

I haven't been a match-going supporter for a long time (start going regularly in 09/10, have stopped recently due to the stupid ticket prices, but went to some games as a kid), but I can always remember Spurs supporters being a very pessimistic bunch anyway. I think what has changed most recently is the unrealistic expectations of supporters on the back of a successful Champions League campaign, and the 09/10 season where we beat City to fourth place. Also, as with most modern football supporters, many want instant results, when in reality it can take a long time for players to blend in with the squad and create a TEAM together.

- Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality?

Spurs supporters don't 'Dare' at all in my opinion. They 'Expect' more than anything, and they feel that we SHOULD be in the top four, despite our wage bill being much lower than the others. I EXPECT us to make a good challenge of it, but if we fall short then I don't feel that we have specifically underachieved.

- How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships?

Not bothered.

- How would you like to see the club transition in the future?

Stability with the fashion in which the first team plays. This helps academy products integrate into the first team much easier, and means that we have a consistent core of players to rely on regardless of the manager. I'd also like the new stadium built as soon as possible (just like other). Also, I'd like a specialist 'Singing Block' (whatever you want to call it) for ALL games.

- If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be?

Not entirely sure what you mean really

If it is for the players then I like the word 'Integrity'
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questions4spursfans

Hi guys,

I'm an Advertising & Marketing student researching football fans' relations with clubs and I was wondering if some of you could answer some questions, it would help me out a lot!

Some things I would like to know are:

- How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today?

- How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad?

- Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality?

- How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships?

- How would you like to see the club transition in the future?

- If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be?

Thanks so much in advance!
 
How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today?

Fuckin' good init.

- How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad?

Too many quiet prawn sandwich cunts since we got CL.

- Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality?

No.

- How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships?

Cunts. No one wants a red sponsor.

- How would you like to see the club transition in the future?

Get rid of StubHub, actually invest if we're serious about CL, Have a plan and stick to it i.e. Don't get a manager in on a project, buy 7 new players and bin him off when things aren't perfect straight away.

- If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be?

YIDS

Apologies for the piss poor responses.
 
questions4spursfans said:
Hi guys,

I'm an Advertising & Marketing student researching football fans' relations with clubs and I was wondering if some of you could answer some questions, it would help me out a lot!

Some things I would like to know are:

- How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today? GREAT - AND IS TRUE TODAY - WE STILL HAVE VERY HIGH, ALMOST UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. HENCE WE ARE ALL UNHAPPY WITH CURRENT SITUATION

- How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad? MORE MIDDLE-CLASS - SAME FOR FOOTBALL IN GENERAL

- Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality? SORT OF - THE CLUB LIKE TO PROMOTE IT ANYWAY

- How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships? AIA = RED ....

- How would you like to see the club transition in the future? ACTUALLY WIN A TROPHY

- If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be? PERFECTIONIST

Thanks so much in advance!
Click to expand...
 
How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today?
It's a great quote and the way I interpret it (rightly or wrongly) is that if you set your sights as high as they can be (say for example winning the Champions League) then even failure (maybe getting to the quarter finals) has an echo of glory- because it's still an achievement. I think currently the club is not living up to the quote, because instead of still being glorious despite the odd loss, it feels at the moment as if we'll never win another game again.

How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad?
Definitely negative. I remember as a child going with my dad, screaming my head off with "The referee's a wanker" chants, the drum being at WHL, and none of that happens any more. You get a few subdued Sol chants on the concourse but everyone's too terrified of being thrown out/arrested for derogatory chants on the terrace. The club has banned the drum for whatever reason, and it all adds together to mean football now is more of an entertainment display rather than a passionate game. More families go to football now which again sanitises the game further; and I think I would prefer football if it reverted to the working-class reputation it started with where you'd jump on a train the morning of the game, pay on the turnstile to get in, cram into a tiny little spot an not know if you're gonna get your head kicked in on the way back to the train station.

Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality?
I think yes and no on this one. Spurs is famous for still upholding the "entertaining football" philosophy; where it's better to win a game 9-8 than 1-0, and managers can be slated for not adhering to this even if they're picking up points. I don't think some of the players have the same mindset though unfortunately, despite it being obvious at board and fan levels.

How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships?
All a bunch of shit. Completely commercial relationships and don't take into account the effects on anybody except the balance sheet. Stubhub is a great example, where Spurs are happy to turn a blind eye to their own fans getting fleeced for hundreds for match tickets, all for a few million in the pocket. Last season and before that they used their own resale scheme where people could list them at face value for purchase by other fans but this was thrown out the window as soon as a bit of money was offered by Stubhub. Then we have the AIA sponsor which plasters a red logo all over the top. Not as much of a big deal, but on a moral basis a lot of Spurs fans (myself included) refuse to wear red due to the obvious links. Again, i'm sure AIA offered a bit more money than other companies so Levy bit their hand off. I just wish some of the partnerships had a bit more consideration for fans. On the positive, I think the Thomas Cook partnership is quite useful; putting on well-priced travel to European away days- and I think i'm right in saying they offer a % discount to Spurs members on Thomas Cook holidays?

How would you like to see the club transition in the future?
Stop being a selling club. Links back to themes in the previous questions where everything we do is for the business side of things. Although we tend to get good deals on both buying and selling players; having somebody like Bale justified the ticket price because he can have moments of absolute brilliance, which at the end of the day is what people pay to see. Selling him causes a lot of deflation amongst fans, and also negatively impacts the on-pitch performance so although we had £80m in the bank we lost a lot from it.

If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be?
Arseclencher.

I'm 20.
 
Hi OZHotspur and SchmoodSpur,
I'm not from a club or media, seriously :) just trying to get fan insights and since I live in New York and there are barely football fans around, I decided to go on forums and see if you guys would be able to help me out.
 
- How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today?
I love the quote & the Blanchflower one but, with the advent of the Premier League, CL & Sky, those days of romantic notions are long gone. It is all about the 'product' & results now. Foorball is a business, no more & no less.

- How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad?
Bad. In order to make the game more palatable to tourists & armchair fans (read - subscribers) the powers that be have gone out of their way to gentrify the game. It has worked. This is the reason that if you walk in the Bell & Hare pub, English is only being spoken by 10% of the drinkers & when you get in the ground, 'fans' are filming the whole game with their iPads.

- Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality?
It is an adverting slogan. Audere est Facere is our motto, even after 45 years i still dont know how to pronounce it correctly which is not what adverstising & media types want to hear.

- How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships?
If it isn't red i can live with it, if it is red, i am not interested. It is an income stream & nothing to do with the mighty THFC.

- How would you like to see the club transition in the future?
To try & think more long term.

- If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be?
The triumph of hope over expectation!!

Age 53 & 11/12ths.
 
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- How do you feel about Bill Nicholson's quote about "echo of glory" and how do you feel it relates to the club and its fans today?
We - and I mean in football - will not see the like of Bill Nic again. The man was so ahead of his time it is scarcely true. His passion and tenacity drove him in turn to drive the club to be the power it once was. I say 'once was' because it feels while the fans - without being disingenuous to the Board - aspire to many of Bill's principles, the face of football has changed and there is no room for the scale of failure that could once be tolerated. Another of Bill's quotes says that "if we're not in Europe, we're nothing." - but in this day and age there is too much debate over the adverse impact of Eurpoean football, so precious is the drive for league position and so ferocious is the competition in the premier league. I don't envy the balancing act that the Board have to contend with on a strategic level and it must be difficult. By the same token, in today's game 'an echo of glory' could leave a multi-million pound hole in a balance sheet, which would be corporate suicide.

- How has the club and its fans changed over the years, good/bad?
The fans' attitude varies in waves, depending upon what is served up to them. There is a tendency to be somewhat fickle, which was brought home to me when a non-footballing co-worker observed one Monday morning "so, will your manager be sacked today because you lost yesterday?" - and yet in my mind I return to the days of the early/mid 90s and compare to todays squad and wonder how the club survived.

- Does the club's line "to dare is to do" come forward in the club's and fans' mentality?
No not really. The club mentality was a bit more "devil may care" in the early 80s with the acquisition of Ardiles/Villa the rise of Hod and pairing Archibald and Crooks. However this success was not built upon and the off-field financial collapse/takeover set the club back years, just prior the crucial point of transition to the premier league.

- How do you feel about the club's sponsors and partnerships?
I have no strong feelings about them. I do feel that the club is good at trumpeting the 'global partnership' angle but does not especially capitalise upon those opportunities. No bloody red on shirts though. :saha:

- How would you like to see the club transition in the future?
Of course I - along with many others - would dearly love to see the club become serious title challengers, year-in, year-out, which would mean having a plan and sticking to it - including letting a manager see a season out. Quick comment on Levy - while on het one hand he is clearly a shrewd and successful businessman, I fear he is missing something (or somebody) to act as the top-level foil to advise on football matters. The words "Director of Football" are oft-used these days but I really feel that Mr. Levy could well do with a statesman of the ilk of one of the many Legends who most likely walk the halls of WHL to remind him what it was to work under Bill Nic, what it means to be successful and most importantly, who has played the game and understands the tensions, the limitations and the real-world impacts.

- If you would have to describe in one word what is behind a real Spur, what would it be?
Summing it all up in one word is a near-impossibility. We are hopeful, fair, level-headed yet somewhat expectant. Simultaneously we appreciate cultured and attractive football - we'd rather win by the odd goal in a high-scoring spectacle than grind out a dour, soulless wins. "Descerning" is as close as I can get.

I'm 42.
 
Thanks everyone for the great replies :) really helpful.

One more question: was wondering what the Tottenham E-Newsletter looks like - am comparing clubs' communications with their fans. Would be great if one of you could send me an example, thanks!
 
questions4spursfans said:
Thanks everyone for the great replies :) really helpful.

One more question: was wondering what the Tottenham E-Newsletter looks like - am comparing clubs' communications with their fans. Would be great if one of you could send me an example, thanks!
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Edit: Had to upload it as an image, the web URL linked to my personal info.
rcRc9bk.jpg
 
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