Tottenham supporters’ group ‘deeply concerned’ over club’s new sponsorship deal

Tottenham have announced new mulit-year deal with Socios

Fans offered ‘tokens’ to unlock rewards and experiences

Supporters’ group highly critical of the partnership amid concerns

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) has slammed the club’s decision to join into a multi-year agreement with rewards and engagement platform Socios.

Spurs will provide free non-transferable Spurs Fan Tokens to all season ticket holders as part of the agreement, granting access to things like polls, predictors, quizzes, and competitions on the Socios website, with the option to earn points to unlock gifts and experiences.

Non-members will be able to purchase Spurs Fan Tokens for $2 (£1.64) later.The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s Reignite project, which aims to provide adult employment opportunities and healthy lifestyle support in the local community, will also be funded by the Socios partnership, according to Spurs.

However, shortly after the announcement, the THST issued a statement expressing its “deep concern” about the collaboration and how it could allow a “third party provider to monetise fandom.”

“The club says One Hotspur members and season ticket holders will be provided with one and five free tokens, respectively, and the arrangement then encourages fans to enter a cryptocurrency ecosystem of which many fans will have little knowledge but will be encouraged to purchase additional tokens to ‘win’ things,” the supporters’ group stated.

“Fans trust the club, and we are concerned that many will end up in a system they do not understand that is designed to monetize their support and love for the club.”

“It is critical that there are no financial or technological barriers to fan engagement, but this relationship has the potential to create both.” The THST expects the club to protect our supporters from financial loss, yet this agreement appears to do the reverse by exposing fans to potential damages.

“We shall also be asking the club to confirm that supporters’ data will not be shared with any provider without further consultation or consent.”