Tottenham Supporters’ Trust issues strong statement on staff furlough — “Listen to your fans”

The supporter-led backlash to Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to furlough a large percentage of its non-essential and non-playing staff has been swift and intense. Spurs fans have been lambasting the club on social media and numerous football personalities, including some ex-Spurs players, have expressed some very vocal opposition to Tottenham’s current course of action.

The pressure hasn’t let up, especially after Liverpool — who had previously joined the ranks of Premier League clubs who had taken advantage of the government’s 80% wage furlough plan — reversed course on Monday, apologizing to fans and saying they would cover their staff’s wages at 100% themselves. Spurs, meanwhile, are still on course to let the government cover their staffs’ wages at 80%, with no further contributions from the club.

Now the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has weighed in, and they’ve done so in absolutely unambiguous terms.

The THST is the only officially-recognized Tottenham fan organization, and their opinion holds a lot of sway with Spurs supporters as they regularly meet with the club board to discuss matters of supporter interest. There are no indications that Spurs are planning to change direction anytime soon on this issue, though the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick notes that there’s still time for the club to make an unlikely about face as staff aren’t paid until the end of the month.

The club has not commented publicly since announcing their intention to use the governmental furlough system.