August 14 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur, fresh from their pre-season tour of the US, have returned to North America to sign a youth ‘soccer’ partnership with Tallahasse United who will rename themselves Tallahassee Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs, like a number of other of elite European clubs travelled to the US and Canada this summer to prepare for their upcoming league seasons. But unlike many of their counterparts Spurs focus looks to have been less on the making of money and more on the making of friends and the building of a ‘bigger’ future.
The Tallahassee link-up is further evidence of this, with more than 1,000 players engaged within the youth set-up.
The first team US tour by Spurs was different from other European clubs who chose seemingly to tour together, and often play each other – the match between Manchester United and Real Madrid had a record breaking 109.318 spectators in Ann Arbour Michigan – in local international friendly tournaments.
Spurs instead played three separate matches against MLS opposition, starting in Seattle against the Sounders with a 3-3 draw in front of a 55,000 crowd. Next stop was Toronto and a 3-2 win against the side that had bought former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe earlier this year. The friendly was part of the deal that took Defoe to Toronto but no appearance fee was paid for the game. Spurs stayed in town for a couple of days and varied
The final tour match against the Chicago Fire was watched by 383,000 viewers on ESPN – the highest US television viewing figure out of all friendly matches played that weekend.
While the first team did not make it to Florida, the club’s influence and brand did. Tottenham Hotspur will base a member of its Global Coaching team in Tallahassee to provide the youth set-up with full-time support on the ground, to support and help oversee player development using methods based around “a philosophy of stylish, attacking football”.
Spurs may not be the first English Premier League name that springs to the mind of US football fans, but the club does have 30 Official Supporters clubs in the region, more than any other Premier League club.
The Spurs approach to expanding its fan base is based on creating a stronger and more sustainable grassroots element than the fly-in-cash-out approach of some of their more decorated counterparts. It is not all about the Tottenham Hotspur brand, but by focusing on giving positively to the grassroots community the club brand inevitably builds. And perhaps with the strongest and longest kind of loyalty possible.
Head of Tottenham Hotspur Global Coaching, Grant Cornwell, said: “Tottenham Hotspur Global Coaching aims to create and deliver the best learning environment to encourage and develop the skills and techniques of young players throughout the world… We are creating pathways and opportunities for young players and coaches associated with Tallahassee … This partnership is a real investment into the grassroots of US soccer and a fantastic opportunity for both organisations.”
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