Tottenham supporters’ confidence hits new low across every measure
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust’s January 2026 Five Principles Survey presents a stark picture of supporter confidence in the club’s ownership. The Trust published the survey on 4 February after conducting it in January. It said every one of the five principles used to assess the direction of the club had reached its lowest score since the survey began.
The five principles were agreed by the Trust membership and the club’s board as measures of the football club’s direction. The January findings followed surveys in February and June 2025. Although the Trust said earlier results had shown modest movement in some areas, including after the 2025 Europa League success, it described the latest results as a comprehensive decline across all five principles.
The scores
Commit to Winning received a score of 1.65 out of 10, while Attract & Retain Talent scored 1.94 and Fans First scored 1.90. Future-Proof Success, though the highest-rated principle, was still only 2.96. Lead with Integrity received 2.20.
The Athletic’s report on the survey said more than 4,500 supporters responded. It reported that Commit to Winning had fallen from 3.5 in June 2025 to 1.65, Attract & Retain Talent from 3.3 to 1.94, and Future-Proof Success from 5.9 to 2.96. The report also recorded declines in Lead with Integrity, from 4.0 to 2.2, and Fans First, from 3.2 to 1.9.
Why the Trust says confidence has fallen
In its assessment of Commit to Winning, the Trust pointed to supporters’ frustration over investment and recruitment, as well as four home league wins in the previous year. It said the club had changed managers in the summer with the stated aim of competing on multiple fronts, but that many fans did not believe the club was closer to that aim.
The Trust linked the low Attract & Retain Talent score to concerns over recruitment strategy and wage competitiveness. It noted comments from Vinai Venkatesham in the 17 January 2026 match programme on a wage structure intended to support the club’s ambition, while saying it would continue to seek evidence that the ambition was being met.
Under Lead with Integrity, the Trust said previous goodwill from price freezes and improved communication had dissipated. It cited higher Champions League prices and a visibly high number of empty seats at matches it believed should sell out with a reasonable pricing strategy. It also said supporters continued to value the club’s equality, disability and inclusion work, environmental and community commitments, and financial probity.
For Fans First, the Trust said restrictions on ticket sharing and the removal of supporters from the Cup Guarantee Scheme, later partially rescinded, had been viewed as penal. It said these changes were introduced without Trust input or, in one case, without seeking it, deepening the sense of disconnect between the club and its supporters.
What happens next
The Trust said the survey results had been shared with Tottenham Hotspur’s directors as part of its ongoing dialogue with the club. It also noted that a new CEO and managerial changes had taken place over the previous year, while supporters were increasingly impatient to see meaningful progress on and off the pitch.
The Trust thanked those who took part and encouraged supporters to participate in future surveys. Its stated position is that engagement, ambition and investment are needed to rebuild confidence, with sustained improvement required across the club’s operations.
