Arsenal and Spurs, the Past, Present and Future

A seminar as part of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre Public Seminar Series

Lecture Theatre B35
Main Birkbeck Building
Torrington Square
Birkbeck College
London WC1E 0PD

Date, Monday 23rd September, 2019, at 6pm.

For directions click here.

Attendance at the event is free but you need TO REGISTER.

Synopsis

While Arsenal have regressed from being a UEFA Champions League club to a UEFA Europa League club – the only top six Premier League club not to have increased their revenue in 2018 – Spurs have gone in the other direction, and when financial results for 2018/2019 are revealed they will show that they have overtaken Arsenal (2017/2018 revenue: Arsenal £389m, Spurs £381m).

To have a successful business one must have a successful team. Both clubs are at the crossroads. What has brought them to this stage? In this presentation, Alex Fynn will argue that Arsenal, both on and off the field, have done a disservice to the glorious Wenger years, while Pochettino and Levy have taken Spurs, in European terms, to a higher level than they have ever reached in their entire history.

Can Unai Emery and Josh Kroenke restore Arsenal’s values? Can Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy exploit their UEFA Champions League success?

The presentation draws on the just published: Fynn, A. & Cloake M. (September 2019). One Step From Glory: The story of Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League Campaign 2018/2019.

Biography

Alex Fynn is a well-known consultant to the sports’ industry who has also written extensively on the subject of the football business. He has advised both Arsenal and Spurs on the creation of the Premier League and advertising, and written books about both clubs. Through his work he has been influential in the formation of both the English Premier League and the UEFA European Champions League. Previously Alex was a director of the well-known advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, latterly as vice-chairman. He was responsible for a number of major clients including Procter & Gamble. Throughout his career Alex has acted as an advisor on the negotiation of the sale of TV broadcasting rights for a number of clubs and federations including the FA, the Football League, the RFU and the British Athletics Federation.

Martin Cloake is a writer, editor and Tottenham Hotspur season-ticket holder who has watched the team regularly since 1978. He was co-author of the award-winning book 61: The Spurs Double, and consultant editor of the Tottenham Hotspur Opus. He is the author of The Lane, the official history of Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane stadium.