Who Actually Owns Tottenham Hotspur F.C.?
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, known as Spurs, is a professional football team from north London, England. Playing in the Premier League, they have called the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium home since 2019, after replacing their historic White Hart Lane ground.
Spurs were the first British club to win two European trophies and achieved the League and FA Cup Double in 1960–61. They have won numerous titles, including two league championships and eight FA Cups, and share a fierce rivalry with Arsenal, and Chelsea football club.
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Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Ownership History
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became a limited company, the Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Company Ltd, on 2 March 1898.
This move was made to raise funds for the club and to limit the personal liability of its members. Initially, 8,000 shares were issued at £1 each, although only 1,558 shares were taken up in the first year.
By 1905, a total of 4,892 shares had been sold. With time, several families became major shareholders, including the Wale family, who had a long association with the club dating back to the 1930s, as well as the Richardson and Bearman families.
From 1943 to 1984, members of these families served as chairmen of the club after the passing of Charles Robert, who had been chairman since the club’s founding.
In the early 1980s, Tottenham faced financial difficulties due to rising debts caused by cost overruns in the construction of a new West Stand and previous rebuilding efforts for the team.
In November 1982, Irving Scholar, a fan of the club, purchased 25% of Tottenham for £600,000, gaining control alongside businessman Paul Bobroff.
To raise more funds, Scholar decided to float Tottenham Hotspur plc on the London Stock Exchange in 1983. This made Tottenham the first European sports club to be listed on the stock market.
The share issue was a success, with 3.8 million shares being sold quickly. This move allowed fans and institutions to buy and trade shares in the company freely.
A legal case from 1935 had set a precedent that the club’s directors could refuse to allow the transfer of shares from one shareholder to another.
Despite the early success of the flotation, Tottenham faced financial difficulties in the following years due to ill-judged business decisions under Scholar’s leadership.
This led to a change in ownership in 1991. In June of that year, businessman Alan Sugar teamed up with former player Terry Venables to purchase the club.
Both men became equal partners, with each investing £3.25 million in the club. However, by December 1991, Sugar increased his stake to £8 million and became the dominant partner, taking effective control of the club.
The relationship between Sugar and Venables became strained, and in May 1993, Venables was removed from the board following a dispute. As the 1990s progressed, Sugar began to consider selling the club.
His tenure was a period of both financial struggles and attempts to modernize the club, but by the early 2000s, it became clear that the club needed new leadership to take it forward.
Who Owns Tottenham Hotspur F.C.Now?
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is currently owned by the ENIC Group, a British investment company. ENIC, originally known as the English National Investment Company, is led by Joe Lewis, a British businessman.
The company’s subsidiary, ENIC International Limited, holds 86.58% of the total shares of Tottenham Hotspur. Within ENIC, Joe Lewis’s family trust owns 70.12% of ENIC International, while club chairman Daniel Levy and his family own 29.88% of the company’s shares.
ENIC’s involvement with Tottenham Hotspur began in 2001 when it purchased a controlling stake in the club from then-chairman Alan Sugar.
Daniel Levy, who was part of the deal, became the chairman of the club. Since then, ENIC has worked to increase its investment in Tottenham, eventually raising its shareholding to the current 86.58%.
Over the years, ENIC has strategically sold off its other football club investments, including stakes in Rangers F.C., AEK Athens, and Slavia Prague, focusing more on Tottenham.
Joe Lewis, the majority shareholder, controls the company through a family trust. Levy, while holding a smaller portion of ENIC’s shares, has played a big part in the club’s management and decision-making process.
Under Levy’s leadership, Tottenham has seen major growth, including the construction of their new state-of-the-art stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019.
In 2007, ENIC completed a buyout of Sugar’s remaining shares in Tottenham Hotspur, consolidating control. However, the company faced challenges with some of its other investments, such as its stake in SK Slavia Prague, which was sold in 2006.
Additionally, ENIC also had stakes in media and entertainment companies, but over time, the company decided to focus more on football and sold off these non-football-related assets.
One of the most notable developments for Tottenham Hotspur under ENIC’s ownership was in May 2022, when the club announced a capital increase of up to £150 million through the issue of new shares. This move was intended to provide the club with better financial flexibility.
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How Much Is Tottenham Worth?
Tottenham Hotspur is valued at approximately €3.51 billion (around $3.2 billion) as of Sep 5, 2024, a 26% increase from the previous year.
This rise in valuation places the club among the top ten most valuable football clubs in the world, ranking eighth according to Forbes.
Several key factors have contributed to this increase in value, including the club’s performance, strategic commercial moves, and the impact of their new stadium.
One of the biggest contributors to Tottenham’s rising worth is the opening of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019.
This state-of-the-art venue, which hosts football matches, NFL games, and concerts, has boosted the club’s revenue. The stadium improves matchday income and also creates new opportunities through events and partnerships.
This multi-purpose venue has proven to be a major asset for the club, opening up new commercial streams. On-field performance has also played a part in increasing the club’s value.
Tottenham finished fifth in the Premier League for the 2023/24 season, which helped maintain its competitive standing in English football.
Good results on the pitch keep the club relevant and popular, which attracts fans, sponsors, and investors. Tottenham has also focused on expanding its brand internationally, tapping into global markets, particularly through commercial strategies like sponsorships and merchandise sales.
The club has been successful in building its global fan base, which has driven higher revenues from these commercial channels.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.
