Business of Sport Ep.27: Jonathan Turner, Board Member @ Tottenham Hotspur, What goes on in the boardroom of a Premier League Club

Business of Sport

Jonathan is a board member at Tottenham. We’ve covered ownership, management, players, but what happens in the boardroom of football's biggest clubs? Brought in by Daniel Levy, and a lifelong fan with a background in investment and technology, Jonathan brings the breadth of experience and perspective that’s increasingly valuable in football.

How much of a meeting is focused on business strategy and how much is performance? How do you measure success? These are the questions we don't get an insight into and fans want to understand, and Jonathan’s role at one of the biggest clubs in the country provides a fascinating insight into the behind the scenes world of football governance.

On today's show, we discuss:

What goes on in the boardroom:

• How much of the conversation in board meetings is short term performance related vs long term strategy?
• A balance between good business and winning on the field can be hard to find. Why?
• The new stadium was a major part of developing Spurs into a global football power. What opportunities have been created by having one of the best stadiums in the game?
• Work in the community is a major part of the club’s social value. Why is this so important to teams?
• What makes Daniel Levy such a good businessmen and in turn operator of a football club?

Tottenham’s global brand

• Value of the Premier League to an international audience and the brands it has been able to create out of its clubs.
• Having an international reach puts pressure on the schedule to travel and take games to places like Australia and South Korea.
• It’s estimated Tottenham have over 200 million fans globally. How do clubs measure this and what do they do to maximise the experience of supporting the club for all fans?
• Growth of the game in the US has provided incredible opportunity to add further value and audience to the League.

Jonathan’s role and motivations

• A lifelong fan with a huge passion for football, how Daniel Levy asked him to join the board and be a part of the decision making setup.
• How a background in investment and tech made him the perfect person to bring a new set of skills and perspectives to the board.
• Football clubs, much like any business today, need to think like technology companies. What does this mean?
• Building the right infrastructure behind the scenes is a key part of establishing success. How has the board recruited across performance and operations?

We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/