Tottenham Hotspur License Agreed
We are proud to announce that we have agreed a license with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to be able to use their crest on pool tables and pool table cloth.
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Having worked with the licensing team at Spurs over the last few months, we are now finalising the designs we will be using. In partnership with our friends at Hainsworth we have selected a specially coloured cloth to match the historic Spurs branding. We are now in the final stages of product approval and hope to have product available during November 2013.
Our agreement with Spurs is the latest in a number of licensing agreements we have made over the last few years. We work with a number of leading global brands, such as Jack Daniel’s, Manchester City, Everton, and Sunderland AFC to use their logos, crests, badges and branding on a range of games room equipment. We have a number of other license agreements which are also in the pipeline. As soon as we have some firm news we will let you know.
We have found that Spurs fans are particularly passionate about their club and have been very keen to be able to use their iconic badge on a pool cloth. We have already taken a couple of orders, so if you are interested please give us a call with your requirements.
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Home Leisure Direct Visit Spurs Training Centre
Last week we had the privilege of being invited to visit the incredible Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre which opened in September last year. Roger and I made the trip to Enfield to take a look around.
The state-of-the-art facility is the home of the Club’s First Team and Academy, and is recognised as one of the very best in Europe and we could see why. The attention to detail and standard of design and build quality was amazing. I remember reading last year that it had cost £40m which is a huge expenditure, but with Spurs ambitions to attract the best talent, anyone lucky enough to be in a position to contemplate joining the club couldn’t fail to be impressed.
There are 15 grass pitches, arranged beginning with the Academy pitches for the youngest players, then progressing by age along the driveway toward the main building. The First Team match pitch is built exactly to the same specification as the pitch at White Hart lane, with the same camber in the same places. You see what I mean by attention to detail.
We were invited into the auditorium, situated off the main reception, where there were a number of presentations, detailing the Club’s future plans for stadium development along with greatly improved retail presence. Under Armour talked us through their approach to providing the very best high tech equipment for the Club and how they work with the players at every level to improve on everything they do.
An excellent Q&A session was held with ex-player and now Assistant Head Coach Steffen Freund and legendary centreback Ledley King. We were given the opportunity to ask them whatever we wanted. A great discussion was had over the development of English talent and the issues which have recently been raised by Greg Dyke. Steffen was articulate and open in his views that often by the time the showcase World Cup and European Championships arrive our players are exhausted after a long season and many games. He feels that the winter break used in many other countries is of huge benefit and should not be underestimated.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Ledley and Steffen, appreciating them taking their time to share their thoughts with us. We left them feeling a sense of purpose and determination is in place. There was no arrogance. Just that they have a plan. A way of working together to improve the team, whilst maintaining a spirit amongst everyone involved with the Club.
Next was lunch. We went to the First Team restaurant where I enjoyed seabass and Roger had the pork. Both were excellent. We talked with Tony Stevens, the Club PR manager about the work he does and what was involved in his role. The restaurant looks over the gym and then out onto the first team training pitch. A subliminal message that you need to eat right or you’ll be in the gym before you get onto the pitch.
Then came the tour. Dave Carter was our guide, first taking us outside to explain the arrangement of the pitches which I described earlier. We walked around the exterior of the indoor pitch and re-entered the building via the First Team entrance. Dave explained that this entrance is also the route by which Daniel Levy accesses his office, where he is based. We walked through the entry gates, which players unlock using their fingerprints. Dave explained that the players often lose their security cards, but will always have their finger. They have both hands recorded, just in case of injury.
As we walked towards the First Team changing rooms André Villas-Boas approached us in discussion with a colleague. As we visited during the international break, the players not on duty with their countries were in to train as normal with academy players drafted in the make up the numbers to 22. AVB said hello as he walked by, looking relaxed, like a man with a plan.
We sat in the boot room while Dave continued to share with us what life was like at the training ground and how things work. I sat in record transfer signing Roberto Soldado’s spot, there was a couple of pairs of luminous boots in the cage under the bench, with his name and number 9 embroidered on them. As we came out of the boot room we bumped into Sir Les Ferdinand, now staff at the Spurs youth team. Another unexpected encounter. Another legend. Like a star struck 14 year old I asked for his autograph.
We then went through to the pool and hydrotherapy complex, altitude room, huge gymnasium and rehabilitation suites. They even had an underwater treadmill, for players recovering from injury to be able to run with their weight partially supported by the water. Underwater cameras record the session to be analysed later.
Next was the indoor pitch, which we were told isn’t actually used by the first team. The artificial pitch can cause injury and isn’t ideal for training. So, rain or shine, or snow and sleet, the team will always be outside. But two of the pitches have undersoil heating, so there’s never a “snow day” for the Spurs team.
As Roger and I made our way back round the M25 on our way home, we reflected on our afternoon. We hadn’t known what to expect, but we were so impressed by the facilities and even more so by all the people we met at the Club. We found everyone to be helpful, enthusiastic, personable and above all passionate about Spurs as an entirety, not just as a “business” they work for. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the place.
We look forward to working closely with everyone at Spurs and making some fantastic products in partnership with them.
Written By: Andy Beresford