Inside Spurs after Daniel Levy: Thomas Frank upbeat as ownership shift raises questions for fans

Tottenham Hotspur coach Thomas Frank said the club’s day-to-day operation had not dramatically changed after the surprise departure of long-serving chairman Daniel Levy, but supporters and some club figures signalled that scrutiny and protest were not over despite new faces in the boardroom.

Levy left the role last week after nearly 25 years at the helm, a move that has prompted fresh attention on ownership and governance at the Premier League club. Frank, who acknowledged Levy’s role in his own appointment, described recent meetings with the new chairman Peter Charrington and members of the Lewis family as "good, constructive conversations" and said he felt the club’s new leadership was "very committed" to building for the future.

Despite the personnel changes at the top, the ownership structure has not. ENIC remains the club’s majority shareholder, the organisation has affirmed the club is "not for sale," and Levy retains a stake reportedly worth nearly a third of ENIC. That continuity has left some supporters cautious about how much will change in practice.

Vinai Venkatesham, who previously worked at Arsenal, has emerged as the public face of Tottenham and has begun engaging with supporters. Members of the Lewis family, including Vivienne Lewis, have promised a more visible role than the patriarch Joe Lewis had played. Frank said those developments align with a desire for "transparency and clarity" about the club’s ambition and strategy.

Supporters’ groups and former trust leaders welcomed the prospect of a more open culture but urged patience and vigilance. Martin Cloake, a season-ticket holder and former co-chair of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, said he hoped a more collegiate approach would replace a culture where people felt they were "looking over their shoulders," adding that proof would come only through sustained change.

Jay Coughlan of Change for Tottenham, a fan protest group, said the organisation would not disappear. "There are people not happy to see ENIC still in control but there has to a period where we give this the space to settle and observe," he said.

Some immediate areas for change have been identified by supporters and club observers. A long-running dispute over the withdrawal of ticket concessions for over-65s — branded by protesters as "immoral" and "unethical" — has been highlighted as an issue the new regime could reverse quickly. Other relatively straightforward measures suggested include a price freeze on season tickets and dialogue aimed at improving matchday atmosphere.

The boardroom’s visibility has been a frequent criticism under Levy. Managers including Ange Postecoglou and Antonio Conte publicly criticised what they saw as a lack of communication from the club’s leadership during their tenures. Frank said easing the burden of being the club’s lone public voice was important and that alignment on strategy and expectations between the coaching staff and the board was "absolutely crucial."

On the pitch, Tottenham’s performances remain central to supporters’ patience. The team were booed off after a home defeat by Bournemouth in the final game of Levy’s time as chairman. Spurs travel to local rivals West Ham on Saturday with new signings Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani available, although Kolo Muani is short of match fitness and unlikely to start. Dominic Solanke remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

Club officials, staff and supporters said the immediate days after Levy’s exit felt surreal at the training ground, where the sudden absence of a figure who had been central to the club for a quarter-century was keenly felt. While some fans have packed away large anti-ENIC banners and paused chants calling for Levy’s removal, protest groups have indicated they will keep pressure on the majority shareholders until they see concrete changes.

Venkatesham has begun a programme of engagement that includes attending a fans’ advisory board meeting, but he has yet to take questions from independent national media. Observers said the coming weeks would be telling, as supporters measure whether new faces translate into different decisions on ticketing, communications and investment in the squad.

For now, Tottenham’s leadership transition has created cautious optimism in parts of the fanbase and continued scepticism among others. The club enters a period in which visible gestures and policy changes will be examined closely for signs that ownership intends to alter the relationship with supporters and the wider culture at Hotspur Way.