As Covid-19 has spread across the globe, life as we have come to know it has drastically changed. Stay at home orders have been issued in many countries, organizations of all sizes have closed, and health services have been overrun with those afflicted by the virus. However, in this time of massive upheaval, many individuals and institutions have stepped up to provide leadership and to give back to their communities. To explore this idea more fully, we turned to the case of Daniel Levy, Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, also known as Spurs. Read on for a look at his club’s response to the global pandemic.
Club background
To understand the Covid-19 response engineered by the club, let’s first take a look at the effect the Chairman’s had on Spurs, which have long been a fixture in the London community of Tottenham. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was founded in the 1880s and has a storied history of competing in professional football since its inception. The club has won many of its league’s most significant trophies over its existence, including its first FA Cup win in 1901. The football club is also known for being the first club in the 20th century to achieve both the League and FA Cup Double, winning both in the 1960-1961 season.
One of the key moments of change in the recent history of the Spurs was the purchase of the club by ENIC and the installation of Daniel Levy as Chairman in 2001.. Since that time, the team has secured newfound success in the English Premier League, setting it up as one of the top tier teams in the country. This success has seen the club achieve a number of accomplishments, including advancement to its first-ever UEFA Champions League Final in 2019.
Communication from Chairman
As the longest-serving chairman in the Premier League, the Spurs’ Chairman has emerged as one of the most visible faces of the organization. As such, one of the priorities of his leadership is to stay in touch with fans through public messaging. A recent example of this is his release of a message via the club’s website to address the current state of the premier league, the club’s immediate prospects, and the reopening of football operations. In this message, he also highlighted the high priority the club places on the health and safety of fans, players, staff, and all others who contribute to the organization.
This most recent message came about in advance of the resumption of football matches, giving the Chairman an opportunity to reflect on the journey to date. “We always said that it was our hope to finish this Premier League season once it was safe and practical to do so,” said Levy. “I am delighted we are about to take our first step towards that this evening with our rescheduled match against Manchester United.” This step heralds in the next stage in the ongoing battle with Covid-19 and the continued push to reopen institutions in a manner that allows for a return to normalcy as soon as is safely possible.
Covid-19 support
In his message, the Chairman also touched upon the many ways in which he and the rest of the football club have been working to aid the country in its fight against Covid-19. “With no football, we at Spurs immediately set about converting areas of our stadium from a home for football to a home for services for the local community,” said the Chairman when addressing this point.
Indeed, that conversion has been rapid and effective in helping to provide key relief to medical services during this time of need. That relief has come from the handing over of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the NHS since April in order to help women’s outpatient services for North Middlesex Hospital. The stadium has also been opened up to Covid-19 drive-through testing to allow a safe and efficient hub for the public to receive testing services as needed. The club was the first in the premier league to open its facilities to this kind of usage, helping set it apart as a leader in the fight to curb the pandemic.
Additional outreach
Beyond the use of the facilities by health professionals, the club has come together to reach out to the community and provide assistance wherever possible. One form in which this has come has been through live video calls between fans and players. These check-ins have helped connect fans to the world beyond their door during their time at home and have given them the chance to lift their spirits by talking with some of their favorite players.
The club’s training staff and players have also helped fans take care of their own physical and mental wellbeing by offering online exercise videos that can be followed along at home. The videos provide a number of exercise guides and tips that have been used to help viewers stay in shape and keep their spirits elevated as they contend with the difficulties of life in the midst of this pandemic. The response to these videos has been overwhelmingly positive with many fans and viewers expressing their appreciation for the organization’s caring actions to provide for its community.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating for communities across the world as many have had to deal with the terrible health consequences of this deadly illness. In response, organizations and leaders in high-profile positions have turned out in droves to help provide for their communities as much as they can. The example of Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is just one such instance of this effect in action. Through a concerted mix of online support along with the opening of facilities for health purposes, the Chairman and the club has helped contribute to the ongoing battle against this global pandemic.