Tottenham force penniless non-league club Fleet Spurs to change badge

[Ian Kane]

A PR nightmare in the Happening. It could have been handled so much better. As Spurs supporter I am a bit embarrassed.

Well you're easily embarrassed then. Big company protects property shocker ! Small business moans about being given time to comply to help reduce costs by big bully company.

International breaks, especially the pointless friendly ones, are shit and bereft of any real stories.

 

[Bulletspur]

Well you're easily embarrassed then. Big company protects property shocker ! Small business moans about being given time to comply to help reduce costs by big bully company.

International breaks, especially the pointless friendly ones, are shit and bereft of any real stories.

I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world.
This club was built on the basis of a world war, and for much needed moral support and trying to get back on their feet, our supporters then started a club in support of our "Mighty Spurs". They have been running for exactly 65 years and other than supporting us, did nothing to harm our club. Our club in their wisdom now decided to set lawyers on this club that is run by contributions and goodwill

Our PR and marketing section should be shot. What they should have done is embrace this club in the spirit of comrade, accept the cost for any changes to their logo (since it bothered them so much), even donate the playing and training kits for them, and go as far as treating them by giving them a testimonial against our own players.The result then would be other clubs, their supporters and the rest of the world including potential sponsors would look on us more favourably than the scorn that they now do.

What spurs has done is very petty and embarrasing, and if you cannot see that then.....words fail me.

 

[TheSecretNonFootballer]

I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world.
This club was built on the basis of a world war, and for much needed moral support and trying to get back on their feet, our supporters then started a club in support of our "Mighty Spurs". They have been running for exactly 65 years and other than supporting us, did nothing to harm our club. Our club in their wisdom now decided to set lawyers on this club that is run by contributions and goodwill

Our PR and marketing section should be shot. What they should have done is embrace this club in the spirit of comrade, accept the cost for any changes to their logo (since it bothered them so much), even donate the playing and training kits for them, and go as far as treating them by giving them a testimonial against our own players.The result then would be other clubs, their supporters and the rest of the world including potential sponsors would look on us more favourably than the scorn that they now do.

What spurs has done is very petty and embarrasing, and if you cannot see that then.....words fail me.

http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/fleetspurs/History

"In 1951 Fleet Spurs FC first gained admittance to the Aldershot and District League. The first club badge was a cockerel on a ball, the same as Tottenham Hotspur FC, the rising stars of English football at the time.

Club colours were originally black and white but subsequently, they changed to red and black stripes (AC Milan) and eventually moved to the blue and red of today.

Tradition holds that Fleet Spurs FC was formed as a reaction or alternative to the long established Fleet Town FC. This was to provide an amateur football club for local players with a strong social environment. Not withstanding, the proud Fleet Spurs FC cockerel moto has undergone several transformations over the years."

So the team was not created in support of Spurs, we just happened to be doing well at the time so they used our badge. The club was, in fact, started as an alternative team to another local team.

They don't support us, they're just using our shit.

 

[arthurgrimsdell]

I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world.
This club was built on the basis of a world war, and for much needed moral support and trying to get back on their feet, our supporters then started a club in support of our "Mighty Spurs". They have been running for exactly 65 years and other than supporting us, did nothing to harm our club. Our club in their wisdom now decided to set lawyers on this club that is run by contributions and goodwill

Our PR and marketing section should be shot. What they should have done is embrace this club in the spirit of comrade, accept the cost for any changes to their logo (since it bothered them so much), even donate the playing and training kits for them, and go as far as treating them by giving them a testimonial against our own players.The result then would be other clubs, their supporters and the rest of the world including potential sponsors would look on us more favourably than the scorn that they now do.

What spurs has done is very petty and embarrasing, and if you cannot see that then.....words fail me.

"They have been running for exactly 65 years and other than supporting us, did nothing to harm our club".
Factually incorrect. They have stolen our intellectual property. The new logo was designed and implemented in 2006 specifically for copyright protection purposes, because the previous logo was not not similarly legally protected and was used willy-nilly for counterfeit goods of all kinds.
"Our PR and marketing section should be shot.".
This is not a matter for the PR and Marketing department, it is a matter for the Legal department, and they have acted in a business-like fashion. There is little point in applying for a copyright on intellectual property if you don't enforce your rights. If the PR department feels it would be good publicity to buy Fleet Spurs a new set of kit I don't doubt they will, but Fleet Spurs will have to design a new logo first, which they haven't yet done.
"The result then would be other clubs, their supporters and the rest of the world including potential sponsors would look on us more favourably than the scorn that they now do."
This is nonsense. Potential sponsors will be actively dissuaded from sponsoring an inefficent company, because they are likely to be tarred with the same brush. I am yet to see evidence that the rest of the world looks upon us with any scorn at all for enforcing our legal rights, apart from a non-story written at the invitation of those who run Fleet Spurs, who you apparently think support the club. They are clearly not doing so at the moment; the opposite in fact.
"I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world." I don't see why you felt the need to start with this silly and insulting comment, but I don't doubt you have your reasons.

 

[dynamoSpurs]

I think it would be good PR for Levy if he pays for their new kits for them once they change their badge.

That's the stuff of fairly tales and Hollywood movies.. But fully agree with the idea! Would be so cool!

 

[lenny7]

It looks like our logo had a head on collision with PSG's.

 

[Shadydan]

Our lawyers attack better than our team.

Props!

 

[SlunkSoma]

Why don't we send them a youth player whilst we are at it to give them a leg-up in their league? What's Gomes doing at the moment, might as well get him to deliver their new kits.

 

[Misfit]

Has Bullet's account been hacked? Serious question.

 

[nidge]

You can tell it's an international break when non-stories like these hit the press.

 

[jambreck]

A PR nightmare in the Happening. It could have been handled so much better. As Spurs supporter I am a bit embarrassed.

PR nightmare?

I doubt that many people other than Spurs fans will even read this story. And most who do read it will perfectly well understand that Spurs:

a) have a duty to protect their trademark and have no choice but to take this action
b) are handling this case sensibly and proportionately

 

[Kingstheman]

You can tell it's an international break when non-stories like these hit the press.

In other news, Tottenham academy starlet I. P. Freely spotted in local ASDA buying chocolate milk.

 

[jambreck]

I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world.
This club was built on the basis of a world war, and for much needed moral support and trying to get back on their feet, our supporters then started a club in support of our "Mighty Spurs". They have been running for exactly 65 years and other than supporting us, did nothing to harm our club. Our club in their wisdom now decided to set lawyers on this club that is run by contributions and goodwill

Our PR and marketing section should be shot. What they should have done is embrace this club in the spirit of comrade, accept the cost for any changes to their logo (since it bothered them so much), even donate the playing and training kits for them, and go as far as treating them by giving them a testimonial against our own players.The result then would be other clubs, their supporters and the rest of the world including potential sponsors would look on us more favourably than the scorn that they now do.

What spurs has done is very petty and embarrasing, and if you cannot see that then.....words fail me.

1. Why should Spurs accept any costs, donate kit or organise a testimonial for Fleet to compensate them for having to change their logo? Fleet obviously had enough money to change their logo and kit to include Spurs' new logo in the first instance. So clearly, changing logos isn't something that they find especially burdensome. They have only themselves to blame.

2. If those connected with Fleet Spurs were such good Spurs fans, they wouldn't have gone running to the press with this story. They would simply have accepted that they are completely in the wrong and they would have understood that Spurs have no choice but to protect their trademark. They might even have been grateful for the sensible and tolerant manner in which Spurs have handled the issue.

 

[Ian Kane]

I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world.
This club was built on the basis of a world war, and for much needed moral support and trying to get back on their feet, our supporters then started a club in support of our "Mighty Spurs". They have been running for exactly 65 years and other than supporting us, did nothing to harm our club. Our club in their wisdom now decided to set lawyers on this club that is run by contributions and goodwill

Our PR and marketing section should be shot. What they should have done is embrace this club in the spirit of comrade, accept the cost for any changes to their logo (since it bothered them so much), even donate the playing and training kits for them, and go as far as treating them by giving them a testimonial against our own players.The result then would be other clubs, their supporters and the rest of the world including potential sponsors would look on us more favourably than the scorn that they now do.

What spurs has done is very petty and embarrasing, and if you cannot see that then.....words fail me.

The potential sponsors you speak of would do exactly the same thing ! What usually happens is they get a cease & desist order and they get 7 days to clear the logo from everything. We seem to have tried to be reasonable but had to involve lawyers to push home the point: they cannot use our logo, even in part without permission. They now have time to remedy the situation that other companies wouldn't have afforded them. We've been more than reasonable in this matter.

Imagine if we let it slide and started handing out training gear, balls & match day kit ? 10 other clubs would suddenly have the Spurs cockerel and expect the same thing.

 

[Bulletspur]

"I suppose it takes all sorts including your self to make up this world." I don't see why you felt the need to start with this silly and insulting comment, but I don't doubt you have your reasons.

Knee jerk out of frustration which i now take back but I stand by the rest of my rant.

 

[TheSecretNonFootballer]

The potential sponsors you speak of would do exactly the same thing ! What usually happens is they get a cease & desist order and they get 7 days to clear the logo from everything. We seem to have tried to be reasonable but had to involve lawyers to push home the point: they cannot use our logo, even in part without permission. They now have time to remedy the situation that other companies wouldn't have afforded them. We've been more than reasonable in this matter.

Imagine if we let it slide and started handing out training gear, balls & match day kit ? 10 other clubs would suddenly have the Spurs cockerel and expect the same thing.

I'd have some of that action.

 

[rsmith]

Our lawyers wouldn't be doing their job properly if they let this kind of trademark infringement pass. However, a good lawyer would take on board the commercial and PR aspects too. A competent lawyer would send a cease and desist letter. A good lawyer would work with the marketing and PR departments to make sure that there was a positive aspect.

 

[Blake Griffin]

Tottenham have given them time to replace it thou. They will give them till next season i believe.
They have said they dont wana cost them money so will just give them time to change it.

how do you know this? it's like you read the op or something.

 

[Tott66]

More negative press what next levy ate my hamster

 

[Spurs in Belgium]

http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/fleetspurs/History

"In 1951 Fleet Spurs FC first gained admittance to the Aldershot and District League. The first club badge was a cockerel on a ball, the same as Tottenham Hotspur FC, the rising stars of English football at the time.

Club colours were originally black and white but subsequently, they changed to red and black stripes (AC Milan) and eventually moved to the blue and red of today.

Tradition holds that Fleet Spurs FC was formed as a reaction or alternative to the long established Fleet Town FC. This was to provide an amateur football club for local players with a strong social environment. Not withstanding, the proud Fleet Spurs FC cockerel moto has undergone several transformations over the years."

So the team was not created in support of Spurs, we just happened to be doing well at the time so they used our badge. The club was, in fact, started as an alternative team to another local team.

They don't support us, they're just using our shit.

They were founded by Tottenham fans in the late 40's/early 50's, hence the use of our badge from the founding of the club all those years ago. Coming from Fleet I'm probably biased here, but IMO this is totally different from bootleggers passing off their merchandise as official Spurs gear. What's to stop them letting this ride and still clamping down on the bottleggers flogging dodgy gear? My son played for Fleet Spurs before we moved to Belgium, and I was proud that we had the badge of our club on the shirts, especially as it is a predominantly Chelsea area. It would be a nice gesture by the club if they offer assistance in designing the new badge that could keep the identity of Fleet Spurs linked with the club.

Do I need to change my avatar now?