S3E03 | Transfer Politics: Spurs, Forest & the Power Struggle
On today’s show, we’re digging into the story that’s dominated Spurs Twitter this week. Tottenham believed they had met the £60 million release clause for Morgan Gibbs-White, only for Nottingham Forest and their owner, Evangelos Marianakis, to block the move.
Was the clause actually triggered? Did Forest act in bad faith? And where does this leave Spurs, a club trying to make serious moves in the market, when even clear contractual agreements seem to be up for interpretation?
To help make sense of it all, I’m joined by Greg from Forest Focus, who knows the inner workings of Nottingham Forest better than most. We’ll talk about Marianakis’s decision to reject the deal, how Forest fans view his leadership, and whether there’s any fear that his strong-arm tactics could one day damage the club’s Premier League status.
We’ll also discuss Morgan Gibbs-White himself, what kind of player Spurs were trying to sign, whether he wanted the move, and if he should have taken it further by involving the PFA.
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S3E02 | The South Stand Revolution: THFC Flags and the Future of Atmosphere
In this episode of The Lab, Sam Wilson from THFC Flags shares how a grassroots fan movement helped transform the atmosphere at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. From AJ Tracey-funded TIFOs to unforgettable European nights like Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt, we explore the logistics, club collaboration, and impact on players. Sam also talks about working with Return of the Shelf and Spurs Song Sheet, the challenges of sustainability, and the ambition to unify the South Stand. If you've ever wondered how fan displays come together and why they matter, this episode lifts the lid on the passion behind the flags.
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S3E01 | Wages, Debt, and Daniel Levy
In this episode of The Lab, we’re joined by Anatole Pang, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter with a professional background in investment banking, private equity, and financial analysis. Anatole brings an investor’s perspective to the world of football finance, cutting through the noise to examine how clubs, especially Spurs, really operate behind the scenes. Together, we unpack five commonly held beliefs about Tottenham’s financial position: that the club is rich, spends big, has a restrictive wage structure, is already benefitting from the stadium, and is run by a great businessman in Daniel Levy. Drawing on detailed financial data and years of experience in corporate investment, Anatole challenges the assumptions that dominate fan discourse and media narratives alike. This is a deep dive into what football clubs are actually built on: operational cash flow, risk appetite, capital investment, and long-term planning. If you want to understand the real business of Spurs, this is the episode to listen to.
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S2E51 | Bridging the Gap: Spurs, the Trust & a New Era
On this episode of The Lab, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust members Michael Green (Chair) and Steve Cavalier (Board Member and Fan Advisory Board representative) join to discuss the growing relationship between the club and its fans. They share insights from their recent meeting with new CEO Vinai Venkatesham, explain how the Fan Advisory Board operates, and discuss key issues including ticket pricing, atmosphere initiatives like Return of the Shelf, and supporter influence. They also explore Johan Lange’s recruitment strategy and the Trust’s five principles of ownership—used to measure and challenge the club’s performance on and off the pitch.
If you’re not already a member of THST, do consider joining us, as a full or associate member: https://www.thstofficial.com/membership.html
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S2E50 | Thomas Frank’s Tottenham: Shape-Shifting & Set Pieces
In this episode of The Lab, Ben Bowman returns to dig into how Thomas Frank could shape Tottenham Hotspur tactically. From the possibility of a back three to a more fluid 4-2-3-1, we unpack what Spurs’ summer transfer links reveal about Frank’s likely setup. We explore why players like Van de Ven, Romero, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, and Solanke could all flourish under Frank’s pragmatism. We also discuss Brentford’s elite set-piece approach, the marginal gains Frank obsessively pursues, and what it all means for Spurs' short- and long-term prospects.
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Brought to you by the lads at The Fighting Cock, The Lab is a Football podcast that encourages in depth conversation on subject matter that ranges from tactics, to transfer deals, how injuries are treated, to an agent's role, to content creators, to coaches, and much more.
Essentially The Lab is a podcast that talks about everything around the pitch, not just just what happens on it.
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