Tottenham Hotspur

Members of Proud Lilywhites, the Official LGBTQI+ Supporters Association of Tottenham Hotspur, represented the Club this weekend at the annual ‘Pride in London’ parade.

Beginning at Hyde Park Corner, Proud Lilywhites marched through central London alongside our branded fully-electric bus - wrapped in the Pride rainbow colours, featuring the Proud Lilywhites’ name and the Club’s iconic crest.

Proud Lilywhites were formed in 2014 with the aim of driving inclusivity and bringing the Club’s LGBTQI+ fanbase together around a shared love for the game.

Today, Proud Lilywhites’ membership stands at nearly 1,000 fans across the world, following a decade of campaigning and activity alongside the Club, including:

The Proud Lilywhites flag on display in stadium on all home matchdays – sending a clear and important message that Tottenham Hotspur is for everyone

Events including Pride marches, photo opportunities and Q&As with players and Ambassadors, matchday activities and lighting up the stadium in rainbow colours

Training for matchday stewards, Club staff, players and local community groups on how to identify and combat homophobia

The launch of retail range at the Spurs Shop, including t-shirts, flags and accessories

Recognition in the form of two Football v Homophobia awards in both 2020 and 2023

Marking the group’s 10-year anniversary with a special celebration event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with over 100 Proud Lilywhites members and allies in attendance, including players from the men’s and women’s teams

To further mark Pride month, Proud Lilywhites are holding a charity raffle, where fans have the chance to win a signed Heung-Min Son rainbow captain’s armband. Supporters can enter the raffle here.

Kyle Boyd, Co-Chair of Proud Lilywhites, said “Pride in London is always a special moment for us, but this year it feels more important than ever.

“At a time when LGBTQI+ communities are facing growing challenges both here in the UK and around the world, showing up, being visible really matters.

“Representing Tottenham Hotspur at Pride reminds us that football can be a force for unity, acceptance and real change and that everyone deserves to feel seen and supported.”

To find out more about the Proud Lilywhites, and to become a member, visit: Proud Lilywhites or follow @spurslgbt

Martin Ho spoke of instilling a confidence, belief and freedom in the group as our new Women's First Team Head Coach can't wait to get started ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Having signed a contract that runs until 2028 on Friday (4 July), Martin was at Hotspur Way this week to get familiar with his new surroundings as he embarks on a new adventure at the Club.

Joining us from Norwegian side SK Brann, where under his guidance the side impressed in the domestic league and UEFA Women’s Champions League, the 35-year-old returns to the English game and revealed why he is particularly excited to work with our squad.

As he sat down with SPURSPLAY, Martin elaborated that the team possesses a strong balance between the senior and young players, while also setting out how he can help the players develop with pre-season just around the corner ahead of our seventh season in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

“It’s a wonderful team,” he told us. “You’ve got a really good balance between youth and experienced players.

“We just need to make sure we find the right balance in the team when we are playing, give them confidence and belief, motivate them to make mistakes and be brave.

“I want to make sure every player has the confidence and belief to go on the pitch and, when they go out there, they play with freedom.”

And, while he is excited to help develop the players, he also told us about the style of play our fans can expect to see under his leadership and highlighted the important role the Spurs faithful can play in helping the team progress even further on the pitch.

“We’ll play a dynamic, attacking-based game, not just for the playing squad, but more for the fans and community that they can get on board with,” Martin added.

“The more we do that, the more backing we’ll get, and I think the fans play a huge part in the development of the team and its progress. If we can get them on board and bring them closer to us, I feel they could play a key part in our success.”

Watch | First interview with Martin Ho

We are delighted to announce the signing of Max McFadden following his departure from Leeds United.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has signed a contract with the Club until 2027 and will join up with our Under-21 squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Max has spent the last three years in the Academy at the Elland Road side, stepping up to their Under-21s in the summer of 2024 and playing against us in the Premier League 2 last season.

Prior to joining Leeds, Max spent time in the youth ranks at Colchester United, West Ham United and Southend United.

Watch | Max McFadden speaks to SPURSPLAY

Martin Ho | First day  Tottenham Hotspur

Martin Ho spoke of his delight to be named as our new Women’s Head Coach in his first interview with the Club.

Appointed on Friday (4 July), Martin put pen to paper on a contract that runs until 2028 after joining us from Norwegian side SK Brann where he spent the last 18 months.

The 35-year-old then sat down with SPURSPLAY to outline how positive conversations with the senior leadership team - Women's Managing Director Andy Rogers, Director of Football Administration and Governance Rebecca Caplehorn, Chief Executive Officer Vinai Venkatesham and Chairman Daniel Levy - was an important factor in his decision, while also discussing his excitement for his new role and how he hopes to create special moments for the supporters.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” he told us. “After having a conversation with Andy, Rebecca, Vinai - and obviously Daniel - it’s been really important for me to understand the Club. I think it's very authentic in its own way.

“[It’s a] forward-thinking, positive club, one that wants to make a difference, but wants to do it in their own way. It’s been vital for me to understand the depths of the Club and where they want to go with the Women’s team. I’ve understood that clearly and I’m really excited.

Watch | Martin's first interview

“I don’t want to turn up here and just take part, I want to make sure we can take over, be competitive and, more importantly, we’re here to win as a club, not just turn up.

“I want to make that is very clear from the outset - from staff to players to the wider club. We want to be in those moments more often. I believe this team can do that and this Club can do that.

"I’ve heard a lot of good things, wonderful things about the staff and the Club, so I’m excited to get started.”

Although the 2025/26 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign is still almost two months away, pre-season is just around the corner and Martin is looking forward to getting started with his new squad.

“I think you get itchy feet, just waiting to start, to meet the players, the staff and the wider club. I can’t wait to get started now,” he added.

“I think there’s a lot we do really well here, then there’s a lot we can still be better at, and the thing that really draws me to it is the opportunity to be able to take the team forward.

“I see a lot of opportunity within the playing group, opportunity off the pitch, with the resources we have available, and infrastructure. Hopefully, we can take the steps we want to take and move closer to our ambitions.

“Hopefully, it’s the start of a really successful and positive new part of Tottenham Hotspur Women.”

A group of aspiring footballers from Bengaluru, India have been training at Tottenham Hotspur through the Club’s partnership with Kickstart FC.

The partnership, announced during a visit of Club legends Ledley King and Ossie Ardiles to Bengaluru in November 2023, aims to support the development of local coaches and players in the region.

The week-long programme in London included technical training sessions for Kickstart players, led by our Global Football Development coaches, alongside health and nutrition workshops.

The group also played fixtures against local grassroots teams and were treated to a coaching masterclass by Ledley during one of their training sessions.

Ledley said: “The first time I went out to India, with Ossie, you could see how passionate this group were about football and their development. There are some very good players, so it’s just about reinforcing the small details that make a big difference, making sure they move away before receiving the ball and keeping their concentrations levels high, for example.

“It’s always great to speak to a few of the players about different aspects of their game, and they’re eager to learn, so I am sure coming over here, to these world class facilities, and working with our coaches is going to bring their game to another level.”

One of the players attending the training sessions is due to attend a series of college football trials in the USA. Vivek, 16, put in months of dedication and hard work with the Club’s football development team in India and is hoping to secure a place at a US college to continue his development.

Vivek said: “I started playing football when I was 11 years old and have played for Kickstart for many years. It’s been a long journey, a tough journey, but I have worked very hard to get to where I am now.

“When I heard Tottenham Hotspur were our partners, I was literally jumping up and down on my bed, as I knew I would get the opportunity to train at these amazing facilities! When I visited the training ground last year it really sparked something in my brain, to motivate me to work harder, in order to improve my level.”

Laxman Bhattarai, CEO and Co-Founder at Kickstart FC, added: “This is the second year that Vivek has come to Tottenham Hotspur, last year he was keen to make an impact in front of Ledley and the other coaches. This year, he arrived in the UK with a lot more maturity, and these sessions have really helped him ahead of his trials in the USA.

“It has been an amazing journey with Tottenham Hotspur since we signed the partnership, which is all about bringing Indian football to another level and how we can bring a group of talented young footballers to a global platform. We are very thankful to the global football development team at Tottenham Hotspur for their support. We look forward to returning very soon.”

Danny Mitchell, Head of Global Coaching for Tottenham Hotspur said: “It has been a real privilege for the Club to host representatives from Kickstart FC at our Training Centre again this year. Our partnership with Kickstart aims to provide a lasting impact on the Indian football landscape and we are particularly proud of the progress of Vivek, who will be undertaking college trials in the USA, serving as an example of the impact the programme can have on developing young players in the region.”

Kickstart FC’s presence continues to grow and its Women’s team recently finished runners-up in the Indian Women’s League, with our partnership aiming to support the development of the women’s game in the state of Karnataka.

The Tottenham Hotspur Global Football Development team impacts around 45,000 players and coaches annually across schools and grassroots youth football clubs.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Martin Ho as our new Women’s Head Coach on a contract that runs until 2028.

Born in Liverpool, Martin returns to England and arrives in north London from SK Brann in Norway, where he impressed both domestically and in Europe across his two years at the helm.

Just six months into his tenure, he created history in the UEFA Women’s Champions League as he guided Brann to become the first representative club from Norway to reach the group stage of the competition, winning all four games in the qualifiers to secure progression to the groups.

Having finished second in a group consisting of eight-time winners Lyon, Slavia Praha and St Polten, they then faced three-time winners FC Barcelona in the quarter-final, losing 5-2 on aggregate to the eventual champions that season.

n 2024, he led the side based in Bergen to a second-place finish in the Toppserien, qualifying for the Champions League once again and reaching the semi-final of the Norwegian Cup. With the current 2025 campaign ongoing for Brann, they are just one point behind league leaders Valerenga after 14 games.

Prior to his time in Norway, Martin had a spell as assistant coach with Manchester United Women across four seasons, which included an appearance in the FA Cup Final in 2022/23 and a second-place finish in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

We are excited for Martin to lead the team as we prepare for our seventh season in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Further updates on Martin’s coaching staff will follow in due course.

New signing Toko Koga is relishing the opportunity to test herself in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Our first arrival of the summer transfer window, the Japan international joins from Feyenoord, where she made 35 appearances, scoring three goals, for the Eredivisie Vrouwen side in an 18-month spell.

Having put pen to paper on a contract that will run until 2028, the defender spoke of her excitement to get her move to north London and the WSL completed.

“I’m really happy to be here,” she told us. “The environment at Spurs is great and I’m amazed how big the facility is.

“As for the reason I decided to join the club, I had wanted to play in England for a long time. It’s a top-class league, and I believe I can grow a lot by competing at that level every week.

“Transferring to the Dutch league, it helped me to adjust to the environment in Europe and playing in a different environment from Japan helped me grow. I played with more physically capable players and that helped me to develop as a defender.”

When asked about meeting her new team-mates, she added: “I’ve been looking forward to joining the team ever since the transfer was decided. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet them yet, but I’ll do my best so that they can get to know me well.”

Making the move to the Netherlands at the age of 18, Toko impressed quickly at the Rotterdam side and was recognised on the international stage, earning her first senior call-up for Japan in July, 2023.

Since then, the 19-year-old has earnt a further 18 caps to her name, scoring two goals, and has represented her nation in the SheBelieves Cup – winning the 2025 edition - and at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

“I’ve wanted to play for the national team since I was a child but I didn’t expect to be called up so soon, so I’m really happy,” Toko said.

“The Olympics was my first major international tournament, I had dreamed of playing in the Olympics and the World Cup since I was a child, so I was nervous, but it made me realise that we still have to improve to win the tournament.”

A new defender arrived in N17 on Wednesday as Tōko Koga became our first summer signing.

The 19-year-old joins us from Feyenoord, where she spent 18 months in the Netherlands, and she will wear the number 32 shirt for the 2025/26 campaign.

Here’s all you need to know about our new arrival and her journey so far…

From Osaka, Japan, Tōko began her footballing career with JFA Academy Fukushima, where she spent three seasons competing in the Nadeshiko League 2 – Japan Women’s Football League – making 38 appearances in total, scoring three goals.

Then, at just 18-years-old, the talented centre-back took on a completely new adventure, making the move to Europe to join Dutch side Feyenoord in the Women's Eredivisie in January, 2024.

She made her debut for the Rotterdam outfit later that month against Fortuna Sittard, before going on to make a further 13 appearances during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, helping them to an eighth-place finish in the league.

Having made her senior international debut in July, 2023, in a 5-0 win over Panama, Tōko was named in Japan’s national team squad for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and started all four games for her nation in the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners United States.

With a full pre-season under her belt, where she actually featured against us in a pre-season friendly at Hotspur Way in September, 2024, Tōko cemented her spot at the back for Feyenoord in 2024/25.

She netted her first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over SC Heerenveen in November, 2024, and went on to score a total of three goals for the season, including a brace in a 5-3 victory over SBV Excelsior.

Featuring in 21 of the 22 matches last term, starting all 21 of those, she completed 90 minutes in all but one game as she helped Feyenoord to a fifth-place finish. On a personal note, her impressive performances throughout the campaign saw her named in the league’s Team of the Season.

The defender continued to shine on the international stage, playing a big part in the 2025 edition of the SheBelieves Cup. Featuring in all three games in the competition, she scored the winner against the USWNT to help Japan claim the trophy for the first time.

She has earned 19 caps to for her country to date, scoring three goals.

We are delighted to announce that the famous Bill Nicholson Gates - which stood proudly in front of our old White Hart Lane stadium for generations - are returning home this summer.

The iconic black and gold wrought iron gates - which became synonymous with the great Bill Nic following a famous photograph taken by Peter Robinson in the 1970s - have been kept safely in storage since 2015, having been removed ahead of the construction of our new stadium.

Bill himself first stepped through those gates as a young player in 1936 when he arrived for a trial, going on to be a key player in Arthur Rowe’s trailblazing 1950-51 League title winning side before himself becoming the Club’s most decorated manager, achieving a League and FA Cup Double in 1961 and our first ever European triumph two years later - the start of what became a trophy-laden era in N17.

Generations of fans, players and staff followed in Bill’s footsteps through the gates on the way to White Hart Lane and we recognise their significant cultural and historic value.

As such, we have taken our time in finding the most appropriate location to reinstate the gates within the new stadium environs - mindful of the significant levels of construction and change the area has seen over the past decade.

Working in close consultation with our Fan Advisory Board (FAB), we have identified a location - within PAXTON17, between the Ticket Office and historic buildings at the north of the stadium - at which the gates will be reinstated.

Enabling works have now commenced with a view to the gates being in position ahead of our first home Premier League match of the season against Burnley on Saturday 16 August.

The gates will provide a fantastic photo opportunity for fans on matchdays and a key point of local interest - forming part of our Heritage Tour that offers fans and visitors an in-depth journey through the Club and the area’s storied past, architectural gems and the remarkable individuals who have shaped its legacy.

Daniel Levy, Chairman, said: “The Bill Nicholson Gates are such a significant part of our Club’s heritage and I am extremely proud they will be returning home this summer.

“We were never going to rush into a decision as to where they should be reinstated, given the huge amount of works that have taken place in the area over recent years.

“We have undertaken a carefully-planned process, working with our architects, construction partners and Fan Advisory Board, and I believe we have found a fitting solution.

“We look forward to welcoming fans back to the stadium for the coming season - as well as Bill’s family members and former players - to see the gates and feel that close connection between our Club and its rich history.”