Tottenham have become the second Premier League club to announce it will be introducing a fan representative on its board.
The move is a reaction to supporters protesting the club's attempts, along with 11 other top European clubs, to form a breakaway Super League last month.
Chelsea took a similar move recently and Spurs confirmed they would be following suit via an official statement that read: "We have seen football fans around the world come together to show their strength of feeling regarding the future of the game we all feel so passionately about, with strong views expressed on the proposed establishment of a new European Super League (ESL).
"It’s important to underline that we entered the ESL with the expectation that the format, rules and structures would evolve through dialogue with key parties, namely the Premier League, FA, UEFA, FIFA and, crucially, fans. It should never have been conveyed with certainty when it was in fact a framework agreement for consultation going forward.
"We should have challenged and reconsidered the annual access system. We wholeheartedly regret that we involved the Club and that the legal process itself meant we were unable to consult our fans early on - we apologise unreservedly.
"We have all learnt lessons from recent events and have reviewed fan engagement as a priority. As a result we shall be liaising with key stakeholders and establishing a Club Advisory Panel, comprised of elected representatives from the different constituencies of our fanbase, inclusive and reflective of our fans’ diversity. The Chair of this Panel will be appointed annually as a full Non-Executive of the Club Board. We believe this provides for authentic, genuine representation and will ensure fans are at the heart of Club decision-making, something we greatly welcome."
The statement went on to claim that the board had been 'disappointed' by calls from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust for them to resign, claiming that they had 'lived and breathed this Club for the best part of two decades'.
Source : 90min