Tottenham are facing a legal challenge from an Arsenal supporter over a matchday-related issue

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly facing a potential legal challenge over their long-standing use of a song that has become a staple of the club’s matchday atmosphere.

Barry Manilow’s 1975 hit ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ has been embraced by Spurs fans for more than 20 years and is routinely played before and after games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The club even displayed a large banner with the song’s title over empty seats during lockdown-era matches.

According to The Sun, Geoff Morrow — one of the song’s writers and an Arsenal supporter — has asked Tottenham to pay royalties for its use. He claims the club has shown no interest in meeting with him, saying: “When we wrote it, we never expected it to become a football anthem. It was a love song. What’s frustrating is that Spurs won’t admit they’re using our song.”

The report adds that some Premier League clubs, such as Liverpool with ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, do pay royalties for songs sung by fans. Tottenham, however, maintain that Morrow’s request has no legal grounds under licensing regulations. The club declined to comment when approached.