Tottenham Hotspur are facing a royalties dispute over their popular pre-match anthem, with one of the writers of Barry Manilow’s hit song Can’t Smile Without You claiming the club have failed to engage with him over payment.
The track, recorded by Manilow in the 1970s, has become a familiar feature at Spurs home fixtures, where supporters regularly sing along as it plays around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The club even displayed a large banner referencing the song when fixtures were held behind closed doors during the pandemic.
Geoff Morrow, one of three credited writers on the song, says he contacted Tottenham to request a conversation about royalties.
Morrow, who supports Spurs’ rivals Arsenal, expressed frustration that the club has declined to enter talks.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: “I hoped that Spurs would be willing to sit down and meet with me to discuss this but they haven’t been interested.
“When we wrote the song, we never imagined it would become a football anthem. It was written as a love song. What is really frustrating is Spurs won’t accept they are using our song.”
Tottenham Hotspur are facing a royalties dispute over their popular pre-match anthem, with one of the writers of Barry Manilow’s hit song Can’t Smile Without You claiming the club have failed to engage with him over payment
|
GETTY
Morrow argues that clubs are required to pay fees when they regularly use copyrighted music as part of organised fan experiences.
He pointed to examples elsewhere in football, including the royalties paid for the famous Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Tottenham, however, are understood to dispute that any payment is necessary.
Barry Manilow last performed in the UK back in 2023
|
TWITTER/BARRY MANILOWClub sources have told the newspaper that the use of the song falls within existing music licensing agreements, which cover matchday playlists, stadium entertainment and broadcast rights.
They consider Morrow’s claim to have no legal foundation under current licensing rules.
The disagreement comes after the tune has grown into an unofficial pre-match tradition among Spurs supporters since the opening of the club’s new £1billion stadium.
The atmosphere is regularly amplified as tens of thousands join in with the chorus before kick-off, turning a 1970s ballad into an unlikely football anthem.
Morrow has not indicated whether he intends to pursue legal action, but he has made it clear he believes Tottenham should be compensating the writers.
The club has not commented publicly on the matter, and industry sources suggest that any legal challenge would hinge on whether staging a sing-along constitutes a separate use outside of existing licences.
Tottenham are confident they’ve done nothing wrong
|
PA
Spurs are not the only team to adopt iconic music as part of their matchday identity, though disputes over copyright in such cases remain relatively rare.
Legal experts note that most stadium playlists are covered by broad agreements with performance rights organisations, which collect and distribute royalties on behalf of creatives.
Whether Tottenham fall within or outside those rules may now become the focal point of the disagreement.
For now, Can’t Smile Without You continues to echo around north London before kick-off, while its writer insists the club should not be using it for free.
