Daniel Levy may not be chairman of Tottenham Hotspur anymore, but that’s not keeping him out of the news. Spurs’ former Bald Ninja Jedi Chairman has been awarded a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by King Charles III as part of the New Year Hono(u)rs List.
Remember a few years back when Harry Kane was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) award for services to sport? Well, Levy just one-upped his former striker, as the CBE is an order higher than the OBE or the MBE, and is the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed in the United Kingdom behind a knighthood. The award is given to recognize the work Levy did as Tottenham chairman to aid the north London community.
In a statement, Levy touched briefly on what he hopes will be his legacy as Tottenham chairman and his personal pride in his and the clubs’ services to charity and community outreach in the Tottenham area. To my knowledge, this is the first public statement Levy has made since his departure from the club.
“The positive change we were able to achieve would not have been possible without the passion, dedication and hard work of so many people at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, together with our community partners, who shared a belief in the power of sport to transform lives.
“Tottenham Hotspur has always been more than a football club to me. It is part of the fabric of the local community, and I am immensely proud of the role we have played in helping to regenerate the area through our initiatives in education, employment, health and social inclusion. While our stadium development and on-pitch results often took the headlines, I hope that my legacy will be the positive and lasting impact we have made on the lives of people in Tottenham and beyond. Football clubs have a unique role to play in their local community and at Tottenham Hotspur we always took this responsibility very seriously.”
I’m sure Levy’s legacy will be a somewhat complicated one, as it’s often difficult to find the balance between uplifting an area and gentrifying it. I’m not going to editorialize what he has done over his two plus decades at the club because I’m not a local and it’s really not my place to do so. Those who appreciate the work Levy did will remain appreciative, and those who are not will not have their minds changed by the King giving him a fancy medal and a title. That said, Tottenham has been an indelible part of the local area and it’s clear that Levy took his responsibility as a steward for Tottenham and the surrounding area very seriously. I’ll leave it to others to say what his legacy will be in the future.
