By admin 
Introduction
Tottenham Hotspur are facing demands for royalty payments after adopting a classic Barry Manilow hit as their pre-match anthem.
The Premier League side regularly plays Manilow’s version of “Can’t Smile Without You” before home games, where it has quickly become a fan favorite. Supporters often sing along in unison at the £1billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, turning the soft-pop ballad into an unlikely football tradition.
During the pandemic, when matches were played behind closed doors, Spurs even used a massive “Can’t Smile Without You” banner to cover empty seats — further cementing the song’s association with the club.
But now, Geoff Morrow, one of the three original writers of the 1975 hit — and notably an Arsenal supporter — is threatening legal action after Tottenham refused to pay royalties. Morrow criticized the club for dismissing his request, calling their stance “ridiculous.”
He told The Sun:
“I hoped 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.”
Other football clubs, such as Liverpool, pay royalties for anthems their crowds sing, including “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
However, Tottenham insist Morrow’s claim has no legal basis under existing licensing rules, The Sun understands.
The dispute has now escalated into a cross-London battle — not only over music rights, but between an Arsenal fan songwriter and Spurs supporters who have embraced his tune as a symbol of their matchday identity.