West Ham United Supporters’ Trust aims
To work with the board of West Ham United Football Club to take into account the interests of all supporters (both UK and Overseas based) and of the local community (businesses, residents, local authorities etc) when making decisions that impact upon them;
To actively and professionally engage with all relevant stakeholders on matters of interest and concern to West Ham supporters;
Build on the work done by the Independent Supporters Committee in enabling issues of concern with supporters to be raised with the Club;
Work with the Football Supporters Association and other Supporters Trusts on pan-club issues such as improving the governance of clubs, the protection of clubs’ heritage assets, digital ticketing, ticket prices, and kick-off times;
Work in partnership with existing supporters’ groups, websites, fanzine, podcasts etc. without detracting from their independence.
West Ham United Supporters’ Trust belongs to its membership. Literally. Every member will own one share - with a value of £1 - in the Trust.
Membership can be open to any individual person, and affiliate organisations such as other supporter groups and alternate media such as forums and podcasts that have an interest in the game of football in the area, and who agree to be bound by the rules of the Trust.
Any member aged 16 or over has full voting rights, and any member aged 16 or over can stand for election to the board. We welcome junior members that will be shareholders, although unable to vote until they are 16.
All members own one share, with a nominal value of £1, and these may not be withdrawn, traded, or transferred. To retain membership you will need to renew your subscription each year. Once individual membership ceases the share registered in the name of that member will be cancelled and the amount subscribed for the value of the share becomes the property of the Trust. Shares carry no right to interest, dividend, or bonus.
The essential machinery for the day-to-day running of the Trust will eventually be an elected Board of Directors, plus various sub committees. However, until its first AGM the Trust is managed through a Steering Committee and appointed Board of Directors.
The Team
The WHUISA Committee proposed to its members in July 2021 to convert the organisation to a supporters’ trust. Following an Extraordinary General Meeting of its members in August, they overwhelmingly voted in favour of the motion to convert to a trust.
A working party was set up consisting of the WHUISA Committee and other volunteers who were keen to help in setting up the Trust.
The first action was for the Committee to work with the Football Suporters Association to prepare our submission to become a Community Benefit Society with the Financial Conduct Authority. The initial Boad of Directors that submited the application were the former committee members of WHUISA. We submitted our application in September and on 8th October 2021, Ironworks 1895 Supporter Society Limited was formally registered.
See Company details
The initial Directors of the Society from registration until the first Annual General Meeting were appointed by the founder members on whose application the Society is registered. Seven additional directors were appointed by the founder members that brought the board up to its complement of 10 directors.
The Steering Committee oversaw the transition process before holding the inaugural AGM of the new Trust. At that time the directors all resigned from the Board and they could stand for election if they wished to. All Trust members were then able to vote for and stand for election to the Board.
The elected board are responsible for the running of the Trust. Half of the board are required to stand down each year and can apply for election along with each paid-up member (over the age of 16) who will be entitled to stand for election to the board.
The current Board of Directors that are running the Trust are:
