On 2 April 2025, West Ham United held the third Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting of the season. Vice-Chair Baroness Brady attended this meeting to hear the views from Supporter Representatives. Ironworks Alliance, a fan group dedicated looking to improve atmosphere and experience at London Stadium joined for a specific agenda topic related to matchday experience.
This was the last formal meeting of the 2024/25 season.
We’re away at Brighton on Saturday 26th April and here’s all you need to know about getting there and the facilities available.
Includes details of the free train and bus travel zone for match ticket holders and parking options.
WHUST welcomes the return of concessions and looks forward to serious discussions with the club in advance of any future changes. There are many anomalies in the current ticket system but the way forward is through the club engaging in meaningful consultation in advance in future, and listening to the constructive ideas fans propose.
Read MoreCurrent Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch said today said that she doesn’t see the need for independent regulation of football. She is “opposed to it personally”.
West Ham United Supporters Trust (WHUST) aren’t sure what to make of this. We know Kemi was a member of a Cabinet which choose to introduce legislation precisely intended to create just such a regulator.
The campaign aimed at reversing the Club’s inflation-busting increase in ticket prices and withdrawal of concessions has many strands
Read MoreThe Football Governance Bill is currently being debated in the Lords although some Conservatives are now tying themselves in knots trying to find reasons why an idea their party supported during the election campaign is now a threat to the game.
Read MoreThese are the agreed meeting minutes from the first Fan Advisory Board meeting held 11th September 2024 at the Club.
As it was the first meeting, the agenda covered important administrative topics to set the FAB up for success, alongside a focus on the club’s ticketing and concession policy.
The new entrance/exit at Stratford station by the Jubilee Line to Gibbons Road and the Carpenters estate has recently opened. WHUST have been following the development of the new Gibbons Road/Carpenters Estate entrance since our meeting with Newham SAG members in 2020.
Unfortunately, on event days (including when West Ham Unitedare playing at home) and when there is a high volume of traffic (up to 65,000 people) the exit is closed.
The views of Abba Voyage concerning safety at the London Stadium are more important to Newham’s Safety Advisory Group than the views of West Ham supporters.
The London Borough of Newham is the local authority that issues the safety certificate for matches played at the London Stadium. They have decided that representatives from Abba Voyage and Sadlers Wells should be represented on the SAG for West Ham matches, but there's no room for a supporter representative.
Football ticket prices have caught the attention of Parliamentarians with Ian Lavery MP tabling an Early Day Motion (EDM) criticising clubs for exploiting supporter loyalty, increasing costs and attacking concessions.
Please write to your MP asking them to add their signature to the EDM.
The new Labour Government included it as part of their King's Speech for this Parliamentary year.
The new Bill is still in construction. Parliament returns again on 7th October. The Bill will be introduced before the Christmas Recess. There is debate continuing within government about whether, and if so how, to improve on the Conservative Bill.
WHUST, along with other ISC representatives recently met with club representatives at the London Stadium to discuss concessionary ticket pricing.
Read MoreWHUST sometimes seems quiet. We believe in trying to work behind the scenes. Sometimes we have some successes, often it’s not enough. This is to update you on the vast amount of work we have been doing on ticketing.
In April we sent the club a document called Ticketing 2024 Discussion Document. This dealt with a huge list of concerns – some the club had asked us to explain; some we felt the need to raise. There were also several questions, as we could not offer solutions without additional information.
Brady goes back on her promise of affordable family football. Writing in The Standard when season tickets first went on sale at the London Stadium:
For me, however, today’s most important announcement affects our young supporters.
We are committed to offering the next generation of West Ham the chance to come and watch their team and we want to make it easier for families that may currently be unable to watch football together regularly, to do so at the new Stadium.
WHUST and other fan groups on the Independent Supporters Committee (ISC) have been negotiating with the club on a new fan engagement body called the Fan Advisory Board (FAB).
West Ham has now published the details of its FAB. WHUST must now decide whether or not to apply for a seat on the FAB. We have asked our members to decide.
The Conservative government’s Football Governance Bill was ‘lost’ when the General Election was called. All three main political Parties subsequently included a commitment to legislate for independent regulation in their Manifesto’s. The pressing need for regulation is widely recognised and has strong support in Parliament across Party lines. Your Trust is confident we will see law to stop breakaway leagues, to make sure clubs have fit and proper owners and directors, to make it less likely that local communities and fans lose their football club altogether because of unsustainable decisions by temporary owners, and require and ensure that clubs do meaningfully engage with supporters across a range of issues, including, we hope, match-day ticket prices and kick-off times.
Read MoreWest Ham fans have started a petition to oppose Season Ticket price rises & changes To Concession Tickets.
New concessions are now restricted to bands 5 & 6. If you want to relocate your existing concession season ticket that is treated as a new ticket and you don’t get the concession.
These changes are forcing families, friends and groups of loyal West Ham fans who have sat together supporting our Club for decades to split up and some will probably never see West Ham play at home again.
Wolves consulted with its fans and has subsequently proposed to the Premier League that it scrap VAR next season. As we understand it, the vote is scheduled to take place amongst Premier League clubs on 6th June.
We would like your views on how we ask West Ham to vote at that PL meeting or what else we might suggest. There may be alternative options, such as reform of VAR. Please take a little time to answer as many of the questions as you can.
The West Ham United Supporters’ Trust (WHUST) has called on MPs scrutinising the Football Governance Bill to make sure the regulator’s powers cover ticket prices.
WHUST has demanded:
1. The proposed independent regulator for English football must have the power to intervene on ticket pricing
2. Proper fan consultation must include ticket pricing
3. There must be protection for concessionary ticket pricing
It is with much sadness that we annouce the passing away of the Chair of our Trust - Terry Reynolds.
Terry collapsed whilst representing the Trust at a Show Racism the Red Card event yesterday evening - a subject that he was very passionate about. He was taken to hospital where he passed away later.
We pass on our condolences to Terry's wife Anne and his familiy.
He was a great man doing important work and we will all miss him.
