FAB Statement on the Departure of Karren Brady

21st April 2026

The West Ham United Fan Advisory Board notes the departure of Karren Brady from West Ham United.

Her time at the Club will not be judged by corporate messaging, but by the lived experience of supporters. On that measure, her legacy is deeply damaging.

Under her leadership, supporters have seen:

  • Concessions stripped from young, elderly and disabled fans only to be restored after a season long campaign by all supporters

  • Ticket prices rise year on year despite record broadcast revenues

  • A widening disconnect between the Club and its fanbase

  • Ongoing failures in stadium operations, safety, and supporter experience

  • A record financial loss of £104m and another one on the way for this season. The Club are now in a worse financial situation than they were when Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan bought the Club in 2010.

The move to the London Stadium was sold as progress. We were told ‘we had no choice, we had to move in order to compete’.

For many, it has delivered the opposite — a dilution of identity, atmosphere and belonging.

The FAB has engaged throughout in good faith, offering clear, evidence-based solutions. These have too often been met with delay, deflection, or outright refusal.

Stewardship demands accountability. Many supporters will conclude that, in this respect, the Club’s leadership has fallen short.

This must now be a turning point — not a rebrand. Deep leadership issues remain at the Club however.

West Ham United needs leadership that respects supporters as stakeholders, restores transparency, and rebuilds trust through action, not words.

The damage done to the Club’s relationship with its supporters is deep and its serious. It cannot be ignored. It must now be repaired or else our Club will have lost its identity and culture, the very things that made us West Ham United.

WHUST