Supporters concerns presented to the club

22nd September 2025

At the request of the Club, the West Ham United Fan Advisory Board met with Karren Brady and Tara Warren on Thursday 11th September 2025 to discuss the letter of no confidence that the FAB had issued to the Club. At that meeting, the following document was read out in full by a number of the FAB members.

FAB Opening Statement to Karren Brady/Tara Warren

“Thank you for meeting with us today.

As you know, the Fan Advisory Board recently issued a letter of no confidence in the Chair and Vice-Chair. This was not done lightly. It reflects the depth of concern among supporters about the way West Ham United is being run.

We want to be clear: we are not here to score points. We are here because we care deeply about this Club, its future, and its supporters. But the current leadership has overseen repeated failures — in financial planning, football strategy, governance, and fan relations. These failures are holding West Ham back at a time when we should be moving forward.

Other clubs have shown what can be achieved with clear strategy, modern governance, and genuine supporter engagement. We believe West Ham deserves the same.

Today, we will raise specific areas of mismanagement and ask direct questions about how the Club intends to address them. Our goal is simple: to see West Ham United governed competently, transparently, and in the best interests of its supporters and its future.

This is a pivotal moment. The Club can either continue down a path of short-term fixes and eroded trust, or it can embrace change and build something lasting. Supporters will back the latter every time.”

 1.    Leadership & Governance

·       The Chairman and Vice-Chair retain disproportionate power with no evidence of modern governance standards.

·       Any organisation of this size and importance would have a full time CEO.

·       No apparent succession plan in place; senior football decisions concentrated in too few hands.

·       FAB and supporter consultation often treated as a tick-box exercise rather than genuine engagement.

·       Question: When will the Club move to a professional governance model (CEO + Director of Football with autonomy)?

 2.    Financial Strategy & PSR Failures

 ·       Club cites Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR) as blocking transfers, yet revenues are at record levels and three-year rolling profits/losses indicating significant financial headroom to comply with PSR.

·       Poor allocation of funds on wages, agents, and short-term fixes instead of sustainable squad building short-term fixes instead of sustainable squad investment.

·       Lack of forward planning has forced reactive sales and late transfer business. A pattern of fire-sale player trading and last-minute recruitment reflects poor long-term financial stewardship.

·       Question: What credible financial strategy will prevent further PSR breaches and enable consistent squad investment?

3.    Commercial & Stadium Strategy

·       The “Deal of the Century” on the London Stadium has saddled fans with a soulless environment and a poor matchday experience.

·       The stadium concession deal; catering, stewarding and inability to make changes because of athletics

·       The women’s team excluded from the stadium deal – a contradiction of the Club’s stated commitment to equality.

·       Ticketing changes (concessions, ID checks, away schemes) undermine loyalty.

·       Question: How will the Club balance revenue generation with fan experience, inclusion, and equality?

 4.    Heritage & Culture

·       West Ham United was deeply rooted in the East End of London yet we now have ‘London’ on our crest much to the disappointment of so many of our supporters.

·       In the letter of 21.2.2018 from the Vice Chair on behalf of the board the Club ‘committed to finding a location for a permanent museum style display that enables the Club to showcase its incredible collection of over 1000 items of memorabilia currently in storage’. This has not been delivered.

·       The Club committed to display the entire Bobby Moore collection as well as those of Hurst and Peters.

·       Question: Where is our heritage and why has it not been displayed seven years since the written commitment by the board was made?

5.    Strategic Vision

·       West Ham has had record revenues and European success in recent years but failed to build a sustainable long-term project.

·       Other comparable clubs (e.g., Aston Villa, Brighton, Spurs) have overtaken us through clear strategies, modern infrastructure, and reinvestment.

·       Current leadership relies on short-termism and PR spin, leaving no clear identity or long-term football vision or identity.

·       Question: What is the five-year vision for West Ham United on and off the pitch?

6.    Fan Relations & Trust

·       Major decisions consistently made without meaningful supporter consultation (e.g., concessions, ticketing systems, safe standing).

·       U-turns only after fan campaigns and pressure – showing reactive rather than proactive leadership

·       Lack of transparency and credibility in communications, with supporters often hearing excuses rather than strategic clarity.

·       Growing disconnect between leadership and supporter base.

·       Question: What structural changes will ensure genuine, timely and meaningful supporter engagement in future decision-making?

7.    Squad Matters

·       Failure to appoint a proper Director of Football with autonomy; constant interference from ownership.

·       Transfers consistently delayed until late in windows, weakening the manager and leaving the playing squad short.

·       Weak academy pathway despite West Ham’s tradition.

·       No consistent sporting strategy; reliance on fire-fighting.

·       Question: What is the long-term footballing vision for recruitment, youth development, and European competitiveness?

FAB Closing Statement to Karren Brady/Tara Warren

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today.

We’ve been clear about the areas of mismanagement that concern supporters most — financial planning, governance, football strategy, our heritage, the stadium deal, ticketing, and the way fans are treated. These issues are not minor; they go to the heart of how this Club is being run.

Our position remains unchanged: the current leadership has lost the confidence of supporters. That confidence will only be rebuilt through real change — not words, not PR, but action.

We expect to see concrete steps where clear goals are set on governance reform, financial strategy, football operations, and fan engagement. Supporters will judge by transparent outcomes, not by promises.

West Ham has a unique opportunity to grow and thrive, but it will only happen with modern leadership and genuine accountability. The FAB will continue to hold the Club to that standard on behalf of every supporter.

We want West Ham United to succeed, and that means changes at the top and a new way of running this football club. The time for short-term fixes has passed. It’s time for a clear, long-term vision that supporters can believe in.”

The FAB is now awaiting answers to our questions and observations as to how the Club has and is being run from the very top. We expect that to be at the next FAB meeting that is being brought forward and is expected to be on the 23rd October 2025.