Members of the WHUST Board and other WHUST members attended this year’s Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) Annual General Meeting, held in Manchester on 14 June. It was a packed day of updates, discussion, and motions - and a valuable opportunity to keep our voice part of the national conversation. We joined representatives from Hammers United in ensuring that the voice of West Ham fans were heard.

*Host for the day - Sam Matterface, FSA CEO Kevin Miles and Martyn Henderson interim COO of the Independent Football Regulator.*
One of the standout sessions featured Martyn Henderson, interim COO of the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR). He set out what fans can expect as the regulator moves closer to becoming fully operational. Crucially, clubs will be required to engage with supporters on key issues including ticket pricing, matchday operations, and club heritage - and fan consultation will be a condition of their licence. Martyn also committed to speaking with more supporter groups directly - so we’ll be looking to extend that invitation through West Ham’s Fan Advisory Board (FAB).

The conference also included a workshop on ticketing, with discussion led by fan reps from across the Premier League as part of the #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign. There were powerful examples of how coordinated fan action - including protests and dialogue - has helped freeze or even reduce ticket prices at several clubs. WHUST continues to advocate for affordable football at West Ham and to learn from these national efforts.

The AGM itself saw a number of motions debated and voted on. These included support for a “No Fault Stand Down” policy in cases of sexual misconduct allegations, solidarity with football’s workers on pay and conditions, and strong opposition to the use of facial recognition technology at stadiums. These were approved, reaffirming the FSA’s commitment to fairness, safety, and inclusivity in football.

Elsewhere, a workshop on the women’s game provided an update on supporter consultation around structural changes to the top tiers, including branding, ticketing, and away support. WHUST was pleased to formally join the FSA’s Women’s Game Network on the day - an important step in strengthening our advocacy for women’s football and the fans who support it.

Throughout the day, a consistent theme was the growing influence of fan groups and the importance of supporter voice - not just in the Premier League but across the football pyramid. As always, WHUST will continue working to ensure that West Ham fans are heard at every level.

Details of all the motions can be found on the FSA website:
https://thefsa.org.uk/news/round-up-fsa-agm-2025/

WHUST attend the Football Supporters’ Association AGM