Blowing Bubbles should be reporting on the club’s first Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting on 11 September. But we can’t report anything. The FAB terms of reference (TOR) say the club publishes agreed minutes within 14 days. At the time of writing the minutes were more than two weeks late.
The TOR specifies members of the FAB should not report anything until the minutes have been published. All of the members are sticking to that so can’t say what was discussed. The club’s head of supporter services and fan engagement, Cat Smith, is co-chair of the FAB. She refused to comment too.
WHUST has issued a statement on the matter: “While this is frustrating at such an early stage in the development of the FAB, please be assured that the trust representative, Kevin Hind, as well as the other groups on the FAB are working to overcome this situation.”
We don’t know when, or if, we will be able to report on the work of the FAB. The club has scored another own goal. However, Blowing Bubbles spoke to several FAB reps to gauge their views.
The FAB fan reps are currently:
- Andy Payne OBE, Hammers United, (FAB chair)
- Kevin Hind, West Ham United Supporters’ Trust
- Paul Christmas, Official Supporters’ Club
- Josh Dodd, Pride of Irons
- Cathy Bayford, Disability Supporters’ Group
- Austin Gigg, Junior Supporters Board
- Apu Vyas, Inclusive Irons
- Martine Dodwell-Bennett, Bondholders
- Peter Tyler, Women’s Supporters’ Board
- James Brown, Claret Members
- Scotty Burkhardt Jr, International Supporters’ Clubs
- Mike Field, Old School Hammers
An election has been announced for a rep from the Away Season Ticket holders too. All fan reps (and Cat Smith) were sent the following questions. Here’s what those who responded said:
What’s the most positive aspect of the FAB?
Andy Payne: The breadth of the fan base represented, the talent and commitment of the fan representatives and the unity amongst the fan groups.
Martine Dodwell-Bennett: Historically, West Ham, like many other clubs, has struggled to establish a successful fan engagement group, especially since our move to the London Stadium. Previous attempts with Supporters Boards have fallen short. This time, though, there’s a clear set of objectives in place. The club is actively reviewing the progress in collaboration with the Premier League, making it in everyone’s best interest to ensure this initiative succeeds.
Scotty Burkhardt: From an international perspective, this iteration of the FAB has brought together so many leaders from across the fanbase and put us in a single room to communicate for the betterment of our peer fans. By being to network, we will be able to streamline our concerns to the club and more importantly help build a more comprehensive community of fans across the globe.
Mike Field: Pretty much every fan is represented, and early experience suggests a highly competent group very capable of delivering supporters objectives.
Paul Christmas: The final chance the club has to consult and engage with the single most important thing at the club – the fans. With a safety net and support of the Premier League and the Football Supporters Association the Fan Advisory Board has a great chance to succeed where previous iterations have not.
Peter Tyler: The most positive thing about the FAB is it gives the fans an opportunity to have a voice with the board on how things are run with the club.
Kevin Hind: The FAB brings together a large number of fan groups and fan representatives. One of the most positive aspects of the FAB has been the willingness of fan groups to work together for the benefit of supporters, particularly on issues like ticketing concessions.
Cathy Bayfield: The chance to unite the majority of larger fan groups, enabling us to approach and work with the Club with one strong, cohesive voice and that this is a Premier League expectation, we must be seen to be doing.
Any niggles or concerns?
AP: As fan groups we have to be accountable, transparent, democratic and be independent of the club. We wanted the FAB to be independent of the Club as the ISC was, but as the Co-Chair of the FAB is a Club employee and a board director sits on the FAB that could not be negotiated.
MDB: My main concern is based on past experiences. For this to work, the fans and the club need to genuinely believe that everyone involved is committed to acting in the best interests of the club and its supporters. Trust is crucial to making this a success.
SB: I don’t think the club was expecting the FAB to come together as quickly and assertively as we have. I think there has been some apprehension from the club with having all of us in the same room. There has been a few hiccups, but I believe the FAB and the club are attempting to put their best foot forward.
MF: The club has a history of poor fan group relationships, with limited consultation and resulting mistrust from both supporter groups and the overall fanbase. We need some early examples of the FAB and the club working together to improve things to overcome fan base suspicion.
PC: The club have a history of moving the goalposts. There is every chance that will happen again and all the immense effort of volunteer work by FAB representatives will come to nothing.
PT: At the moment I don’t have any niggles or concerns but it is very early days.
KH: The FAB is a form of supporter engagement that was imposed on clubs by the Premier League and therefore represents the bare minimum of what good supporter engagement should look like. While West Ham were willing to go beyond the minimum standards set by the Premier League, it is important that they abide by those terms of engagement and that they don’t try moving the goalposts.
CB: Having been all the various fan forums since the first group formed back before we left the Boleyn, I am disappointed in the amount of time it still takes to get things signed off alongside the apparent lack of consultation there still is. For example, the announcements on ticket pricing, release dates for significant matches, new kit could be discussed with the FAB in advanced, not the day before or not at all that has been the case. It may mean in some circumstances we can “soften” the blow to the wider fan base. Media campaigns still need a more cohesive approach and could potentially make more impact with the FAB Groups involved from religious festivals to recognise “World Days of”. I am often disappointed to see a stand-alone event has taken place to recognise a particular disability day without the involvement or mention of the wider accessibility fan base or the Disabled Supporters Association.
What do you expect the FAB to achieve?
AP: Right now? To get the ticketing and concessionary prices back to where they were last season. Plenty more after that, but that’s for next month.
MDB: I expect the foundation to be built on open communication between club management and the fans, with genuine consultation as the ultimate goal. While the owners’ interests and the fans’ wishes may not always align, the focus should be on maintaining an honest dialogue and giving proper consideration to both sides. That’s how you create win-win scenarios. The changes to concessions were made without that dialogue, and the FAB are now revisiting those changes.
SB: My term is for 02 years. Long term, I hope to help build a good foundation for the FAB in order to keep the conversations and solutions to issues going. Short term, I would like to see the club have meaningful engagement with supporters clubs across North America so fans from across the world will have a West Ham centric “home” to come to if/when they come over for World Cup 2026.
MF: Too early for many specifics bar much improved general supporter relations and match day experience. Our immediate prime objective has to be reversion of the anti-concession policy and long term protection for all fans to enjoy the clubs much proclaimed “ affordable football for all”.
PC: The voice / concerns / questions of the fans is clearly put to the club. The Club gives a definitive answer which is relayed back to them. The fans then can make up their own mind whether the FAB has achieved anything.
PT: I expect the FAB to achieve a better relationship between the club and the supporters. I hope it allows us to improve the experience of fans on match day and make positive change where necessary.
KH: In the short and medium terms, a significant rethink of the concessions policy on the part of the Club would constitute an achievement. WHUST has put forward its suggestions around how this might be achieved.
CB: As a Premier League initiative and the expectation thereof, alongside the guidance of the FSA, the opportunity for a fan representation group that is finally taken seriously by the wider fanbase, with answers from the Club to the whys and wherefores.
Overall, give the FAB a score out of 10 and explain why?
AP: 9/10 The ISC negotiated fair and constructive terms of reference for the FAB with the Club, it was a 12-month exhausting process and did for some on the ISC, but we got there. It is early days, but there is no reason why we shouldn’t follow these terms for the benefit of all West Ham fans.
MDB: 8/10 as a concept and working structure it’s very promising and could make a real difference, early days but I’m hopeful.
SB: 8/10 Obviously this iteration of the FAB is in its infancy, however I am optimistic with the progress we have made so far. Nothing is perfect, but we’re off to a pretty good start.
MF: 9/10. Again too early to assess properly, we haven’t done anything bar making the club realise we are serious people determined to work with them to achieve mutually beneficial results, but as a concept, it’s exciting, positive, and has real opportunity to succeed.
PC: 5-6/10 The inordinate amount of time it has taken to get the FAB ready for business has seen most of the effort / gains made by previous iterations fall by the wayside. Previous experiences with the club with regard to (lack of) consultation / production of minutes does not bode well so there is plenty of room for improvement from their side. The current crop of FAB representatives are ready so best foot forward to get that score up towards 10.
PT: It really is far too early to give FAB a score out of 10 as we have only had one meeting and at the moment nothing has really been achieved, however, I am confident that the FAB will work and I will soon be giving it 10 out of 10.
KH: 7/10 these are still early days, and the Club has a lot of work to do in terms of building trust with fans.
CB: 7/10 It’s all taking too long, there doesn’t seem to be much going on that differently than in previous incarnations, it’s all a bit “déjà vu” at the moment……
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