Fresh calls for new West Ham ownership will inevitably intensify after Karren Brady made controversial statements on the club’s plans for the London Stadium.
After a period of relative serenity for West Ham’s owners under the stewardship of David Moyes, it is fair to say resentment has bubbled back to the surface.
Moyes got the Hammers by the scruff of the neck and helped dissipate the toxic atmosphere which had enveloped the London Stadium.
West Ham’s rise, coupled with optimism surrounding the arrival of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky as the second major stakeholder in November 2021, saw rare unity break out at West Ham.
Evidence of unrest among supporters can be found in a recent online petition calling for majority owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to leave West Ham.
While results and performances may fluctuate, managers and players come and go, any negativity at West Ham nowadays can almost always be traced back to the London Stadium.
Fan resentment of West Ham owners bubbles to surface again
The move from the club’s beloved Upton Park to the Stratford arena has been a major bone of contention for fans and very much a rod with which to beat the owners and Brady.
The first few years after the big stadium switch in 2016 were beset by issues.
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That’s despite vice-chair Brady – who led the move – hailing it the ‘most successful stadium migration ever’.
Many fans would argue the reality has been very different. In-fighting among supporters, issues with stewarding and fury over the distance from the stands to the pitch were just a few of a litany of reasons resentment towards the board spilled over.
Many West Ham fans feel the club ‘sold its soul’ to play in a bowl-shaped arena not fit for football.
And it doesn’t help that visiting fans remind them of that every other week, although not in such polite terms.
It also doesn’t help that many of those away supporters are often spotted in the home sections.
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West Ham’s struggles on the pitch in the last 18 months have seen the London Stadium become a hot topic among fans again.
Supporters want the owners to invest in the stadium to redevelop it so the stands are closer to the pitch in a bid to improve the atmosphere, which hit new lows last season.
A prominent West Ham fan group demanded answers from the owners over major changes they feel are needed to the Stratford ground.
Now fans will feel major changes are needed at the very top of the club, never mind to their rented home ground.
Because Brady has confirmed the club’s London Stadium plans – and it will not go down well with already agitated supporters.
Karren Brady confirms London Stadium plans
Hammers fans were asked to put questions on any issues directly to the vice-chair a couple of months ago.
Brady pledged to post answers to the questions raised on West Ham’s website.
Given how strongly many feel over issues with the stadium and towards Brady and the ownership, it was a refreshingly brave – if arguably stupid – move.
But there is no doubt West Ham fans won’t like some of the controversial answers to the key questions over the current ownership’s plans for the London Stadium.
When asked about the introduction of more railed seating for safe standing at West Ham home games, Brady said there are no plans to roll it out further next season – despite promises to the contrary from former co-owner David Gold, who was a big advocate of safe standing, in the past.
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“There are no current plans to introduce further railed seating at London Stadium in the 2025/26 season,” Brady said.
“There are safety rails installed in the away section and supporters in Block 222, designed to ensure a safer environment in the upper tier.”
West Ham fans often complain about the long security check queues and stop-go system when attending matches.
No other Premier League club is subjected to such checks, which see every single of West Ham’s 62,500 supporters searched, because the Hammers do not own the ground.
Again there are no plans for this to change next season with Brady instead simply advising supporters to get to the ground earlier.
“The club has been working closely with the London Stadium and has carried out audits of entry and exit times at two recent fixtures,” Brady added.
West Ham need new owners who can invest in stadium
“Our priority is to ensure the safety of all our supporters whenever they attend a West Ham United match.
“On arrival to the stadium we search bags and all persons, including our Junior Hammers, by way of wanding using a metal detector. We encourage supporters to avoid bringing bags, if they can and this information including size of permitted bags, can be found in our matchday guide. Our recent audits have found that over a third of supporters enter the stadium 20 minutes before kick-off, so the team have been sharing bridge timing comms and introduced new early bird offers to encourage fans to arrive earlier to reduce queue times.
“The matchday exit time is heavily dependent on capacity at train station platforms and is again managed to ensure supporter safety and prevent overcrowding.”
But it is Brady’s answer to the biggest question of all that will have fans pushing for new owners willing to invest big in the club and stadium.
When asked whether West Ham’s owners have any plans to reconfigure the stands further in line with the wishes of fans, the response was deflating.
“The lower stands were moved closer to the pitch ahead of the 2020/21 season and there are no plans currently to further reconfigure the stands,” Brady said.