A West Ham fan group has revealed what really happened in a meeting with vice-chair Karren Brady as the club’s owners make a mammoth statement to supporters.
West Ham are a club very much divided right now.
That will be more evident than ever when protesting Hammers fans line the road to the director’s entrance at the London Stadium ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace.
On Monday Hammers News outlined why West Ham were set for a huge week, on and off the pitch.
Graham Potter faces a must-win game at home to Palace if West Ham are to stave off early fears they will be going down without a fight.
A number of managers have been linked as potential replacements for Potter including Nuno Espirito Santo and Kieran McKenna.
It has also been reported that Nuno Espirito Santo would be open to the Hammers job as he eyes a quick return to Premier League management.
Sources have reported that Potter could be sacked if West Ham lose to Palace.
The jury was out on Potter heading into the new season but he has failed to convince with many Hammers fans calling for the club to hold their hands up on another failed managerial mismatch.
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But Hammers supporters have been making it perfectly clear who they feel is ultimately to blame for West Ham’s decline in what is their 130th anniversary year.
Irons fans sent shockwaves through the club’s boardroom with a vote of no confidence in the owners two weeks ago.
West Ham group reveal what really happened in Brady meeting
West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady was sent to meet with fed-up fans who put their questions, demands and expectations to her in a frank and professional manner.
The Hammers assured fans they are taking the situation very seriously.
Details of the meeting could not be revealed until the minutes were agreed and signed off by both parties.
Now a West Ham group has revealed what really happened in the Brady meeting as the owners make a mammoth statement.
West Ham United’s Independent Supporter Committee have released a summary from the meeting, attended by Brady, executive director and nominated board level official Tara Warren and Catherine Smith, the head of supporter services and fan engagement.
In the interests of accuracy, the summary of the meeting from WHISC is published in full below – and it has been followed by a huge 1,382-word statement on the meeting by West Ham’s board.
West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady watches on from the director's box at the London Stadium
Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
FAB Meeting Summary – concerns raised by supporters
Supporter Representatives shared the background and context which led them drafting and sharing a letter, raising specific areas where they perceived the Club could be better managed.
As part of this, direct questions were asked to the Club. Supporter Representatives stated their desire was to ensure the Club is governed in the best interests of its supporters and its future. Supporter Representatives raised 7 key themes.
These themes were: Leadership and Governance, Financial Strategy and PSR concerns, Commercial and Stadium strategy, Heritage and Culture, Strategic Vision, Fan Relations and Trust and Squad matters.
Supporter Representatives shared detail on each theme, expanded from the original letter.
Supporter Representatives then shared the following key questions on each of the subjects respectively:
When will the Club move to a professional governance model (which they believe is a CEO + Director of Football with autonomy)?
What credible financial strategy will enable consistent squad investment, and prevent PSR concerns?
How will the Club balance revenue generation with fan experience, inclusion and equality?
Where is our heritage and why has it not been displayed seven years since the written commitment by the board was made?
What is the five-year vision for West Ham United on and off the pitch?
What structural changes will ensure genuine, timely and meaningful supporter engagement in future decision-making?
What is the long-term footballing vision for recruitment, youth development, and European competitiveness?
Supporter Representatives asked the Club to consider and respond to each question.
The Club confirmed the intention for this meeting was to listen to the views of supporters, and would consider everything shared in detail before returning with a response Supporter Representatives acknowledged that the last FAB meeting, that took place on the 13th August 2025, was positive, but the poor results on the pitch at the first two games of the season had raised historic concerns which Supporter Representatives felt compelled to raise on behalf of their members.
Supporter Representatives stated that they felt the rising feeling of anger and concern within the supporter base was as a result decisions the Club had taken over many years Supporter Representatives requested greater insight into the investment West Ham United are making into the Club compared to other Premier League sides – Brighton and Hove Albion was a cited as a positive example of engaging supporters in Club strategy.
The Club thanked Supporter Representatives for setting out their concerns and stressed there was a shared ambition to deliver success on and off the pitch.
The Club also highlighted the positive progress made, including the tens of millions invested in the Training Ground in recent years.
Supporter Representatives asked for clarity around how the Club has related to heritage and memorabilia.
The Club asked the Supporter Representatives for further views on how they believe this should be displayed and shared the progress made together to date.
The Club acknowledged frustrations and accepted that recent on-pitch results have fallen below expectations.
The Club committed to reviewing the information shared in the meeting to provide a structured response at the next FAB meeting Both parties agreed the importance of constructive dialogue and focusing on future progress to benefit supporters.
It was agreed the Club and Supporter Representatives would continue working on the plans set in the first FAB meeting Actions: Supporter Representatives to share the document which they presented at the meeting with the Club (Due: September, actioned following the meeting).
The Club to review all points raised and prepare a considered response (Due: next FAB meeting).
West Ham majority owner David Sullivan watches his side with fiancee Ampika Pickston at the London Stadium
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Hammers owners make mammoth statement
In their own account of the meeting, West Ham have published a lengthy statement in which the board defends its record while acknowledging things must improve.
The Hammers’ owners talk up the Europa Conference League triumph, three consecutive seasons in Europe, 14 unbroken years in the Premier League and spending in excess of £450m on players over the last few seasons.
You can the West Ham statement in full below:
A message to all West Ham United supporters
West Ham United recognises the views expressed in recent correspondence from supporter representatives on the Fan Advisory Board and wishes to reassure all supporters that we continue to listen to fan feedback and advise them on the steps we are taking for the future wellbeing of the football club.
It is just two years since we lifted the Club’s first major trophy in 43 years. The UEFA Europa Conference League triumph came in the middle of three successive campaigns in European competition – the first time we had ever achieved that feat. Following that period, significant investment was made into the football operation, both on signing new first-team players and the Club’s overall scouting network and player recruitment department.
First, we accept that results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves. Nobody at the Club is satisfied with that and the Board of Directors have spent a great deal of time looking at the decisions that have been made across the football operation, in order to inform an improved strategy going forward.
Our focus now is firmly on the future and building a team that can once again compete consistently in domestic competitions and in Europe. We have a strong platform from which to continue that quest, in that we are entering our 14th consecutive season in the Premier League – our longest unbroken top-flight run in the modern era.
Steps have already been taken to implement a new strategy and approach – particularly in the area of player recruitment. We have appointed Graham Potter as our new Head Coach. His role is to build and develop a first-team squad in line with the Club’s identity and objectives, with a continued focus on integrating young players from our Academy.
Sporting Director Mark Noble has played a key role in protecting and enhancing that pathway, ensuring that the Club’s brightest young prospects are all secured on long-term contracts and providing his huge experience and understanding of the Club’s identity to help nurture the progress of any players arriving to establish themselves in the first-team squad, while Head of Recruitment Kyle Macaulay was brought in to oversee player recruitment and transfers.
We have also listened to supporters’ individual and collective views around their perception of our London Stadium home and the Club’s facilities and infrastructure.
Feedback about improving the matchday atmosphere at the stadium has been recognised, as recently as the FAB meeting in August and the Club is already working with supporters to address their feedback. Work has been well underway with stadium operators LS185, supporter groups dedicated to enhancing atmosphere, and fan-led initiatives to improve the matchday feel, including the introduction of fan zones, fan-led displays and Tifos. Ultimately, though, as is the case at every football stadium in the country, we accept that regular winning performances are the best way to improve the atmosphere.
We continue to do everything we can, working with supporters, to improve the matchday experience on behalf of the 62,500 supporters we welcome to every home fixture. We are proud to have the second-highest average attendance in the Premier League and 50,000 loyal Season Ticket Holders – also the second-highest number in the Premier League.
We have invested tens of millions of pounds in our training bases for the men’s, women’s and Academy squads. This includes millions of pounds spent this summer on continually improving our training facilities at Rush Green, including new pitches, medical facilities, gym and recovery areas, plus a brand-new facility for our U21 Academy development squad.
This follows the £4million investment to completely renovate Chadwell Heath for the benefit of our Academy and Women’s teams, and another £4million investment into our brand-new Community Hub at Beckton – the home of the West Ham United Foundation – which helps thousands of people in the east London and Essex area on a daily basis.
We believe the biggest strength of the men’s first-team training facility at Rush Green is the unique, intimate atmosphere enhanced by the people within it – something that certainly didn’t hinder the Club when winning a European trophy just two years ago, and something that is again thriving under Graham Potter. Our Head Coach has made clear his philosophy of developing an environment of trust and togetherness, built on the values that underpin the identity of our football club – including the importance of creating a pathway to the first team for our young Academy players.
We have invited supporter representatives on the FAB to visit Rush Green in person to see the latest facility developments for themselves, and we will continue to keep all supporters updated as to our latest plans for improvement.
In terms of our current financial outlook, the Club is stable and sustainable. Like all Premier League clubs, we must balance the desire to compete at the highest level with the responsibility to run the Club sensibly and prudently. We are operating within the current PSR rules governed by the Premier League, which limit us to maximum losses over a rolling three-year period of £105million (£35million per year), and we try to maintain the balance by remaining both compliant and competitive as we have been throughout the last 13 years in the Premier League.
That means being cautious at times, but it does not point to a lack of ambition. Over £450million has been spent on new player signings in the last three years, including an average net spend of £100m per season in that period, and we have always managed to stay within the PSR rules.
We also continue to make positive progress and enjoy successful growth off the field across all other areas of the organisation. The Club has enjoyed sustained high commercial growth that continues to allow us to complete. Every penny generated is re-invested back into the football club.
We are pleased to inform all supporters that a positive and productive meeting with the FAB recently took place. During the meeting, which took place at London Stadium on Thursday 11 September and was offered to the FAB in light of their recent letter addressed to Club shareholders, a range of subjects were discussed and opinions were shared by supporter representatives in an honest and respectful manner. Supporter Representatives shared what they saw as priority areas for the Club to focus on and it was agreed these would form the agenda for the next formal FAB meeting.
Vice-Chair Baroness Brady, along with Executive Director Tara Warren, as the Club’s Nominated Board Level Official for direct engagement with the FAB, both attended the meeting in representation of the Board of Directors to hear supporters share views on a range of issues, including leadership and governance, financial strategy and PSR concerns, commercial and stadium strategy, heritage and vision, the strategic vision of the Club, fan relations and trust and concerns about the playing squad and on-pitch performance.
They listened to the detail and views behind the letter and committed to sharing a presentation outlining the Board’s strategy and vision for the future at the next scheduled FAB meeting which is due to take place at London Stadium next month which will address the contents of their letter in more detail. The meeting summary will be shared at the same time with our wider fanbase.
Supporters have spoken of the need for greater ambition than our position of the past two seasons, and we agree. Regular top-half finishes, strong domestic cup runs, and qualification for European competition remain the goals we are working towards. We know we must do better to deliver those ambitions more consistently.
We are proud of our history and our loyal supporter base, and we remain committed to building a Club that reflects both. We look forward to continuing dialogue with the FAB, among other direct channels of communications with our fanbase, and we encourage all supporters to remain engaged as we move forward together.
The Club would like to place on record its thanks and appreciation to all of our fans, in the UK and all over the world, for their continued backing of West Ham United and the role that they have played in helping us to become one of the biggest and best-supported football clubs in the world