Secretaries Report: 2023-24
It remains a profound privilege to serve our fellow West Ham fans. Our mission with Hammers United is to provide an unbiased and independent platform, ensuring our supporters’ voices resonate with the incumbent custodians of our club. This year has seen both progress and significant challenge in equal measure.
Reflecting on the Past Year
1. Home Attendance & Matchday Experience: Despite securing our first trophy in decades and enjoying memorable European nights, the sight of growing empty seats at our stadium is troubling. Rising prices and a commercial shift in the game’s focus are pushing many loyal supporters to reconsider their season tickets—a worrisome trend for our club’s long-term connection with its base post-transition to Stratford.
2. Fixture Frustrations and Financial Strains: Adjustments to fixtures for television and the restructuring of traditional competitions like the FA Cup are widening the gap between football’s decision-makers and the fans. With ticket prices climbing amidst economic challenges in England our historic support which comes from the working classes is being priced out and is feeling increasingly alienated .
3. Fan-Led Review Ignored: The club’s handling of the fan-led review seems to fall short of embracing true fan engagement, missing crucial opportunities to tap into fan sentiment. We are committed to challenging the club’s increasingly unilateral decisions to ensure our collective voice remains a powerful force in holding them accountable.
Striving for a Better Future
1. Empowering Fan Sentiment: Hammers United must continue to ensure fan voices are not just heard but heeded. With around 20,000, Hammers United is a significant voice that the club’s executive team cannot ignore and would do well to remember its recent past, where its perceived arrogance and disengagement drove over 8,500 of its fans to march on a matchday across Newham, in protest against its stewardship of the club. The message stands as strong then as it does now. . . You will never ride roughshod over this fanbase, for it was here before your tenure, and will remain long after it. The fans are and remain the lifeblood of this great club and we will continue to ensure that fan voices are heard, leveraging all available mediums as necessary.
2. Enhancing Interaction and Accountability: As Secretary, I am dedicated to deepening our engagement with members. This year, after personal challenges including the loss of my father—a lifelong fan who first fell in love with the club in 1962—I am reigniting initiatives such as the Frankie Salt memorial and enhancing our digital interactions. These efforts are crucial in reflecting our membership’s spirit and resolve. Donations to Hammers United are appreciated, but membership remains free, inviting all who can contribute their time and skills to join us.
3. A Tide of Change in English Football: Across English football, a significant change is underway. Fan groups from various clubs are uniting independently of club owners, driven by a shared passion to protect the essence of the people’s game. This collective movement aims to ensure our beautiful game remains true to its roots, advocating for fan-centric policies and practices.
Conclusion
As Hammers United, we are poised to continue driving change, challenging the status quo, and holding the club accountable. Our commitment to maintaining an independent and robust voice amidst the increasing commercialisation of football and the monetisation of its fans remains unwavering. We will strive to ensure the club honours its heritage and its fans. Together, we are prepared to lead this charge, advocating for transparency, accountability, and genuine respect for all West Ham supporters. We are West Ham United, and its United We Stand.
Come On You Irons.
Stephen ‘Tross’ Cross
Jt Secretary Hammers United
