On 11 September 2024, West Ham United held its first Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting, bringing together elected representatives from the supporter base with senior club officials. 

As it was the first meeting, the agenda covered important administrative topics to set the FAB up for success, alongside a focus on the club’s ticketing and concession policy. 

As part of the meeting, Andy Payne from Hammers United was appointed Co-Chair of the FAB, alongside Cat Smith, Head of Supporter Services & Fan Engagement. Austin Gigg, from the Junior Supporters Board was appointed Vice-Chair. These votes were carried unanimously. 

A vote was also taken on having an additional role on the FAB, representing the Away Season Ticket scheme. This vote was carried, and an election will take place ahead of the next FAB meeting. 

Attendees:

Date: September 11, 2024 6-8pm
Location: London Stadium / Virtual 

Fan Advisory Board representatives: 

1. Andy Payne (Hammers United)
2. Apu Vyas (Inclusive Irons)
3. Austin Gigg (Junior Supporters Board)
4. Cathy Bayford (Disabled Supporters Association)
5. James Brown (Claret Member)
6. Joshua Dodd (Pride of Irons) attended virtually
7. Kevin Hind (West Ham United Supporters Trust) attended virtually
8. Martine Dodwell-Bennett (Bondholders Committee)
9. Mike Field (Old School Hammers)
10. Peter Tyler (Co-Chair, West Ham Women’s Supporters Board)
11. Paul Christmas (West Ham Official Supporters Club)
12. Scotty Burkhart (Overseas Supporters Rep) attended virtually

Club Representatives: 

13. Tara Warren, Executive Director, West Ham United
14. Nicola Keye, Director of Ticketing, Executive Director of the Women’s Team
15. Catherine Smith, Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement
16. David Chaplin, Head of MarComms Operations
17. Dan Francis, Senior Communications and Editorial Manager

Additional attendees: 

18. Ashley Brown (Head of Governance and Supporter Engagement, FSA)

Agenda:

1. Introductions and Overview
2. Appointment of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson
3. Overview of West Ham United and role of the FAB 
4. Concession Policy and Ticketing Strategy
5. Away Season Ticket Scheme Vote 
6. Fan demographic data ask and timeline 
7. Ways of working 
8. AOB 

Key Points Discussed:

Concessions and Ticket Pricing

• The Club’s concession policy and ticket pricing was a significant theme throughout the meeting
• Supporter Representatives shared stories and feedback from fans and their members who had very serious concerns about the current policy to show the impact of that policy and pointed to other public displays of dissatisfaction, including a fan petition which had 20,000 signatures, and total negative sentiment expressed from supporters who attend the Supporters Club
• The Club confirmed they would discuss accessible concessionary policy with the Disabled Supporters Board. The Supporter Representatives stressed that this should also undergo consultation via the FAB and it was agreed this would be discussed with both consultation bodies
• Supporter Representatives stated that there was real anger that has been expressed on the Club’s concessionary policy. The Club acknowledged this anger and recognised a consultation process had been needed for changes for this nature and re-iterated its commitment to consultation with the fan representatives going forward
• Supporter Representatives also noted the Club’s overall affordability and pricing structure and the need to remain financially competitive
• Supporter Representatives encouraged the Club to work with them to find solutions for the future that either fully reverted to the 2023/2024 pricing structure or enabled affordable and fair levels of concessionary discount across the stadium.
• Supporter Representatives offered to work with the Club on building a policy, understanding what financial targets the Club wants to achieve over the coming years and working on solutions to hit those targets without penalising those who have age and disability concessions. 
• Supporter Represented urged the Club to uphold existing promises made to supporters e.g. founder junior concessions. The Club agreed any commitments would be considered as part of any policy changes
  

Improving Understanding of Policies:

• The club emphasized its desire to establish clear and transparent policies that are easy to understand and communicate to fans, undergoing consultation on critical policy changes.
• Supporter Representatives gave positive suggestions on how to bring specific policies to life, including the Club and Supporter Representatives creating and editing content together to help mitigate misunderstandings among the supporter base.
  
  

Season Ticket Utilisation:

• The discussion touched on the importance of maximising attendance and seat utilisation during the season. Both the Club and Supporter Representatives expressed a shared goal of ensuring that as many fans as possible can experience match days and acknowledged the clear need for the loyalty price benefits afforded to season ticket holders to be realised, to have a full crowd behind the team and in recognition of those on the Season Ticket waiting list who are purchasing match-by-match tickets. It was noted that supporters have the chance to ticket forward free of charge or resell their ticket via the Ticket Exchange. 
• The Club shared they would be contacting supporters who do not list or attend (utilise) their seat and that it may be necessary to revoke ticket privileges. In response, Supporter Representatives said that the current system was not very well publicised and that there was confusion amongst fans about how it worked. 
• Fan representatives suggested that there were a number of potential reasons why Season Ticket Holders may not take their seat for some matches and offered suggestions for how to encourage use of the system, including more communication, a review of the Club Cash refund system whereby Season Ticket Holders can only get their money back via credit against merchandise or a future season ticket and the timings of when supporters are able to list their ticket on the Ticket Exchange. Club and Supporter Representatives agreed to work together to investigate further and spread this message 
  

Inclusivity and Accessibility:

• The meeting underscored the club's commitment to inclusivity, with Supporter Representatives stating their intention to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity through the FAB.  The Club agreed to review existing policies with a key goal being having games accessible for all. The Club clarified the existing concession policy, confirming the accessible concessionary policy is unchanged for the 2024/25 season, and that any proposed changes would be specifically brought to the Disabled Supporters Board and the FAB for consultation

Future Fan Engagement and Strategy:

• The FAB agreed to work collaboratively on shaping future ticketing strategies. This will involve ongoing consultation, workshops and an open dialogue to address fan concerns and with the goal of decisions reflect the diverse needs of the West Ham United community. The Club stated it is eager to create a policy that is transparent, fair, and forward-looking.

Agreed Actions:

• Supporter Representatives to work with the Club in an open and transparent way to submit any further suggestions regarding ticketing and concession policies for the Club (Due: In good time for December FAB meeting)
• The Club to review all supporter feedback, creating a proposal for consultation (Due: December meeting) 
• The Club to share the plan for the election of the Away Season Ticket Scheme member with Supporter Representatives (Due: 26 September) 
• The Club to deliver Away Scheme election (Due: December meeting) 
• The Club to consider additional communication channels to enhance the club’s communication strategies, including exploring the use of podcasts, Q&A sessions, and direct emails to better inform fans about ticketing policies and seat utilization (Due: December meeting)
• The Club will offer a meeting to Supporter Representatives to share its current approach to encouraging use of the Ticket Exchange and Ticket Forwarding, asking Supporter Representatives to provide feedback (Due: October) 
• The Club will consult the Disabled Supporters Board on any changes to ticketing policy as part of their formal meetings with Club executives (Due: November)

West Ham United hold Ticketing Workshop with Fan Advisory Board  

Following the first Fan Advisory Board meeting on 11 September 2024, an action was taken for the Club and Supporter Representatives to review feedback on the Club’s concessionary policy, reviewing the policy ahead of the 2025/26 season. The Club agreed any ticketing principles would be discussed in December’s Fan Advisory Board meeting. Ahead of this meeting, supporter representatives met with club officials for an informal workshop on the topic.  

Attendees:

Date: 19 November 19 2024 7-9pm 

Location: London Stadium / Virtual 

Fan Advisory Board representatives: 

1. Andy Payne (Hammers United)
2. Austin Gigg (Junior Supporters Board)
3. Cathy Bayford (Disabled Supporters Association)
4. James Brown (Claret Member)
5. Kevin Hind (West Ham United Supporters Trust) 
6. Martine Dodwell-Bennett (Bondholders Committee) attended virtually
7. Mike Field (Old School Hammers)
8. Peter Tyler (Co-Chair, West Ham Women’s Supporters Board)
9. Paul Christmas (West Ham Official Supporters Club)
10. Scotty Burkhart (Overseas Supporters Rep) attended virtually

Club Representatives: 

1. Nicola Keye, Director of Ticketing, Executive Director of the Women’s Team attended virtually
2. Catherine Smith, Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement
3. David Chaplin, Head of MarComms Operations
4. Kerry O’Shea, Fan Engagement Lead 

Agenda:

1.         Introductions and Overview  

2.         Workshop

3.         Open Forum for Supporter Feedback and Concerns  

4.         Discussion of Next Steps and Agreed Actions  

Introduction and Objectives 

• The FAB Co-Chairs welcomed the group and outlined the agenda. 
• The Club stated its objectives from the workshop, which was intended to: 
  • Allow the fan voice to be included in the Club’s decision-making processes
  • Provide a mechanism for the FAB to meaningfully and constructively contribute to the creation of a new policy 
  • Provide further opportunities to hear the views of supporters, and the members they represent
• The workshop was structured around four themes: reward, respect, re-evaluate, rationale, with the Club aiming to return with a proposal at the FAB meeting on 4 December.·       

Workshop summary

The key themes which emerged from the workshop were: 

• Loyalty: Supporter Representatives discussed how there was a need to establish how loyalty is recognised, acknowledged and rewarded, particularly for those supporters officially affiliated with the Club (Season Ticket Holders, Match by Match purchasers, Claret Members, Official Supporters Clubs) who either come to games currently or have previously done so. There was discussion about how this was currently reflected using the loyalty points system.  A view was shared from Supporter Representatives that price was the most important factor in recognising loyalty, rather than additional gifts/incentives and Supporter Representatives talked about options for spreading the cost of season tickets over time, and the continuing importance of an overall discount for season tickets when compared to match-by-match tickets for Premier League fixtures.
• Family Tickets and Generational Attendance: Supporter Representatives stated that the Club should ensure that there was a healthy pipeline of younger fans coming through, which Club representatives agreed with. There was discussion about whether families should be able to pass on Season Tickets more easily or whether this could create a closed shop or add confusion to the current ticketing policies . The group discussed what ‘Affordable Family Football’ meant and took the view that it was important to ensure future generations continued to attend matches, alongside providing ways for new supporters to purchase tickets at every stage of life. Supporter Representatives wanted to prioritise affordability for families, younger, older and accessible supporters. Some supporter representatives queried whether it would be possible to ‘register interest’ in specific seats. 
• Accessibility: The Club confirmed that they intended to discuss accessible concessions with the Disabled Supporters Board and Supporter Representatives again stressed the need for consistency and simplicity, allowing choice and flexibility in where disabled supporters sat in the Stadium. Supporter Representatives agreed that any proposals shared with the Disabled Supporters Board would be shared at Fan Advisory Board meetings for discussion. The DSB Representative highlighted some of the unique challenges faced by supporters with disabilities.  
• Simplicity and Communication: Supporter Representatives asked the Club to keep policies simple to avoid confusion among supporters and ensure fairness across the fan base. Supporter Representatives emphasised the need for a clear and fair concessionary pricing structure and the importance of clear communication and a logical rationale for changes. Supporter Representatives said they would welcome an understanding of a longer-term view of ticketing strategy.
• Affordability: Supporter Representatives highlighted the need for simple and clear pricing and suggested it would be best to have the same level of percentage discount for all concessionary tickets across different categories and bands. The Club shared some ideas of how this could work, noting that this would have an impact on existing concessionary ticket holders. The Club agreed to return to these ideas in more detail at the Fan Advisory Board meeting on 4 December. 
   

Agreed Actions:

• Supporter Representatives to review and re-share their previous proposals shared in April 2024 with the Club on concessionary policies (Due: end of November) 
• Supporter Representatives to share survey data delivered in partnership with FSA as it stands (Due: ahead of December meeting) 
• The Club to review feedback from the workshop and recent fan survey, creating a proposal for discussion (Due: December meeting) 

West Ham United hold second Fan Advisory Board Meeting

On 4 December 2024, West Ham United held the second Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting, bringing together elected representatives from the supporter base with senior club officials. As part of the meeting, Jo Bailey was welcomed to the FAB, taking over from Josh Dodd in representing Pride of Irons. Maurice Birnbaum was also welcomed, representing the Away Scheme Members following a vote at the last meeting and subsequent election. 

Attendees: 

Date: December 4, 2024 6-8pm 
Location: Virtual  

Fan Advisory Board representatives: 

1. Andy Payne (Hammers United and FAB Co-Chair) 
2. Apu Vyas (Inclusive Irons)
3. Austin Gigg (Junior Supporters Board)
4. Cathy Bayford (Disabled Supporters Association)
5. James Brown (Claret Member)
6. Kevin Hind (West Ham United Supporters Trust) 
7. Martine Dodwell-Bennett (Bondholders Committee)
8. Maurice Birnbaum (Away Scheme Member) 
9. Mike Field (Old School Hammers)
10. Peter Tyler (Co-Chair, West Ham Women’s Supporters Board)
11. Paul Christmas (West Ham Official Supporters Club)
12. Scotty Burkhart (Overseas Supporters Rep)

Apologies: 

1. Jo Bailey (Pride of Irons) 

Club Representatives: 

1. Tara Warren, Executive Director and Nominated Board Level Official 
2. Nicola Keye, Director of Ticketing, Executive Director of the Women’s Team 
3. Catherine Smith, Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement
4. David Chaplin, Head of MarComms Operations
5. Dan Francis, Senior Writer and Communications Lead 

Agenda: 

1. Welcome and Action Log 
2. Club Concessionary Policy and Wider Ticketing Strategy 
3. Safe Standing at London Stadium 
4. Status updates on fan initiatives 
   • Pride of Irons 10-year anniversary 
   • Junior Supporters Board 
   • Away Season Ticket Scheme 
   • Level Playing Fields Regional Forum and DSB meeting 
   • Women’s team playing at the London Stadium 
   • Matchday WhatsApp Channel
   • International Supporters Club

1. AOB 
   • Away Fans in Home areas - WHU v Arsenal 
   • Independent Football Regulator 

 Action Points from Previous Meeting: 

2. Club Concessionary Policy and Wider Ticketing Strategy 
    

• The Club shared the feedback it had received from a survey it had sent to supporters, and the feedback received from Supporter Representatives from the Fan Advisory Board as part of a ticketing and concessions workshop held 19 November 2024.
• The Club shared a proposed set of guiding principles that would underpin future ticketing policy: fair to the majority, simple to understand, affordable for families. Supporter Representatives suggested the final principle should not be limited to just families but affordable to all and the Club agreed to consider how this could be applied to all supporters. Supporter Representatives suggested clearer definitions for terms like ‘fairness’ and ‘majority and the Club agreed to work the detail of this. 
• The Club outlined proposed changes to the policy, which reflected the new guiding principles. The Club highlighted that the 2023-24 level of discount (up to 83% in some Bands) was not sustainable, whilst acknowledging supporter concerns surrounding affordability, choice and flexibility. Supporter Representatives confirmed they would like to see a level of fairness and consistency within the policy, with a return to concessions in Bands 1-6 for existing, new supporters and season ticket holders. 
• Supporter Representatives highlighted that since the August meeting with the Club, they have been advocating for a full reversion to previous concessionary policies, as supported by fan feedback and a petition with over 21,000 signatures and data from Supporters Representatives fan survey run by the FSA. The Club confirmed that feedback had been heard, and the focus was on building a policy for future years that reflected the outlined principles. The Club shared how some specific outliers within the concession policy would not be sustainable. Supporter Representatives flagged that affordability, choice and flexibility was paramount for any new policies. 
• Supporter Representatives stated they had sent a series of detailed documents to the Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement relating to Club Ticketing Policies, written by Supporter Groups and endorsed by Supporter Representatives. Supporter Representatives emphasised the time and effort spent compiling these proposals. The Club confirmed these documents (shared on 2^nd and 3 December) had not been reviewed ahead of the FAB meeting and that any proposals that had been brought for discussion would be based on survey results and the workshop with the FAB. Supporter Representatives also suggested that the Club incorporate insights from the Supporter Representatives survey run by the FSA into its ticketing policy development. The Club stated they would review the documents and feedback to Supporter Representatives.
• The Club confirmed they would now build the ticketing policies for the 2025-26 season and beyond. The final policies would be shared with Supporter Representatives before a wider announcement. The Club confirmed it would not be considering any other changes to policy other than those already raised and discussed for the 2025-26 season. Supporter Representatives asked about the timeline, stressing the importance of clear timelines and sufficient communication with fans to avoid last minute issues and questions
• Supporter Representatives asked for detail on some specifics of ticket allocations within the Stadium. The Club provided detailed information on the number of seats in different bands, and the ways the Club strives to ensure there are affordable options for all supporters.      It was agreed the Club would look at how many U18 Founder Season Ticket holders were still Season Ticket holders as Supporter Representatives had stated that these were promised when seats were taken up in 2016. It was agreed Supporter Representatives would share any written information they had with the Club in relation to promises made to Founder Season Ticket Holders on concessionary pricing as the Club could not find any information on this in the historic literature. 

3. Safe Standing at London Stadium

• Supporter Representatives asked the Club to clarify the position on the introduction of railed seating at London Stadium. The Club confirmed London Stadium is an all-seater stadium for home supporters and we continue to monitor guidance relating to safe standing 
• The Club confirmed there is railed seating in the Upper Tier of the Away End to keep supporters safe. The Club confirmed there are no current plans to introduce further railed seating into the London Stadium in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 season. Regular communications are shared to supporters reminding to take their seats for the games, for the enjoyment and safety of those, and those around them. It was agreed the Club would make a clearer public statement about the current position. The Club would continue to make this information available via Club Channels

4. Status updates on fan initiatives 

• Pride of Irons 10-year anniversary 
  • The FAB Supporter Representative Co-Chair, on behalf of the Pride of Irons representative confirmed that the Club had been working with Pride of Irons to recognise it’s 10-year anniversary, taking place next February. It was agreed that the Supporter Representatives would contact their respective members on how they can raise awareness and support the anniversary further
• Junior Supporters Board 
  • The Junior Supporters Board representative asked the Club to consider offering booster seats for young supporters sat in the lower bowl. The Club agreed to see if this was feasible 
• Away Season Ticket Scheme 
  • The Away Scheme Member Representative asked for assurances that the Away Scheme would continue. The Club stated there were no current plans to end the Away Scheme, but it would need to evolve to address issues such as ticket abuse and anti-social behaviour. The Club agreed to host a specific meeting to between the Away Scheme Representative and the Club Director of Ticketing to look at the scheme in detail, and how a positive away experience can be maintained. Any proposals would be brought back to the FAB for consideration 
• Level Playing Fields Regional Forum and DSB meeting 
  • The DSB Representative shared an update on the DSB meeting held on 26^th November, confirming that a meeting summary would be made publicly available. The representative also shared updates from Level Playing Field’s Regional Forum, which was hosted by West Ham United on Thursday 28^th November
• Women’s team playing at the London Stadium 
  • The WSB Representative asked for an update on the team playing at the London Stadium this season as there was a strong desire for the women’s team to play more games at London Stadium and that the long-term goal for Supporter Representatives would be to see London Stadium as a regular venue for WSL matches. The Club reiterated that work is underway to try to host a women’s match this season. 
• Matchday WhatsApp Channel 
  • The Club confirmed that the Matchday WhatsApp channel has been launched as an additional place for supporters to access key information about each matchday
• International Supporters Club
  • The International Supporters Club Representative confirmed work was underway with the Club’s Fan Engagement Manager to identify a fixture this season to celebrate all our international supporters, with a specific event held in East London. The Club and Supporter Representatives agreed to continue to work together on the planning of this activity

5. AOB 

Away Fans in Home areas - WHU v Arsenal 

• Supporter Representatives shared concerns about the number of away supporters in home areas at recent fixtures, including WHU v Arsenal. Supporter Representatives registered their concerns on stewarding and safety measures, alongside suggesting the use of sophisticated data analysis to prevent unauthorised access. 

• Supporter Representatives reported instances where stewards can appear to lose control of situations, with the Arsenal fixture being the most recent. The Club emphasised that all stewards are expected to have minimum qualifications and that the Club works with London Stadium closely to address any issues when they arise

• The Club reiterated that this is a matter taken extremely seriously and that before each fixture, daily checked are made on purchasing-patterns, residential addresses and email addresses to identify suspected away fans and ticket touts

• The Club confirmed that ahead of the Arsenal game, over 1,000 tickets were blocked. For the limited number of away supporters to who make into the London Stadium concourse or seats, the Club works, in line with a zero-tolerance approach, to share details with stakeholder authorities and take the strongest possible action, including indefinite bans from the London Stadium. The Club confirmed incidents are being fully investigated and the Club will work closely with the stadium operators on future response to issues of this nature

• The Club confirmed efforts would be stepped up ahead of future fixtures – particularly London derbies and high-demand Category AA matches, with further investigations into suspicious accounts and increased communications shared to all ticket purchasers reminding them of expectations ahead of attending

• Supporter Representatives offered to help in these efforts which was appreciated by the Club. The Club reminded supporters that any incidents on a matchday should be reported to stewards or via the ‘SUPPORT’ service to avoid harm. 

• Supporter Representatives commented that there should be fan representation on the local authority’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG). The Club said that there would be no changes to the composition of the SAG and that fans are adequately represented by Club employees who attend them, including the Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement who contacts Supporter Representatives ahead of each SAG meeting

Independent Football Regulator 

The Club’s NBLO provided an update on the Football Governance Bill. 

Agreed Actions: 

• CARRIED: Supporter Representatives to work with the Club in an open and transparent way to submit any further suggestions regarding ticketing and concession policies for the Club (Due: January)
• CARRIED: The Club will offer a meeting to Supporter Representatives to share its current approach to encouraging use of the Ticket Exchange and Ticket Forwarding, asking Supporter Representatives to provide feedback (Due: January ) 
• The Club to share top-level survey findings with Supporter Representatives (Due: December)
• The Club to amend the ticketing guiding principles (Due: December) 
• The Club to share final policy with Supporter Representatives before wider announcement (Due: once renewal window is confirmed) 
• Supporter Representatives to share written documentation re Founder Season Ticket holders (Due: December) 
• The Club to continue to communicate the position on Safe Standing at London Stadium (Due: December) 
• Supporter Representatives to consider how to support Pride of Irons 10-year anniversary (Due: January) 
• The Club to investigate the feasibility of providing booster seats at London Stadium (Due: March)
• The Club to arrange a meeting with the Away Scheme Member Representative (Due: January) 
• The Club and International Supporters Club Representative to continue to work on event plans (Due: March) 
• The Club to continue to deliver and review effective activity which discourages away supporters from sitting in home ends at London Stadium (Due: December) 
• Supporter Representatives to share examples from outside football to prevent away supporters from purchasing tickets in home areas, including data analytics methods (Due: December)