Throughout the 2024/25 season, we are sitting down with some of the official West Ham United Supporters’ Boards and Groups to find out more about them and how Hammers fans can get involved…
Here, member Jake Townsend tells us all about IRONWORKS ALLIANCE!
Great to speak to you, Jake. Firstly, can you outline how Ironworks Alliance came about and the idea behind the group?
Ironworks Alliance was formed in May 2022, when 20 West Ham fans came together via Twitter, and then WhatsApp, with the core goal of improving the atmosphere and overall matchday experience at London Stadium. We’re up to about 170 members now within our WhatsApp community, and we’re all everyday fans of various ages and from various backgrounds. One thing we stress is that we’re an inclusive, family-friendly group, and we just want to work in a positive way to bring like-minded supporters together, and enhance the experience for everyone.
How do you hope to achieve your aims, and what have you done so far?
One of the group’s key aims is to introduce crowdfunded displays at games, because we think they will strengthen the fanbase’s identity and serve as a boost to the atmosphere. We’ve recently had a design approved by the Club, and are now in the crowdfunding phase. We’d like there to be a dedicated ‘atmosphere’ section at London Stadium, as well. We’ve done it informally, mostly at cup games, but we think it could serve as a catalyst for the whole ground and encourage more people to get involved with chants. Feeding into this, we’d also like to see the introduction of safe standing longer term, and an ‘atmosphere’ section within the concourse.
What’s your relationship with the Club like, and how have you worked together so far?
We had some informal discussions with individuals at first, and various Supporters’ Clubs, before we became members of the Football Supporters’ Association earlier this year and started proper conversations with the Club. They’ve been really supportive so far, and have given us lots of guidance and advice. They’ve been great with the fan-led display I mentioned earlier, and are really receptive to our ideas. We’re very keen to work keep working with the Club, because essentially we’re here to help and act positively.
How can people get involved?
We’d all really encourage any like-minded fans to get involved, and be part of something that we think is really exciting. Anyone interested can find out more about us and our ongoing campaigns by clicking HERE, or they can become part of our WhatsApp community via our joiner form HERE.
