West Ham United is fully committed to the new Premier League Fan Engagement Standard (FES), a framework which is designed to build on existing work undertaken by the Hammers and all other Premier League clubs.
The development of the FES was initially endorsed at the Premier League AGM in June 2022, when all clubs unanimously agreed to follow the framework, which will help create consistency across the league for Clubs designing and implementing their own individual approaches to fan engagement. For full information on the FES, please click here.
West Ham United is proud to have millions of passionate supporters worldwide who engage with the Club in many different ways. In whatever way our fans choose to follow the Hammers, we are committed to providing the best supporter experience for all – whether that be on matchday, across our many digital platforms and online communities, assisting with day-to-day enquiries, feedback and surveys, through supporters’ group meetings, or working together with you to support some amazing fan-led community causes, the relationship we have with you is so important to us.
Since 2011 the Club has been proactive in consulting with supporters, evolving our model to its current form. We are delighted to be among those clubs who have paved the way forward in this area, having worked together with several West Ham United supporters’ groups and the Football Supporters’ Association in 2020 to create the Independent Supporters’ Committee (ISC), undertaking a detailed consultation process, with regular dialogue and meetings between all parties.
Supporter consultation is led at the highest level of the Club by Vice-Chair Baroness Brady and all of our supporter consultation forums will meet with representation from the Club’s Board of Directors, with responsibility for engagement led by our Nominated Board Level Official and Executive Director, Tara Warren, supported by our Head of Supporter Services, Jake Heath. The Nominated Board Level Official and Head of Supporter Services regularly attend meetings, with Supporter Services being the key point of contact for fan engagement, supporter liaison, general service enquiries, and support for our fanbase.
West Ham United Vice-Chair Baroness Brady said: ‘‘It is crucially important for us that we engage with as many of our supporters as possible – in many different ways and from across the entire fanbase. We want to give every one of our fans a voice to share their feedback and views with us here at West Ham United.
“At West Ham we take a proactive approach to encouraging feedback from our supporters and, while we are already immensely proud of our model of consultation with supporters’ groups, we acknowledge the criteria within the Premier League Fan Engagement Standard. We will be fully engaging with our fan groups to further evolve our model working alongside our supporters, so that together we can continue to ensure that supporter consultation remains central to the Club’s fan engagement strategy.”
Steve Applebee, Chair of the West Ham United Independent Supporters’ Committee, said: “The ISC acknowledges the Premier League’s announcement of a Fan Engagement Standard. We look forward to consulting with the Club on the proposals, which will hopefully enable us to provide an improved level of fan engagement for West Ham United supporters with the Club.”
The Club will publish its Fan Engagement Plan ahead of the 2023/24 season and will be consulting with supporters’ groups on future plans together on Wednesday 29 March 2023. For further information head to the 'Next Steps' section below.
Every supporter’s voice, view and experience is valued equally and the Club have created many ways for supporters to contact us and share feedback. The ISC acts as an official conduit between the Club and West Ham United supporters’ groups in matters of consultation alongside the Club’s wider areas of fan engagement, including our dedicated Supporter Services team, 50-strong Matchday Supporter Liaison team, the Hammers Help Twitter handle @westhamhelp, Hammers Help Centre, Disabled Supporters’ Board, Junior Supporters’ Board, West Ham Women’s Supporters’ Board and Official Supporters’ Clubs, as well as surveys, personal communication, points of contact, and the reintroduction of the Hammers Hub, created in direct response to fan feedback.
Consultation is at the heart of the FES and every fan is encouraged to have a voice by actively participating in any engagement activity promoted by clubs and fan groups.
Since 2011 the Club has been proactive in consulting with supporters, evolving our model to its current form working directly alongside supporters’ groups, with involvement at the highest level of the Club led by Vice-Chair Baroness Brady. West Ham United is delighted to be among those clubs who have paved the way forward in this area, having worked together with several West Ham United supporters’ groups and the Football Supporters’ Association in 2020 to create the Independent Supporters’ Committee (ISC), undertaking a detailed consultation process, with regular dialogue and meetings between all parties.
The ISC features a collection of West Ham United supporters’ groups representing a broad cross-section of the Club’s fanbase. All fan representatives are independently and democratically elected to represent a range of demographics, including Any Old Irons, Away Season Ticket Holders, Bondholders, Claret members, Disabled Supporters’ Board, Hammers United, Inclusive Irons, West Ham United Official Supporters’ Club, Pride of Irons and the West Ham United Supporters’ Trust.
The Club and ISC aim to work together to provide the best experience, with all committed to driving forward a constructive agenda, for the benefit of all Hammers supporters. There is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Club and supporters’ groups, with regular meetings and daily dialogue taking place throughout the season on matters of key interest to the fan base.
Every supporter’s voice, view and experience is valued equally and the Club have created many ways for supporters to contact us and share feedback. The ISC acts as an official conduit between the Club and West Ham United supporters’ groups in matters of consultation alongside the Club’s wider areas of fan engagement, including our dedicated Supporter Services team, 50-strong Matchday Supporter Liaison team, the Hammers Help twitter handle @westhamhelp, Hammers Help Centre, Disabled Supporters’ Board, Junior Supporters’ Board, West Ham Women’s Supporters’ Board and Official Supporters’ Clubs, as well as surveys, personal communication, points of contact, and the reintroduction of the Hammers Hub, created in direct response to fan feedback.
All of our supporter consultation forums will meet with representation from the Club’s Board of Directors, with responsibility for engagement led by our Nominated Board Level Official and Executive Director, Tara Warren, supported by our Head of Supporter Services, Jake Heath. The Nominated Board Level Official and Head of Supporter Services regularly attend meetings, with Supporter Services being the key point of contact for fan engagement, supporter liaison, general service enquiries, and support for our fanbase.
We actively encourage feedback from supporters, and we have created multiple channels and avenues for engagement and consultation between the Club and our fanbase. All of our platforms provide supporters with the opportunity to share your feedback, views and experiences and this can be used to help inform Club policy, services and strategic decisions. All of your views, voices and experiences matter to us equally; however you choose to share them with us.
Our channels of engagement are inclusive and designed to involve as many supporters as possible, allowing us to:
- Actively encourage input from our fans across a wide variety of channels
- Provide a platform for in-depth consultation between the Club and fanbase on key matters of interest to supporters
- Enable all supporters to share their feedback, input and experiences and to have their views heard at the highest level of the Club
- Consider supporters’ views in decision-making, Club policy, services and using it to enhance the supporter experience
- Be inclusive, respecting and valuing the voice, views and experience of every West Ham United supporter equally
- Maintain our strong relationships with supporters
Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of West Ham United. We encourage everyone to stand side by side in supporting their team, providing an equal and inclusive experience for all of our supporters, through every method of fan engagement, on matchday, online, via our day-to-day services, or through consultation with our supporters’ groups - everyone is valued equally.
We promote our values, of equity, inclusion and togetherness, and celebrate diversity among our fanbase through collaboration – working with our supporters’ groups and our community on a wide variety of initiatives and events.
We will continue to work with supporters to:
- Celebrate key moments with our supporters’ groups
- Promote inclusive engagement and relationships across all of our channels for Club and fans
- Campaign with our fans and football organisations on issues within the game
- Help inform our reporting and support campaign and processes
- Create events and initiatives working with fans and community
- Continue to provide educational sessions with our fan groups and expert agencies
- Working together to ensure matchdays are safe, welcoming and inclusive for all supporters
We are a family club, and we pride ourselves on having strong relationships with our supporters. Our Supporter Services team continues to grow for the purpose of helping, supporting, and listening to our supporters every day – over land and sea – and ensuring that the views of our fans are heard and considered at the highest level of the Club.
The relationships we have with you are important to us and so you’ll see members of our Supporter Services team wherever you travel with the Hammers. Many of you will have met the team at home and away matches, in the UK and abroad, helping you wherever we possibly can. Even behind the scenes the team will be working closely with all departments and stakeholders, sharing their own experiences and the feedback we receive in every conversation and meeting.
While our Supporter Services team are solely focused on being here to help you, staff from all across the Club also contribute to fan engagement in different ways, depending on their role at West Ham United. This could be through operations, events, communications or services, all of which helps to support the relationships we have with our fans and to enhance your experience.
There are of course primary points of contact when it comes to direct Club and supporter relationships, with a number of senior staff meeting and liaising with supporters on a regular basis from across the football club, including the Club’s Nominated Board Level Official and Head of Supporter Services.
If you have any queries around fan engagement at West Ham United or just want to get in touch to share your feedback and input with us, contact the Supporter Services team today who will be happy to help.
Contact Supporter Services Today
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Ahead of the 2023/24 season, we will be publishing our Fan Engagement Plan, a Charter communicating further information on how the Club engages with supporters, detailing our commitments to you, and how you can get involved.
Members of the Club’s Board of Directors and senior management team will meet with supporter representative groups on Wednesday 29 March 2023 to consult on the FES framework and will continue to work together on the evolution of supporter consultation at West Ham United, including reviewing the Premier League requirements for a Fan Advisory Board. Further information will be communicated on whufc.com in due course.