Following a vote at West Ham United’s first Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting, the Club is welcoming one applicant to join current supporter representatives, specifically from those on the Away Ticket Scheme.
The FAB is West Ham United’s primary mechanism for formal consultation and engagement, with representatives sharing their views on issues which impact the Club’s fanbase, including the Club strategic vision and objectives, London Stadium plans, operational matchday processes and any proposals relating to Club heritage items.
The FAB is also consulted on the Club’s short, medium and long-term strategy, equality, diversity and inclusion commitments, the communities’ strategy and West Ham United’s plans for broader supporter engagement.
Supporters put themselves forward to represent the fanbase over the summer, with the FAB consisting of a mixture representatives from established supporter groups and elected positions. An appointment panel, consisting of a fan representative, a Club representative and the Football Supporters Association (FSA) oversaw the process and at the start of September 2024, the below Supporter Representatives were confirmed:
| Supporter | Representing |
| Andy Payne | Hammers United (General Position) |
| Paul Christmas | West Ham United Supporters’ Club (General Position) |
| Kevin Hind | West Ham United Supporters’ Trust (General Position) |
| Mike Field | Old School Hammers (Over-60s) |
| Josh Dodd | Pride of Irons (LGBTQIA+) |
| Apu Vyas | Inclusive Irons (Ethnic Diversity) |
| Cathy Bayford | Disabled Supporters’ Association |
| Peter Tyler | Women’s Supporters’ Board |
| Austin Gigg | Junior Supporters’ Board |
| Martine Dodwell-Bennett | Bondholders |
| James Brown | Claret Members |
| Scott Burkhardt | International Supporters’ Clubs |
Andy Payne, Co-Chair of the Fan Advisory Board said of the new position, “Supporter representatives who are part of the FAB felt it was important there was a dedicated position on the FAB for the Away Ticket Scheme, representing some of West Ham United’s most loyal fans. I would encourage any West Ham fan who are passionate about improving the experience for fans to apply to join to the FAB.“
Cat Smith, Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement, and fellow Co-Chair of the FAB added, “We welcome any supporters on the Away Ticket Scheme who would like to represent fellow supporters to consider putting themselves forward. Supporter Representatives felt this was an important area of representation missing on the FAB, and we are delighted we are able to act quickly to elect a new member before the next FAB meeting.”
Applications will open on Monday 7 October for the Away Ticket Scheme representative. Emails will be sent to all eligible candidates inviting them to apply for the position. You can put yourself forward by clicking HERE.
Following applications, a short-list will be decided via the appointment panel, and an election will be held. A story will be published on the Club website with details of who is eligible for election and an email with voting link sent to all eligible to vote.
Civica Election Services (CES), the UK’s leading provider of election services, will be administering this process on behalf of the Club.
