A coalition of West Ham United supporter organizations representing over 25,000 fans has formally declared it lacks confidence in the club’s current leadership structure. The unprecedented move comes amid growing frustration with the team’s direction both on and off the pitch.
Eleven separate fan groups jointly signed a letter delivered to the club’s principal shareholders last week, though the document only became public knowledge on Wednesday. The communication outlines what supporters describe as “sustained failure” by executive management, pointing specifically to what they characterize as an aging roster lacking competitiveness.
The criticism emerges despite the club’s European Conference League victory two years ago and the subsequent record-breaking transfer of Declan Rice to Arsenal. Supporters now find themselves looking at clubs like Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford, and Crystal Palace with envy, noting these organizations are outperforming West Ham in multiple areas.
The letter calls for fundamental changes in how the club operates, demanding “professional full-time executives with both football and commercial expertise” and an end to board interference in football matters. Supporters described the current setup as “analogue club in a digital world” that requires immediate modernization.
The timing of the letter has reportedly caused some surprise within the club hierarchy, particularly since officials held what they described as a “positive and constructive meeting” with fan representatives just days before the season began. Club sources indicate that none of these concerns were raised during that gathering, which was attended by senior leadership including Karren Brady.
West Ham’s difficult start to the season has undoubtedly fueled supporter discontent. The team suffered heavy defeats in its opening matches against Sunderland and Chelsea, conceding eight goals combined, while also experiencing early elimination from the Carabao Cup.
While the team secured its first victory with a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest last weekend, one prominent supporter group, Hammers United, is calling for organized protests. The group urges fans to demonstrate their dissatisfaction during the upcoming home match against Crystal Palace before implementing a full boycott of the Brentford fixture.
Hammers United has taken the strongest position, publicly demanding that owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady resign their positions. The group’s leadership has issued stark warnings about the club’s future, suggesting “our club is going to die” under current management and describing the organization as being in “serious decline” with “thousands of long-term, time-served fans walking away.”
Club officials have reportedly offered to meet with fan representatives to address the concerns raised in the letter, though it remains unclear whether such discussions will satisfy the growing discontent among the supporter base.
