'This is a club on the up'

I make no secret of my desire to focus on the balance sheet but there is no doubt that a more stable balance sheet is what has enabled us against the odds to invest in the team sheet this summer.

This investment has seen two of our eight signings Freddie Piquionne and Victor Obinna firing home in our midweek Carling Cup fixture to take us just three rounds from Wembley.

This might have seemed a tall feat given the well documented level of debt that we inherited from the previous board.

The issues surrounding the club's financial predicament have continued to hit the headlines.

This is why I wanted to set the record straight to you our principal stakeholders and investors. If there is one thing I have learnt since I first walked through the front doors of the Boleyn Ground on 19 January it is that you are among the most savvy supporters in this league. This fits well with our own policy of honesty when it comes to our supporters.

You had a right to know that we implemented drastic changes but you also need to know that these changes were part of a long-term considered strategy to take us forward.

We have invested in the team both on and off the pitch and this has paid dividends in a very short space of time.

Off the pitch the team that lacked strategy and focus now benefits from a commercial and customer focused culture which will in turn benefit everyone associated with the club.

The reality is that this is a club on the up once again and everyone knows their role to ensure this continues.

Yes, we have inherited £50million of long-term debts, to the banks and Sheffield United. But the bank debt will be down to £25m by 2013, a sustainable level for a business with a turnover over £80m, and that's only three years away.

In the nine months we have been running the club we have paid back £20m in bank debt, cut costs by £6m and increased income by £2m. We have achieved this through sheer hard work. Every department has clear targets that are being met. We are building the status and image of the club both at a domestic and global level and continue to expand our CSR policy.

We have a clear vision to take the club forward and are taking our partners with us. Our excitement and enthusiasm at the possibilities for West Ham are proving to be infectious. We are at the start of an adventure and people want to be part of what we are doing. More investors are coming on board. My phone rings with a new opportunity, a new idea every few minutes.

If we've done that in just nine months, imagine where we can be in a few years' time.

Our Olympic Stadium bid is the only viable solution for the long-term future of the Olympic Park. It presents a golden opportunity to secure long-term prosperity. Not just for the Hammers, but for east London itself.

We also have terrific partners in SBOBET, Macron and Newham Council.

Our strategy translates on the field. In addition to the depth we have added to Avram Grant's squad, our youth system is world class.

Most positive of all is that our best players remain ours - resisting all manner of attempts to lure them away.

Scott Parker put the seal on that when he signed his new contract a fortnight ago. We worked hard to secure his signature as he is integral to our long-term strategy for success.

He is a modest man. Probably reluctantly, he has had to take centre stage in the last few months as Hammer of the Year and the fans' favourite.

He would say that it is all about the team and the club, and it is precisely that which has kept him here. He sees what West Ham United means and what puts us above all of our rivals. And he's right. It isn't about individuals. It is about a team with clear direction and goals, pulling together to ensure success.

It is about fantastic fans, a real history founded on the best Academy around and a pledge to move forward while always nodding to the past.

Trust is key and that comes with time. I am not one for rhetoric. I am confident you will want to share our aspirations as we embark on this adventure. I will let our actions seal your faith in our leadership but it is my responsibility to keep our principal stakeholders abreast of all club affairs - no speculation just hard facts - and at West Ham that means you.

We all want West Ham to succeed.

Karren Brady
Vice-Chairman