West Ham United’s Fan Advisory Board (FAB) officially launched towards the start of the recently-concluded season, in September 2024, following 12 months of consultation with supporter groups and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), and the collaborative construction of its terms of reference.
Made up of eleven elected representatives from existing recognised supporter groups, plus two elected individuals representing Claret Members and International Official Supporters’ Clubs, the FAB is West Ham United’s primary mechanism for formal consultation and engagement, with representatives sharing their views on widespread issues that impact the Club’s fanbase.
Eight months on from the FAB’s first meeting, on 11 September, Co-Chair Andy Payne - who attended his first West Ham game against West Brom in 1968 as a boy, and joined independent supporter group Hammers United in 2021 - shines a light on what he and his peers have been up to so far…
Can you outline the origins of the FAB and who’s involved?
After first getting involved with the Independent Supporters’ Committee (ISC) around three years ago, I became Chair in January 2024, which was during the negotiations of the terms of reference for the FAB, following the launch of the Premier League’s Fan Engagement Standard in March 2023. It took us a while to negotiate those terms, but it was because it required detailed conversations, and after taking time to get it right, I think we’ve got a really strong set-up now.
We concluded the negotiations in August 2024, and then we formally sat together for the first time in September. There are 13 of us, from the fan side of things, who were confirmed after an application process, overseen by an appointment panel consisting of Club and fan representatives, alongside the FSA. There are people from a real range of groups, and though 13 might sound like a lot, I think the more West Ham voices, the better. From the Club, Cat Smith - who is Head of Supporter Services & Fan Engagement - is Co-Chair with me, while we’re also in regular contact with other members of staff when relevant.
How often do you meet?
There are three formal meetings a year between the FAB and the Club, so we had our first one in September, then in December and April. All of the minutes are available to view on the Club’s website.
Outside of that, we as the fan representatives are in constant dialogue with each other and our members. We also meet and talk to Club staff about various topics regularly, so there are less formal meetings, too.
What sort of concerns have you raised, and what’s the overall goal?
The overall aim of the formal meetings is to come together and discuss specific aims that can be brought forward from fans or from the Club. From our point of view, we’re acting as a voice for all West Ham United supporters.
We’ve established a strong working relationship with the Club, and I think we’re starting to really build some trust. We know fans and the Club approach certain issues in different ways, but I think we’re doing well at coming together, listening to each other and finding solutions.
Our biggest achievement so far is probably the key role we played in the freezing of Season Ticket prices and the reintroduction of the concessionary discounts in Bands 1-4 that was announced in February. I think the FAB and the Club have got an understanding of each other’s perspectives, and at our last meeting I did actually thank the Club for listening and acting. Now, we’re moving forward with positive discussions about other issues.
What will the FAB be focusing on moving forwards?
We’re having conversations about the matchday experience and the atmosphere at London Stadium, and what we can do to improve things for all generations. We’re looking at issues around digital ticketing in terms of accessibility as well as pricing, Club memorabilia and plans to show those to the public, and numerous other things.
There’s lots going on, but we want to approach it in the right way, by consulting fans from all walks of life and then communicating with the Club to get effective results in the way we have started to do already. We’re action-orientated, and we’ll be focused on getting clarity on the issues that fans are telling us about. There is a lot of work to do, but we are West Ham United, and we are all up for it.
Click HERE to find out more about the FAB, including meeting minutes, the terms of reference, and member information.
