West Ham United recognises the views expressed in recent correspondence from supporter representatives on the Fan Advisory Board and wishes to reassure all supporters that we continue to listen to fan feedback and advise them on the steps we are taking for the future wellbeing of the football club.

It is just two years since we lifted the Club’s first major trophy in 43 years. The UEFA Europa Conference League triumph came in the middle of three successive campaigns in European competition – the first time we had ever achieved that feat. Following that period, significant investment was made into the football operation, both on signing new first-team players and the Club’s overall scouting network and player recruitment department.

First, we accept that results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves. Nobody at the Club is satisfied with that and the Board of Directors have spent a great deal of time looking at the decisions that have been made across the football operation, in order to inform an improved strategy going forward.

Our focus now is firmly on the future and building a team that can once again compete consistently in domestic competitions and in Europe. We have a strong platform from which to continue that quest, in that we are entering our 14th consecutive season in the Premier League – our longest unbroken top-flight run in the modern era.

Steps have already been taken to implement a new strategy and approach – particularly in the area of player recruitment. We have appointed Graham Potter as our new Head Coach. His role is to build and develop a first-team squad in line with the Club’s identity and objectives, with a continued focus on integrating young players from our Academy.

Sporting Director Mark Noble has played a key role in protecting and enhancing that pathway, ensuring that the Club’s brightest young prospects are all secured on long-term contracts and providing his huge experience and understanding of the Club’s identity to help nurture the progress of any players arriving to establish themselves in the first-team squad, while Head of Recruitment Kyle Macaulay was brought in to oversee player recruitment and transfers.

We have also listened to supporters’ individual and collective views around their perception of our London Stadium home and the Club’s facilities and infrastructure.

Feedback about improving the matchday atmosphere at the stadium has been recognised, as recently as the FAB meeting in August and the Club is already working with supporters to address their feedback. Work has been well underway with stadium operators LS185, supporter groups dedicated to enhancing atmosphere, and fan-led initiatives to improve the matchday feel, including the introduction of fan zones, fan-led displays and Tifos. Ultimately, though, as is the case at every football stadium in the country, we accept that regular winning performances are the best way to improve the atmosphere. 

We continue to do everything we can, working with supporters, to improve the matchday experience on behalf of the 62,500 supporters we welcome to every home fixture. We are proud to have the second-highest average attendance in the Premier League and 50,000 loyal Season Ticket Holders – also the second-highest number in the Premier League.

We have invested tens of millions of pounds in our training bases for the men’s, women’s and Academy squads. This includes millions of pounds spent this summer on continually improving our training facilities at Rush Green, including new pitches, medical facilities, gym and recovery areas, plus a brand-new facility for our U21 Academy development squad.

This follows the £4million investment to completely renovate Chadwell Heath for the benefit of our Academy and Women’s teams, and another £4million investment into our brand-new Community Hub at Beckton – the home of the West Ham United Foundation – which helps thousands of people in the east London and Essex area on a daily basis.

We believe the biggest strength of the men’s first-team training facility at Rush Green is the unique, intimate atmosphere enhanced by the people within it – something that certainly didn’t hinder the Club when winning a European trophy just two years ago, and something that is again thriving under Graham Potter. Our Head Coach has made clear his philosophy of developing an environment of trust and togetherness, built on the values that underpin the identity of our football club – including the importance of creating a pathway to the first team for our young Academy players. 

We have invited supporter representatives on the FAB to visit Rush Green in person to see the latest facility developments for themselves, and we will continue to keep all supporters updated as to our latest plans for improvement.