West Ham United acknowledges the viewpoints shared in recent communications from the Fan Advisory Board’s supporter representatives and wants to assure all fans that we remain attentive to their feedback while updating them on the future plans for the club’s prosperity.

Just two years ago, we celebrated the Club’s first major trophy in 43 years. Our victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League occurred amid three consecutive seasons in European contests—a historic achievement for us. In the aftermath, we made substantial investments in football operations, focusing on both acquiring new first-team players and enhancing our scouting network along with our player recruitment department.

We acknowledge that our on-pitch results and performances over the past two seasons have not lived up to our expectations. No one at the Club is pleased with these outcomes, and the Board of Directors has invested considerable time in reviewing football operation decisions to guide a better strategy in the future.

Our current focus is on building a team capable of consistent competition in domestic and European events. We maintain a strong foundation, entering our 14th consecutive season in the Premier League—our longest continuous top-flight presence in the modern era.

We have already initiated new strategic steps, especially in player recruitment. Graham Potter has been appointed as our new Head Coach, tasked with creating and nurturing a first-team squad that aligns with the Club’s identity and objectives, while continuing to integrate young talents from our Academy.

Sporting Director Mark Noble significantly contributes to maintaining and improving this pathway by securing long-term contracts for the Club’s top young prospects. His vast experience and deep understanding of the Club’s ethos are instrumental in assisting new players to establish themselves in the first-team squad. Meanwhile, Head of Recruitment Kyle Macaulay has been entrusted with overseeing 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.

In terms of our current financial outlook, the Club is stable and sustainable. Like all Premier League clubs, we must balance the desire to compete at the highest level with the responsibility to run the Club sensibly and prudently. We are operating within the current PSR rules governed by the Premier League, which limit us to maximum losses over a rolling three-year period of £105million (£35million per year), and we try to maintain the balance by remaining both compliant and competitive as we have been throughout the last 13 years in the Premier League.

That means being cautious at times, but it does not point to a lack of ambition. Over £450million has been spent on new player signings in the last three years, including an average net spend of £100m per season in that period, and we have always managed to stay within the PSR rules.

We also continue to make positive progress and enjoy successful growth off the field across all other areas of the organisation. The Club has enjoyed sustained high commercial growth that continues to allow us to complete. Every penny generated is re-invested back into the football club.

We are pleased to inform all supporters that a positive and productive meeting with the FAB recently took place. During the meeting, which took place at London Stadium on Thursday 11 September and was offered to the FAB in light of their recent letter addressed to Club shareholders, a range of subjects were discussed and opinions were shared by supporter representatives in an honest and respectful manner. Supporter Representatives shared what they saw as priority areas for the Club to focus on and it was agreed these would form the agenda for the next formal FAB meeting.

Vice-Chair Baroness Brady, along with Executive Director Tara Warren, as the Club’s Nominated Board Level Official for direct engagement with the FAB, both attended the meeting in representation of the Board of Directors to hear supporters share views on a range of issues, including leadership and governance, financial strategy and PSR concerns, commercial and stadium strategy, heritage and vision, the strategic vision of the Club, fan relations and trust and concerns about the playing squad and on-pitch performance.

They listened to the detail and views behind the letter and committed to sharing a presentation outlining the Board’s strategy and vision for the future at the next scheduled FAB meeting which is due to take place at London Stadium next month which will address the contents of their letter in more detail. The meeting summary will be shared at the same time with our wider fanbase.

Supporters have spoken of the need for greater ambition than our position of the past two seasons, and we agree. Regular top-half finishes, strong domestic cup runs, and qualification for European competition remain the goals we are working towards. We know we must do better to deliver those ambitions more consistently.

We are proud of our history and our loyal supporter base, and we remain committed to building a Club that reflects both. We look forward to continuing dialogue with the FAB, among other direct channels of communications with our fanbase, and we encourage all supporters to remain engaged as we move forward together.

The Club would like to place on record its thanks and appreciation to all of our fans, in the UK and all over the world, for their continued backing of West Ham United and the role that they have played in helping us to become one of the biggest and best-supported football clubs in the world.