London Stadium

Tensions among the West Ham faithful have reached a fever-pitch this season; growing discontent in the terraces at London Stadium has led to the formulation of a fan ‘action group’ and thousands of Hammers have pledged their support.

Speaking to Talksport, Chairman David Sullivan appealed to supporters for ‘unity’ and reiterated:

“Chants of ‘Sack the board’ and opposition to me and David Gold will mean nothing. Get behind the team, through unity we can turn it all around. We don’t want to find that a disappointing season has turned into a disastrous one.”

A Wealth of Support

Stern words from Sullivan, who has been criticised for the club’s volatile recruitment strategy and his seemingly ‘out-of-touch’ approach towards fan protest and supporter-liaison in recent years.

The ‘Real West Ham Fan Action Group’ (RWHFAG) released the proposed route for a march this morning, having successfully cooperated with local authorities to establish a safe walk for protesters.

Since joining in November 2017, RWHFAG has gained 6,736* followers on Twitter and continues to receive a wealth of support from all over the globe. It is testament to the undying passion of these fans that a march will take place on the 10th March, before a home fixture against Burnley in the Premier League.

The organisers have placed on record that this is intended to be a peaceful protest and any unrest will not be tolerated.

The West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) declared their support in a formal statement and intends to work with the Action Group to give ‘representation to the fans’ and bring the current ownership to account.

Sold A Dream

The overwhelming consensus is anger and disappointment with the condition of the London Stadium and the match-day experience at home fixtures, with many fans exclaiming that the arena is ‘not fit for football’.

There have been calls for transparency and a greater understanding between supporters and the owners, with a strong narrative identifying concealment from the powers-that-be and a failure to deliver promises that were made in 2016 – ‘sold a dream’ is the battle cry.

Ultimately, the atmosphere is pressurised and fans are upset. Not with the team – they’ll back the team one-hundred per cent, but it’s the ownership and striking absence of a home that has forced supporters to make the noise and give the people upstairs something to think about.

Full details of the march are available at https://twitter.com/realwesthamfans