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(WHUISA) & Co- Chairman of West Ham United Football Club

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(WHUISA) & Co- Chairman of West Ham United Football Club Meeting between West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) & Co- Chairman of West Ham United Football Club, David Sullivan Tuesday 20th March 2018 David Sullivan approached WHUISA and invited them to a meeting after events leading up to and including the Burnley match on 10th March. We accepted his offer since it would give WHUISA members the opportunity to start having their issues addressed directly by Mr Sullivan. To ascertain what our members more pressing questions were and appreciating the meeting would be time limited, we circulated a list of questions to our members asking them to vote for their preferred options. 1,176 responses were received and a breakdown of these results of the survey may be found at the end of the minutes of this report (footnote iv) Minutes of meeting between WHUISA and David Sullivan Present were - David Sullivan (DS), Jack Sullivan (JS) Representing WHUISA: Mark Walker (MW) Paul Turner (PT) and Amanda Jacks (AJ) from the Football Supporters Federation After formal introductions, ground rules of the meeting were established. It was agreed that prior to publication of these notes, we would gain Mr Sullivan’s agreement that they were a fair and accurate reflection of our discussions prior to distribution among our members. Given that it is the ideal of virtually all supporter organisations to have representation at Board level, MW asked DS for his views on this. DS was immediately agreeable to exploring this idea although offered a compromise solution of co-opting a former WHU player accountable to supporters. MW suggested that the selection of a player could well be an alternative, however experience of playing for WHU is a dramatically different one than being a supporter, and that an elected accountable supporter would be a better solution. DS did not disagree although made it clear that any Board member would have fiscal and legal responsibilities and cautioned us to get professional legal advice in this regard. ACTION It was agreed that WHUISA research the proposal of a Fan on the Board in more detail and consult with our members (including the option of having a player instead). AJ suggested it would be sensible to seek clarification on exactly what Board members responsibilities were and potential financial & legal implications for them. We then moved on to questions; How will we bridge the gap from where we are, to where you’ve said before you want the club to be, and what is your timetable? DS started by saying he is massively disappointed with what has happened this season. He starts each season with ambition to win the league, hopes to have a a miracle season like Leicester but always sets the realistic ambition to be finishing in the top 8 and nudging the top 4. However he stated that he has given himself 5-6 years to turn it around and if not will then step aside. What does success look like to you with regards footballing matters? Define it and quantify it? DS said we need to buy better, giving the example of Dele Alli of Spurs, but also said that we need to sell better. He stressed his disappointment of the Payet situation, comparing it to Mahrez at Leicester and wanting to hold on to him until the Summer. DS said he was desperately disappointed with the cup form, adding we have been unlucky with the away draws (drawing Man Utd after beating Liverpool in 15/16) and that the odd cup final would be success. PT put to DS statements made by David Moyes and his assistants before the Shrewsbury and Wigan cup matches that seemed to indicate that WHUFC did not prioritise winning or competing in cup competitions properly. DS responded by stating that David Moyes put out “the strongest side possible” in trying to beat Wigan and reiterated that he wants to see WHUFC win a cup. Do you feel that the relationship between you and the supports is reconcilable? DS said that he hoped that it was. That it’s a small minority that want him removed but fully accepts that it’s a results business. It was noted that DS grasped that WHUISA were potentially in a position to assist in bridging the gap, hence offering us a meeting. Is there a realistic prospect of material changes to the stadium, if so what are the timescales? DS referred us to an answer prepared by “the club” which is at the end of these minutes (footnote i). However he did elaborate on some points including a desire to move the seats closer to the pitch but was aware that the Sports Grounds Safety Authority Green Guide advises that it is not considered good to have seats that are exposed to the elements. It was agreed that the stadium has generated a good atmosphere at times. DS raised that Spurs were close to securing the stadium. PT pointed out this was seen as many as a bargaining chip used by Tottenham with Haringey Council but DS said that Spurs were “gutted” not to secure the stadium. He added had we not won the bid for the OS, it would have been Spurs. The thought of having Spurs in our Borough, with a new stadium, just 2 miles from Upton Park was unthinkable to the board. I still believe it was the correct decision to move, please be the judge in ten years. There really is no going back and we have to make it work. MW said that a major issue of what is missing was the intimidation factor that was generated at times at the Boleyn Ground, recognised by opposition players and fans alike. That this atmosphere, due to the distance between the pitch and stands, is now missing is a source of real discontent among fans. DS said we would not resort to generating an artificial atmosphere with clappers and JS stressed the same about a drum. However DS said that he was open minded to a formally recognised singing section and a family section, was prepared to listen to our suggestions but that we’d have to move very quickly in this regard. ACTION: WHUISA would consult on this with our members & feedback the outcome to DS. There are ongoing issues with the stewarding at the London stadium, what steps have the club taken to assist the stadium operators get a better solution? DS referred us to an answer prepared by “the club” detailed at the end of these minutes (footnote ii.). AJ raised the potential issues ahead of the Southampton fixture and suggested that more needs to be done to address the attitude of stewards as an already tense atmosphere could be added to by over zealous policing and stewarding. DS immediately checked with the club and was reassured that two additional training sessions where in place for the fixture. DS recognised the benefits of having regular stewards working regularly in the same areas. He regretted that this was not possible at the London Stadium, and that stewarding in the stadium had been below a commercially acceptable standard. PT raised the issue of privately hired security personnel who’d filmed blocks of supporters previously and who wore stab proof vests at the Stoke City match (2016/17 season) who apparently were directing stadium security to eject people from the stadium. PT asked if those private security people had been hired by WHUFC or LS185/E20. DS clarified that the private security teams had not been hired by WHUFC and WHUFC had only hired staff for directly underneath the director’s box. AJ asked for reassurance that there would be no ‘snatch squads’ in place for the Southampton game. DS said no snatch squads were planned and that it was vital that the game went off incident free otherwise we would be playing games behind closed doors. MW explained that WHUISA has met with resistance from Newham Safety Advisory Group to their being able to have a seat at the SAG meetings. He explained the merits of having a member of WHUISA at these meetings and pointed out that supporters sat on, among others, SAGs with Haringey Council, Liverpool City Council (among other examples) as per recommending Sports Ground Safety Authority and FSF best practice. DS asked what the barriers to attending these meetings were. AJ explained that many SAGs were resistant to the notion of supporter representation citing concerns around breaches of confidentiality and not knowing which supporter to ask. DS finished by saying whilst we'll support a fan's representative being on it, the ultimate decision is Newham councils not ours, But I would like to lobby & progress this point. I think it’s an important and constructive point that you have made. ACTION: DS recognised that a supporter could give a unique and valuable insight to SAG meetings and appreciated that they could make a helpful all round contribution to these meetings. MW will write to DS about the SAG so that the process can be started. Have interviews been held for the DOF position and what is the scope of the role? DS said that the club have hired a top, global sports headhunting company to identify possible candidates but it’s not possible to place someone at the moment and expand the role, as we don’t know what division we will be in next season. But even that appointment might not be a miracle cure and that player recruitment can be difficult. He gave some examples of players that have failed to settle in the Premier League citing luck as a contributory factor.
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