A supporters group called Hammers United has threatened to stage fresh protests if the club does not enter into dialogue with them.
The group founded by Paul Colbourne who received a life ban for planting a flag on the middle of the pitch at the London Stadium during the Burnley game last year claims his group members are pressuring him to protest.
In recent weeks Hammers United has written to the Premier League, UEFA and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport demanding access to independent supporters’ groups.
They claim to have the full support of the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and two M.Ps who have also promised support.
Writing to members by email earlier this week Colbourne claimed the group are mandated by members to pursue three flagship policies of London Stadium stewarding, the distance of the seats from the London Stadium pitch and further spending on transfers.
The group continue to lobby the club and others for direct dialogue with the club outside of the Official Supporters’ Board (OSB)
Colbourne wrote:“I believe that the fanbase has one last fight in it, one last chance to take our club back. If it comes to action we will need 20,000.No messing about, no failure.-So if it comes to that we must be ready, failure is not an option. And the time is not yet right.though depending on the club’s reaction it may be fast approaching!”
Brilliant. Just what we need. (Sacrastic tone)
As before ; we can definitely do without disturbing protests and generally bad behavior . It may be relatively true that the protests during the game against Burnley in 2016/17 forced some changes but I still think that’s not the way to go . Some of it was downright awful . A repeat of the same would be damaging to the club and really doesn’t get us anywhere . We are no better off now with Pelligrini than we were with the manager of the day . And although I am not in the least impressed with our current manager it remains the job of the board to decide on what to do and how to handle our present predicament , which is the very real threat of dropping into the relegation places . I feel that a decision on Pelligrini’s future is fast approaching and can only hope the board get it right . Whether that is to stick with the manager we have or not is thier decision and not ours .
Colbourne – the Nigel Farage of the football world seeking attention ahead of all else
I think the time to protest was there when the andy swallow/Morgan real West Ham supporters thing was going on. They bottled it and let down a large number of supporters down. At the end of the day what would a protest do, we can’t get Upton Park back as that has gone, the board won’t give us our badge with castle on.. That’s gone, The club is no longer what it was and the identity has gone I’m afraid. How can a protest get that back, all too little too late and would be a waste of time.
They don’t “claim” to have FSA support
They do have full FSA support
No protest has been planned and even if there was it would not be violent. The Burnley protest wasn’t planned but was the result of so much frustration when the march was called off. Hammers United were not formed then before anyone tries to apportion blame to them.
If the club weren’t so stubborn and would talk with the isa’s as required by Eufa and the premier league instead of it’s non democratic elected OSB then there wouldn’t be any need to protest.
And I can assure you Jonathan Dunn that no-one at Hammers United is seeking attention. All they are trying to achieve is to make things better for West Ham United fans. Also no one is seeking a return to Upton Park…I’m not sure why that keeps being mentioned…it’s not possible.
Hi Phil, I’m just wondering if there in the end was one what would it achieve. The board want to do what they want to do, they won’t listen. Maybe a new board might do. I don’t know whether they even want to sell. What things could be improved for fans? For me the move has ruined what West Ham was that’s why I mentioned Upton Park. I’m aware it’s not possible to go back.