The West Ham United Official Supporters’ Club have been made homeless after Stour Space management refused to renew an agreement to hire out the venue to the 70-year-old social club.
New management at Stour space wants to encourage arts community regulars and feel that a Saturday football crowd could put locals off using the venue.
Last week the Supporters’ club were forced to use Foreman’s on Fish island as a temporary home for the Norwich game with over 120 members using the venue.
The search is now on for a permanent venue for members close to the London Stadium to replace Stour Space but options appear to be limited.
The supporters’ club continues to pay rates and other expenses at the old Castle Street clubhouse while it decides what to do with the 5 pence per year peppercorn lease from Newham council which has 75 years to go. It has recently sold two flats it owns in Green Street to raise much-needed funds to help fund a new lease close to Stratford or Hackney Wick.
Stour Space and the Supporters club was never a good fit; it’s usually full of vegans and hippies and dare I say, some of my prints from time to time, just seeing bouncers on the door on match days was a shock, and I totally understand their reasoning. Foremans is a much better fit if it could be made to stick, but they do like to charge in there; or (not being serious here), I could hire out my home which is next to Foremans!