West Ham’s Fan Advisory Board has aimed a brutal new dig at Karren Brady after a key meeting with her replacement Karim Virani.
Many Hammers supporters got what they wanted when Karren Brady suddenly resigned as vice-chair recently with the club in the thick of a battle for Premier League survival.
Brady jumped ship with immediate effect just weeks after calling for the whole club to show togetherness in the fight to stay in the top flight.
West Ham supporters’ groups have consistently gone on record to note how difficult it has been just to meet with Brady and discuss important issues throughout her 16-year tenure, let alone get actions.
West Ham FAB criticise difficult Brady and hail new CEO Virani
Now the West Ham FAB have aimed a brutal new dig at Brady after a key meeting with her replacement Karim Virani.
The Hammers FAB previously slammed Brady’s time at the club saying ‘it will not be judged by corporate messaging, but by the lived experience of supporters and on that measure, her legacy is deeply damaging.”
What legacy will Karren Brady leave behind at West Ham? 💭
Brady's favourite moment was the Conference League win 🏆
Despite only being in the post for just over a week, Virani has already met with West Ham’s FAB.
And it is fair to say he has impressed Hammers supporters who described him as ‘breath of fresh air’.
The FAB took a swipe at Brady, saying: “Given how hard it was to deal with Warren and Brady, Karim was a real breath of fresh air. Now we need actions, lots of them.”
A spokesman for the FAB stated that years of experience have unfortunately given them a cynical view of dealings with the club.
But, while cautious to see actions applied to words, the FAB said the meeting with Brady’s replacement Virani suggested there will be a new approach and a realisation the club is nothing without supporters.
“There is an acceptance bridges need to be built, and an apparent willingness to treat the FAB, and its many thousands of constituent members, as valued partners,” the FAB stated on the West Ham United Independent Supporters’ Committee website.
West Ham fan Virani ‘gets us’ says supporter group after key meeting
“We stated that the club should not only need the supporters, but want them. That was met with complete agreement.”
Although it was acknowledged by fans that Virani, himself a Hammers supporter, has ‘one hell of a job on his hands’.
BREAKING NEWS! 🚨 How do you feel about West Ham appointing Karim Virani?
Virani joins as interim CEO following Karren Brady's exit…
“Karim is keen the days of stiff formal meetings being the only form of interaction become history, he talks about more frequent, often informal discussion, and clearly sees the value of collaboration, and an acceptance the club doesn’t have all the answers,” the FAB state.
“We pointed out that because of the lack of trust, meeting minutes needed to be comprehensive so that supporters could see that the FAB were asking the right questions and demanding clear and unequivocal answers.
“We have to be realistic, the club is a business, and currently a business under severe pressure, and that’s restricted some projects. As ever last night’s meeting was subject to the usual confidentiality agreement but despite the clouds on the horizon the club gave us an indication of some potential positive news around ticketing that will be appreciated by our supporters, not finalised yet but certainly positive. And that, relatively unprompted, although consistently requested and negotiated, is very much a first in recent relations.
“We were also pleased to hear the club has listened to supporters’ comments on the impending Arsenal fixture and Karim confirmed Ray Parlour will not be hosting any hospitality event.
“Karim Virani is actually a West Ham United supporter, his family are fans, he seems to get us. He has one hell of a job on his hands, but is starting with a sense of realism, understanding and determination far more aligned to our supporter culture than ever seen from his immediate predecessors.
“The next couple of weeks are of course critical to our club’s immediate future, league status and ultimate ownership are the subject of daily speculation, let’s see what transpires. But last night hinted at words not often heard after these meetings “ hope and optimism ”, plus a desire to return much of the proud family sense of belonging and identity that made us pretty unique until recent years.
“Welcome home Karim, treat us with honesty and respect and you’ll be repaid a thousand times over. We might even get our club back, the real West Ham, and that’s worth any amount of effort, from all of us.”
West Ham FAB highlight Brady’s ‘damaging’ legacy:
- Concessions stripped from young, elderly and disabled fans only to be restored after a season long campaign by all supporters.
- Ticket prices rise year on year despite record broadcast revenues.
- A widening disconnect between the Club and its fanbase.
- Ongoing failures in stadium operations, safety, and supporter experience.
- A consistent refusal to provide transparency on key issues, including attendance and governance.
- A record financial loss of £104m and another one on the way for this season.
- West Ham are now in a worse financial situation than they were when Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan bought the club in 2010.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
