West Ham fans are set to stage another demonstration against the club’s owners on Saturday, with a protest march planned before their home fixture against Burnley. Supporters have voiced their displeasure at club chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady and are calling for both to step down from their roles.
Sullivan and Brady have been in control of West Ham since 2010, although in 2021, they sold a 27% stake in the club to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. Fans believe the current ownership has failed to sufficiently build on the club’s 2023 Conference League victory—their first major trophy in 43 years. There is ongoing dissatisfaction with the stadium as well.
In 2016, West Ham left Upton Park to move to the 62,500-seater London Stadium, originally constructed as an athletics venue for the London 2012 Olympics. Back in 2013, Karren Brady promised fans the move would provide a “world-class” football venue, but many supporters remain unconvinced.
Tensions have been rising for some time. Two organised demonstrations took place before West Ham’s 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace on 20 September, with 3,000 fans marching before what turned out to be Graham Potter’s final game as manager. In October, large sections of empty seats were visible as fans boycotted Nuno Espirito Santo’s first home game in charge—a match they lost 2-0 to Brentford, marking a fifth consecutive home league defeat for the first time since 1931.
Protests have continued: on 2 November, after a 3-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United, a number of supporters staged a sit-in protest at the London Stadium.
West Ham currently sit 18th in the Premier League, having taken just seven points from their first 10 games. Should they finish in that position, they would face relegation to the Championship for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Supporter Holly Turbutt from West Ham Network says the protests stem from a “multitude of issues,” including poor performances on the pitch. When it comes to transfer spending, West Ham are in the middle of the table for the 2024-25 season, ranking 10th with a gross expenditure of £124 million. Their net spend, after accounting for £55 million in player sales, stands at £69 million—placing them ninth among Premier League clubs.
James Jones from the We Are West Ham podcast described the club as a “shell of its former self.” He said that both the controversial stadium move and the redesign of the club crest have angered fans, and that the team’s ongoing struggles are the result of money being “badly spent.”
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