To the 8 candidates for Mayor in the London Borough of Newham
29th April 2026
Dear,
We are independent West Ham United supporter groups, and we represent the interests of over 25,000 West Ham United supporters, a great many of whom either live or work in the Borough of Newham, or as a minimum, attend matches at the London Stadium.
As such we are aware you have announced your candidacy for the position of Mayor of Newham in the forthcoming elections on May 7th.
We are all strictly non-political, and as such will not be endorsing any candidate ahead of the election but instead wish all candidates well in their endeavors, equally.
We do, however, wish to draw your attention to the very significant economic value that our members and the entire West Ham United supporter base bring to both Newham Borough and neighbouring Boroughs every matchday. Our supporters last season attended 20 matches at the London stadium with the club claiming an attendance, based upon ticket sales, at over 1.2m. You may verify the attendance figures in the minutes of the Newham SSAG, which, given the licensing responsibilities of the Borough will, we are sure, be of interest to you should your campaign be successful. What the minutes show is a very different level of attendance, and fewer attendees means less income for the businesses in the Borough that depend upon that income.
Feedback from our members is clear that many of them find the matchday experience at the stadium to be disappointing and they instead choose to spend their money in the local bars, pubs and restaurants in the Borough. Precise data is hard to establish but an estimated figure of £20 per supporter each year would give a guide as to the value West Ham United supporters bring to the Borough. To be clear, this is the value the supporters bring to the borough, not the club.
As a resident of the Borough you will be aware that the relocation of West Ham United from Upton Park has not been seen by many supporters as being successful. While every supporter understood there would be teething issues with the move, many are exasperated that nearly a decade on, many of the day one issues remain.
We understand the issue of the London Stadium may remain a sensitive subject given the Borough’s historical investment of £40m being described by one former Mayor as “ultimately £40M down the drain”, but would welcome your views as to how you would seek to reset the relationship between all the relevant parties, especially the supporters who spend money in the Borough on matchday.
An example of supporter discontent as expressed to us by a recent survey is the frustration after each match of supporters being held up from accessing transport infrastructure hubs in both Newham and neighbouring boroughs. While we understand that transport hubs fall under the ultimate remit of the London Mayor, we would call upon the Mayor of Newham to use their influence at City Hall to produce a better solution than currently exists. Stratford station is one of the busiest transport interchanges in the country, yet it is clear the station is no longer fit for purpose given the traffic it has to support. Trains are leaving the station empty while supporters’ queue outside. This is something that not only impacts upon West Ham United supporters but local residents too, who find their access to the station restricted on matchday.
Another area of serious concern is the sale of match tickets to visiting supporters in the “home” sections of the stadium, and while the stadium itself is under the control of the GLA, safety licenses are issued by the Borough. We would draw your particular attention to an upcoming high-profile fixture versus Arsenal FC, which is scheduled to be played just 3 days after the Mayoral election. We would suggest an early review as to what specific measures were taken to ensure the correct distribution of tickets for that match.
Those are just two examples of the issues that have existed for the best part of a decade since the club moved into the London Stadium, there are numerous others, and we would welcome a meeting with yourself should you prove to be successful on May 7th to discuss them in more detail, with, if you think it a good idea an ongoing dialogue twice a year to monitor progress.
Our members and supporters are proud of our East End roots and wish nothing more than to enjoy cheering our team on, with every win for West Ham United a win for the London Borough of Newham.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Andy Payne OBE
Co-chair of The West Ham United Fan Advisory Board
Comprising of
Hammers United
West Ham United Supporters’ Trust
Claret Member
West Ham United Disabled Supporters’ Associatio
West Ham United Official Supporters’ Club
West Ham United Overseas Supporters’ Clubs
Pride of Irons
Inclusive Irons
West Ham United Womens’ Supporters’ Board
Away Season Ticket Holders
Old School Hammers
West Ham United Junior Supporters’ Board