The Athletic reported that the Hammer League, a fan group in West Ham fans, called on the fan group to boycott the Premier League match against Brentford in October to protest the club's owner. The group said in a statement that the club is in decline under the management of West Ham major shareholder David Sullivan and vice chairman Karen Brady, asking the two to leave the club.
The sport calls on fans not to participate in the London derby against Brentford on October 20 and plans to hold a protest ahead of the league match between home against Crystal Palace on September 20. West Ham suffered two consecutive losses at the start of the Premier League this season. The team ranked only 14th last season. Although they defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Sunday, they were eliminated by Wolves in the League Cup.
Hammer League Chairman Paul Colborn said: "Our club is dying under Brady and Sullivan. The club is in a serious recession, with thousands of old fans leaving, facing a relegation battle again, and getting out of the Cup early, we can't watch it happen. They sold Upton Park Stadium and moved us to the worst track and field stadium in the country by many, and we don't even own it, just rent it!"
"We support progress, But we cannot at the expense of identity, we yearn for a home court that we are proud of. When we left our beloved Upton Park, we were promised to get world-class teams with world-class courts, but ten years have passed and we have lost both, which is now finally the focus of many commentators. "
Last month, the organization said it would contact London police to plan a protest, and another petition initiated by dissatisfied fans in May asked David Sullivan and Brady to leave the club, and have received nearly 14,000 signatures.
West Ham Club said the Hammers League is represented on its fan advisory board, which met with club management including Brady before the start of the season, but did not mention planned protests at the meeting.
David Sullivan and Brady have been in charge of West Ham since 2010 and have previously held similar positions in Birmingham City. In 2021, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinski acquired 27% of the club's shares, becoming the second largest shareholder after Sullivan. After leaving his long-time home court Upton Park in 2016, West Ham became the owner tenant of London Stadium that hosted the 2012 Olympics, and the British Athletics Association is also the tenant of the stadium.