Karren Brady takes aim at West Ham fans on eve of new season over manager. They say timing is everything and West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady has decided to criticise the club’s fans on the eve of the new season. It is fair to say Karren Brady is not the most popular person among West Ham fans.
There is no denying the Baroness has done an excellent job when it comes to turning around West Ham’s finances since arriving at the club with David Sullivan and David Gold in 14 years ago. But the list of grievances Hammers supporters have with Brady – who once referred to them as “customers” – is long.
And growing it seems.
West Ham fans are already up in arms over the ticketing situation at the club. Supporter groups such as Hammers United launched a petition after season ticket prices rose above the rate of inflation. West Ham fan tension at boiling point… again
Tensions are at boiling point between West Ham fans and the owners after it emerged new concessions are now restricted to bands five and six.
That means children are now charged full adult price for tickets because there are no more concessions seated together. Pricing for matches has rocketed too. Aston Villa has been classed as a Category A game with tickets topping out at an eye-watering £105.
The cheapest general sale seat being £50.
As a result West Ham could be set for major opening day embarrassment in front of the watching TV millions. Now the club’s vice-chair seems to have put her foot in it again by irking an already irritated fanbase.
Brady takes aim at West Ham fans on eve of new season. Because Brady has taken aim at West Ham fans on the eve of the new season. Speaking to The Sun, for whom she is a columnist, Brady was discussing the departure of David Moyes.
And she laid the blame for his exit almost entirely at the feet of West Ham’s fans, saying the Scot wanted to leave because he was shocked that supporters ‘turned on him so quickly’ last season.
“He left for several reasons,” Brady said.
“Firstly, a bit of inconsistency had crept into results. “And without putting words into his mouth, I think he felt very unappreciated by the supporters…
“He found it quite difficult to be turned on so quickly last season when things dipped — especially after gaining the most Premier League points West Ham had ever had at the halfway point of a campaign.”
While Brady was criticising fans less than 24 hours out from an opening game the club are struggling to sell out due to their pricing strategy, the club’s media team were releasing a video from manager Julen Lopetegui imploring fans to be the team’s 12th man.
In the beating heart of London, a new story is about to unfold…✨ pic.twitter.com/qxWuL0zkhm
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 16, 2024
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Brady was being very economical with the facts in the interview.
West Ham fans did not turn on Moyes last season. Supporters had grown fed up with the style of play and approach the season before when West Ham battled relegation until the final month of the campaign.
It was widely reported that Sullivan would have parted ways with Moyes had the Hammers not gone on and won the Europa Conference League.
Would that have been the fault of West Ham fans too?
Brady even admits results and performances had become inconsistent and the club felt change was needed. Yet she still decides to lay the blame with West Ham’s fans.
Let’s not forget that West Ham’s hierarchy were very publicly sounding out new managers while Moyes was still in the job.
In fact the manager was so angry with that situation he banned technical director Tim Steidten from being around the first team.
I guess that was the fault of West Ham’s fans too?
The pièce de résistance of the interview, though, is that after lauding Moyes and blaming fans for his departure, Brady goes on to say Lopetegui is a ‘breath of fresh air’ and suggests he is an upgrade on the Scot.
