West Ham United have introduced a range of new measures with the aim of improving stewarding at London Stadium on matchdays.
The Club have listened to supporters’ feedback and is working very closely with London Stadium partners including Stadium operators London Stadium 185 to continue to raise the standard of stewarding.
New Measures Include:
- Writing to all ex-West Ham United stewards inviting them to work at London Stadium
- Former Boleyn Ground stewards deployed in areas where empathy with supporters is key
- Deploying the same stewards to the same areas wherever possible
- Increasing the number of Supporter Liaison Officers to 30 for the Manchester City fixture
- Club officials briefing senior stewards and supervisors about the Club, its traditions and fanbase
As Vice-Chairman Karren Brady told key fan website and forum owners at London Stadium earlier this week, the Club are determined to respond to fans’s feedback and concerns from the Hammers’ first six months at their new home.
“As a Club, we are determined that fans enjoy the best-possible experience when they come to matches at London Stadium, and this includes having a productive and pleasant relationship with the matchday stewards,” said the Vice-Chairman.
“We want to hear from all former Boleyn Ground stewards and will do all we can to give them the opportunity to make the transition to London Stadium and form part of that vital link between stewards and fans.
“While the vast majority of stewards, who are employed by LS185, are professional, approachable and do their jobs superbly, we know there is no substitute for those years of experience. This is just one of a range of initiatives to help build that crucial relationship between fans and stewards.”
The Vice-Chairman confirmed that West Ham United will be writing immediately to all former Boleyn Ground stewards who have not taken up a role at the Club’s new home for a second time, encouraging them to return to stewarding at London Stadium.
The Club is also working encouraging former Boleyn Ground stewards to work towards the NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Spectator Safety qualification, which is required by LS185 for all stewards employed at London Stadium.
“We always knew it would take time for everyone – the team, the Board, supporters and stewards – to settle into life at our new home, but we are confident that we are moving in the right direction,” the Vice-Chairman continued. “We are working with the other stakeholders to ensure that we can take real action to deal with the issues our fans have raised.
“We have introduced our team of SLOs, West Ham supporters who are there to assist their fellow fans on matchdays, and they have been very well received. I would like to have 50 SLOs on duty every matchday by the end of the current season.
“In addition, we have launched a new bespoke Supporter Services Twitter feed @WestHamHelp, which is providing valuable information to fans throughout the week and on matchdays.
“It is now our collective aim to continue to improve the level of stewarding to the satisfaction of every supporter who visits our iconic home, and I believe the steps we are putting in place will help us work towards that target.”
*Are you a former Boleyn Ground steward interesting in taking on a similar role at London Stadium? Or are you a West Ham United fan keen to help your fellow supporters by becoming a steward for the first time?
If so, please email [email protected] for information about how to apply to join the London Stadium matchday stewarding team!