Abba more important than West Ham supporters
The views of Abba Voyage concerning safety at the London Stadium are more important to Newham’s Safety Advisory Group than the views of West Ham supporters.
Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs), chaired by the council, provide the local authority with specialist advice on how it may effectively discharge its responsibilities under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975.
A safety certificate sets the permitted capacity for a sports ground together with the detailed terms and conditions with which the ground management must comply in order to operate the sports ground at its permitted capacity.
The London Borough of Newham is the local authority that issues the safety certificate for matches played at the London Stadium.
Newham’s Stadium Safety Advisory Group Meeting (SSAG) – West Ham United discusses issues specifically pertaining to West Ham matches played at the London Stadium. There is another separate Newham SAG that deals with other events that take place in the Olympic Park and London Stadium.
The West Ham SAG meets about 4 to 6 times a year and the minutes are published at:
https://www.newham.gov.uk/business-licensing-regulation/safety-sports-grounds
It should be noted that the last 2 sets of minutes from meetings held in March and May 2024 have only just been published in October. There was reluctance from Newham Council to publish the minutes at all and it took a long campaign by supporter groups, forums and fanzines and finally a West Ham supporter to obtain copies of initial SAG meetings through a Freedom of Information request:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/london_stadium_safety_advisory_g_2
Whilst many different groups are represented on the Newham SAG, despite repeated requests, a supporter representative is not allowed to participate. Yet other councils SAG’s welcome a supporter representative to attend their meetings.
In the findings of the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry, published in 1990, Lord Justice Taylor recommended that, ‘To assist the local authority in exercising its functions, it should set up an advisory group (if this has not already been done) consisting of appropriate members of its own staff, representatives of the police, of the fire and ambulance services and of the building authority. The advisory group should consult representatives of the club and of a recognised supporters’ organisation on a regular basis.
The Sports Ground Safety Authority lays down the guidance for the licencing of all Premier League or Football League grounds in England and Wales. Their recommendation for local authority SAGs that in addition to appropriate members of local authority staff, the SAG should include representatives of the following:
· Local authority, including building control, highways, environmental health and emergency planning
· The sports ground being discussed – the certificate holder, safety officer and any other relevant representative as necessary, such as medical provider
· Police
· Fire service
· Medical / ambulance service
· Fan representative
What are the reasons given that there shouldn’t be a supporter representative on the Newham West Ham SAG.
There are already a large number of organisations represented and not really room for any more.
There have always been a large number going back to when the club moved to the London Stadium. This might have been a possible valid excuse originally, but since this original rebuff the SAG (which specifically pertains to West Ham matches, in the last year has admitted representatives from each of Abba Voyage and Sadlers Wells. Yes – they are more concerned about the impact that West Ham matches played at the London Stadium will have on spectators to see Abba Voyage or Gilbert and Sullivan operas at Sadlers Wells than the concerns of over 60,000 football spectators! Sadlers Wells East doesn’t even open until February 2025.
That there are many different West Ham supporter organisations that that they should not favour any one group over another.
That’s why there has been an Independent Supporters Committee consisting of many supporter groups over the last 4 years and now replaced by the Fan Advisory Board. A representative from the FAB would be the ideal candidate to attend on behalf of supporter groups.
That confidential information is discussed at SAG meetings and that a supporter representative would not be considered trustworthy to retain such confidences.
Two of WHUST’s board members sit on the Metropolitan Police Football Independent Advisory Group. Their meetings are held under the auspices of the Official Secrets Act required a much higher level of confidentiality. If the Met can trust supporter representatives then so should the Newham SAG.
In January 2024 Martyn Henderson was appointed as the interim Chief Operating Officer to lead the preparatory work to set up the new Independent Regulator for English Football (IREF). Martyn was previously the former CEO of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, so is very knowledgeable about the workings of SAGs.
WHUST wrote to Martyn after his appointment expressing concern about the lack of supporter representation on football stadium SAGs.
Martyn responded in an email:
Thanks for your letter, which was waiting for me when I arrived for my first day!
For the time being, these will be matters for the Department rather than the regulator (as we do not yet have any powers, staff etc.!) so I will need to pass it to a colleague here for their consideration.
Best wishes,
Martyn
Response from Martyn’s colleague in the Ministerial Support Team:
We’re still campaigning and working with the FAB and FSA and hopefully lobbying the Independent Regulator to ensure football fans voices are heard concerning their safety at football matches.