West Ham fans split over future of Supporters Club as vote to decide its fate is postponed

A row is raging over the potential closure of the long-standing West Ham United Supporters Club, although the vote to decide its fate has been postponed.

Formed in 1947, the group is the oldest supporters association linked to West Ham but some of its 720 members want it dissolved and the assets shared.

The supporters club meet in their new headquarters at Stour Place, near the London Stadium, after their previous base in Castle Street, near the Boleyn Stadium, was closed on health and safety grounds last year.

Rule 32 of the group’s constitution states should the club be dissolved, the assets are split between those who have been members for more than eight years. The club’s assets include two properties plus the building in Castle Street and there are thought to be between 40-50 people who would therefore stand to receive around £6,500 each.

An Emergency General Meeting was held several months ago, when a vote ended 17-10 in favour of dissolving the club. This was followed, in January, by a meeting of the five-strong club committee which voted unanimously against the action.

Since then, another emergency meeting voted 17-10 to arrange a Special General Meeting at the Boleyn pub in Barking Road on Sunday.

This meeting was today postponed due to questions over members signed up by new members of the committee.

West Ham have committed around £20,000 to pay for all hire costs of the club’s headquarters at Stour Place site until the end of this season.