Update

The West Ham world has turned on its axis since my last post. The club has new owners and there is a desperate struggle to avoid relegation. The manager is the subject of speculation, the players lack the confidence to show their ability and the directors are accused of making unhelpful comments.

But hang on a moment! All that does sound dreadfully familiar. The fundamentals have not changed. The club is still far away from the ideals of FC Barcelona, both in playing ability and in corporate structure.

So what has happened to WHAM! in the last six months?

Taking the advice given by Supporters Direct, the time has been used to assess the level of interest in, and possible support for, the project.

Using information available on the internet, a list of the names of about a hundred declared celebrity West Ham fans was obtained. Further investigation soon revealed that some celebrities can have a very elastic definition of a football fan! So the list was reduced to 40 names where the attachment to West Ham could be shown to be sufficiently strong. David Gold, then Chairman of Birmingham City FC plc, was included. A letter explaining the nature of the project was sent to each name, with the following results:

• 6 MPs, 6 replies. Very impressive!
• 6 former West Ham shareholders, 1 reply.
• 14 media people, 2 replies.
• 14 others, 2 replies.

A letter inviting their support was also sent to the twenty-nine West Ham United plc shareholders who were on the 2007 register and had addresses in the BR postal area. This provided a representative and convenient sample. One reply.

Letters were sent to the Chairman and to the Secretary of The Hammers Bond Company. There has been no response.

A letter was also sent to Scott Duxbury, then Chief Executive Officer, West Ham United plc. An acknowledgement was received.

Where does this leave WHAM!? Still trying to gain supporters for the cause? Most definitely. Exploring possibilities? Certainly. Talking to West Ham directors? Perhaps. Giving up? Never!

The philosophical background

When considering football, many, if not all, fans inhabit a fantasy world where the activity is to talk about football, shout about football, complain about football and, sadly, occasionally fight about football.

All too rarely do they think about football and are thus vulnerable to another side of football, the financial side.

The modern game, particularly at the highest level, has been invaded by people who have exploited the fans for commercial gain. This has involved the clubs, the league (especially the Premier League), the players and their agents, some television companies and even some of the game's governing bodies such as the FA and FIFA.

This project is a small (some might say ambitious) attempt to fight back and to persuade enough fans to support the cause financially. This will not be easy and it may be that, in the end, the only way is to start again with non-league clubs and encourage their growth.

But most of us do not have the time or the patience to wait for this growth. So let's see if the alternative can be made to work.

The task is to create a structure which can satisfy the two distinct groups which are present in most football clubs. It may be useful to draw an analogy with the housing market; those who by nature or circumstance prefer to rent and those who prefer to buy.

Housing has two separate markets; football historically has had only one which has given it a valuable social cohesion. Can the unity of football fans be maintained in the modern world?

That is the aim of this project. Can a scheme be devised and, more importantly, proceed to a successful conclusion? Yes. Can it accommodate the fans who prefer to pay by the match or by the season and those who, with suitable encouragement, might be willing to provide the funds to buy the club and give it financial stability? Yes again. And still stick to one member, one vote? Yes once more. So let's make it work!

What? No guarantee of football success? No, and never can be. Over the years, West Ham has supplied more than its fair share of players for England, including the current team. That is the measure of its success and we should be proud of it.