'See clear and positive steps and meaningful action' - West Brom Fan Advisory Board after EGM with club
Albion's new fan advisory board met with club chiefs including chairman Shilen Patel after an extraordinary meeting was called.
The supporter representative group, officially launched last October, called the meeting with the club in light of supporter concerns amid the battle against relegation from the Championship, among other aspects.
Owner and chairman Patel addressed the FAB representatives via video call, with recently-returned executive director Mark Miles and director of media, fan engagement and ticketing Ian Skidmore also present.
The fan advisory board's co-chairs Dan Head and Richard Jefferson raised supporter concern and sought answers on football performance, club operations, supporter sentiments and Albion's direction over the remainder of the season.
A statement from the FAB read: "FAB representative ensured that supporter views and concerns were clearly communicated throughout the discussion, with a strong focus on accountability, transparency and the importance of progress on and off the pitch."
Head and Jefferson were left "overall pleased" with the meeting, though the board's statement underlined the importance of visible action on and off the field.
Club chiefs are understood to have been pleased with the constructive and positive meeting.
It added: "Dan Head and Richard Jefferson said they were overall pleased with the outcome of the meeting and welcomed the opportunity for open and honest dialogue.
"However, both stressed that it is now important to see clear and positive steps both on and off the pitch, with tangible progress being made to ensure the commitments translated into meaningful action.
"They also expressed their appreciation for the time taken by club representation to meet during a busy period to address supporter concerns directly."
The extraordinary meeting was held outside of timelines in the light of Albion's perilous position on the pitch, but also off-field issues.
Albion supporters have been vocal in their views about a stagnant or dwindling matchday experience at The Hawthorns for some time.
The club's Bilkul ownership has endured serious instability since the turn of the year, which coincided with the sacking of head coach Ryan Mason and subsequent appointment of Eric Ramsay, who remains winless after seven games in the relegation dogfight. Albion are now one place and two points above the drop zone following victory for Portsmouth at lowly rivals Charlton on Tuesday night.
Club president and sporting director Andrew Nestor remarkably checked out of The Hawthorns after a breakdown in relations with owner and long-term confidant Patel, who he followed to the club upon the group's takeover from Guochuan Lai in late February 2024.
Nestor was placed in charge of all sporting matters and lost his job following a series of failed head coach appointments and chequered recruitment drive. Albion are poised to appoint Dominic Price as technical director following his departure from Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
The supporter board of up to 10 members was elected late last year and endorsed by Patel as part of a wider fan engagement plan.
The fan advisory board statement added: "The FAB will continue its regular and structured engagement with the club and will closely monitor the performance of the team, the wider football operation and the actions of senior leadership in the weeks and months ahead.
"Ensuring that supporter perspectives remain central to ongoing discussions with the club remains a key priority.
"The FAB remains committed to representing supporters in a constructive but challenging manner and will continue to engage with the club to ensure that standards, communication and overall director reflect the expectation of fans."
Albion chiefs also attended the latest Albion Assembly meeting last week, the minutes of which will be made public in the coming weeks. The board is separate from the Albion Assembly, which consists of 36 members.
