Hundreds of West Ham fans line street in protest against club after horror start to the season prompted shock statement

Wait 5 sec.

FURIOUS West Ham fans staged called for the board to resign ahead of their London derby against Crystal Palace.Thousands of angry Hammers fans marched to the directors’ entrance at the London Stadium calling for owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to leave the club.ReutersWest Ham fans marched ahead of today’s clash with Crystal Palace[/caption]PAHammers supporters are unhappy at the club’s ownership[/caption]Fans have vowed to march before every home gamePROVIDED BY JACK ROSSERAFPGraham Potter’s side have endured a tough start to the season[/caption]Fans have vowed to march ahead of every Premier League home game this season and are calling for a boycott of the next home game, against Brentford, on October 20.Supporters chanted “BS (Brady and Sullivan) out!” and “sack the board” as they waited for the directors to arrive at the stadium.It comes after a letter of no confidence was sent to the board earlier this month and the club responded with a lengthy statement.The bizarre response was 1,376 words long, outlining the investment in the squad and facilities in recent years – though offering scant backing for under-fire manager, Graham Potter.West Ham enter today’s clash with Crystal Palace 18th in the Prem table, having won just once so far this season.However, protest leaders insist their anger does not stem from poor form but the running of the club – with much of their ire still directed at the 2016 move from Upton Park to the London Stadium.There has long been a poor atmosphere at the Stratford arena, with Potter’s side having not won a home game since February, against Leicester.The board are considering replacing Potter, who was only appointed in January to replace Julen Lopetegui.BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKWest Ham's statementHere's a look at the main points made by West Ham in their open letter to supporters...Accepting UnderperformanceWest Ham have acknowledged that recent on-pitch results haven’t met their standards. But doubled down that Graham Potter is the right man for their direction of travel, as well as sporting director Mark Noble and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay.Focus on the FutureThe club stated that their main focus is on building a squad that can consistently compete for a top-half finish in the Premier League and qualify for European competitions, admitting they are not satisfied with the current level.Financial SituationHammers chiefs highlighted that the club has made significant investments in new players, spending over £450million in the last three years. But reassured supporters that they are operating within the Premier League’s financial rules (Profit and Sustainability Rules, or PSR) and remain financially stable and sustainable.Stadium and Matchday ExperienceWest Ham are addressing fan feedback on the matchday atmosphere at the London Stadium by working with supporter groups to introduce initiatives like fan zones and tifo displays. They also state that winning on the pitch is the best way to improve the atmosphere.Investment in Infrastructure and FacilitiesThe Irons reiterated that they have invested tens of millions of pounds into training facilities for the men’s, women’s, and Academy squads, including recent improvements at Rush Green and Chadwell Heath.They have invited representatives from the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) to visit the training ground to see the improvements firsthand.Continued Dialogue with FansThe club confirmed it has had a “positive and productive” meeting with the FAB to discuss various issues raised by supporters and has committed to sharing a detailed presentation on their future strategy at an upcoming meeting.Nuno Espirito Santo, Gary O’Neil and former boss Slaven Bilic are all contenders should a change be made.Going into today’s match, Potter had won just six of 24 matches in charge.