Daniel Kretinsky could play key role amid new twist in £41m West Ham controversy

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Daniel Kretinsky has the opportunity to win over West Ham fans with one simple move.

It was widely anticipated that Kretisnky would up his stake in the club after he agreed an option to take control as part of his 27 per cent investment in 2021.

That has not materialised and unlikely to do so given that the Czech billionaire is fighting on two fronts with takeovers of the Royal Mail and imperilled French IT firm Atos.

However, Kretisnky’s apparent lack of operational involvement at the club means his reputation among fans has not been tarnished — unlike the GSB regime.

An upturn in West Ham’s fortunes on the pitch in recent years has done little to quell supporters’ dissatisfaction.

For many, promises made as conditions of West Ham’s move to the London Stadium in 2016 have simply not been honoured. And not even a European trophy can salvage the situation.

Fissions in the relationship between supporters and the board have turned into full-blow ruptures in recent weeks as a result of a controversial new ticket pricing structure.

Many believe that the scaling back of concessions prices and the relocation of older fans to less accessible areas of the stadium is effectively – and, some believe, deliberately – pricing out bedrock supporters.

This has led to the campaign Save Our Concessions, which has been the catalyst for a boycott of chief sponsor Betway.

While that effort may be in vein given that the club are due to end their association with the bookmaker soon anyway, it is emblematic of how deep the issues run in East London.

Now, in a new development, supporters have called on Kretinsky himself to exercise his influence and step in to rectify the issue.

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Influential West Ham institution pens open letter to Kretinsky

As one of the country’s most historic clubs, West Ham have a large, passionate and vocal fanbase.

With the failure of the European Super League and the imminent introduction of an independent regulator for English football, many supporters have felt emboldened to act as check on their clubs’ power.

West Ham are no exception.

As well as the Save Our Concessions movement, one supporter group has now decided to write directly to the club’s silent partners in an effort to change the policy.

Hammers United have penned an open letter to Kretisnky and fellow minority shareholde Albert ‘Tripp’ Smith, appealing for them to step in and push to change the ticketing policy.

In the letter to Kretinsky, Hammers United highlighted recent pledges the Czech billionaire has made in his campaign to take over the Royal Mail relating to preserving the traditions and heritage of the institution.

They have called on him to do the same at the London Stadium.

Similar appeals were made to Smith.

The concessions policy is seen as somewhat punitive by, among others, Liverpool University football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire.

Speaking exclusively to TBR, Maguire suggested that the new structure was a perhaps misguided plan for West Ham to increase their £41m annual matchday income. 

TBR Analysis: Will Kretisnky step in to help West Ham fans?

First and foremost, Kretisnky is an investor and a businessman.

Although like most owners of Premier League clubs he has spoke about his respect for West Ham’s unique history and traditions, he ultimately sees the club as a capital appreciation project.

Football clubs have three primary sources of revenue – media, commercial and matchday income.

West Ham have one of the highest matchday incomes outside the so-called Big Six, but they are eons behind those clubs.

As West Ham do not own the London Stadium, they cannot increase capacity beyond modest seating reconfigurations.

They also cannot exploit the full commercial value of the stadium.

It is for these entirely financial reasons that the club has chosen to incrementally increase prices.

They will point out that West Ham still have relatively cheap season ticket prices by London standards.

But that – justifiably – is unlikely to do anything to appease supporters who feel the club is trading off its working class image without respecting the fans themselves.

To the extent that Kretinsky is likely to get involved at all, it would be a departure from his modus operandi to do anything that would harm revenue, the club’s enterprise value and – ultimately – the price he will eventually recoup from the sale of his equity.