The minutes from the latest Albion Assembly meeting can be found below.
Albion Assembly (AA) Meeting - The Hawthorns.
Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 7pm.
The following minutes are a general summery of the meeting and contain no direct quotations.
Club staff in attendance: Chairman, Shilen Patel (SP), Managing Director, Mark Miles (MM), Director of Communications, Ian Skidmore (IS), Director of The Albion Foundation, Rob Lake (RL), Head of Marketing, Rachel Rankin (RR), Head of Security & Matchday Operations, Howard Lewis-Jones (HLJ), Supporter Liaison Officer, Cindy Joyce (CJ), and Senior Communications Officer, Sean Watts (SW).
Apologies: Martin Grange, Chris Jones, Karen Geddes, Iain Bate, Kevin Candon.
INTRODUCTIONS
Ian Skidmore read out the apologies before introducing Shilen Patel as the first owner and Chairman to ever attend an Albion Assembly meeting.
SHILEN PATEL
SP thanked members for hosting him and applauded the club’s supporters for how they have been since the takeover. He explained how his business career had involved turning companies around and building them up, problem solving, and finding a path forward through difficult situations.
He spoke about Bilkul Football Group and the people with him possessing strong football knowledge, and they - combined with those already at Albion - were a good mix of old and new who had worked in the past few months to eliminate a state of crisis, handle the current profit and sustainability measures, and plan for a positive future.
SP said they were being methodical in the transfer window and praised Mark Miles for conversing with the EFL. Additionally, he clarified that the financial situation had not changed from when he acquired the club, and everything they were currently dealing with was predicted.
He reflected on the announcement regarding Andrew Nestor assuming the responsibilities of a Sporting Director, saying he had known him since 2011. SP went through his background, which includes running American team Tampa Bay Rowdies. He also mentioned Ashish Patel’s role, and how his background in digital media could open opportunities while working alongside strong departments in that area of the club. This included maximising commercial revenues, increasing audiences both here and abroad, and capitalising on upcoming important milestones.
SP concluded he felt good about the work done on and off the pitch this summer, praised the club staff for their hard work and togetherness, and affirmed he is excited to tackle the challenge ahead. He acknowledged they cannot control the bounce of the ball, but promised everything they can control will be pushed in a positive direction - and they will be as transparent as possible during that process.
After asking follow-up questions, members showed their appreciation for SP’s attendance, and he departed the meeting.
THE ALBION FOUNDATION
Rob Lake started by assessing last season, saying it had been a successful campaign for many of the 40 teams who represent the Foundation. Six of their junior sides won trophies, the powerchair team completed a league and couple double and were beaten in the Champions League Final on penalties, the blind team won the FA Cup, and there were many other groups that achieved their goal of providing an opportunity for everyone who wants to play for fun.
RL gave an update on their ‘go local’ strategy and said they had made progress on that front in the community and, more specifically, schools. He also mentioned how they are working to unlock some of the government money going into Smethwick and linked it to their idea of ‘growing our own’, which is giving people from the area the chance to work for the Foundation. RL gave AJ Gill as an example, noting he had come to a Kicks programme at the age of 14, and has recently been appointed as their Head of Disability 15 years later.
TAF continues to make a real difference, said RL, helping to battle epidemics on obesity, mental health and more. He explained how they receive funding from the Premier League but must justify that money each year - and have recently submitted three reports which show they have surpassed their targets.
Furthermore, he spoke about all of their recent fundraising events, such as the walk from Wembley to The Hawthorns raising £27,000, having 350 participants partake in their latest colour run, a successful evening with Paul Scharner, and the zip-wire experience at the stadium. He looked forward, too, to a darts night, a trip to Petra, and “Blind Dave” Heeley’s next challenge - cycling the Western Front.
Lastly, RL confirmed he has returned to his role of being a Director at the Foundation, having spent time working within the football club on an interim basis.
FINANCE (Profit & Sustainability)
Mark Miles asserted the club’s commitment to working within the Sky Bet Championship’s P&S rules, saying he was always up front about needing to reduce the wage bill and raise funds in order to comply with not making P&S losses of more than £39 million over a rolling three-year period. He said that these were not straight forward losses as there a number of items that were not taken into consideration as part of the calculations. Such items included the academy, community, and women’s football.
He said Albion are working with the EFL to meet those requirements, while looking ahead at the same time - admitting it was a challenge, but one they were embracing under the new ownership group.
Members once again had the chance to follow-up with questions, and MM and the group discussed the usage of the MSD loan, how a deal between the EFL and Premier League had not yet been agreed, as well as the development of a potential government regulator in football.
Finally, it was asked if lessons had been learned from the difficulties faced under the previous ownership. MM said yes, and from a wider point of view, he confirmed the EFL and Premier League had strengthened their due diligence and OADT (Owners & Directors Tests) thresholds, which makes them much more difficult to pass than they were.
FOOTBALL & GOVERNANCE
Men’s team
MM briefly touched on the subject of Andrew Nestor’s appointment, adding that it would help pull together the whole sporting side of the men’s, women’s, and Academy teams.
He moved on to discussing this summer’s transfer window and the turnover of players, saying a larger number than usual had departed last season, including some high earners. MM stated it was the club’s intention to remain competitive while being smarter in the market - name checking new signing Torbjorn Heggem as an example - and spoke about how they wanted to make sure there was a clear pathway for young players.
Off the pitch, he explained how new coaches have come in to support both Carlos Corberán and any new signings - especially helping players from abroad settle into life at The Hawthorns quicker.
Women’s team
MM confirmed the women’s team are now fully integrated into West Bromwich Albion. He wanted to publicly thank RL and Jude Thompson, who put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to keep things running last season during the transition.
He said everyone was pleased to have Siobhan Hodgetts-Still and her team officially under the Albion umbrella, and that all club departments were working with them. He added that the women’s team were now fully recognised alongside the men on the Honours boards above main reception in the East Stand, too.
MM talked about how they would be playing mainly in Redditch again for 2024/25, although there would also be a number of matches hosted at The Hawthorns. He said it was their and SP’s desire to bring them closer to home in the future, potentially locating the women and the PL2 sides in one venue. However, no definite plans were established yet.
Academy
MM reiterated the importance of having a pathway for Academy players. Additionally, he revealed a key decision in the PL2 team’s move to Solihull was having access to a quality playing surface.
TICKETING & STILECARDS
The next item on the agenda was ticketing. MM said they were embracing a move to digital, though stressed they would always ensure everyone could come to The Hawthorns and the process would be inclusive and mindful to all.
He confirmed the club are looking to fully progress towards the app (WBA Tickets On The Go) as of next season, and that last campaign’s season ticket stilecards are in the second year of a two-year cycle - hence why supporters could still choose that option for 2024/25.
MM stressed the app was simple to use and cited many clubs were now completely digital - as are lots of non-football large events.
During lengthy discussions, MM made the following points to try and ease concerns from members:
- Multiple tickets can be on one phone at the same time, so children’s tickets can be on a parent’s device. Likewise, those who do not own a smart phone can store their tickets with a family member or friend who does.
- Fans do not need internet, or mobile data, to access their tickets when at the turnstiles. The ticket will already be in the app, which can be used offline, and the QR code automatically becomes live on the day of a game.
- Tickets cannot be screenshotted - but can be shared with family or friends via email. The club can track where they are sent to, helping to alleviate concerns they will get in the hands of touts or away fans.
- If a supporter’s phone dies or is lost on the way to The Hawthorns, they can go to the Ticket Office, who will help them in the same way as if they had lost their card.
- The creators of the app are developing an accessible version.
IS suggested setting up a working group to help with the transition over the next year. Several AA attendees agreed to take part.
The meeting then continued to the new Ticket Exchange. MM emphasised this was completely separate to the app - and was instead done via the ticket website. For example, it did not matter if your season ticket was accessed through the app or a stilecard, you could still list it for re-sale on the exchange. Details on the ticket exchange can be found here.
RL added there was another option for supporters who could not attend a match, which was to donate their ticket to The Albion Foundation.
IS said season ticket sales had surpassed 20,000 for the 2024/25 campaign. Members asked what the maximum number of season ticket holders could be, and MM confirmed Albion must retain 5% of the stadium capacity for matchday sales, excluding an away allocation.
SUPPORTER BEHAVIOUR & STEWARDING
Howard Lewis-Jones began by giving an update on the Wolves incident. He said the police investigation was still ongoing and 46 people had been punished, which included either being charged, going to court, or getting cautioned.
He confirmed all of those people were suspended if they had accounts with the football club - and the club’s approach was that if supporters were awaiting a court hearing, they would allow the legal process to conclude before lifting any suspensions.
Those who had been cautioned, HLJ added, had to enter into a programme with Albion and West Midlands Police, where they attended sessions to ensure their conduct at matches would improve. They also have to sign a behaviour agreement before they return.
Moving on, he said they had recruited 50 of their own stewards for this season because they can be more reliable and committed - and have also replaced one of the two outside companies they used last year.
HLJ then mentioned there would be no advertisement banner between the home and away fans in the Smethwick End for the majority of games this season. There will be a ‘sterile’ area between the two sets of supporters, but in the main the move will free up an extra 500 seats for visiting teams. MM said it was hoped that Albion would receive a bigger allocation on a reciprocal basis when away from home.
And there were discussions around safe standing - which MM said they were considering in the future - as well as positive feedback on Albion supporters’ away behaviour, and how the club gave their observations to the FA after the Southampton Play-Off away leg pitch invasion.
MATCHDAY ATMOSPHERE
Rachel Rankin explained that Albion backpackers would be there to help people on a matchday, offering directions and answering questions, and it was designed to improve the first point of contact fans had with the club when they arrived at the stadium.
She spoke about Fan Zone plans for the coming campaign, such as having a resident guitarist, supporters from all teams being welcome and live matches being shown. Meanwhile inside The Hawthorns, RR said they were working with a new screen and sound provider this year, and thanked supporters for their input on what music should be played pre-match, saying they had positive feedback from the end of 2023/24. She added that ‘The Liquidator’ would normally be played, though said the timing may vary if the usual slot was not appropriate.
It was also confirmed someone would sign the line-ups again for the big screens, however this would not be created until the transfer window was closed.
Regarding the shop, RR spoke about a summer rebrand and the hard work that went into it. Members asked if the letters and numbers for the new kits had been delivered, and MM stated they were now in following an initial EFL-wide delay.
When the room was opened for questions, merchandise issues were raised and suggestions were also made by members concerning sizing, designs and different fits. Discussions took place around half-time entertainment as well, with RR saying they had ideas for competitions, linking up with sponsors, special guests, and more cap presentations.
AOB
MM reminded members that lesser issues should be brought up to the club separately and as soon as possible, rather than waiting to mention them in an AA meeting.
Pre-season was discussed towards the end, as people questioned why no foreign tour or home friendlies had taken place, as well as the reason for behind-closed-doors matches.
MM said ‘BCD’ games were more common across football now and explained Carlos Corberán preferred to stay in England during the summer. He added that the opportunity for a Hawthorns friendly did not arise, and they would not rule out hosting one again in the future.
Date of next meeting: Thursday, November 21 (7pm).