New West Brom Independent Supporters' Trust encourages fans to attend first meeting
A new Albion supporters' group has encouraged fans to attend its first meeting next week.
Albion Independent Supporters' Trust has been launched by lifelong fans and is set to begin its journey as a voice for all Baggies.
A first meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19 at Dartmouth Central Club on Devonshire Road (B71 4AA) in the town, for a 7.30pm start.
The group has been in the works for some time and sits as an independent group run entirely by Albion supporters as volunteers.
It will not be affiliated with the club and aims to give supporters an "independent, democratic and inclusive voice for all matters concerning Albion". It has worked closely with the national Football Supporters' Association body to get the group off the ground.
Baggies fan Mark Whitehouse, known as Snarka, is interim chair of the trust. He said: "West Bromwich Albion Football Club is a massive part of the lives of both its fans and the local community.
"The West Bromwich Albion Independent Supporters' Trust will support that powerful relationship between the club and its fans, listening closely to represent them with fairness, transparency and integrity.
"The trust will act in the fans' best interests and stand up for the issues that we all deeply care about as supporters, guided by our principles and with guidance from the Football Supporters' Association.
"We look forward to open dialogue with the club and fellow supporters going forward, keeping the most important part of any football club - the fans - at the heart of key matters."
Dartmouth Central Club is a stone's throw away from Stoney Lane, Albion's first home before the move to The Hawthorns in 1900, and the first meeting's location was selected with that in mind.
The group is separate from the pre-existing Albion Assembly group, as well as the new club Fan Advisory Board, which launched in October and consists of 10 elected supporter members.
Richard Jefferson, the FAB's co-chair and Albion Assembly representative, backed the move for an independent group.
He said: "Good to see this getting off the ground and I will be looking to support this. An independent fans' group, set up as an affiliate member of the FSA, plays an important part in football these days and most clubs our size and bigger have one."
The IST has also pledged to represent the voices, interests and concerns of all fans and campaign on issues including matchday experience, ticket prices, fixture scheduling and accessibility.
Albion fans have recently hit out and threatened to boycott the upcoming trip to Coventry City on November 22, where adults will fork out £45 per ticket, seniors and ages 18 to 21 will pay £40 and under-18s £35.
The new group also say they will work to celebrate and protect the club and town's heritage and traditions.
The group is born out of the former Action for Albion movement - albeit led by different members. Action for Albion that raised awareness and led the fight against former owner Guochuan Lai and Yunyi Guokai, who the club were saved from by Shilen Patel's Bilkul two years ago next February.
The IST will work within the guidelines of the Football Supporters' Association and, as such, will hold its first annual general meeting before the end of the 2025/26 season, where its leadership positions will be democratically elected.
Jane Hughes, EFL network manager of the FSA, said: "The FSA is pleased to see West Bromwich Albion on the road to becoming another high-profile club to have an independent supporters' trust."