Why Shilen Patel’s latest meeting with West Brom fans is causing such a stir
West Brom boardmembers have held a meeting with the Fan Advisory Board, and the details of that call have seen plenty of discourse among supporters.
The FAB met with Shilen Patel via Zoom as concerns surrounding the ongoing relegation battle were brought to light at The Hawthorns.
The Midlands club could face plenty of consequences if they drop down to League One, including a big financial hit.
Dan Head and Richard Jefferson, who are chairmen of the FAB, stated they were “overall pleased” with the outcome of that call.
While communication with Bilkul Football WBA is an important step, the wider fanbase has been left unamused by the details, or lack thereof, surrounding the meeting.
- Read more: West Brom fans have also been left annoyed with former captain Jake Livermore, find out why
Why West Brom fans are frustrated with Shilen Patel meeting
Patel being open to speaking to fans should be a positive outlook, but supporters have been left feeling the complete opposite after the FAB’s latest statement.
West Brom supporters are now left in the dark about the specific topics and questions put towards the board, with the details of the meeting not being shared.
Across social media, supporters have been requesting that the minutes of the meeting be released, with many believing it is pointless otherwise.
Due to this being an “extraordinary” meeting, Head, via Facebook, has confirmed the discussions were held behind closed doors, as to why the details have not come out.
Additionally, Jefferson stated: “I would love for the meeting to have been fully minuted and shared. However, to have done that, the meeting would have been less frank, and the chairman far more guarded in his responses to questions that covered sensitive financial and strategic areas.
“There was information that simply could not be shared publicly at this stage but will 100 per cent be shared by the club soon, be it through the publishing of the latest accounts or announcements around key personnel additions.”
The clarification from the FAB chairs, however, has done little to minimise the stir among West Brom fans, who want transparency.
West Brom must show changes in the next few months
Although we do not know the definitive details about the meeting, the fact that Head and Jefferson have come away feeling positive is certainly a good thing.
Avoiding relegation is an absolute must this season, with the board no doubt playing a major role in the situation in which The Hawthorns club have found itself.
Poor recruitment and poor managerial appointments are at the core of the issues, and with Andrew Nestor recently leaving, there may finally be a shakeup in the operations at West Brom.
Whatever Patel told the West Brom FAB to make them feel positive about the meeting must now be backed up.
The next few months could end up saying quite a lot about the future direction of the Baggies, who must do whatever it takes to stay up now.
For more West Brom news, follow Football Insider for the latest updates and analysis.