A group of West Ham shareholders is promising to give club chairman Terence Brown a rough time at today's Emergency General Meeting.

Angry fans believe the timing of this meeting, which exposes the publicity-shy chairman to the wrath of supporters just weeks after relegation, reflects a growing financial crisis at the club

And it is a crisis which would have arisen even if Premiership survival was secured.

The EGM, called just two days before the end of the club's accounting year, is poised to change restrictions on borrowing levels in a bid to stave off the threat of insolvency.

For Paul Cousins, part of a group working to change the way in which the club is run, this meeting explodes the myth that West Ham are a "well-run" club.

"Relegation is a complete red herring here," he said. "The problems come from the current year's accounts, which include all the TV money."

Published Thursday, May 29, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo