What now for West Ham after Sullivan allegations? nership was heavily criticised for the move to London Stadium from Upton Park in 2016 When David Sullivan and long-time business partner David Gold bought into West Ham United in January 2010, Sullivan described the club as being in a "serious mess".Many fans may look at West Ham in its current state and ask, 'what's changed?'.Confirmation the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is "in contact" with West Ham and seeking "urgent information" from Sullivan "relating to his suitability" under its owners, directors and senior executives test adds another layer to the general sense of uncertainty around London Stadium.On 7 June, Sullivan stood down as co-chair at the club saying he wanted to focus on fighting what he called "factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life", describing the investigation as "fundamentally unfair".The allegations, uncovered by BBC Panorama and the Times, included allegations from seven women that the billionaire abused his power and preyed on them for sex, in some cases when they were in their late teens. Sullivan says he categorically denies the claims.While the allegations were not focused on West Ham, they will cause huge concern.In a statement, West Ham said it has clear and robust safeguarding measures in place and that the club is unable to comment or provide details on "any individual safeguarding matter as per standard practice in the industry".West Ham was the first Premier League club to be accredited by the charity White Ribbon UK, in recognition of the efforts it was taking to support ending male violence against women and girls.In a statement, White Ribbon said its accreditation was about organisations "delivering a three-year action plan that works towards improvement" and is "not a statement about, or endorsement of, individuals connected to that organisation".The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the "deeply concerning" allegations against Sullivan must be "treated with the utmost seriousness" and "investigated by the relevant authorities".He may have stood down from his co-chair position but Sullivan remains the club's largest shareholder, with a 38.8% stake. BBC Sport has been told his sons, Jack and David Jr, will not be taking a hands-on role at West Ham.The club's next two most significant shareholders are Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold - the daughter of David who died in January 2023 - who own 27% and 25.1% respectively.In their statement on Sullivan's resignation, West Ham said "the club will provide an update on the future structure of the board of directors in due course".But it is not the only problem West Ham have to deal with. n (left) and business partner David Gold bought West Ham in 2010Sullivan has adopted a very involved approach to running West Ham.Historically, while Gold was a visual presence at the training ground, Sullivan concentrated on being across all the club's important deals, particularly player transfers.West Ham has not relied as heavily on data for its recruitment as other clubs, like Brighton and Brentford, with far smaller fanbases.Some think this may have led to what many supporters feel has been chronic underachievement which - coupled with the controversial move to London Stadium in 2016 that came with promises of contending for major honours, but has never materialised - has led to widespread protests against the ownership for a number of years.This culminated last month with relegation to the Championship after 14 years in the Premier League.Over the years, Sullivan, Gold and vice-chair Karren Brady took the brunt of criticism from supporters.
The abuse was cited by one senior club source as a reason why Brady, who worked with Sullivan from 1993 - when she was appointed managing director at Birmingham aged 23 - resigned in April.Brady is one of numerous senior figures to leave the club in recent months.Executive director Tara Warren stood down after 17 years working closely with Brady in December. She is now working for the IFR.In April, another executive director, Nathan Thompson, who had been credited with delivering "record-breaking commercial growth" in his nine and a half years at the club, also left.In October, following the dismissal of manager Graham Potter, head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay also departed. Since the season finished Max Hahn left his role as head of technical recruitment and analysis.While there are senior staff at West Ham capable of fulfilling the tasks required to run a major football club, as recently as 3 June, Sullivan was still giving the impression of being at the centre of all major transfer dealings at the start of a summer viewed as crucial.Sullivan had expressed very clear views on the future of West Ham's most sought-after players, Mateus Fernandes and skipper Jarrod Bowen.
He knows the likely financial gap that needs to be bridged as West Ham face their first season outside the top flight since 2012. He was also at the centre of the discussions that led to manager Nuno Espirito Santo remaining at the club next season, when it had seemed as though he would also exit.Next season is crucial for West Ham in their attempt to return to the Premier League at the first opportunity, given the huge hit in revenue of being outside the top flight.West Ham co-owner accused of preying on women for sexPublished8 JuneWho is David Sullivan - football boss, 'king of porn' and alleged sexual predator?Published8 JuneWhat will Royal Mail owner Daniel Kretinsky do?With no Sullivan family involvement in the decision-making process at West Ham, eyes will focus on Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold.In October 2023, Gold said she would consider selling a proportion of her stake "to the right partner".
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