West Ham shareholders comment on allegations against David Sullivan and agree ownership deal

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West Ham's two main shareholders have spoken out against David Sullivan after a deal was reached that would see Daniel Kretinsky become the club's largest shareholder. Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold said they were "deeply concerned" following the publication of allegations of sexual exploitation and predatory behavior made against Sullivan in a joint BBC Panorama and Times investigation. Kretinsky's stake in the club will increase from 27% to 43%, which will exceed Sullivan's 38.8%. “Our thoughts are with those women who fought so hard to have their voices heard,” Kretinsky and Gold said in a statement. “Any abuse of power is abhorrent and it takes enormous courage and determination to speak out against it.” Sullivan, 77, "categorically" denied the allegations, which date back to a period when he made his fortune in the porn industry, newspapers and football. Kretinsky and Gold said "the entire board of West Ham United was not made aware of these allegations against Sullivan until approximately a month ago," but full details of the allegations only became known after they were published on Monday. Sullivan has been prevented from contacting the club's women's and youth teams for the past three years due to security concerns.Kretinsky and Gold added: "As reported by West Ham, shareholder board representatives other than David Sullivan were made aware this week of the safety measures that will be in place from 2023." West Ham are facing the fallout from the investigation as they try to regain their place in the Premier League after being relegated for the first time since 2012. “As shareholders and directors of West Ham, our focus now is on protecting the future of this football club,” Kretinsky and Gold said. "We have reached agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction between the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, which, subject to pre-purchase rights of other shareholders and necessary approvals, will become West Ham's largest shareholder with a stake of approximately 43%. As the largest shareholder, the EP group will be able to provide the additional finance needed by the club. Kretinsky, who acquired his first stake in West Ham in November 2021, and Gold, whose late father David was Sullivan's long-time business partner, said their vision West Ham's future is supported by fellow shareholders Trip Smith, Daniel Harris and Terry Brown. "We are taking these steps because West Ham needs unity at this time," they said. "We expect this transaction to be completed in the coming weeks. Following the completion of the agreement, the EP Group and the Gold family also agreed to vote together on key issues and support a strategy aimed at an immediate return to the Premier League.Despite failing to keep West Ham in the Premier League, manager Nuno Espirito Santo agreed to remain in his post to try to secure promotion from the Championship, which he achieved with Wolverhampton in 2018. It remains unclear what immediate impact the deal will have on Nuno's squad. West Ham lost £104.2 million in the financial year ending 31 May 2025 and they are expected to clash this year with a significant new deficit. The pair also want to reconnect with the club's fans, who have previously protested against Sullivan and former vice-chairman Karren Brady over the management of the club. "Our goal is to stabilize West Ham, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the leadership of Nuno Espirito Santo, ensure an immediate return to the Premier League," the statement said."We are also committed to working with our fans and all business partners to build a stronger future for our club. We believe that a strong coalition - fans, players, management and board - is essential to delivering the bright future this club deserves. We are absolutely committed to our role in this process.

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