West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan he stepped down from his role as joint chairman and director of the club following what the club described as serious historical allegations against him.
The 77-year-old announced his resignation, effective immediately, saying he wanted to focus entirely on defending the allegations, which he vehemently denies.
His departure comes at a difficult time for the club following relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Sullivan denies the allegations
In a statement, Sullivan said the allegations are false and have no basis in fact.
“A small number of misconduct charges have been filed against me,” he said.
He added: “I categorically deny these claims.”
Describing the allegations as “decades old”, Sullivan insisted they were “factually incorrect and completely false”.
The entrepreneur also revealed plans to take legal action against media organizations reporting the claims.
“I plan to sue the BBC for defamation along with any other media that repeats any defamatory allegations,” he said.
Sullivan explained that his decision to resign was aimed at preventing the controversy from becoming a distraction for the club.
“At a time that is already challenging and important for the club, I refuse to allow personal matters concerning me to become an unnecessary distraction or source of instability,” he said.
The club presents temporary plans
West Ham confirmed Sullivan’s resignation and said he denies any wrongdoing.
The club added that none of the allegations were believed to be linked to West Ham or its business.
“It is understood that none of the allegations relate to West Ham United or any of its operations,” the club said.
West Ham also confirmed that interim chief executive Karim Virani will continue to oversee the club’s day-to-day operations while the board considers its future structure.
Sullivan became co-chairman alongside his late business partner David Gold after completing the takeover of West Ham in 2010. Following Gold’s death in 2023, Sullivan became the club’s largest shareholder with a 38.8 percent stake.
During his time at the club, West Ham secured promotion to regular Premier League status, moved from Upton Park to the London Stadium in 2016 and won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023.
However, fan unrest increased during the recently concluded campaign, with supporters staging protests against the club’s management before relegation was confirmed. Former vice-president Baroness Brady also stepped down from her role in April.
