David Sullivan resigns as West Ham chairman after serious historic allegations emerge

David Sullivan has resigned as joint-chair and director of West Ham United with immediate effect, the club confirmed on Saturday morning, after he was made aware of the impending publication of serious historic allegations — all of which he denies.

In a statement, West Ham said Sullivan had also resigned as a director of both WH Holding Limited and West Ham United Football Club. The club stressed that none of the allegations relate to the club or any of its operations, and that Sullivan had chosen to step down “in order to avoid disruption to the Club while he addresses the matter privately.”

Interim Chief Executive Officer Karim Virani will continue to lead the club’s day-to-day operations, reporting into the current board of directors. West Ham added that an update on the future structure of the board would follow in due course.

Sullivan issued his own statement through legal representatives, describing the allegations as “factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old” claims concerning his personal life. He said the allegations had been “sensationalised by the media” and linked to his career in the adult entertainment industry.

“I categorically deny these claims,” Sullivan said. “I am absolutely not the person the media has decided to paint me as.”

Sullivan also questioned the process by which the claims were verified ahead of publication, saying he had not been given “any proper explanation as to how these individuals or their claims were independently verified or assessed for credibility.” He announced his intention to sue the BBC for libel, along with any other outlet that repeats what he described as libellous allegations.

Sullivan, who has been involved with West Ham for more than 30 years, said the club had been “one of the greatest passions and privileges” of his life and that his decision to step down was driven by a desire to protect it from disruption during what he acknowledged was an already difficult period.