David Sullivan resigns as West Ham chairman over 'entirely false' historic allegations

David Sullivan has resigned as joint-chairman and director of West Ham United with immediate effect, the club confirmed, after becoming aware that historic personal allegations were about to be published and broadcast.

In a statement released on the club’s official website, Sullivan said he had been made aware of “factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life” that he described as having been “sensationalised by the media.” He categorically denied any illegal conduct through his legal representatives.

“After very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as joint-chair and director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect,” Sullivan said. “This has been an incredibly painful decision to make, but it is one made out of love, respect, and responsibility toward a football club and a fan base that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward. I am stepping down to apply my full energy and attention on fighting these false allegations.”

West Ham confirmed Sullivan has also resigned as a director of both WH Holding Limited and West Ham United Football Club. The club was explicit that none of the allegations relate to West Ham or any of its operations.

Sullivan first acquired a 50% stake in West Ham alongside the late David Gold in January 2010, giving the pair operational and commercial control of the club. He increased his shareholding to 60% within five months and purchased a further 25% in 2013, becoming the club’s largest single shareholder — a position he held for 16 years before his departure.

With Sullivan’s exit, interim chief executive Karim Virani will continue to lead the club’s day-to-day operations, reporting into the current board of directors. West Ham said it would provide an update on the future structure of the board in due course but would make no further comment at this time.