It feels like half a year ago but just last month the new era was ushered in at West Ham’s boardroom with the shock resignation of David Sullivan and the public statement concerning Daniel Kretinsky’s alliance with minority shareholders to assume control.
The expectation ever since has been that the Hammers’ billionaire shareholder would be injecting cash into the club – all remains quiet whilst the Czech Sphinx conducts his business, as always, quietly, away from the public gaze and without ‘leakage’. Boardroom deals can take months – and sometimes years – to pull together so supporters and the wider football audience get to watch and wait as the summer unfolds.
Championship rivals Birmingham City have pulled off their own boardroom blitz with a huge cash injection, showing the Hammers the way forward and providing themselves with a massive transfer pot, according to footballleagueworld.co.uk:
“Birmingham City owners inject £72 million into the club
It has been reported by Birmingham Live that SCL have issued roughly £72 million worth of shares into the Midlands outfit in order to raise funds. It has been revealed through Companies House that the club’s owners issued 71,770,400 new shares, which have been purchased for £1 each.
Meanwhile, another 380,723 were also purchased at a reduced value by minority shareholders, which has raised around £72 million for Birmingham. This will come as a boost to their cashflow as they look to get active in the summer transfer window.”
It may be the second tier of English football, but the stakes are huge and one of the Hammers’ main competitors has given themselves a big shot in the arm ahead of the new season. It seems there is no end in sight to the massive financial manoeuvrings even in the second tier – last season Championship clubs’ combined losses amounted to £436m in 2024/25 (Deloitte.com)
Which puts West Ham at the top of another table, before the season even starts, with their own £105m loss putting them head and shoulders above the pack.
The expectation is that Daniel Kretinsky’s likely cash injection will dwarf Birmingham’s £72 million – when it is finally announced. However, with the way in which the new look Hammers board operates – don’t expect it to be made public any day soon.
Sorry Martin,
This is just click bait!
Nothing by to do with West Ham, have absolutely no interest in Birmingham City. Let’s see something actually being done at our club.
Good, I was getting tired of Sullivan letting all other clubs know what we’re doing and getting undermined in the transfer market as always.