Over the weekend Graeme Souness stuck the boot into Jack Sullivan claiming his comments on club business on Twitter was “unacceptable.”
The Sky pundit told the Sunday Times: “Look at the West Ham situation, where you have Jack Sullivan, son of the owner David Sullivan, on social media criticising the manager’s selections, substitutions and signings. All of that is unacceptable.”
Personally, I think the comments are mistimed and unfair as Jack has put his days of releasing transfer news and other questionable comments on twitter long behind him.
Since leaving school Jack has carried out work experience in almost every West Ham department within the football club and has kept his head down and out of trouble.
He has done a lot of growing up in the past year for which he has been rewarded with the unpaid job of managing director of West Ham Ladies to get the experience of running a football team.
Even with the unkind comments from Souness over the weekend Jack has remained quiet and has not reacted to the insult. I have met Jack a number of times and he has always come very knowledgeable about football and very polite, respectful and business like in person. I have no doubt he is being groomed as a future chairman of our club and he will succeed his father one day.
I haven’t heard too much from him this year, in the past it has been cringeworthy even when he has said what many of us think, but he is a kid I know I was pretty outspoken at his age and said many things I shouldn’t, some of which got laughs and some of which I had to apologise for when I didn’t realise the damage I was causing, some of which I cringe to myself when I think back on them. Its all part of the learning curve Souness saying what he said is a bit rich anyway considering some of the rubbish he has spouted as a player, as a manager and as a pundit.
Sullivan Jr has been quieter of late but he really needed cutting down to size. A mouthy, entitled kid, who has never had to do a full day’s proper work in his life shouldn’t have been telling mature, hard working men with decades of experience how to do the their jobs in the first place. He was a disgrace who needed to be put on track. Let’s hope he has learned some lessons.
Sullivan Jr isn’t allowed to say what he wants to but everyone else on ****ter and fansites are allowed to say whatever they want? What is the difference? I’d sooner listen to Sullivan jr
The difference is he is the son of the owner and an office bearer of the club. Both positions carry a measure of responsibility and ethics which ought to be upheld.
‘what is the difference?’ Is that you Jack? The only other person who has or will attain high office and directly links that to spouting off personal opinions on the matter on Twitter is, you guessed it, Trump. Do I need to say more about perceptions?
Anyone else viewing this site on their mobile and getting totally ****ed off with all these adverts making it impossible to see the articles? Hardly worth coming on here these days!
Yep, from brussel sprouts to garden sheds – And I’ve not even got an allotment!
And the are you a robot rubbish that’s a pain also
Oh for heaven’s sake!! What a mealy mouthed, grovelling apology of a piece masquerading as journalism.
As for him ultimately becoming chairman of West Ham United god help us should it ever happen. The idea of someone with absolutely no experience of the commercial world running a multi million pound business really does beggar belief.
… indeed and supposedly he is going to work seamlessly with middle aged business women, one of whom is one of the highest female business achievers in the country. Somehow this woman is apparently going to be happy being a minority shareholder with little to no control of her own assets and investment, with Jack and perhaps his brother, with a fraction of her expertise and experience playing FIFA 2025 with the club and by definition her inheritance. Meanwhile a 10% shareholder with a business mind the size of a planet will just sit there and watch his (or his associates) investment go all tumble weed. Somehow I cannot see that happening or see them respect the capabilities of a new owner with vast experience of running a third rate Ladies team with delusions of grandeur.
He won’t be any good as Sullivan part 2 until he learns how to promise the earth and then claim extenuating circumstances when the delivery of those aforementioned assurances evaporate into thin air!
You mean bull💩 doughball !!! 😂
So clearly the Jack/the club didn’t warn you about the response by him to Souness then, unfortunate timing for you I guess in your cap tipping.
Certainly Jack has damage limited his commentary this past year but as Souness’s comments (and thus the general awareness throughout the Industry) reveal the damage is already done in perception of our club and says everything about an owner/father who allows a 13 year old (as was) to pretty much free rein to sport the clubs business throughout social media. Sourness and indeed many others including we fans, have every right to criticise that, even if belatedly he has excised some long needed censorship over his mouth. I presume his role as MD of the Ladies team is most likely more responsible for this reigning in rather than any personal acceptance of responsibility as the two would be completely incompatible and leave him open to the sort of childish commentary he has been happy to give out to others.
A greater point however is the auto defensive stance of Sean Whetstone here however, whereby the paramount reaction is as far too usual to come to the defence of the owners even when by doing so you are defending issues that are or have been down right embarrassing for the perception of the club by both fans and the outside world and scream lack of professionalism. Is it really so difficult not to see this even through claret tinted lenses?
Sometimes its best to either keep quiet, reflect and apologise for past errors or when necessary accept criticism from outside as being valid even if you point out certain mitigating circumstances. Saying ‘well he doesn’t do it any more’ (arguable) is hardly more professional than the original behaviour. Both Jack and Sean might want to reflect upon that but I won’t hold my breath, because the other factors in defying those clear tenets are far too strong for both to resist. And that in itself is becoming a standing joke.