By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Former West Ham chairman David Sullivan seemingly digging his heels in at the club and regretting stepping down as chairman means Daniel Kretinsky’s takeover plans have become a whole lot more difficult.
During Sullivan’s statement on the official West Ham website, and in his subsequent comments to Hammers News, he reiterated his belief that he was trying to do what was best for the club.
However, his latest position and apparent reluctance to sell his remaining shares is anything but doing what’s best for West Ham United.
Sullivan Is Now Holding West Ham Back
If anything, Sullivan remaining at the club hinders West Ham’s prospects of an immediate return to the Premier League.
Not only is he making it more difficult for Kretinsky to gain majority ownership and implement his plans, but Sullivan’s continued presence also ensures a very negative spotlight remains firmly fixed on the football club.
It’s not just the Panorama documentary which reflects badly on Sullivan and, by extension, West Ham.
The fallout since Monday night’s broadcast has continued, with Essex Police confirming that someone new has come forward with potentially fresh allegations.
Meanwhile, the Independent Football Regulator is understood to be examining West Ham’s handling of a safeguarding issue dating back to an investigation in 2023.
David Sullivan digging his heels in makes it more difficult for West Ham to move forward
The Club Needs To Move Forward
At the same time, mainstream media coverage continues to focus heavily on Sullivan and his association with the club.
The one silver lining in all of this is that he is now being described as the ‘former West Ham chairman’, and the club at least appears to have a pathway towards moving forward and eventually putting the negative publicity and scandal behind it.
If David Sullivan is genuinely concerned about West Ham, then surely those sending him messages of support would do well to advise him that his position has become untenable.
His continued association with the football club is now causing more harm than good.
And if he truly loves West Ham as much as he says he does, the best thing he could do for the club right now would be to let it move on without him.
The football club is on the cusp of genuine opportunity, and I would implore Sullivan to please leave and allow West Ham to reach our full potential.
Completely agree, Gonzo. Nicely put. The question is, is Sullivan man enough to realise & admit that he is seriously hurting the club & that it is time for him to sell up & quit. The problem in him doing this is that his shares would probably seriously reduce in value, making him reluctant to sell.
There is surely a lot of speculation in this, I doubt if anyone outside the inner circle really knows what is going on. If Kretinsky acquires >50% of the shares then Sullivan’s influence can be, and hopefully would be, zero. But Sullivan’s track record suggests that he’ll be trying to maximise the benefit to him personally as the top priority. There is also the issue of conflict of interest with Kretinski’s controlling shareholding in Sparta Prague. Regarding the stadium, Khan would love to be rid of it I would think, and it would probably go cheap. But that means West Ham would inherit all the costs of running and maintaining it, and also British Athletics would have to be bought out of their contract if athletics were to be excluded going forward. Perhaps the stadium rumour is just wishful thinking on the part of the ‘we should never have left Upton Park’ brigade.
The sooner Sullivan is gone the better.
There were huge negatives before these recent revelations.
Gonzo
Great video on the stadium potential yesterday. However I am not sure about Kretinsky. He has had 3 years to buy the Gold shares but shown no inclination to do so. They would give him 51% and effective control.
As for the expectation that Sullivan should sell his shares at any price and just walk away that is unlikely. Even the regulator cannot force a minority shareholder with no day to day involvement to that.
The only way forward given that time is if the essence would be for Kretinsky to buy out both parties. I have my doubts he is prepared to do that.
I still feel the upcoming season is going to be a mess
I do understand your scepticism Ted mate, Kretinsky has a lot to prove
Regulator has to force him out – how can a man accused of what he has been accused of let alone being banned from Women’s and Academy teams be allowed to remain at any football club, let alone West Ham !
Hi Gonzo , I couldn’t agree more it was bad enough before the allegations !
Well said Gonzo, can you send it to Sulivan and tell him that’s the way the supporters feel because he seems deluded enough to think we still want him.
I’m sorry but this is nonsense – it doesn’t matter what Sullivan says/does now. If Kretinsky buys the Gold shares, he’ll have control. He can then dilute Sullivan down as and when he pleases. Listen to Henry Winter’s and Christian Purslow’s latest podcast on it – Sullivan’s finished.
Someone else (see C&H Sullivan throws spanner…) said that you need 75% shares to dilute holdings by issuing shares. However, DK + Gold family is 52% (27+25).
I do not know, so just asking.
Also, my thought is future profit is in proportion to share ownership and with a 52% holding only, DK will limit his investment amount, with future plans put on hold or reduced. So he would want Gold family shares + a sufficient amount of DS family shares to warrant investing, planning, time,…
apparently you are right! With >50% shares and then, by investing millions into the company/club, (which would be required anyhow for restructuring, players, …) DK would dilute DS’ share holding WITHOUT issuing new shares – news to me of course, but found this mentioned in a couple of places.
Narcissists don’t do the right thing they do want they want regardless of the damage they cause.
I say it’s a ploy to realise a higher yeild for his shareholding.
Kind of, ” If you want me gone, pay me top dollar”.
Only my personal opinion mind you Gonzo.