By leaving West Ham now, I can’t help but feel that Karren Brady has avoided the final inquisition that would have come if the club were relegated this season.
You can almost picture the column in The Sun somewhere down the line—proud of her tenure, pointing out that when she left, West Ham were still a Premier League club.
But the reality is very different.
Stadium legacy and financial reality tell a different story
Brady will always be credited with moving West Ham from Upton Park to the London Stadium and securing what was widely described as the “deal of the century.”
Cheap rent, yes—but that only tells part of the story.
Any benefit from the tenancy is outweighed by what the club don’t have: ownership, catering revenue, naming rights. In the era of PSR and financial fair play, not owning your stadium is arguably a disadvantage.
And as a football venue? It’s never truly worked. Strip away the surface and you’re left with scaffolding, temporary structures, trampolines between stands and a ground that, for all its scale, doesn’t feel like a proper home.
Just a perception? London Stadium has large fabric sheets to cover the gaps between tiers
Poor decisions and losses leave West Ham in trouble
The final phase of Brady’s time at West Ham has been marked by poor decisions.
Overpaying in the transfer market, overseeing losses of more than £100 million in the last financial period, and borrowing heavily against future income streams—all while the team slid towards a relegation battle.
Then there’s the appointment of Graham Potter.
A decision many questioned at the time, and one that has proven costly. If Nuno Espírito Santo had been in charge from the start of the season, it’s hard to believe West Ham would be in this position now.
Exit on her terms leaves a bitter taste
All of that adds up to one thing: Brady has left the club in no better state than which she found it.
And yet, she’s walked away on her own terms.
Am I pleased she’s gone? Yes.
But if we’re being honest, this shouldn’t have ended like this. It should have come with accountability—at the end of the season, not before it.
Because for many supporters, this feels less like closure and more like escaping the inevitable firing squad.
It’s not the potential relegation that’s primed the Baroness’s departure but something far more grave surrounding Sullivan that’s going to break soon. Watch this space
There are two people who are responsible for the situation the club now finds itself and Karren Brady is not one of them. She was employed as a commercial director and performed her role pretty well with the lease on the stadium being a great deal. The two responsible are Gold and Sullivan who were responsible for all footballing matters. In the 16 years of their stewardship they have made so many mistakes particularly in terms of recruitment of players and managers. Nothing will change until Sully either sells up or takes a back seat and employs professionals
Nailed it Ted.
May I add, Brady’s public persona wasn’t to many peoples liking. Compare her to say, Stavely up at Newcastle, both were well compensated, but who would you begrudge out of the two?
I actually think Gold kept Sully in check tbh Ted. Yes he made some silly billy comments about seats being as close to the pitch at the LS as they were at UP, but he did have an affinity with the club. Unlike Sully the Cardiff fan.
You can also thank Gold for Moyes and the short lived success under him.
Disagree on Brady mate but it’s a game of opinions and I respect yours.
What did you expect mate? A ttrail with death by hanging for wrongs against the holy church that is West Ham United?
As you saw from the financial crash in 2008 people in positions of power are rarely held accountable.
I’d suggest we all rejoice in the fact the wicked witch has gone.
There are people who still say she did right by the club and us fans have brought about the demise of our club by forcing her out and ultimately trying to force Sully out. I disagree.
Sully has offered up as a sacrificial lamb. The fight continues and until he steps back the job isn’t finished.
Well said Gonzo. I feel certain that her departure has much more to do with preserving her own image in the world at large than any consideration of doing the decent thing by West Ham United. It’s typical of the political world to avoid accountability at all costs and paint a fairytale picture of self!
To be frank, if she were a contestant on her TV show she would have been fired week one! Glad she’s gone, and hopefully she won’t get the rose tinted legacy she is trying to engineer!
I AGREE BUT CAN ONLY HOPE OTHER TEAMS ARE WATCHING ON AND AVOIDING HER LIKE THE PLAGUE AND SHES OUT OF FOOTBALL FOR EVER