Staveley’s New ‘Access to Capital’ as West Ham Desire Remains

By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)

Amanda Staveley has accepted a new boardroom role — but one phrase she used following the announcement immediately caught my attention given her continued interest in West Ham United.

The former Newcastle United co-owner has joined financial technology company Ctrl Alt as a director and senior adviser. According to Sky News, her extensive network of business contacts in the Middle East was one of the reasons behind the appointment.

That network could also be hugely important if Staveley continues her attempt to buy into West Ham. Because for all the discussion surrounding her credentials, there remains one significant unanswered question: who ultimately provides the money?

Staveley’s backing remains the big question

For me, there has never been much doubt about Staveley’s ability to operate a football club. She proved at Newcastle United that she is a canny and capable football administrator.

In fact, she could reasonably claim to understand the football industry better than West Ham’s largest shareholder, Daniel Křetínský. The Czech billionaire has significant business experience, but Staveley has actually been involved in the daily running of a major Premier League club.

The uncertainty concerns the credibility and identity of her financial backing. The last thing West Ham need is to be saddled with enormous debts by an ownership group that does not possess the funding required to rebuild the squad, improve the infrastructure and eventually take the club forward.

If Staveley has access to genuine long-term finance, however, it changes the landscape significantly.

“Access to capital” is the interesting phrase

Discussing her new role, Staveley told Sky:

“I’ve spent my career closing deals where access to capital was the binding constraint.”

That is an interesting choice of words given the questions that have accompanied her West Ham interest. Everybody knows Staveley possesses influential Middle Eastern contacts. She helped broker Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of Manchester City before later playing a prominent role in the Saudi-backed purchase of Newcastle.

Ctrl Alt’s founder reportedly recruited her partly because of those connections as the company seeks to expand internationally. Her contacts are clearly regarded as valuable, but West Ham supporters will need more than an impressive address book before being convinced by another takeover attempt.

The West Ham partnership I would prefer

My ideal outcome would still be a hands-on Staveley working alongside Křetínský, with former chairman David Sullivan finally leaving the club.

Unfortunately, the under-fire ex-chairman appears to be hanging on for dear life. West Ham’s existing shareholders previously closed ranks to prevent Staveley gaining control, leaving Křetínský as the club’s largest shareholder and Sullivan retaining considerable influence through his shareholding.

Whether this new appointment indicates Staveley is continuing to position herself for another West Ham move is impossible to know. It would be wrong to present an unrelated business role as proof that a fresh bid is imminent.

What it does show is that she remains active, well connected and firmly in the public eye.

Staveley is unlikely to disappear quietly

Claret & Hugh was told by a source close to Staveley and PCP Capital Partners that the ownership battle should not be considered finished. The message we received was simple: “I wouldn’t be so sure. There is still 54% of West Ham available. I doubt it’s over yet.”

Staveley subsequently made it clear that her original offer extended beyond Vanessa Gold’s shares, confirming that she had been pursuing a controlling interest rather than a passive investment. As we reported at the time, her ambitions for West Ham had not simply disappeared.

This latest appointment does not answer whether she has the money required to return with a successful offer. It does, however, seem as if she’s not going away anytime soon.