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.
Staveley at The London Stadium this season has access to capital
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.
Staveley has actually been involved in the daily running down of a major Premier League club.
Give her a lever long enough and she could move the moon. Give her limitless amounts of money and she could spend it all.
Hardly a compelling CV.
Face of Tena next?
Oh my God Gonzo, you’re like a broken record – give it a rest mate!
We all know that you are a Staveley fan boy and that you have been taken in by her PR offensive….maybe look a bit deeper and understand the reality of the situation before using your platform to try convince everyone else to give her the keys to our kingdom.
If I remember correctly you got very excited at the last proposed take over by PAI capital and went all claret & blue eyed getting Tony Cottee on the channel to promote the takeover.
You need to wake up and smell the coffee. Staveley has no real footballing experience or expertise, she knows how to invest, she knows how to raise capital and she knows how employ the right people to do a job, and thats about it. If she gets involved, and is backed by Ashland Forrest Capital Partners (and whoever else), they will saddle our club with debt to help finance the deal. A leveraged buy out isnt allowed in the Premier league any more which is what happened at Man Ure….but there are still ways to partially leverage a buy out in the championship, why do you think she is so keen to get it done now?
Just let it go mate and give the current largest shareholder a chance to do some good. Be thankful we have a shareholder that has some football knowledge and also likes to invest for the long term, unlike Staveley! She does the PR very well but dont believe a word of it.
If you were taken in by the Borson files then you need to give your head a wobble. That was all done to avoid any backlash that might have occurred due to the timing of the offer,the transfer window and Gold pulling out of the deal. They deliberately left Kretinsky scrambling while also trying to place the blame at his door saying he wasnt liquid enough. Isn’t it funny how he has bought even more shares at a much higher price since then proving it all to be a load of BS.
Just get on board with the current shareholders and give them the time to do some work….they havent done too bad considering what they had to deal with when Staveley and Gold announced their deal and managed to screw up our transfwr window.
COYI!
Spot on! Staveley is a broker only and all her history show short term deals and grab a percentage for doing the deal. Look st Newcastle now having sold best players assets.
lol you can’t stop writing this rubbish can you? Staveley has more extensive knowledge of running a football club than Kretinsky? How in the world does a few months normainally in charge while the REAL owners of Newcastle were searching for professionals to run the club (Eales and Ashworth) count over the 20+ years Kretinsky has been joint owner of Sparta Prague?
Staveley does have Middle East contacts, but I suggest you read the details of the Barclays Court case to understand the reality rather than the hype!
Your articles on Staveley are reminding me of Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch!!
Why is there so much talk of the Reuben Brothers and their billions backing Staveley
All the current shareholders have done is closed ranks to ensure a bid pays them maximum, and possibly to control exactly Staveley’s role
To me that makes a lot of sense as it also protects West Ham Football Club’s interests too, to make sure a developer doesnt just take over the club for the whole site
I look forward to watching a top premiership Hammers side competing in Europe every year, snd playing in one of the best Stadiums in Europe too
At least with the current ownership we know who owns the club.
Stavely will only be a front for consortium intent on turning a profit.
I don’t understand why you’re so keen to promote her Gonzo. Are you on the payroll?
Stop promoting this woman Gonzo. She is only interested in making money for herself. She is just a front for a horrible regime.
Sully will never have an executive role within the club. Just leave him as a non exec shareholder. For all his mistakes he at least has the clubs best interests at heart
For all his mistakes. He does at least has the clubs best interest at heart. Wow this could be the dumbest answer I’ve seen in a very long time 👏👏👏👏. Wake up and smell the coffee 🤦♂️
Is she any different to all others involved?
No but she does have vast footballing knowledge.
Money, money, money is their criteria not whu.