West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has stepped down from his position as joint chairman and director with immediate effect following the emergence of serious allegations.
The club confirmed it had “been made aware of the impending publication of serious historic allegations” linked to Sullivan, prompting his swift departure from the board.
Sullivan has denied any “illegal conduct” and is leaving the club “in order to avoid disruption to the club while he addresses the matter privately.”
West Ham were keen to stress that none of the allegations have any connection to the football club itself or its operations.
Sullivan had been the club’s largest single shareholder since the death of his long-time business partner David Gold in January 2023, holding a 38.8% stake in the club.
The pair had originally completed their takeover of West Ham in January 2010, with Sullivan and Gold serving as joint chairmen throughout their tenure.
Their time in charge included notable highs, among them the club’s move from Upton Park to the London Stadium in 2016 and a Conference League triumph in 2023, the club’s first major trophy since the 1980 FA Cup.
The best Premier League finish under their ownership was sixth place in 2021, but results deteriorated significantly in recent years, with the Hammers finishing in the bottom half in three of the past four seasons.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2025-26 season after finishing 18th, bringing a 14-year spell in the top flight to an end.
Fan discontent had been building throughout the season, with supporters holding protests on numerous occasions calling for both Sullivan and Baroness Brady to step down from their respective roles.
Brady had already departed, leaving her role as vice-chair on 15 April ahead of Sullivan’s own exit this week.
With Sullivan now gone, interim chief executive officer Karim Virani will continue leading the club’s day-to-day operations, reporting into the current board of directors.
The club stated it “will provide an update on the future structure of the board of directors in due course” but confirmed it would make no further comment at this time.
Sullivan and Gold had previously worked together as co-owners of Birmingham City between 1993 and 2009 before their move to East London.
