The football governing body may compel David Sullivan to divest his ownership in West Ham United following serious allegations of sexual misconduct spanning several decades, accusing the former adult entertainment mogul of exploitative and predatory behavior towards women.
On Saturday, the 77-year-old announced his resignation as co-chairman and director of the club in light of a joint investigation by the BBC and the Times, which detailed accusations from seven women regarding his inappropriate conduct.
Three of the women claimed that Sullivan misused his position as the owner of the Sport newspapers to solicit sexual favors from them while they were seeking employment. Additionally, four other women reported instances of predatory behavior, including attempts to coerce them into sexual encounters during professional meetings.
According to the BBC and Times, their investigation involved interviews with numerous former models and industry insiders, with some sources indicating that Sullivan was notorious for “casting couch” practices.
Sullivan has firmly rejected the allegations, which reportedly date back to the 1980s and involve women primarily in their late teens and early twenties. Through legal representatives, he stated, “I categorically deny all of these complaints.” He further remarked, “After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry, where I have interacted with thousands of women, it is unfortunately expected that a few claims of improper conduct would arise against me.” He did not respond to additional inquiries from the Guardian.
As the largest shareholder in West Ham, holding a 38.8% stake, Sullivan has played a significant role in English football for over three decades. The newly established Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has characterized the allegations as “extremely serious” and is currently seeking more information from Sullivan.
The IFR, which was established under last year’s Football Governance Act, serves as an independent oversight body for the sport, managing the owners, directors, and senior executives (ODSE) regime for clubs in both the Premier League and the English Football League. It possesses the authority to remove individuals deemed unsuitable. Assessments regarding the “honesty and integrity” of club owners are part of its responsibilities.
A spokesperson for the IFR stated, “These are extremely serious allegations. We are in communication with West Ham regarding this issue and will utilize our statutory powers to urgently obtain information from David Sullivan concerning his suitability under our owners, directors, and senior executives regime. We are unable to provide further comments at this time.”
Sullivan acquired a 50% stake in West Ham alongside his late business partner David Gold in January 2010. It remains uncertain whether he intends to retain his share, although a source close to Sullivan has suggested he may be willing to sell. His sons, Jack and Dave Jr., continue to serve as directors at the club. Sullivan did not respond to the Guardian’s inquiries regarding the potential sale of his stake or whether he plans to transfer it to his sons.
It is also unclear if Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, who owns a 27% share in the club, will seek to increase his ownership. Previous plans for Křetínský and Sullivan to jointly acquire a portion of the Gold family’s 25.1% shares and become equal partners in the boardroom were halted following the club’s relegation from the Premier League last month.
West Ham is currently facing financial difficulties after being relegated to the Championship and reporting a loss of £104.2 million last year. Several executives have departed from the club recently, with Karren Brady notably resigning as vice-chair last April.
