News Focus
- David Sullivan has been barred from West Ham United’s women’s and youth teams since 2023 due to safeguarding issues
- The Football Association launched an investigation into the co-owner’s conduct three years ago
- Sullivan resigned as co-chairman and director just before the publication of new misconduct allegations
- Multiple women have accused the 77-year-old of sexual misconduct and abusing his power
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has not been allowed to contact the club’s women’s or youth teams for the past three years. The Football Association started a safeguarding investigation in 2023 after receiving reports about his behaviour.
A special safeguarding group made up of club officials, the FA, and the local council decided to stop Sullivan from meeting these teams. He cannot watch their matches either. This ban is still active today.
Sullivan remains the club’s biggest shareholder. However, he quit his job as co-chairman and director on Saturday. He left his post just before the BBC and The Times published a joint investigation.
Several women have accused the billionaire of sexual misconduct. They claim he used his power to pressure them into sex. The women were in their late teens or early twenties at the time. They were young models looking for work at Sullivan’s newspapers, the Daily and Sunday Sport.
The accusations cover many decades. During this time, Sullivan built his fortune through adult entertainment, newspapers, and football. Eight women have reported him to the police. However, officers have not charged him in any of these cases.
The Metropolitan Police said they take such reports very seriously. They promised to look at all information carefully.
The Independent Football Regulator has also got involved. They contacted West Ham about the “extremely serious allegations”. They want urgent information about whether Sullivan is suitable to own a football club.
Politicians have reacted strongly to the news. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman called the women’s stories “harrowing”. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described them as “utterly horrifying”. She demanded a full explanation from the FA and West Ham about why no further action was taken.
Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones called for a review. She wants to know how the police and football authorities handled the case.
Both West Ham and the FA said they have strong safeguarding rules. However, they refused to talk about individual cases.
Sullivan denies all the allegations. In his resignation statement, he said the claims were “factually incorrect and entirely false”. He called the investigation “fundamentally unfair”.
The 77-year-old spent his career building businesses in the adult industry. He said it is “sadly inevitable” that some women would make false claims against him after meeting thousands of women over the years.
Sullivan served as joint chairman for 16 years. He became the largest single shareholder in January 2023 after his business partner David Gold died.