Essex Police Receive New Information on West Ham Co-owner David Sullivan Allegations
Essex Police have confirmed that new information has been passed to them concerning David Sullivan, West Ham's co-owner, after a media investigation detailed accusations of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour against him, dating back to the 1980s.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has subsequently held 'fact-finding' meetings with the Football Association (FA) and West Ham. This follows disclosures that Sullivan had been subject to restrictions for three years, prohibiting contact with the club's women's and youth teams due to historic safeguarding concerns raised with the FA in 2023. These restrictions were not publicly disclosed, and Sullivan continued to attend men's first team matches.
Sullivan, 77, denied the allegations, stating he had 'never met any academy or women's team players 1-2-1' during his 16 years at West Ham. He described the complaint as having 'nothing to do about my time in football and it never happened', adding he accepted the 'meaningless restriction' for a 'quiet life', disputing its characterisation as a 'disciplinary 'ban''.
Nandy called for a 'full and urgent explanation' regarding the handling of the 'incredibly serious allegations'. West Ham sponsors Boyle Sports expressed 'extreme concern' over the allegations, stating they were unaware of the restrictions on Sullivan.
The investigation also revealed that eight women have approached the police with disclosures about Sullivan's conduct, though none of these cases have led to charges. Sullivan resigned as joint chairman on Saturday, citing a desire to focus on refuting what he termed 'factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life'.
