West Ham Co-Owner David Sullivan Banned from Women's, Youth Team Contact Since 2023
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has been barred from having contact with the club's women's and youth teams for the past three years due to safeguarding concerns. This measure follows an investigation initiated by the Football Association (FA) in 2023, which received allegations regarding Sullivan's conduct.
A safeguarding group, comprising representatives from West Ham, the FA, and the local authority, imposed the restrictions, preventing Sullivan from accessing his own club's youth and women's teams and attending their matches. This ban remains in effect. Sullivan has not publicly commented on these specific restrictions but has previously denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The club did not publicly disclose these restrictions, allowing Sullivan to maintain a visible presence, regularly attending men's team matches at the London Stadium. He remains the club's largest shareholder. His resignation as co-chair and director of West Ham on Saturday preceded revelations in a major investigation, where multiple women accused the billionaire businessman of abusing his power and exploiting them for sex. Sullivan dismissed these as "factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life," labelling the investigation "fundamentally unfair."
The allegations against Sullivan span decades, originating from women in their late teens or early twenties who were models seeking work at his Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers. Eight women, including one involved in the aforementioned investigation, have made disclosures to the police regarding Sullivan's conduct, though none of these cases have resulted in charges.
The Metropolitan Police stated it treats such allegations "extremely seriously" and that "any information or evidence provided to police will be assessed and the appropriate enquiries carried out." The Independent Football Regulator has contacted West Ham, seeking "urgent information" from Sullivan regarding his suitability for his role in light of these "extremely serious allegations."
Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones, a former victims minister, called for a review of police handling of disclosures concerning Sullivan, alongside an examination of actions taken by the FA and West Ham. Both West Ham and the FA affirmed their robust safeguarding measures but declined to comment on individual cases.
