West Ham shareholders Daniel Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold have spoken out about allegations against David Sullivan, as the Irons agree on a new ownership deal.
Kretinsky and Gold said they were "deeply concerned" about the accusations directed at Sullivan.
The 77-year-old strongly refuted the claims, describing them as "false allegations" which he would take legal action over, following the BBC and The Times reporting accounts of seven women alleging Sullivan engaged in sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour.
In a lengthy statement, Sullivan described the claims as "factually incorrect and entirely false". He stated he had "not been provided with any proper explanation as to how these individuals or their claims were independently verified or assessed for credibility prior to publication", and he believes "the entire process has been fundamentally unfair and completely lacking in any due impartiality".
He also said he was stepping down from his role at West Ham to "apply my full energy and attention on fighting these false allegations" and indicated he would be issuing libel proceedings against the BBC.
Kretinsky and Gold in a statement: "Our thoughts go out to those women who have fought so hard to make their voices heard.
"Any abuse of power is abhorrent, and it takes great courage and determination to speak up against it.
"As communicated by West Ham, the Board representatives of shareholders other than David Sullivan were only made aware this week of the safeguarding measures that have been in place since 2023."
West Ham shareholders have spoken out following allegations against David Sullivan
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The new ownership deal will see Kretinsky's stake in the club rise from 27 per cent to 43 per cent, exceeding Sullivan's 38.8 per cent.
Kretinsky and Gold's statement continued: "As shareholders and directors of West Ham, our focus is now firmly on protecting the future of this football club.
"As such, we have reached agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction between the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, which, subject to other shareholders' pre-emption rights and necessary approvals, would make 1890 Holdings (part of the broader group EP) the largest shareholder in West Ham with an approximately 43 per cent stake.
"As the largest shareholder, group EP will be able to provide the additional financing the club needs. We expect to finalise this transaction in the next couple of weeks. Once the agreement is complete, group EP and the Gold family have also agreed to vote jointly on key matters and to support the strategy targeting an immediate return to the Premier League."
Sullivan stepped down as West Ham's chairman following the allegations
| PAThe statement added: "The full West Ham United Board was not notified about these allegations against Mr Sullivan until approximately a month ago, when he informed us that certain allegations against him may be published.
"However, the full details of the allegations, which Mr Sullivan denies, only became apparent when they were made public on June 8. In addition, as communicated by West Ham, the board representatives of shareholders other than Mr Sullivan were only made aware this week of the safeguarding measures that have been in place since 2023.
"As shareholders and directors of West Ham, our focus is now firmly on protecting the future of this football club. Our goal is to stabilise West Ham, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
"We are also committed to engaging with our fans and all business partners to build a stronger future for our club. We have already taken concrete steps toward this goal."
Daniel Kretinsky's stake in the club will rise from 27 per cent to 43 per cent
|PA
In a statement announcing he was stepping down as chairman of West Ham at the weekend, Sullivan set out his categorical denial of the "factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations" being made and stated "none of these allegations relate to my more than 30 years in football".
He also said: "After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry, in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me. I categorically deny these claims.
"After very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as joint chair and director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect.
"This has been an incredibly painful decision to make, but it is one made out of love, respect and responsibility toward a football club and a fanbase that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward."
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