West Ham Says Only Few Knew of Secret 2023 Restriction on Co-Owner David Sullivan

Overview

• A joint safeguarding decision by West Ham, the FA and Newham’s designated officer in 2023 barred David Sullivan from one-to-one contact with the club’s youth and women’s teams.
• West Ham says confidentiality rules meant only a very limited number of employees and Sullivan himself were told about the 2023 measures and that the restriction arose from a single FA complaint.
• Investigations published by BBC Panorama and The Times this week prompted Sullivan to step down from board roles, to deny the allegations and to indicate he plans legal action.
• The Metropolitan Police, Essex Police and the Independent Football Regulator have opened or signalled inquiries, and London Stadium has written to the club, the FA and the local authority seeking full details because it was not notified.
• Sullivan remains a major shareholder and the revelations have triggered an internal review of West Ham’s governance and information-sharing with stadium operators, with potential regulatory and ownership consequences to follow.