West Ham ownership row persists as club readies for Championship return
On 13 August 2026 West Ham United remain embroiled in a complex fight for control of the club as they prepare to start their first Championship campaign for 14 years.
On the field there has been encouraging news this summer: manager Nuno Espirito Santo has committed his future and captain Jarrod Bowen has stayed, while new signings Manor Solomon and Joel Veltman have joined the squad. The club sold 50,000 season tickets despite relegation, and have also lost Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham and Crysencio Summerville to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
The boardroom turmoil stems from the resignation of co-chair David Sullivan, who stepped down two months ago after seven women accused him of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour — allegations he categorically denies. On 13 June, a week after Sullivan stood down to fight what he described as "false allegations" following a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times, co-chairs Vanessa Gold and Daniel Kretinsky issued a joint statement addressing the revelations.
That 13 June statement said: "We were deeply concerned by the revelations, and 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. Our focus is now firmly on protecting the future of this football club." At the time Kretinsky, who owns 27%, and Gold, who owns 25.1%, said they had reached an agreement that would make Kretinsky the club's biggest shareholder with 43%, and that other significant shareholders — Tripp Smith, Daniel Harris and Terry Brown — were said to be in support; that deal was never completed.
Sullivan remains West Ham's largest shareholder with 38.8%. He ignored advice from London Stadium officials and requests from fan groups to stay away from their EFL Cup match against Portsmouth; West Ham won that tie 3-1 in front of a crowd of 53,369, which smashed the first-round attendance record by over 18,000. Sullivan has been the subject of long-standing criticism from some supporters over decisions including the move from Upton Park in 2016; Baroness Karren Brady stood down as vice-chair on 21 April to focus on other business interests.
On 1 August Gold, who initially put her shares up for sale in October 2023, confirmed "the original deal and other alternatives could not be brought to fruition" and announced she had agreed to sell her entire shareholding to a consortium led by Amanda Staveley. Kretinsky said he was "considering his options"; three days later it was confirmed Jakub Havrlant had bought just over 2% of Kretinsky's shares.
The ownership picture is complicated by West Ham's pre-emption rights and a second agreement governing share purchases. Any major shareholder agreeing to sell must first offer those shares to existing shareholders on a pro‑rata basis for the same amount, with the offer open for 30 days. In theory Sullivan could buy just over half of Gold's shares — 13% — which would take him above 50%, and Kretinsky could then add a further 9%.
There is also a clause that forces anyone taking their stake above 50% to offer to buy the remainder at a significantly inflated price; Kretinsky's deal with Havrlant was presented as a way to remain under that 50% threshold if he acquired Gold's 25.1%. Kretinsky's potential purchase would still be subject to the same pre-emption rights, legal debate has arisen over whether such moves attempt to circumvent contractual obligations, and there have been suggestions Staveley's consortium has also made an offer for Sullivan's stake, although that has not been confirmed. "We had a real opportunity this summer to draw a line under what's been a pretty miserable period, get everyone pulling in the same direction and have a proper go at the season," said one long-standing supporter, with detailed knowledge of the club. "Instead, we've got another West Ham soap opera playing out in the boardroom. It's like Eastenders."
With ownership unsettled, West Ham will begin their league season with a trip to Burnley.
