Key facts
- Essex Police are investigating new information concerning David Sullivan following a BBC Panorama and Times investigation.
- Multiple women have accused Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour dating back to the 1980s.
- Sullivan has categorically denied all allegations.
- Sullivan had been subject to restrictions preventing contact with women's and youth teams for three years due to safeguarding concerns.
- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has met with the Football Association and West Ham to discuss the allegations and safeguarding measures.
- Sullivan resigned as West Ham joint chair on Saturday, stating the allegations were false and decades-old.
Essex Police have confirmed they are investigating new information concerning David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United, following a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times. The investigation revealed multiple accusations of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour by Sullivan, dating back to the 1980s.
Sullivan has categorically denied all allegations, stating they are factually incorrect and decades-old. He described the complaint as having "nothing to do about my time in football and it never happened." He also stated he had never met any academy or women's team players "1-2-1" during his 16 years at the club.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has engaged in urgent "fact-finding" meetings with the Football Association (FA) and West Ham to address the serious safeguarding concerns. It emerged that Sullivan had been subject to restrictions, preventing him from contacting the women's and youth teams, for three years after a historic allegation was raised with the FA in 2023. These restrictions were not previously public.
West Ham has expressed confidence in its "robust safeguarding measures," while Boyle Sports, a key sponsor, stated it was "extremely concerned" and supported the Independent Football Regulator's urgent review of the matter. The investigation also revealed that eight women have come forward to the police with disclosures about Sullivan's conduct, though no charges have been filed in these cases.
Sullivan, 77, resigned as joint chair of West Ham on Saturday, citing his desire to focus on fighting what he called "factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life." He noted that his background in the adult industry made such claims "inevitable."