Key facts
- West Ham United women's team and the Women's Super League were unaware of restrictions on David Sullivan's contact.
- Sullivan has faced restrictions on contact with the women's and youth teams since 2023 due to a safeguarding investigation.
- The Football Association opened an inquiry in 2023 following a complaint of sexual misconduct.
- Seven women have accused Sullivan of predatory behavior dating back to the 1980s.
- Sullivan denies all allegations.
West Ham United's women's team and the Women's Super League were unaware of restrictions placed on co-owner David Sullivan's interaction with the team, which stemmed from a safeguarding investigation. Sullivan, the club's largest shareholder, has faced these restrictions since 2023 following a complaint to the Football Association concerning an allegation of sexual misconduct unrelated to football. A joint investigation by the BBC and The Times reported that seven women accused the 77-year-old of predatory behavior, with alleged incidents occurring as far back as the 1980s. Sullivan, through his lawyers, has denied all allegations. Sources close to the women's squad expressed dismay at the accusations, stating they were unaware of them prior to the recent media coverage. However, separate sources indicated that informing players or staff about an ongoing safeguarding case would have contravened local authority regulations. A West Ham spokesperson affirmed the club's robust safeguarding measures, while the FA confirmed its commitment to thoroughly investigating all safeguarding concerns. Sullivan had resigned as a West Ham director before the publication of the claims. He stated that a negotiated agreement with the FA was a temporary measure not to meet academy or women's team players one-to-one, which he viewed as a "meaningless restriction" that did not impact his work.