David Sullivan has stepped down as joint-chair and director of West Ham United with immediate effect, ending a 16-year association with the club after revealing he is preparing to contest what he describes as “factually incorrect and entirely false” historic allegations concerning his private life.

The 77-year-old, who also resigned as a director of WH Holding Limited and West Ham United Football Club, said he became aware that decades-old allegations about his personal life were due to be broadcast and published. Sullivan categorically denied the claims, insisting they had been sensationalised by the media, and announced that he had engaged legal representatives and was preparing to issue proceedings against every complaint made against him.

In a personal statement, Sullivan said: “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 fan base that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward.”

He added that he was stepping down to apply his full energy to fighting the allegations, vowing to seek “full redress, legally and publicly, on every single front.”

West Ham confirmed in their own statement that none of the allegations related to the club or any of its operations, and that Sullivan’s legal team denied any illegal conduct. The club added that Virani will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the club, reporting into the remaining board of directors, while an update on the future structure of the board would be provided in due course.

Sullivan, who built a substantial business empire through the adult entertainment industry before moving into football, joined West Ham in 2010 alongside the late David Gold after the pair sold Birmingham City. The duo brought Karren Brady with them as vice-chairman, and their tenure at the London Stadium has been a turbulent one, marked by the controversial relocation from Upton Park to the former Olympic Stadium in 2016 and a string of fan protests against the board. West Ham were also relegated from the Premier League during the current season, further souring the mood around the club’s ownership in the months leading up to Sullivan’s departure.

Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky, who purchased a 27 percent stake in the club in 2021, is reportedly set to increase his shareholding, raising questions about the future direction of the club’s ownership structure in the wake of Sullivan’s exit.