- David Sullivan has resigned from his board position as West Ham United joint-chair and director
- Former West Ham player Tony Cottee stated he was “delighted” by the decision
- Sullivan’s statement urges that allegations are unrelated to football
Former West Ham United player Tony Cottee expressed an immediate reaction to David Sullivan’s decision to step down as joint-chairman of the club.
The news was made public on Saturday morning, with West Ham announcing Sullivan’s immediate resignation after 16 years on the board. The 77-year-old businessman has resigned as a director of both the football club and WH Holding Limited as he prepares to face allegations about his private life, which he firmly rejects.
Sullivan stated that the claims are “factually incorrect and entirely false,” and that his decision was made to avoid any distractions that could harm the club during a critical summer following relegation to the Championship.
Tony Cottee reacts to David Sullivan’s resignation from West Ham as he calls for ‘Top to Bottom’ change
The news provoked a significant response among West Ham fans after one of the most mixed periods in the club’s history. Among those to respond was Hammers icon Cottee, who took to social media shortly after the announcement.
“I was delighted to see the news that DS [David Sullivan] has stepped down from his role…,” Cottee wrote on his X account.
“After our relegation, it is important that the Club is totally restructured from Top to Bottom, to enable us to get back to the PL.
“It’s been 3 years wasted since our European & Youth Cup successes in 2023 and It’s vital that the right people at all levels are appointed going forward.”
Sullivan’s statement urges that allegations are unrelated to football
Sullivan insisted that none of the impending allegations to be levelled at him by media outlets concerned his participation in football, despite his extensive history with the game and his ties to West Ham over the last three decades.
As part of his statement, he said: “At what is already a challenging and important time for the club, I refuse to allow personal matters concerning me to become an unnecessary distraction or a source of instability.
“Therefore, 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.”
