Vanessa Gold and Daniel Kretinsky have released a joint statement regarding the resignation of David Sullivan, following the revelation that the Czech businessman is set to increase his stake in West Ham United.
KUMB revealed earlier how Kretinsky's shareholding is set to rise to 43% having agreed a deal with the Gold family to purchase around 60% of their 27.1% stake.And in the wake of the agreement, the two parties - who both currently act as co-chair of West Ham, following Sullivan's withdrawal - have released a statement conforming the deal while claiming they were unaware of the historical allegations pertaining to him.
"We were deeply concerned by the revelations made by The Times and Panorama this week and our thoughts go out to those women who have fought so hard to make their voices heard," the statement began. "Any abuse of power is abhorrent, and it takes great courage and determination to speak up against it..
"The full West Ham United board was not notified about these allegations against David Sullivan until approximately a month ago, when he informed us that certain allegations against him may be published.
"However, the full details of the allegations, which Mr Sullivan denies, only became apparent when they were made public on Monday (8 June). In addition, as communicated by West Ham United, the Board representatives of Shareholders other than Mr Sullivan were only made aware this week of the safeguarding measures that have been in place since 2023.
"As shareholders and directors of West Ham, our focus is now firmly on protecting the future of this football club. Our goal is to stabilise West Ham United, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
"We are also committed to engaging with our fans and all business partners to build a stronger future for our club. We have already taken concrete steps toward this goal."
And the statement also revealed how the new board were prepared to finance the push for promotion and an instant return to the Premier League.
"We have reached agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction between the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, which, subject to other Shareholders’ pre-emption rights and necessary approvals, would make 1890 Holdings (part of the broader group EP) the largest Shareholder in West Ham with an approximately 43% stake," continued the missive.
"As the largest Shareholder, group EP will be able to provide the additional financing the club needs. We expect to finalise this transaction in the next couple of weeks. Once the agreement is complete, group EP and the Gold family have also agreed to vote jointly on key matters and to support the strategy targeting an immediate return to the Premier League.
"Alongside Daniel Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold, the other Shareholders, namely Tripp Smith, Daniel Harris and Terry Brown, are fully aligned on this strategy and stabilising the club.
"We are taking these steps because West Ham United needs to be truly united at this moment in its history. We believe that a strong coalition – of fans, players, management and the board – is essential to securing the bright future this club deserves. We are absolutely committed to playing our part."
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