Key Facts

• David Sullivan has been restricted from contacting West Ham’s women’s and youth teams since 2023.
• The Football Association started a safeguarding investigation after receiving a complaint about Sullivan from an event in 1981, unrelated to football.
• Sullivan denies the allegation, calling it a “single anonymous complaint” that “never happened.”
• Sullivan resigned as a director and co-chair of West Ham after reports where seven women accused him of abusing his power for sex in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Despite resigning, Sullivan still owns shares in West Ham but could be forced to sell by football regulators.
• Some allegations involve Sullivan’s former role owning newspapers that used sexualized images of underage girls and claims he exploited women seeking work.
• West Ham says it has strong safeguarding measures in place and cannot comment on individual cases.
• The FA said it takes all safeguarding concerns seriously and takes action to protect children and adults at risk but has not said if the investigation is complete.