West Ham probes Sullivan after sex abuse allegations from seven women

West Ham United is facing a governance test that now reaches beyond one powerful owner and into the limits of football oversight. David Sullivan, 77, stepped down as chairman before allegations against him were published, after the BBC and The Times reported claims from seven women dating back to the 1980s and 1990s.

The women said the alleged conduct involved women in their late teens and early 20s, with claims that Sullivan, then owner of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport newspapers, pressured young or aspiring models into sexual behaviour by suggesting it could help their careers. Sullivan denied all the allegations and described them as “false allegations”, saying that after a lifetime in the adult industry it was inevitable that some improper conduct claims would be made against him.

The Independent Football Regulator said it was in contact with West Ham and would use its statutory powers to seek urgent information from Sullivan under its Owners, Directors and Senior Executives regime. That response matters because the question is not only whether allegations are serious, but whether football’s new watchdog has the independence and urgency to act when elite figures control institutions that shape the careers and opportunities of younger, less powerful people. The regulator’s most extreme statutory power in such circumstances is reported to be forcing a club sale.

Police scrutiny has also widened the pressure on the club and its co-owner. The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating a report relating to the alleged taking of indecent images and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980s. The investigation is being led by specialist detectives from the Met’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, and Scotland Yard said it takes allegations against women and girls extremely seriously.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the allegations were “deeply concerning” and must be treated with the utmost seriousness, while the government said it stands strongly against harassment or abuse of power in the workplace. Separate reporting said earlier police investigations into claims against Sullivan, including matters raised in 2008, 2021 and 2023, ended without charge. Sullivan reportedly continues to own 38.8 per cent of West Ham’s shares, keeping the club tied to a controversy that now tests both ownership standards and the credibility of football regulation.