West Ham Co-Owner David Sullivan Accused of Preying on Young Women as Football Regulator Launches Urgent Probe

The Independent Football Regulator has contacted West ham and demanded urgent information from David Sullivan after multiple women accused the billionaire of preying on them for sex. Some of the women were in their late teens. Sullivan has stepped down. The allegations span decades. The investigation is just beginning.

The claims were uncovered by BBC Panorama and the Times. All of the women were young models in their late teens or early twenties seeking work at Sullivan’s Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers. They describe a pattern of a powerful man using access to jobs and opportunities as leverage for sexual demands. Sullivan has categorically denied everything.

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The regulator is now using its statutory powers to determine whether there are grounds for concern regarding Sullivan’s role at the club. If they find material that raises doubts about his suitability, a formal investigation will follow. The factors the regulator considers include honesty and integrity. The women’s accounts strike directly at both.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport called the allegations deeply concerning and said they must be treated with the utmost seriousness. The government said it stands strongly against any form of harassment or abuse of power in the workplace. Victims must be given the support they need.

Sullivan resigned as joint chairman over the weekend, just before the allegations were published on Monday. In his statement, he called the claims factually incorrect and entirely false, describing the investigation as fundamentally unfair. He said after a lifetime in the adult industry meeting thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against him. He is 77 years old. He held the position for 16 years. He remains the club’s largest single shareholder following the death of his business partner David Gold in January 2023.

West Ham issued a statement saying Sullivan denied any illegal conduct and was leaving to avoid disruption to the club while he addresses the matter privately. The regulator is not treating it as a private matter. They are seeking urgent information now.