West Ham banter 3

09 Jun 2026 08:35:21
So Wolves get Trippier?

A little concerned that all this fuss around Sullivan is distracting us away from the urgent job of rebuilding, starting with DofF.

09 Jun 2026 14:56:10
And now they've got Raul Jimenez!!!!

09 Jun 2026 18:09:07
I've spent the last god knows how long complaining about us signing old players and free transfers, Phil, so I'm really not bothered at all about all of these. I doubt they are on small wages, and, in what is a very demanding league physically, signing 2 players that are 34 and 35 is not the way to go for me.

I'm also not overly bothered about what other clubs are doing, it's more about what we do this summer, which I think will take a little bit of sorting out at boardroom level first off.

10 Jun 2026 19:07:47
Don't know how everyone else is feeling, but only 9 weeks on Saturday, we kick off our new season, and it's eerily quiet. I was hoping to start and see some movement towards recruitment of Director of Football, but this Sullivan situation seems to have thrown a major spanner in the works?

11 Jun 2026 06:52:21
In all honesty, Phil, with all that has happened, it's hardly surprising that all the other stuff hasn't been organised. We haven't bought anyone, but apart from our loanees I don't think anyone has been sold either.

Maybe with Sulivan gone, we might actually have someone in charge who won't just decimate the squad for a few quid, and maybe not as many players will leave as we expected.

11 Jun 2026 08:00:23
We have apparently taken up the option on Lamadrid - the Venezuelan winger we had on loan since Jan, and he made 1 first-team appearance and another 4 in U21s. He was training with the 1st team, so it looks like Nuno has seen something in him.
This is the summer for any academy players wanting to break through to take their chance imo.

Players like Mayers, Scarles, Fearon, Potts, Kante, Earthy, Marshall, Casey, Ajala, Golambekis, Herrick.... think if they don't push through this season then when will they ever?

08 Jun 2026 20:34:17
What did you think of the Panarama program? He’s got to give his shares up now!!

08 Jun 2026 22:04:52
Firstly, I don't think he would have a hope in hell with a legal action against the BBC. I think it depends if it opens a box like it did with Savile, Al Fayed and Bill Cosby. They will be able to tell if they are real or fake, as there is a particular MO.

I have to say, the things I heard were far more sinister than what was said here, and far more recent. I won't say what they were. But I think the excuse 'it was acceptable in the 80s' won't wash. Sexual assault is sexual assault. He's not just pinched someone's bum.

08 Jun 2026 22:09:31
Exactly what the programme was titled - a predator that used his money and status to force women to do things they didn't feel comfortable to do. A few will say oh they knew what would happen etc but that is wrong!

Get this disgusting man out our club now!

08 Jun 2026 22:21:45
Read the BBC article on it, was there anything in the documentary that suggested illegality? Sordid, sleazy? yes, fit and proper? Probably not
But. His pre-existing criminal record didn't affect him owning a club for over the last 2 decades.

Do we want him back? Not a chance.
However this is hardly Weinstein, Epstein, Andrew M-W or Netenyahu territory, unless further claims come out. Wonder what Ampika and Brady had to do to or know to gain their "special" status?

09 Jun 2026 05:34:00
Well, one did suggest rape, and that is illegal. She didn’t use the word, and wasn’t the most convincing, but I said no and he continued. It is rape. With Savile, there had only been various rumors, and most people knew he was a wrongen, but not to the extent until after the documentary was shown.
Brady! Good point.

{Ed001's Note - there will always be a lot more, but they can't put anything in the TV show that the lawyers feel they could not prove - which would mean anything like rape, which is the hardest crime in the world to prove.}

09 Jun 2026 07:27:30
The Panorama programme was certainly damning, and you are right Ed, there was an air of "implying" worse than was actually said because they were being careful to only state what they can prove.

They also covered themselves at the beginning when they said "accusations of".

I won't deny, I expected it to be worse and none of the accusations surprised me. It won't surprise me if a lot more comes out in the coming months.

One thing that I did notice there was a guy in it that made a comment about Weinstein and the #MeToo movement, and his point was, no one came out and said anything about it then. Flimsy though it may be, I reckon that'll be something they grasp to.

I'm happy he has stepped down, I'm happy the sons aren't interested in taking over let's see the club back in the Premier League and put this sordid, chequered ownership behind us.

10 Jun 2026 11:35:28
Good comments D4W and Ed001. Without wanting to drag this sordid affair out, I did watch a really good concise short 7 minute summary of the situation by Geo on Hammers chat. He covered virtually everything by talking about what can and can't be said and whilst many may look at this as a storm in a teacup or nothing to see here.

It's not necessary what we did learn from this but what we didn't hear and what could well follow.

{Ed001's Note - the fact he was banned from interacting with youth and women's teams at West Ham in 2023 should be more of a concern than the programme! It should never have been covered up by the FA if they felt kids and women needed protecting from this vile predator. Disgusting that he wasn't forced to sell up under those circumstances.}

10 Jun 2026 13:35:12
Very true. 👍

11 Jun 2026 05:30:55
Spot on Ed that was a very diluted 30 mins of a sordid vile perverted predator who trust me has done a lot worse it will all come out and his little cronies should be punished with him ⚒️⚒️⚒️

08 Jun 2026 19:00:50
Just getting comfortable, ready to watch Sullivan be publicly named and shamed on Panorama.

Also been looking at players we've been linked with and there is some decent players out there that we would never have entertained had we still been in the Premier League.

Let's crack on and get director of football and see where we go from there.

08 Jun 2026 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Davey Sulls has posted a new article entitled, Iraola Expectations and Liverpool Squad Priorities

07 Jun 2026 10:44:28
So now the dust is starting to settle. What now?

08 Jun 2026 10:32:55
Greetings from Norway. Where I'm with some Norway Hammers,
The good news is (if it's true?) Sullivan's sons are not, and don't want to be involved with West Ham, that, for me, is more important than Sullivan resigning, so there's no continuity.

There's no question that Kretinsky would like someone to come and buy out Sullivan, otherwise he would have to buy him out.

You cannot have someone with large share holdings dictating the situation, and not be personally involved. That just doesn't work. No doubt the next few weeks will tell the story.

08 Jun 2026 14:42:55
Pure speculation on my part, of course, but I suspect Kretinsky may have quietly played a blinder here by keeping his powder dry and watching and waiting as this season's events unfolded.

We have no way of knowing the actual true value of Sullivan's shares, but they must have been devalued significantly since relegation.



Kretinsky is nothing if not an astute businessman, and although he seems reticent about taking full control of the club, surely there must be an opportunity for him to average down Sullivan's shares?

07 Jun 2026 11:01:18
I told you at Christmas that the documentary was coming out and big changes at the top were coming.

07 Jun 2026 15:21:26
What now then, Peter, as you seem to be in the know.

08 Jun 2026 12:24:59
What's next is Sullivan has engaged two KCs, ready for defamation and libel cases. If it goes to court, it will be more than interesting. We shall see?

He has apparently
had a gagging order on this since last November. That's why this program has previously been postponed twice.

I'm away, so fill me in tomorrow. I will watch it on catchup when I return.

08 Jun 2026 17:11:45
Oh, I am new to here. Are you the same people then, Peter and Claret Man?

08 Jun 2026 18:31:24
Sorry missed a bit, Clareandblueman.

07 Jun 2026 10:33:41
The Panorama episode about Sullivan is tomorrow night on BBC1 at 8pm.

07 Jun 2026 09:13:11
Now Sully and the witch have gone, I wonder how many of the fans that used them as an excuse not to go to games, will now buy a season ticket / attend games. Not many I bet. I would love to be proved wrong and see the LS packed each home game, but I doubt it.

I renew my ticket every year as they are in my blood, regardless of where we play, who the owners are now or who the manager is.

07 Jun 2026 19:18:59
I think you may get quite a few go back, but a lot will depend on how the regime seems to be changing. If they just see Kretinsky not actually putting any money in, and maybe see Jack Sulivan replacing his dad, then maybe not.

06 Jun 2026 12:25:58
He's gone - Sullivan steps down.

06 Jun 2026 12:57:17
Brilliant. 👍

06 Jun 2026 13:11:14
Good, let's see what happens now.

06 Jun 2026 12:22:12
David Sullivan has resigned from WHU.