David Sullivan, 77, co-owner and former co-chair of West Ham United, has been barred from contact with the club's women's and youth teams since 2023 following safeguarding concerns raised by the Football Association (FA) [1, 2, 3, 4]. The restrictions include a ban on attending matches and one-to-one contact with these teams [1, 2, 4].
The FA launched its safeguarding investigation in 2023 after receiving an anonymous complaint alleging sexual misconduct by Sullivan unrelated to football [1, 2, 3, 4]. Sullivan denies all allegations, calling the complaint a "single anonymous complaint" from 1981 that "never happened," and describes the contact restrictions as a "negotiated and temporary agreement," not a disciplinary ban [2, 4]. He said, "I saw it as a meaningless restriction, as it didn't impact on my work in any way, therefore I accepted it for a quiet life" [4].
Multiple women have accused Sullivan of abusing his power to seek sex over several decades, primarily when he owned the Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers [1, 2, 3]. Eight women have gone to the police with disclosures about Sullivan’s conduct, though no charges have been filed to date [1].
West Ham’s women’s team, the Women’s Super League, and London Stadium were not informed about the safeguarding restrictions on Sullivan’s contact, a measure taken to maintain confidentiality in line with best practice safeguarding protocols [3, 4]. The limited knowledge of these restrictions is intentional and controlled by a safeguarding group comprising West Ham, the FA, and a local authority [3, 4].
Sullivan resigned as West Ham director and co-chair shortly before a joint BBC and Times investigation into the allegations was published in June 2026, with public revelations on June 10 detailing the accusations by multiple women [1, 2, 3]. The following day it emerged the women's team and others were unaware of the contact limitations [3, 4].
West Ham Women finished 10th in the 2025-26 Women’s Super League season [3]. The FA and West Ham continue to oversee safeguarding arrangements related to the investigation. No further dates or decisions on the investigation have been announced.
