West Ham United have confirmed that David Sullivan has stepped down from his position as joint chairman and director with immediate effect.
The Hammers dropped into the Championship last month to join the Imps, putting the two on the same level for the first time since 1957. They’ll now move into this new era without their chairman, as he steps aside.
The move comes after Sullivan was made aware of the impending publication of what the club described as serious historical allegations, although he has denied any illegal conduct.
West Ham said the decision had been taken to avoid disruption while Sullivan addresses the matter privately. The club also stressed that it understands none of the allegations relates to West Ham United or any of its operations.
Sullivan Steps Away From West Ham Role
Sullivan has been a central figure at West Ham since January 2010, when he and the late David Gold completed their takeover of the club and became joint chairmen. He later became the club’s largest single shareholder following Gold’s death in January 2023, holding a 38.8% stake.
His departure from the board marks a significant moment for the club, particularly after a turbulent season on and off the pitch. West Ham were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2025–26 campaign after finishing 18th, bringing their 14-year stay in the top flight to an end.
A club statement confirmed that interim chief executive officer Karim Virani will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, reporting to the existing board of directors.
“The club will provide an update on the future structure of the board of directors in due course, but will make no further comment at this time.”
Sullivan and Gold At West Ham
The Sullivan and Gold tenure in East London brought major change, most notably the move from Upton Park to the London Stadium in 2016. West Ham left their long-time home for the former Olympic Stadium, a move presented as a step towards competing at a higher level, but one that many supporters continued to view with mixed feelings.
There were successes during Sullivan’s time at the club. West Ham finished sixth in the Premier League in 2021, their best league placing under his watch, and won the Europa Conference League in 2023. That victory was the club’s first major trophy since the 1980 FA Cup and briefly appeared to offer a more settled direction.
However, the final years of Sullivan’s tenure were marked by frustration. The Hammers finished in the bottom half in three of the past four seasons, and relegation last month brought a long period of Premier League football to an end.
Supporter unrest had also grown during the 2025–26 season, with protests held on several occasions calling for Sullivan and Baroness Brady to leave their roles. Brady stepped down as vice-chair on 15 April, and Sullivan’s departure now brings further change at the boardroom level.
Lincoln City and West Ham
The Imps and West Ham don’t have a long history, but this will be the game held up as the ‘haves v the have-nots’ this season. With their massive budget, posh stadium and long history, they’ll be seen as the big scalps for any Championship club, let alone a side playing at the level for the first time in 60 years.
We have met recently in the League Cup, when a strong Hammers side were given a scare by Mark Kennedy’s Imps. We also met in the League Cup in 1982/83, when a draw at the Bank ensured we went back to Upton Park, and only a late Sandy Clark winner prevented us from going to a third replay.
While this will be the tale of the haves and the have-nots, right now it is us with the haves: we have a stable ownership, a happy fanbase and a winning mentality. Whether that will be enough to overcome the big budget and even bigger reputation remains to be seen.
If memory serves me crrectly, I think Andy Graver played his last game for the Imps at home against West Ham before his move to Leicester City. He did, of course, return to Lincoln twice.