West Ham bought out by Sullivan and Gold

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Good to see Karen back in the game. :clap:

David Sullivan and David Gold complete takeover of West Ham United

Marcus Christenson
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 19 January 2010 09.29 GMT

David Sullivan and David Gold have completed their takeover of West Ham United, buying 50% of the club with an option to acquire the remaining 50%. They will have operational and commercial control of the club with immediate effect and the duo, who sold Birmingham City to Carson Yeung this season, said Gianfranco Zola will definitely stay on as the club’s manager. The deal values West Ham at 105m.

“We will spell out the book we are taking over,” Sullivan said on BBC 5 Live. “The imbalance in the squad and the crazy wages the Icelandics were paying that brought the club to its knees.”

Sullivan confirmed that Karren Brady, who was managing director at Birmingham, will become vice-chairman at Upton Park. He told Sky Sports that the club was in a “serious mess”. "I don’t think we would have bought West Ham if we weren’t fans. It is a serious mess there but we are West Ham fans and it is nice to see that we beat off two foreign investors.

“Zola is absolutely staying. I can say that categorically. West Ham United need stability after all the recent upheavals. We appointed four managers and parted company with two at Birmingham in 16 years. We believe in our managers and give them the time and support they need,” he added, revealing that he wants to take West Ham into the Champions League in the next decade. "We have a seven-year plan to get them into the Champions League.

“We are deeply and passionately involved in West Ham. It is where I have wanted to be for 20 years. We have done [what we have done] in a way that is good for Birmingham and we have got the club we wanted. Over the next seven years we will spend a lot of money.”

Sullivan said part of their plan for the future of West Ham is to move from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium. “It is the natural home for West Ham,” he said. “We hope to persuade the government to let us move into the new Olympic Stadium and I believe the people of east London would support that move.”

Sullivan and Gold became the favourites to buy the east London club after their rival Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia and team principal of the new Lotus F1 team, pulled out of the race.

Sullivan added: “West Ham is a bigger club than Birmingham with bigger aspirations and I appreciate that we have to achieve a lot more. It will be an immense privilege to lead this great football club and more importantly its supporters. Our first priority has to be securing the Premier League status of West Ham. I believe the players at this club have shown great commitment in trying circumstances and the new board and I will get behind them in every way we can.”

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Cant edit my post, but I wanted to point this part of the report out…

it is nice to see that we beat off two foreign investors.

Ah lovely…

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…………………http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-rolleyes008.gif

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As a hammers fan I like this move. Sullivan and Gold are Irons fans true and true and will do what is best for the club. Stay up this year and push on from there. Stability is all we’re looking for, challenge for uefa cup spot next year with a good cup run. Ah lovely

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West Ham is a decent investment from Sullivan and Gold. West Ham have a sizeable fan base, good youth structure and a bit of tradition. Certainly a better bet than Birmingham City anyway. The move to Stratford will be good for the club too as Upton Park is a disaster to get to and especially get out of. Really think they need to get a few players in quick to avoid getting sucked into a relegation battle.

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Always liked West Ham, my cousins supported them, my first replica jersey (a classic adidas from early 80’s which i still have) was West Ham. They always play decent football and they have a very knowledgeable decent (mostly) bunch of people following them.

I’d ease off in talking CL though if i was the lads. A number of clubs have these plans, and realistically i can see Man City, Birmingham or the likes replacing United and Liverpool in the top 4 for the next few years.

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[quote=“caoimhaoin”]Always liked West Ham, my cousins supported them, my first replica jersey (a classic adidas from early 80’s which i still have) was West Ham. They always play decent football and they have a very knowledgeable decent (mostly) bunch of people following them.

I’d ease off in talking CL though if i was the lads. A number of clubs have these plans, and realistically i can see Man City, Birmingham or the likes replacing United and Liverpool in the top 4 for the next few years.[/QUOTE]

Paul Ince, David Beckham and Frank Lampard would agree wholeheartedly with you on that.

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[quote=“caoimhaoin”]Always liked West Ham, my cousins supported them, my first replica jersey (a classic adidas from early 80’s which i still have) was West Ham. They always play decent football and they have a very knowledgeable decent (mostly) bunch of people following them.

I’d ease off in talking CL though if i was the lads. A number of clubs have these plans, and realistically i can see Man City, Birmingham or the likes replacing United and Liverpool in the top 4 for the next few years.[/QUOTE]

are you missing a " 't " there?

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???

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No, they have the money, United and Liverpool don’t, and are getting ass raped by Americans.

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Thought Beckham was a Spurs supporter?

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When he came back from the WC when he got sent off the West Ham fans rode him bareback, burning effigies even, the sad cunts. The abuse Ince and Lampard get is disgusting, even by English football fans standards.

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West Ham are scum. Put that in your bubbles and blow em.

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Specil Olympiakos knows the score, but then you could say that about most of the football fans in Britain I suppose.

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I’d put the likes of that, plus the banana throwing at that Judas Ince down to high jinx

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Every club in England has its racist and knacker elements.

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The time they beat the food poisoned Yids and denied them a place in the CL?

You’d swear they were after winning the World Cup with the celebrations and the atmosphere present that day? I wouldn’t mind I think they had the FA cup final the following week ! So much for resting players etc.

I don’t understand why they would hate Spurs so much? They have already said in this window that they will not sell Parker or Upson to Tottenham under any circumstances, Locke, any idea whats behind this one? Couldn’t be local rivalry just? Why not hate Arsenal?

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[quote=“Special Olympiakos”]The time they beat the food poisoned Yids and denied them a place in the CL?

You’d swear they were after winning the World Cup with the celebrations and the atmosphere present that day? I wouldn’t mind I think they had the FA cup final the following week ! So much for resting players etc.

I don’t understand why they would hate Spurs so much? They have already said in this window that they will not sell Parker or Upson to Tottenham under any circumstances, Locke, any idea whats behind this one? Couldn’t be local rivalry just? Why not hate Arsenal?[/QUOTE]

Its a rich against poor thing if memory serves me correctly.

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what the fuck is this shit?

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[quote=“Special Olympiakos”]The time they beat the food poisoned Yids and denied them a place in the CL?

You’d swear they were after winning the World Cup with the celebrations and the atmosphere present that day? I wouldn’t mind I think they had the FA cup final the following week ! So much for resting players etc.

I don’t understand why they would hate Spurs so much? They have already said in this window that they will not sell Parker or Upson to Tottenham under any circumstances, Locke, any idea whats behind this one? Couldn’t be local rivalry just? Why not hate Arsenal?[/QUOTE]

As Kev said, its a them against us thing with Spurs. Our biggest rivalry would be with Millwall but since they’re 2 divisions below us with cup games the only reason to see it kick off between the two sets of fans (see last season) our main foes would be Tottenhamstein