David Sullivan is likely to receive a hostile reception from at least some fans when he returns to Birmingham City today as joint owner of West Ham United. With his business partner, David Gold, he sold the club to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung last December for £81.5m. Gold has already been banned from the match for remarks he made in a national newspaper about the club’s new owners. He alleged that they had reneged on a deal tgo keep him on the board.
David Sullivan is likely to receive a hostile reception from at least some fans when he returns to Birmingham City today as joint owner of West Ham United. With his business partner, David Gold, he sold the club to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung last December for £81.5m. Gold has already been banned from the match for remarks he made in a national newspaper about the club’s new owners. He alleged that they had reneged on a deal tgo keep him on the board.
Sullivan and Gold bought Birmingham for £700,000 in 1993 when they were in receivership and in the second tier of English football. They delivered top-flight football and an improved stadium, but many Blues fans did not warm to the ‘Cockneys’. There was real anger when the club was relegated in 2008.
Sullivan reckons that he was too honest for the taste of some supporters and that their edxpectations were excessive: ‘The expectation in Birmingham is very high relative to the club size’. But one could say that of fans of any club. It’s the hope that keeps them going.
Gold and Sullivan face a big challenge at West Ham, currently bottom of the Premiership and Sullivan admits, ‘We could have a massive problem.’ Debt and liabilities have been cut from £110m to £85m, but that is still a lot should the club be relegated.