Late David Gold, Sullivan and Brady

[Pop Robson]

West Ham have yet to triumph in England's top division, but speaking in a Q&A with the Evening Standard, Sullivan cites Atletico Madrid's achievements in recent years as a reason for fans to be optimistic.

Asked about how he saw the next five years for West Ham, Sullivan replied: 'I’d like to see us win the Premier League and then the Champions League. Yes, I know it’s unlikely but again, not impossible — look at Atletico Madrid. We can all dream.

'We are West Ham United, we’re a big club, one of four big clubs in London. We have some catching-up to do but we’ve closed the gap.'

And Gold added: 'I would be disappointed if we don’t join the so-called top six within the next five years. We know the fanbase is there and it will grow when we move [to the Olympic Stadium].

'This isn’t blind optimism. I can see everything coming together, culminating in us becoming a top club, challenging at the highest level with top players in an amazing stadium supported by amazing fans.'

3 Years ago this was Jan 2015, 5 yrs after he said Champs League in 7yrs

[Mega Ron]

When are the accounts made public?

At the end of the month I think.

I wouldn't be surprised if they delayed them though

[Wembley1966]

When are the accounts made public?

They have to be with Companies House by 28th February. It takes a few days before Companies House publish them on their website, but they should also be posted on the Club's website at the same time.

[hamagram]

Repaying the Directors loans .

Take the 7% while you still can?

[Smonnie]

Incompetence is Sullivan's biggest crime. He just isn't very good. He makes out he's a hot-shot business man but he's really just 3rd rate. Fandom? Did anyone really buy that. West Ham made good sense because they were local and financially troubled. They'd have been just as willing to buy spurs if they'd been in a similar situation

I disagree. I don't think there's too much malice there - I think he just lacks the ability to cut it at the top level.

Oh and unlike you, I don't believe he's really a supporter - I reckon he'd have bought any London team for a song.

[Pop Robson]

"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."

Sullivan upon taking over the club in Jan 2010

So far at WHU they've got rid of 4 Zola, Grant, BFS, Billic and appointed 4 Grant, BFS, Billic & Moyes in 8yrs

[Heysel76]

defending them in anyway makes you either a plant, a snide or just thick.

I don't think personal insults are acceptable on a discussion forum.
I don't agree with OSS personally, but he's not resorting to personal abuse is he?

[ironhammer58]

What benefit have we seen from the current board's supposed fandom?[/quote]


They’ve given us shelves to put our beer on. Bet every other club are green with envy wishing they had a world class stadium and shelves to stand their beer on like us.

I’d willingly pay treble for a season ticket now .

Now where did i put my binoculars, the second half is about to start. :arry:

[westlondonhammer]

They have made mistakes, people do, but I don't think they do it for fun or on purpose - surely they would make more money if we succeeded?

Whether they mean to make them or not they dont seem to learn from them... they seem to be repeated. That's lost me any faith

I've cut them a lot of slack and defended them qiite a bit when I've felt the abuse unnecessary or inaccurate over the years. Now however, meh... time to see some change, people can go balls to the walls on them

@TheHandOfDog... unnecessary dont you think? Disagreeing doesnt make someone a ****ing idiot does it?

[Up the Junction]

For the record, HoD's post would've been edited had we [mods] spotted it, but it's fairly pointless doing so now that so many of you have responded to or quoted it.

[brothernero]

Utj, Bristol, Sicknote, Chalks, Rio and the others.

Silly question, but if ever you get together, would you be tempted to start singing...

"we are the mods, we are the mods, we are we are, we are the mods"


" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


coat now gone and got.

[Iron-on-transfer]

First up, I'm not a plant (or indeed a snide) and nor am I love with the current regime. I just don't get what people are expecting. It's a matter of serious debate if G&S 'get this club' as seems to be a gripe, but do you think Qatar Ltd or anyone else who can realistically afford to buy the club will have greater empathy as to what it is to be a hammers fan?

The other gripe seems to be about 'money grabbing' - again, what other operation are they expecting? Name one premier league club that is owned for anything but money? Whether it is laundering it or as a profitable entity.

They have made mistakes, people do, but I don't think they do it for fun or on purpose - surely they would make more money if we succeeded?

See this ‘saved us’ thing out of the goodness of their hearts is what gets me. They’re not fans, apart from when it suits them from a business strategy angle. Weren’t they also ‘Brummie fans’ when they spotted what was a very similar profit making opportunity in the early noughties?...when they also believed they had a sniff of getting a free stadium built for them by the local council and they could then flog off the club assets? Sound familiar?

Yeah, make some money by all means, as most owners do. Scrape a fair salary off the TV money if that’s what you want. But don’t laden the club you ‘supposedly’ ‘love’ with more debt by putting an interest bearing mechanism on top of the debt, that you then leave to fester and not attempt to reduce over the next few years of your watch. Don’t bluff the fans and treat us like complete idiots and then expect us to get behind you when you get scared you’ve been found out for what you really are. And don’t employ patronising political sycophants to continually tell us what we know and can see with our own eyes are complete fabrication and spin.

If another wealthy owner doesn’t do these things, then I don’t care if he claims not be a WHU fan or even if he went to school and was best mates with Dele Alli tbh.

[davids cross]

We've been here before with Sullivan. Maybe not with these specifics, but in other guises.

His words/attitude reminded me of a politician.

Sensing growing public anger, you 1.) show some regret 2.) empathise with their feelings 3.) promise to try and change things and 4.) call for unity in difficult times.

All of which means, people will be back here in 5 years time, moaning about the same things.

Sullivan is the problem. No words will change that fact.

I still love West Ham though..... :raver:

[warp]

coat now gone and got.

[delbert]

Incompetence is Sullivan's biggest crime. He just isn't very good. He makes out he's a hot-shot business man but he's really just 3rd rate. Fandom? Did anyone really buy that. West Ham made good sense because they were local and financially troubled. They'd have been just as willing to buy spurs if they'd been in a similar situation

That wouldn't be funny enough.........

[TheHandOfDog]

This comment was removed by a moderator because it failed to abide by our community standards. For more details, please refer to the Forum Terms of Use. Replies may also be deleted.

[Turns to Stone]

There are two options with Sullivan. The first, and the most generous is that he's just an overly-ambitious and completely inept football owner. A man who genuinely believes that he has the money and clout to convince the likes of Bacca, Neymar, Ibrahimovic and every other ridiculous signing we've been linked with to come. This could also encompass the fact that he is a passionate but flawed negotiator who is desperate to get the players that West Ham need, such as Dendoncker, Carvalho, Batshuyi, only to lack the general basic understanding of business sense or football awareness that clubs are going to negotiate back at and you and by making embarrassing bids will only put you on the back foot and will (and has) led to us missing out on essential transfers.

The second and the slightly less generous option is that he's a liar and a fraud.

One option shows he's out of his depth, the other that he's taking the piss. Either way it's depressing and either way he needs to f*** off.

I know which side of the fence I sit on.

[HamburgHammer]

I suppose the dynamics at the club wouldn't really change much once Gold is out of the equation, right ? Depending on who takes over the shares though, things could not stay as they are now, can they ?

[Gsbgsb]

The board only brought the share of West Ham they did because they saw it as a way of making money, to make money however they needed Premier league. The move to the Stadium was designed to be able to pay better wages and in theorey attract better players thus making the mess the team have got into in the last couple of years less likely. They saw us as the new Everton I am sure, occasional good season but rock steady in the Premier.

The loans were largely down I believe to paying off the Icelandic banks a chunk of the debt they were owed when buying the club then the financing of the relegation season. The interest rate of 7% I suspect broadly reflects the return on capital they have been getting across their other investments primarily in property. This shows that they do not intend, and never have intended, to “give” the club money and if they do pay down the debts and let the club run on the money it earns then that would be fine by me provided they take very little out.

By comparison, at least to some degree in method if not size, the Glaziers used outside debt paid for by the club at 16% initially to buy Man Utd (they could not afford to finance it any other way) and last accounts paid a shareholder dividend to themselves of some £18m whilst the club is still some £250m in debt at about an 8% rate. Clearly the size on Man Utd makes this feasible, it never would be for us.

A sale will happen, we are far more attractive to the foreign investor (as opposed to the fan) at the Stadium than we ever would have been at UP, location, size etc. For all the supposed “love of the club” as their time has shown the love of money is greater. No doubt the Sullivan side will want some sort of honorary role to reflect all they have done!

The problems the Stadium is having might be a godsend for some as well, pay more in rent but take full naming rights into the club and suddenly you could see some like Red Bull wanting a London club playing in what is, to the outside world at least, an iconic venue which would have the Red Bull name on it, heaven knows what they would call the team of course or what colours we would end up wearing - anyone betting on the formula 1 Navy with a “return to roots” spiel attached?

[shortofbrillant]

There are two options with Sullivan. The first, and the most generous is that he's just an overly-ambitious and completely inept football owner. A man who genuinely believes that he has the money and clout to convince the likes of Bacca, Neymar, Ibrahimovic and every other ridiculous signing we've been linked with to come. This could also encompass the fact that he is a passionate but flawed negotiator who is desperate to get the players that West Ham need, such as Dendoncker, Carvalho, Batshuyi, only to lack the general basic understanding of business sense or football awareness that clubs are going to negotiate back at and you and by making embarrassing bids will only put you on the back foot and will (and has) led to us missing out on essential transfers.

The second and the slightly less generous option is that he's a liar and a fraud.

One option shows he's out of his depth, the other that he's taking the piss. Either way it's depressing and either way he needs to **** off.

I know which side of the fence I sit on.

It could very well be a bit of both. Sullivan isn't great at his job, but he also lies about the amount of money it would take to get the club to the next level. Sometimes it seems like the guy is living in the markets of 5 years ago when 20 million would get you a top shelf player.