David Sullivan must rethink £900m decision amid disgraceful West Ham United controversy
David Sullivan simply must rethink a controversial decision he’s made at West Ham.
The Daily Mail reported on its website on 12 March that the Hammers are one of the 10 Premier League clubs who have blocked the £900million financial package for the EFL.
It said a growing number of top-flight sides are considering ditching English football’s “New Deal” and taking legal action should a government regulator try to force them to pay up.
That news has caused uproar across the country, with several stakeholders greatly disappointed by the actions of those clubs.
Alongside the Hammers, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were named in the article.
It’s quite hypocritical that six of the teams in question have actually played in the Championship over the past few years and some of them are certainly not guaranteed a long-term place in the top flight.
Although we have made strides forward in recent years, that includes West Ham.
That was proven last season when we flirted with the drop for pretty much the entirety of the campaign.
The board have come in for particular criticism this week after Charlton Athletic co-owner Charlie Methven claimed the Irons are one of the two ring leaders alongside Crystal Palace in holding up the deal.
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT on 12 March, he said: “It’s on record that Palace and West Ham are leaders of this King Canute-style movement. It’s not yet a matter of public record of which clubs they’ve persuaded to be in their corner.
“If you speak to executives from other clubs in the Premier League, they are almost as frustrated as we are. They know because they see a bigger strategic vision of what will happen with the public regulator.
When asked by White on his message to West Ham and Palace, Methven said: “Grow up. Remember that these clubs, the clubs they run, were very recently football league members and the fact that in a game of musical chairs, they are in the seats they are currently at.
“It doesn’t mean that at some point that their clubs won’t be back in the football league.”
While The Guardian reported later on 12 March that Charlton had apologised to Hammers vice-chairman Karren Brady following Methven’s remarks, his criticism was valid.
While many will argue that it’s our money and we’re entitled to do with it whatever we please, we’re in a privileged position to be able to help the entire pyramid survive and prosper.
I personally find it pretty disgraceful and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
This can’t just be about a select 20 clubs moving forward and leaving everyone behind because we have the best football league in the world and we must protect it at all costs.
We are currently in the Premier League, but in the past 20 years alone, we have found ourselves playing in the Championship twice and it could happen again in the future.
There is just far too much greed that goes on in the top flight and it’s about time people started thinking about how 92 clubs can continue to improve our league together rather than the lucky few focusing on themselves.
The decision doesn’t reflect well on the club, the board, the fans and anyone associated with West Ham.
I don’t like it and I’m sure many of you don’t either.
We simply must change our stance on this matter.
Football as we know it in this country could depend on it.
In other West Ham news, Jim White and Simon Jordan have been caught in an explosive row over a Hammers controversy.
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