Credit: Imago/ Breaking Media

Richie Mills

Wed 22 April 2026 8:40, UK

Karren Brady’s West Ham United exit has been largely welcomed by fans at the London Stadium, and they certainly have a point.

On Tuesday, it was announced that West Ham’s vice-chair had stepped down from her role at the Premier League side.

The Baroness spent 16 years at the Hammers and led the negotiations to secure their move to London Stadium in 2016.

The Irons shared how she built a season ticket base of more than 50,000 fans off the back of the move to the 62,500-seater ground, while she may also have inspired many women to follow her trailblazing efforts earlier in her career.

A few prominent voices have spoken in favour of The Apprentice star, but the majority of West Ham fans will be glad to see the back of Brady and here’s why.

Karren Brady receives West Ham backing

Shortly after this news broke, Martin Samuel of The Times wrote that Brady’s departure is a loss for all of football, not just West Ham.

He stated that Brady has left the Hammers in a better place than she found them 16 years ago.

Indeed, at the end of former owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson’s tenure, West Ham had a net debt and contingent liabilities approaching £100million.

Today, that would be more than £161m, but in a much different landscape.

In February, West Ham announced losses of £104m for the 2024-25 season, while admitting player sales would be needed even if they stayed up. It could be even worse when the 2025-26 accounts are released. Is that a big win?

Much of Samuel’s argument boils down to the fact that Brady was a “standard-bearer for women in a male-dominated world”, which can’t be argued against.

Brady clearly did a lot of good work to claim high-profile roles at Birmingham City and West Ham, but to say her exit is bad mainly because she is a woman is a bit reductive.

What about the West Ham protests over how they detest London Stadium, the vote of no confidence in the board, and the failure to kick on from their Conference League triumph nearly three years ago? Judge her on the current state of play at the club rather than immutable characteristics.

West Ham qualified for Europe three times and lifted a European trophy for the first time in decades, but she and chairman David Sullivan are deeply unpopular for a reason.

Currently, they are going backwards; supporters feel their current ground is soulless, and they made the wrong call moving there from Upton Park.

If Sullivan left, that would probably get a bigger cheer from West Ham fans. Incidentally, Brady reportedly began with a salary of £256,000 in 2011, rising to £1.47m in the most recent season.

West Ham were a team struggling around the relegation zone when Brady arrived, and the same is the case now, a stretch that included demotion in 2011.

West Ham ready to welcome familiar face

One man who played a massive role in West Ham’s more recent success is David Moyes.

The Scot turned the Hammers into a top-seven side, in addition to having several deep runs in Europe.

Now, the former Manchester United manager is enjoying his second spell at Everton, who travel to 17th-placed West Ham on Saturday in a match that has plenty on the line.

Indeed, Everton are chasing Europe, while West Ham are trying to stay up.

After West Ham drew at Crystal Palace on Monday, they could really do with a win against Everton.

Moyes will certainly get a good reception, which is not something many of the Hammers’ higher-ups can say these days, even if that’s what Brady wants on the way out.