West Ham United joint-chairman David Sullivan has stepped down amid serious historic allegations unrelated to the football club or its operations. Sullivan, 77, issued a statement strongly denying the claims, describing them as factually incorrect and sensationalized by the media.

The allegations, reportedly dating back several decades and concerning Sullivan’s personal life, were set to be publicly disclosed. Sullivan, who has spent much of his career building businesses in the adult industry, acknowledged that some improper conduct claims have been made against him but firmly rejected them all. He announced plans to pursue legal action against the BBC and other media outlets for libel if they repeat the allegations.

Sullivan, who has served as West Ham’s joint-chairman since 2010, said he would focus on contesting the accusations through the courts and cited the need to dedicate his full attention to this matter as the reason for his resignation.

In a statement, West Ham United confirmed Sullivan’s resignation as joint-chairman and as a director of both WH Holding Limited and the football club. The club noted that the decision followed their awareness of the impending publication of the allegations and emphasized that none of the accusations pertain to West Ham or its day-to-day operations.

The club, which was relegated from the Premier League last month, underscored that Sullivan denies any illegal conduct through his legal representatives and urged that his resignation is intended to prevent disruption to the club while the matter is dealt with privately.

Sullivan’s departure marks a significant development for West Ham, who now face the challenge of navigating the aftermath amid new leadership changes and efforts to regain Premier League status.