West Ham United have issued a detailed statement addressing how information surrounding restrictions placed on David Sullivan was communicated within the club.
The club say only a “very limited number” of staff were informed about safeguarding measures that restricted Sullivan’s access to the women’s and youth teams.
The clarification follows reports earlier this week that Sullivan had been barred from certain club areas amid serious allegations.
In a statement published on the club’s official website, West Ham insisted that confidentiality was strictly maintained in line with safeguarding procedures agreed with The FA and the Newham LADO.
“The club wishes to make it clear that the safeguarding measures put in place in 2023 in relation to David Sullivan strictly followed West Ham’s stringent safeguarding policies, as agreed with The FA and the Newham LADO,” the statement read.
“This meant that only a very limited number of West Ham employees were informed of these measures, and these individuals were bound by strict confidentiality rules.”
The club added that no other board members, aside from Sullivan himself, were aware of the restrictions until recent media coverage.
West Ham also addressed when the wider board became aware of allegations relating to Sullivan.
“As it relates to the serious allegations published by the media this week regarding David Sullivan, the full board was first made aware of potential allegations about a month ago, when Mr Sullivan advised the Board that some allegations may appear in the media without providing any further detail as to the severity of the allegations.
“The details and severity of the allegations, which Mr Sullivan denies, only became apparent when they were made public on Monday.”
The club stressed that earlier safeguarding measures were unrelated to the most recent allegations.
While West Ham maintain that only a “very limited number” of employees were informed, the club has not disclosed exactly who received knowledge of the safeguarding restrictions.
The clarification comes amid ongoing scrutiny surrounding governance and internal communication at the Premier League club.
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