West Ham United have moved to deny rumours that new arrival Mark Warburton was a David Sullivan appointment.
West Ham were rocked recently when it was announced the vastly experienced Stuart Pearce was leaving the club.
The departure of David Moyes’s assistant Pearce was something of a surprise.
West Ham matched that level of surprise with the announcement of former Rangers, Brentford, Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest manager Warburton as Pearce’s replacement (whufc.com).
It is an extremely impressive appointment by West Ham given Warburton has taken charge of nearly 350 matches, winning two promotions and a succession of individual awards.
But the capture of Warburton came somewhat out the blue and right out of left field.
Prior to his appointment as West Ham coach, Warburton was being heavily linked with the manager’s job at Birmingham City (Football Insider, Blues Focus).
That was part of a proposed takeover by Laurence Bassini – which was being funded using money from Hammers co-owner David Sullivan (Daily Mail).
When Warburton then rocked up at West Ham – and given the surprise nature of the appointment – speculation was rife that it was an appointment made by Sullivan.
While not necessarily a decision made over Moyes’ head, there was talk in some West Ham circles was that it was a move driven by Sullivan.
There were also suggestions Warburton has unofficially joined West Ham on a short-term basis with a view to eventually being appointed Birmingham boss if and when the Bassini takeover goes through.
But West Ham have now denied rumours that new arrival Warburton was a Sullivan move by indirectly shooting down the speculation in an in-depth piece on the new Hammers assistant.
“Warburton and Moyes have a mutual friendship dating back over a decade and it was that relationship that led the Scot to call and ask him if he would like to bolster his backroom staff,” West Ham stated in an article on the club’s official website.
“The manager and I go back a few years away from football.
“We used to play a bit of golf – very rarely, unfortunately – and we got on well, and it’s important to get on well and have a chemistry in whatever you do, otherwise it doesn’t work.
“The manager has developed a chemistry in his staff here and I have been looking around and there are some very good people here, so I think he must be very pleased with the quality of the environment he has created here.”
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