It came out of the blue when Karren Brady announced her decision to resign as West Ham vice-chair at the end of April – but many felt the decision made more sense when David Sullivan also stepped down at the weekend.
When Karren Brady suddenly left West Ham, it came just weeks after she publicly called for everyone at the club – from the boardroom to the terraces – to pull together to avoid relegation.
So when Brady jumped ship in the midst of the battle to stay in the Premier League, many West Ham fans felt it neatly encapsulated her 16-and-a-half-year tenure in east London.
David Sullivan followed Brady out of the London Stadium exit at the weekend.
BBC reveal real reason Brady suddenly left West Ham
He and former co-owner David Gold, who passed away in 2023, were the ones who brought Brady to West Ham.
So many felt Sullivan’s exit gave more context to Brady’s sudden resignation.
What legacy will Karren Brady leave behind at West Ham? 💭
Brady's favourite moment was the Conference League win 🏆
But now the BBC have claimed a senior source has told them the real reason Brady left West Ham.
When explaining her decision to leave the Hammers, Baroness Brady told the club’s official website: “It has been a privilege to work alongside the Board, management, players, staff and supporters at West Ham United.
“Together we have achieved remarkable milestones, but the highlight for me will always be lifting the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy – a moment that will stay with me forever.
“I am deeply grateful for the relationships, challenges and opportunities that have shaped my time at the Club.”
Supporters and the press have put two and two together and assumed Brady left the club as she may have known Sullivan was going to step down at the end of the season.
But BBC journalist Simon Stone says a senior club source has told him Brady blamed West Ham fans for her sudden exit.
BBC claims Brady left West Ham over fan abuse
“Over the years, Sullivan, Gold and vice-chair Karren Brady took the brunt of criticism from supporters,” Stone reports.
“The abuse was cited by one senior club source as a reason why Brady, who worked with Sullivan from 1993 – when she was appointed managing director at Birmingham aged 23 – resigned in April.”
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It perhaps sums up the disconnect at West Ham that Hammers fans will not even be surprised at being blamed for Brady walking out on the club mid-relegation battle.
Yes West Ham fans have been protesting for Brady and Sullivan to leave for several years, especially last season.
But it is all too easy to pin the blame on the fanbase.
Easier to ignore the fact Brady stepped down amid the departure of her right-hand woman Tara Warren, who has joined the Independent Football Regulator, or the resignation of Sullivan which followed less than six weeks on.
Or how about the fact Brady and the board posted club record £104m losses, leaving West Ham in a worse financial position than when she first arrived in 2010.
Football fans are always the kicking post, the easy targets.
If Brady does privately blame fans for her exit then why did she make a point of saying it was a ‘privilege’ to work with them in her leaving statement?
Many would say that sums up the disingenuous nature of her relationship with the fans she once famously referred to as “clients”.
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