West Ham majority owner David Sullivan has been accused of only looking out for number one after an outburst this week.
Some would argue you don’t become a billionaire and own your own football club without doing just that.
West Ham majority stakeholder David Sullivan has managed to achieve both.
But he has refuted suggestions he’s lost sight of the little man.
It was announced this week that a Football Governance Bill to pass legislation for an independent football regulator is being introduced, as reported by BBC Sport.
Sullivan criticised over regulator stance
A regulator would have powers to sanction clubs – including West Ham – if they break financial and other rules.
While the Premier League has previously acknowledged it “recognises and accepts the case for reform” it does not believe that a regulator “necessary”.
Hammers co-owner Sullivan has been one of the most outspoken on the matter.
After this week’s announcement Sullivan unleashed a tirade on the issue.
It was a rare on-the-record interview from the Hammers owner.
But it sparked a flurry of accusations that he is short-sighted and selfish. It also provoked stinging criticism from EFL chairman Rick Parry on talkSPORT.
Sullivan shows he doesn’t only care about West Ham
Now Sullivan has shot down suggestions he’s only worried about West Ham.
Because, Sullivan had told BBC Sport, if others had listened to him then West Ham and other Premier League clubs would have stepped in to stop Bury going bust.
“Businesses should be allowed to run well when they are being run well,” Sullivan told Simon Stone.
“If all of football was going bust we would have to do something about it. But all of football is not going bust.
‘We could have saved Bury’
“We could have had a small fund, which could have saved Bury and other clubs that have gone when they have been run by greedy incompetent people who are very bad at it, or were lining their own pockets or weren’t interested in football and wanted to run it into the ground and sell the land for housing.
“Even then, should you reward incompetence?
“The club should have been bought for the supporters. Perhaps with a million pounds from the Premier League to stabilise the situation.”
Sullivan is not the only one at West Ham with strong views on a regulator for football.
The matter has sparked a number of public rows between outspoken champion of independent regulation Gary Neville and West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady.
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