David Sullivan’s contact with West Ham women’s and youth teams restricted since 2023

David Sullivan said through lawyers on Wednesday that the ‘event in 1981’ resulting in the complaint had ‘never happened’. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/Reuters View image in fullscreen David Sullivan said through lawyers on Wednesday that the ‘event in 1981’ resulting in the complaint had ‘never happened’. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/Reuters David Sullivan’s contact with West Ham women’s and youth teams restricted since 2023 ‘Temporary agreement’ in place since Football Association safeguarding investigation began three years ago David Sullivan has faced restrictions on his contact with West Ham’s women’s and youth teams since 2023 because of a safeguarding investigation. The Football Association began an inquiry three years ago after receiving a complaint, which the Guardian understands involves an allegation of sexual misconduct unrelated to football. Sullivan, the club’s largest shareholder, said through lawyers on Wednesday morning that the restrictions were part of a “negotiated and temporary agreement”. The 77-year-old billionaire added that the safeguarding investigation related to a “single anonymous complaint” from an “event in 1981” that he says “never happened”. Sullivan announced his resignation as a director and co-chair of West Ham on Saturday, before the publication of a joint investigation by the BBC and the Times in which seven women accused him of abusing his power and preying on them for sex, in claims that date back to the 1980s and 1990s. He retains his financial stake in the east London club, though he could be forced to sell his shares by the football regulator, which described the allegations as “extremely serious”. David Sullivan’s Sport newspapers used sexualised images of underage girls as ‘bait for predatory men’ Read more Three women claimed that the former pornography baron had abused his power as the owner of the Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers to prey on them for sex when they were seeking work. A further four accused him of exploitative and predatory behaviour, including allegations he had tried to pressure them into sex during business meetings. Through his lawyers, Sullivan has “categorically” denied the allegations, which the BBC and Times said involved women then in their late teens and early 20s. Sullivan said: “After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry, in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me.” In a new statement issued on Wednesday morning, Sullivan said: “I wish to clarify recent media reports regarding a negotiated agreement with the Football Association (FA), which has been inaccurately described as a disciplinary ‘ban’. “In my entire 16 years at [West Ham] I have never met any academy or women’s team players [one to one], therefore a negotiated and temporary agreement with the FA not to do so until the FA resolved an outstanding complaint in relation to a single ano