Karren Brady

DJ HammerDJ Hammer
in Management & Board
It’s just been announced on the West Ham site that Karren Brady has left the club

Comments

  • alderzalderz
    That feels like a surprise to me!
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    It was strongly rumoured a month or so ago.
  • YeoldhammerYeoldhammer
    Sullivan next please
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Nathan Thompson, Exec Director, is going too and it's rumoured Mollett, CFO, will join them.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Yeoldhammer said:

    Sullivan next please

    He owns shares in the club, she doesn’t

    If he did quit he’s said repeatedly he’d pass his shared onto to his sons who are on the board so there would still be Sullivans involved
  • horshamhammerhorshamhammer
    Should improve the atmosphere on Saturday, anyway.
  • DJ HammerDJ Hammer
    Just thinking that she and whoever else that has left could have left their departure announcements until the end of the season. Nothing like unsettling the team particularly at such a delicate time.
  • alderzalderz
    DJ Hammer said:

    Just thinking that she and whoever else that has left could have left their departure announcements until the end of the season. Nothing like unsettling the team particularly at such a delicate time.

    I'm not sure the team will care, or that half of them will even know who she is.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    @DJHammer, Or it could just give the players a lift thinking better times are ahead of the club?
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    It's odd timing with only a month to go until season end. Timing like this often points to a falling out rather than a new strategic direction.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    So glad she's gone, but really surprised she's left while Sullivan is still here.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    The timing is strange, but who knows what goes on behind the scenes....
  • chicagohammerchicagohammer
    It is clearly odd timing, clearly something happened or was said that may shortly come to light that pre-empted this
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Perhaps she’s distancing herself from Sully.
  • OutcastLondonerOutcastLondoner
    DJ Hammer said:

    Just thinking that she and whoever else that has left could have left their departure announcements until the end of the season. Nothing like unsettling the team particularly at such a delicate time.

    Or maybe they thought it’d give everyone a morale boost.
  • LukerzLukerz
    I think it’s simply the fact it’s towards the end of a season where we may go down
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    edited April 22
    Lukerz said:

    I think it’s simply the fact it’s towards the end of a season where we may go down

    Or perhaps she just wants a new challenge in her life, it does happen to many people and I’m pretty sure financially she doesn’t have much to worry about, but as said, the timing is odd… I don’t think many fans in their hearts could really lay blame at her if we should be relegated, I certainly wouldn’t .. IMO
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited April 22
    IronHerb said:

    Perhaps she’s distancing herself from Sully.

    She's been his sidekick since 1989, a bit hard to distance herself from him after 37 years

    That would be like me trying to distance myself from London Underground (28 years, 4 months and 14 days)
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Not if it's about to hit the fan.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Whether it hits the fan or not she can hardly distance herself from Sullivan, she'll always be associated with him
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited April 23
    Interesting article on The Athletic about Brady, sadly only available by subscription (7-day free trial) so here are some bits that caught my attention
    plans were initially underway to appoint a director of football in December, but this was vetoed by Brady and other board members.

    Brady wanted head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who succeeded Graham Potter in late September, to oversee his first transfer window. She felt any external hires would unsettle the team and the situation should be reassessed towards the latter stages of the season. Before Brady’s departure, she was involved in interviewing candidates for the director of football position.

    Brady got on well with Nuno and wanted to leave with things in place ahead of the summer transfer window.

    Summerville, whose deal expires in the summer of 2029, joined from Leeds United in August 2024 and has registered five goals and one assist in 26 league appearances. Brady wanted to offer the 24-year-old winger an improved deal at the end of the season to reflect his importance, contingent on the club avoiding relegation. It is just another example of Brady thinking long-term despite her impending departure.

    In light of Brady’s exit, sources with knowledge of the situation say Sullivan has no plans to step down and remains fully committed. The 77-year-old, who owns 38.8 per cent of the club, and Kretinsky who owns 27 per cent (via 1890s Holdings), are in the process of purchasing shares from Vanessa Gold — the daughter of the late David Gold. She inherited 25.1 per cent after his passing in January 2023. The deal is expected to be completed in a month’s time, which would bring Sullivan and Kretinsky to just over 40 per cent each. The pair also have a joint-option to purchase more of Gold’s shares.

    https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7214794/2026/04/21/karren-brady-west-ham-london-stadium-legacy/?redirected=1
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    The second point is odd. Of course we would want to keep Summerville and she wouldn't have been doing her job if she wasn't looking to ensure he stays.
  • KuchinghammerKuchinghammer
    Sullivan without Brady could make things worse. I detest her writing for The Sun, but she is not a Trump bimbo and has kept Sullivan's businesses afloat for years. The future is into the geat wide open, as Tom Petty once sang.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Another interesting snippet from the Athletic article
    Of all the managers Brady worked with, she was very fond of David Moyes, now manager of Everton. They had a good working relationship and the 62-year-old regularly kept Brady in the loop.

    According to Moyes it was Sullivan who withdrew the contract offer, maybe Brady wanted Moyes to stay and she's just fed up with Sullivan not listening to her advice
  • alderzalderz
    Speaking of the Athletic, I've just listened to the Tifo Football Podcast, and they had the Chelsea supporting Economics Editor from The Times - Mehreen Khan - on as a guest. She was explaining how private equity ownership and American money in football works, and - whilst I'm sure it wasn't the intention - I've become Sullivan In' just by understanding the alternatives a bit more.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Report from Christian Purslow (ex-CEO Villa, Managing Director Liverpool & Chelsea) that Sullivan and Kretinsky have bought some of the Gold shares, they now own 40% each

    If we get relegated those shares could be worth less than they paid for them.

    He's going nowhere...
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