C&P from The Sun

DAVID SULLIVAN fears that West Ham are heading for "Armageddon" as the full catastrophic truth about the club's financial nightmare emerges.

A SunSport investigation into the Hammers' debt hell has uncovered the full extent of boardroom mismanagement at Upton Park.

In its simplest form, London's working-class club has been trying to live like Chelsea toffs and now can't pay the bill.

While West Ham fans have been putting up with low-budget football, a whole cluster of agents, coaches and hangers-on have been cashing in.

And the Hammers plight, struggling in the bottom three of the Premier League and battling to claw their way out of a cash crisis, should serve as a stark warning to other teams living beyond their means.

Fellow strugglers Portsmouth could be wound up in the High Court tomorrow in an on-going battle with the taxman as the team nosedives towards relegation.

Pompey have failed to pay wages on time for FIVE MONTHS and are haemorrhaging money week in, week out.

Even the Premier League champions, mighty Manchester United, are saddled with enormous debts as football's gravy train grinds to a halt.

West Ham, the team which has taken two points from a possible nine since Sullivan and pal David Gold took over, are preparing to face the new owners' old club Birmingham tomorrow night.

For the stricken Hammers the match is billed as win-or-bust - in every sense of the word.

Documents leaked to SunSport by concerned staff at Upton Park reveal that West Ham's vastly under-achieving squad cost a staggering £75million in transfer fees alone.

The club still owes almost £15m of that money to other teams and instalments are looming.

A lavish £6m bonus system means West Ham would be no better off financially if by some miracle they won the Premier League or if they finished eighth - because the extra cash would be gobbled up by the players and staff.

It is understood the agent involved in Valon Behrami's £5m move from Lazio was paid £1.3m in fees to smooth the deal through. Worried Sullivan admitted: "Things have to change at West Ham. We want to spend the money on putting the best team possible on the pitch.

"It'll be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse than what's gone on at Newcastle.

"I can't believe the contracts I've inherited. Every position is overpaid, whether in administration or on the playing side.

"All are earning more than they would at other clubs.

"We have made cutbacks already but may have to make another 20 or 30 people redundant by the summer. We have already had people in senior positions offer to take a voluntary 25 per cent reduction to keep their jobs. It's been gratefully accepted. If someone is doing a good job but is overpaid you still want to keep them.

"But many people at the training ground should take a voluntary pay cut. There's an army of people supporting the first team.

"Everyone at the club will be asked to take a salary cut in the summer.

"I'm drawing nothing forever, neither is David Gold. We are paying the first 12 months of Karren Brady's salary as vicechairman. And we are not claiming back expenses. Every penny we spend is down to us.

"The club is in a mess and we all have to pull together. If we go down I can't even consider the situation."

West Ham still have to cough up £2.5m to Lazio for Swiss winger Behrami's transfer alone, a year and a half after his arrival.

And it's understood the player may be sold in the summer because his family are finding it hard to settle in England.

The Hammers are still to pay London rivals Chelsea £400,000 of the £1.2m 'transfer fee' that brought assistant manager Steve Clarke up the District Line from the King's Road to Green Street.

And that's not to mention the reputed salary in excess of £1m a year enjoyed by the Scot and the near £2m paid to manager Gianfranco Zola in his first full-time management position.

West Ham slipped back into the bottom three following Saturday's demoralising 2-1 defeat at Burnley, a performance that left the club hierarchy furious at the players' attitude and defending in particular.

Sullivan said: "Of all the managers I've dealt with he is the nicest. The question is 'Is he too nice?' Ossie Ardiles was the nicest guy you could meet but look what he did to Tottenham.

"Time will tell. Zola will prove himself over the next few games.

"I still don't regret taking over. If we get relegated I would. We'd have to sell half the team.

"Normally you don't have the debt we've inherited or the wage bill we've inherited.

"I was always a very good judge. The season Birmingham got relegated I said after 10 games 'We're going down'.

"Maybe I've lost my judgment but I just don't see us getting relegated. Maybe it's the West Ham fan in me coming out and I've become an eternal optimist.

"I'm not acting like some administrator who just wants to save money. I want to improve the team.

"At Birmingham we bought a team which reflects the size of that club. But West Ham is a bigger club and we want to do it justice."

GIANFRANCO ZOLA and his highly-paid West Ham flops will be asked to take a 25 per cent pay cut.
Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan must slash the £60million wage bill to stop the club going under - even if they avoid relegation.

And Sullivan said: "Everyone will be asked to take a cut this summer."

The owners took on huge £110m debts - and have uncovered an alarming 'fat cat' culture at Upton Park.

Midfielder Scott Parker pockets £65,000 a week - the same fee as crocked star Kieron Dyer.

Defender Matthew Upson picks up £60,000 a week and fringe defender Manuel Da Costa even gets £20,000. The wages are crippling the club.

Around 15 club staff have volunteered to take a wage cut and other cost-cutting plans are on the way.

A 'player liaison officer' - who earns £50,000 a year to drive stars around - will be hit. The officer is a close family friend of a former West Ham employee.

A fitness coach - paid a whopping £200,000 a year - and one of the club's two doctors also face the axe.

Controversial technical director Gianluca Nani is also high on the hit list.

Sullivan said: "We already had to slash 10 or 15 jobs. The club is in a mess, everyone has to pull together."



Just thought I'd cheer everyone up.

... if we go down. Think armageddon is a bit strong. Also, they would have known all this through due diligence if done properly. Some of it is still guesswork as it says 'reputedly' about Zola and Clarke. And that bit about no better off if win the premiership is bullshit. Maybe not in immediate money from the FA but realistically in ads/promos/sponsors etc ... please.

On the plus side, with this revelation, guess no new manager. Who would want to come here?

I cling to the hope this is the sun with their usual level of 'reporting'

I wish he'd just shut up and get on with the job he bought in to do! He's just trying to create this whole they were in the shit when we came along and we saved them scenario. It's typical Redknapp bare bones style media talk. Less talk more action Sully - just get on with it!

Agreed.
I just deleted a less eloquent, more stroppy response that had the same meaning
Fed up with all our dirty laundry being in the press all the time

Sullivan seems to like the sound of his own voice if you ask me.

Whats going on at West ham is synonymous of what's ailing all Premier league clubs, overpaid under achieving players and club staff , what has brought it to the boil is the downturn in the economy. Good luck to the 2 Daves , and I hope they sort the club out, after all it is there dosh they are spending.

Zola not happy with Sullivans comments, interview here http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 45,00.html
and sound grab here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/footbal ... 505540.stm

Completely behind Zola.
Sullivan can fuck off as far as I'm concerned. Didn't take long for him to live down to my expectations of the little scrote

Good on Sullivan in my opinion. All clubs are going through tough times at the moment and the standard easy answer is always, "Lets get new rich owners." Thats great but if the new owners are just going to do the same things that made the club unviable in the first place it is going to be the same shit when they realise they are out of pocket.
TBH I'm glad West Ham are making some tough calls and cutting expenses. Even the thought of going down although really tough is better than staying up and making the same bad financial decisions that have got not only us but nearly all EPL clubs in complete disarray.
You just have to look at Leeds and whats happened to them over the last few years with the pain that they have been through. They look like moving up again now and their fans still support them with passion, perhaps even more because of what happened. When they do make it back to the top flight they are going to be a much better club for this.
Everything turns, empires rein and fall and time tests all. There will always be a West Ham, be it in the PL or wherever and if it means a couple of tough decisions now and a few set backs so be it. If it means a couple of years of pain I'm up for it. Whatever happens in the short term will be well worth it in the long term with a clean balance sheet and a stronger winning culture.

Not against cost cutting and all that.
This is shocking timing IMO, we are under enormous pressure as a team with a couple of crucial games coming up.
Sullivan could have done this behind closed doors.
He's flexing his power and good on Zola for expressing his anger.

Sullivan is a fucking lunatic to time these sort of statements when we are a hell of a lot more than knee deep in the shit. He says he tried to motivate the players. Well, fuck me, but if my boss said he was going to cut my income by a quarter, I'm not sure it will motivate me in a positive way. I know the argument will come that they are overpaid anyway, but that's just how it is in professional sport these days.
This is an end of season consideration. We cannot let our already underachieving side be undermined anymore or we will be right royally bent over the table & rogered senselessly into the Championship.
I too applaud 'nice guy' Fonzie for standing up for himself & the team. Whilst I don't particularly agree with some of his selections, there is no doubt in my mind that he has honourable intentions. I really enjoyed the way we played when he first arrived, very attacking minded, creating a lot of chances, but spurning a vast majority of them. Since then he has gone into a shell, tactics wise, & we are the poorer for it.

I worry that a player earning 50k a week now thinks he is going to expected to earn 37.5k a week next season. Arsenal come in for that player and say "we'll give you what you was getting at West Ham". he then has a choice of going to Arsenal (or another big club) and earning the same money, and play champs league football, expect longer cup runs, challenge for the title, maybe increase his international prospects...........or take a pay cut and play in the championship or, if we stay up, have a likely season in the bottom half of the premiership. Unless he was a huge West Ham fan, or totally mad, I fear it'd be goodbye to one of our better players.....and then another, and another.
Maybe Sullivan has a point but why the fuck bring it up to all and sundrie now? What until we're safe or something.
I hope our better players don't do what some of our star players did last time we went down.

we all know if we go down, we will have to sell sell sell. so we can only hope we get out of this shit. but the teams got to start now. or the game will be up for us.

Not a problem that he's doing it - it's a problem that he's telling it all to the media and unsettling a squad that's in a relegation battle. Do it quietly - like I said before just get on with it. I can't stand egotistical figureheads that do nothing but talk themselves up even at the expense of the goals they are trying to acheive!

Must say i totally agree with Dave, boghammer and Si here and beexie your absolutely spot on mate, sully can go fuck himself with his comments if there true. All through this takeover thing i was worried about a wolf in sheeps clothing, i hope he's not it. What the fuck was he thinking? 20mins to go and we're nervy at 0-0 against Brum, things aren't going well and the crowd are singing "What a waste of wages" great for morale you twat. Fortunately the majority of Hammers fans can see right through an egotistical move like that from someone who's only made a cunt of themself for not checking the goods properly before buying. The team will keep us up and the fans will realise that.
Fair enough there has been some bad decisions and wasted money in the past! Tell us something we don't all know. Get on with running the club cos your not doing yourself any favours making everyone involved with the club feel like it's their fault. You haven't done the supporters a favour, we live and breath West Ham, for better for worst, you prove it and shut the fuck up and do the same.
Keith
WEST HAM TILL I DIE!!!!!