In a footballing world where unrest and division appear to have a stranglehold over current affairs, accompanied by the seemingly endless (yet never resolved) protests around Europe surrounding these different issues, has the relentless bombardment and pressure from West Ham United fans finally hammered the first nail into the coffin of the David Sullivan and David Gold (GSB) ownership era?
This seems to be the case after Czech investment group 1890 holdings a.s acquired a 27% stake in the fourth-placed Premier League side.
Who Owns 1890 Holdings?
Daniel Kretinsky, co-owner and president of Sparta Prague, has been revealed as the man behind the £180m purchase, with the ‘Czech Sphinx’ – a nickname given to the billionaire due to his shroud approach to the world of business – now owning more shares in the club than David Gold.
Kretinsky’s investment has also whittled down Sullivan’s majority ownership, reducing his shares from around 51% to just shy of 39%. The investment has also reportedly catapulted the club to a £700million net worth.
The Czech is valued by Forbes to be worth £2.96billion – a figure with which he could theoretically buy the club four times over and still treat manager David Moyes to a decent January transfer window. Kretinsky’s partner, Olympian Anna Kellernova, just so happens to be the daughter of the former wealthiest Czech, billionaire Petr Kellner, who according to Forbes was worth an estimated $17.5 billion. Sadly he passed away in a helicopter crash earlier this year.
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Hopeful Hammers
Although the side have initially declared that the 46-year-old’s investment is solely to clear debts owed by the club, it’s fair to say supporters of the East London side see this as an evolutionary step forward. I caught up with one such fan, Dylan Forsyth, who revealed to me what he believes this investment could mean for the club.
“We can keep Rice. That’s the main thing. We keep him and, well, we’re golden.” Rumoured to have been offered to Manchester United for an eye watering £100million, a price described by Moyes as a ‘bargain’ for the 22-year-old midfielder, those inside the London Stadium appear to be basking in the glory of the possibility that their main man stays put.
When asked about the future of his beloved East-London side, Dylan went on to say, “You could already see the difference on the pitch after we were protesting, it’s only going to carry on improving with more investment and more change. It feels like Gold is on borrowed time with us anyway, they both need to go though so we can finally be West Ham again.”
Kretinsky’s Plan
A plan, so you would think, should be a necessity at any level for any investment. Although, as recent years have shown, plans change. This isn’t just a £20 crypto purchase advised by a mate from Kretinsky, this is £180million injected straight into a European contending side. So, what is the plan?
Writing in the Evening Standard, the investor made it perfectly clear what he envisioned over the coming years: “I speak from experience. We tried to rush the development of Sparta Prague a couple of years ago and the results were disappointing.” Continuing, “Improving the quality of the squad is great, of course, but we prefer a gradual way that preserves and protects the ethos of the club and its values, including team spirit.”
The reality of this investment will become clear as time goes by, but in terms of mapping out a blueprint, detailing just what that blueprint entails and openly admitting to the fans that this won’t be an overnight overhaul, for West Ham fans, this is a breath of fresh air from a billionaire, let alone an investor. Transparency, is all that the Hammers, and football, has ever needed.
