David Gold: West Ham joint chairman dies aged 86
West Ham United joint chairman David Gold has died at the age of 86.
Mr Gold died following a short illness, the Premier League club said in a statement.
West Ham joint chairman David Sullivan said: “On behalf of everyone at the football club, it is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that we mourn the passing of our colleague and friend, David Gold.
“Of all our joint ventures, none gave us more pride and happiness than the day we took ownership of West Ham United, our club, in January 2010.
“David had a long-standing connection with the Hammers, having grown up opposite the Boleyn Ground in Green Street, and represented the club at junior level.
“He always wanted what was best for West Ham United, and his passing is a great loss for all of us.”
Born a West Ham fan
A lifelong West Ham fan, Gold was born in east London in 1936 and raised in a house on Green Street – directly opposite the club’s former stadium, the Boleyn Ground.
Gold represented West Ham’s boys’ team between the ages of 13 and 16 and later appeared in the youth team.
Despite showing promise at football in his younger years, Gold would find his fame and fortune in the world of business.
He was the owner of Gold Group International (GGI), the parent company of retailer Ann Summers and lingerie chain Knickerbox.
David Sullivan (left) and David Gold
Gold entered football club ownership in 1996 with long-term business owner David Sullivan, buying a majority stake in Birmingham City.
The pair, alongside Karren Brady, helped turn around the fortunes of the then-struggling Midlands club, though often remained at odds with the fans.
After the club suffered relegation from the Premier League to the Championship in 2008, Gold announced his intention to sell his shares in the club. The sale took place in 2009.
Buying his boyhood club
A year later, in January 2010, it was announced that Gold had bought a 50 per cent share in West Ham with long-term business partner Sullivan.
Despite his support of the club, Gold, and Sullivan, had several run-ins with the West Ham fan base, most notably over their decision to move the club from its Boleyn Ground home to the London Stadium in 2016.
Gold and Sullivan had stressed the need to move the club to the state-of-the-art facility to help push the side towards European football.
But some of the club’s fans were upset at the decision to move the club from its home of 112 years to a stadium which had originally been purpose-built to host track and field events for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Writing about the decision in his biography, David Gold: The Ultimate “Rags To Riches” Story, he admitted he was torn about the decision.
“Whilst on the one hand I was excited by the possibilities of moving to the Olympic Stadium, I knew it meant demolishing Upton Park and having the site redeveloped into flats, which really troubled me,” Gold wrote.
“I also knew a lot of fans didn’t want to move but ultimately we all, as fans, want success. We want to win the FA Cup, we want to get into Europe and challenge the top teams in the Premier League.
“We had explored every possibility of rebuilding Upton Park but there were road blocks and restrictions at every turn. So the reality was that, to secure the commercial future of the football club, we simply had to move.”
However, initial fan anger over the move has calmed in recent years, particularly in light of the club’s development under current manager David Moyes.
‘A source of great support’
Paying tribute, Moyes said: “I am extremely sad to hear this news and, on behalf of all of the players and my staff at the training ground, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to David Gold’s family at this very difficult time.
West Ham football Club co-owner David Gold (left) with (L-R) Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, David Sullivan, co-owner, Kim Bromley-Derry, Newham Council Chief Executive and club vice-chairman, Karren Brady, pose in front of the Olympic Stadium
“Mr Gold was a regular visitor to Rush Green and always a source of great support and encouragement to myself and the players.
“It was clear that he had a genuine and sincere love for the Club and was a true supporter at heart.
“He took a great interest in the people working behind-the-scenes and was always keen to help in any way he could. He will be greatly missed.”
Gold had two daughters Jacqueline and Vanessa with his first wife, Beryl Hunt, who he married in 1957.
The pair divorced in 1972. Though Gold did not re-marry, he had lived with fiancée, Lesley, in their Surrey home since 2012.
UK
Epping council demands government ‘immediately’ close asylum hotel – as Home Office works to ‘restore order’
Epping council has unanimously voted to urge the government to shut a hotel housing asylum seekers after a series of protests.
Epping Forest District Council in Essex passed a motion calling for the Bell Hotel to be “immediately and permanently” closed “for the purposes of asylum processing”.
Several demonstrations have been held outside the hotel since 13 July, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Police have arrested 18 people and charged nine in connection with the protests.
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Eight officers injured during migrant protest
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, denied sexually assaulting the 14-year-old girl at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last week and will stand trial in August.
The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has also reportedly urged the home secretary to review the use of the hotel for housing asylum seekers.
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, Roger Hirst said the hotel is unsuitable for housing migrants and is “clearly creating community tension”, the Telegraph reported.
Protests in Epping turned violent last week
Home Office ‘working to restore order’
The Home Office has vowed to “restore order,” threatening on Friday to make asylum seekers homeless if they refuse a change of accommodation.
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Epping the latest flashpoint of frustration
It said a new “failure to travel” policy is looking to tackle “non-compliance by asylum seekers” and will ensure individuals who are moved from hotels to suitable alternative accommodation must take it.
Those who refuse to move without a valid reason will now risk losing their housing and support, the Home Office said.
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Epping migration protest in focus
Dame Angela Eagle, minister for border security and asylum, said: “We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system.
“This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders.”
Asked specifically about the Epping Forest District Council vote, the Home Office said: “We’ll continue to work closely with local police and community partners, in Epping and across the country, as we fix this broken system.”
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Eight officers injured
Protests outside the Bell Hotel last Thursday began peacefully but escalated into what police described as “scattered incidents of violence,” leaving eight officers injured.
Police are braced for further protests, vowing to act swiftly if unrest spreads.
UK
There were ‘failings’ in care of ex-England cricketer Graham Thorpe in months before he died, coroner says
The actor who played PC Reg Hollis in hit TV series The Bill has been praised by officers after helping them arrest a shoplifter.
Jeff Stewart stepped in when a thief attempted to escape on a bicycle in Southampton on Wednesday.
In a statement, a Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “The thief, 29-year-old Mohamed Diallo, fell off the bike during his attempts to flee, before officers pounced to make their arrest.
“To their surprise, local TV legend Jeff Stewart, who played PC Hollis for 24 years in The Bill, came to their aid by sitting on the suspect’s legs while officers put him in cuffs.
(L-R) Jeff Stewart, Roberta Taylor, Mark Wingett, Trudie Goodwin and Cyril Nri celebrating The Bill’s 21st anniversary in 2004. Pic: PA
“In policing you should always expect the unexpected, but this really wasn’t on The Bill for this week.”
The Bill was broadcast on ITV between 1984 and 2010 and featured the fictional lives of police officers from the Sun Hill police station in east London.
Mr Stewart, who was among the original cast, appeared in more than 1,000 episodes as PC Hollis.
Police released footage showing their pursuit of a shoplifter in Southampton. Pic: Hampshire Constabulary
As the suspect falls to the floor, PC Hollis (aka Jeff Stewart) sits on his legs. Pic: Hampshire Constabulary
In praising Mr Stewart’s actions, the force said: “Long since retired from Sun Hill station – but he’s still got it.”
Police from the Bargate Neighbourhoods Policing Team were alerted by staff at a Co-op store in Ocean Way to a suspected shoplifter on Wednesday.
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Mohamed Diallo, 29, of Anglesea Road, Southampton, was subsequently charged with five offences of theft relating to coffee, alcohol and food from the Co-op and two other Sainsbury’s stores on three dates in April and July.
He pleaded guilty at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and was bailed to be sentenced on August 29.
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