Ex-birmingham Duo Linked To West Ham Takeover

Ex-Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David Gold have reportedly tabled an offer to buy into Premier League club West Ham.

The duo would take a substantial shareholding for a nominal fee, promising to invest in the team in January and offer expertise. They also want the option of buying the club outright at a later date.

West Ham is owned by CB Holding, a company made up of creditors of Hansa, which was owned by former chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson.

CB Holding has appointed Rothschild and Standard Bank to try to find a new owner for the club.

Several parties have made approaches about the possibility of buying West Ham, according to a senior board member, but negotiations are still at a fairly early stage.

Gold and Sullivan sold Birmingham to Hong Kong billionaire Carson Yeung in October, ending their 16-year tenure at the club.

They bought the Blues for £1 and sold the club for £82m. The duo have a strong affiliation with West Ham and once owned a 30% stake in the Upton Park club.

Straumur, who own a 70% stake in CB Holding, face a bankruptcy hearing in Reykjavik this week.

Straumur want to extend the ‘moratorium’ which gives them breathing space from their creditors.

The moratorium is strongly expected to be extended for another nine months but if it is not, the company would go into liquidation and their assets, including West Ham, could be sold.