Baroness Karren Brady has stepped down as vice-chairman of West Ham United, bringing the curtain down on one of British football’s longest-running careers and severing a commercial relationship with joint chairman David Sullivan that spanned almost four decades.
The 57-year-old, broadcaster and businessman has served on the Hammers board for 16 years. His exit comes at a critical moment for the Premier League club, where disgruntled board fans have become a regular fixture on matchdays. Chants aimed at ownership were heard again on Sunday evening during the team’s draw at Crystal Palace, the latest in a series of organized protests that have overshadowed a season spent flirting with relegation zones.
For those who have followed Brady’s career since the early 1990s, the decision marks the end of an era. It was Brady, then just 23, who convinced Sullivan to buy Birmingham City in 1993, taking the director’s chair himself and becoming one of the youngest managers to manage a professional football club anywhere in Europe. That appointment laid the foundations for a business relationship that has gone far beyond British sport.
In a statement released by the club, Brady said: “It has been an honor to work with the board, management, players, staff and fans of West Ham United. Together we have achieved incredible milestones, but the highlight for me will always be lifting the Uefa Europa Conference League trophy, a moment that will stay with me forever. I am very grateful for the challenges I have with those teams.”
He added: “As this chapter closes, my passion for football and my commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders remains unwavering.
Brady has received a lot of criticism in the stands alongside Sullivan this season, and the pair have been labeled by sections of the fanbase as long-term underinvestment on the field. The Hammers currently sit in one place and two points after relegation, which coincides with the recent appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach.
A long-time columnist for The Sun and Lord Sugar’s sidekick on the BBC’s The Apprentice, Brady is understood to be redirecting his attention to his wide portfolio of business interests and duties in the House of Lords, while retaining his place on the board of the hit entertainment format.
His tenure at West Ham will be best remembered for his management of the company and sporting success. He was credited with the club’s controversial move from Upton Park to the London Stadium after the 2012 Olympics, a deal that divided opinion but restored commercial history for the Hammers.
Sullivan paid tribute to his long-time lieutenant saying: “Karren has been an outstanding leader and integral to the club’s development over the years. We wish her well in her future endeavors and thank her for her outstanding contribution over the past 16 years.”
Co-chairman Daniel Kretinsky, who joined the ownership group in 2021, worked the same way. “I want to thank Karren very much for our cooperation since 2021, and for all the work he has done in the past for the team,” he said. “His role in the growth of West Ham United, such as the long-term contract for the London Stadium, the change of shareholders and the British record transfer of Declan Rice, has been very important and not always fully appreciated. Karren is also very much appreciated in the community of leaders of the Premier League and has been a good representative of our club there. I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.”
Brady’s departure leaves a huge void at the top of the club, in terms of institutional memory and Premier League impact. For Sullivan and Kretinsky, the challenge now is twofold: to stop backsliding fans and to hire a successor who can match their standing in the game’s corridors of power. West Ham United have been contacted for further comment.
