David Sullivan has resigned as joint-chair and director of West Ham United with immediate effect, the club confirmed on Saturday.
The 77-year-old stepped down after being made aware of the impending publication of 'serious historic allegations', which he denies. A club statement said Sullivan also resigned as a director of WH Holding Limited and West Ham United Football Club.
“David Sullivan resigns as West Ham chairman amid historic allegations he denies, vowing to sue the BBC for libel.”
"It is understood none of the allegations relate to West Ham United or any of its operations," the statement added. "Through his own legal representatives Mr Sullivan denies any illegal conduct and has taken the decision to step down in order to avoid disruption to the Club while he addresses the matter privately."
Sullivan has been involved in football ownership since 1993, when he and David Gold purchased Birmingham City. They bought a 50 per cent stake in West Ham in 2009. His departure comes after more than 16 years on the board and amid fan protests directed at him.
Interim Chief Executive Officer Karim Virani will continue to lead the club's day-to-day operations, reporting to the current board.
In a personal statement, Sullivan called the allegations "factually incorrect and entirely false" and vowed to sue the BBC for libel. He said: "I have not been provided with any proper explanation as to how these individuals or their claims were independently verified or assessed for credibility prior to publication. I believe that the entire process has been fundamentally unfair and completely lacking in any due impartiality. I will be suing the BBC for libel, along with any other media outlet that repeats any libellous allegations."
Sullivan added he was stepping down "to apply my full energy and attention on fighting these false allegations". The club said it will provide an update on the future structure of the board in due course but will make no further comment at this time.