West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold passes away at 86 following short illness

West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold passed away on Wednesday morning (local time) at the age of 86 following a ‘short illness’, the club has announced. Prior to West Ham, Gold was the chairman and co-owner of Birmingham City. In 2010, he became the West Ham United Joint-Chairman with David Sullivan.



In a statement announcing David Gold’s demise, West Ham United remembered the 86-year-old as a “lifelong and ardent” fan of the club. He was born in Stepney in September 1936 and grew up at 442 Green Street, directly opposite West Ham's former stadium, Boleyn Ground. David Gold even represented the Club’s boys’ team between the ages of 13 and 16 before participating in the youth team. West Ham United also noted that his taking the position of the Joint-Chairman in 2010 protected the club’s future during the period of financial crunch.


West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan expressed “profound sorrow” on behalf of the club over Gold’s demise. In a statement, Sullivan said he mourns the death of a beloved “colleague and friend”. Sullivan also claimed that ownership of West Ham United gave both him and David Gold “more pride and happiness” than any other joint venture.

West Ham United Manager David Moyes also said that he was “extremely sad” to hear about the demise of David Gold. On behalf of the players and the entire staff, Moyes extended “deepest sympathies” to Gold’s family at this time.

As David Gold was at Birmingham City for 16 years, the football club also expressed it was "devastated" by the news of his death. Apart from football, Gold was also the chairman of the retail chain Ann Summers. He has also owned an adult magazine in the past as well as a corporate air service.

FAQs

1. Who was David Gold?
   David Gold was the West Ham United Joint-Chairman who passed away on Wednesday morning.
2. Who all were with Gold at the time of his death?
   In a statement, West Ham United said that David Gold was with his daughters Jacqueline and Vanessa, and his fiancée Lesley, at the time of his death.