**West Ham owner David Sullivan says the club are facing “Armageddon” if they are relegated from the Premier League.**The Hammers, who have debts of £110m, are in the midst of a relegation battle after taking only six points from their last 10 league games.
“It’ll be Armageddon if we go down. It’ll be worse than what’s gone on at Newcastle,” he said.
Sullivan said West Ham were in a “mess” financially and that everyone at the club will be asked to take a pay cut.
Sullivan and co-owner David Gold, who left Birmingham in November following Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung’s takeover, took control of West Ham last month after buying a 50% shareholding.
TomkinsWorldClass
West Ham’s new owners say they have uncovered the severity of the club’s financial position over the past few weeks and Sullivan fears that they could repeat the demise of Newcastle, who were relegated from the Premier League in 2009 after a season of off-field turmoil.
“I can’t believe the contracts I’ve inherited,” added Sullivan.
"Every position is overpaid, whether in administration or on the playing side. Everyone at the club will be asked to take a salary cut in the summer.
“The club is in a mess and we all have to pull together. If we go down, I can’t even consider the situation.”
West Ham are actively looking to reduce the club’s debts, with professional investors being approached for finance.
But of more immediate concern, however, is getting vital league points with their next game - at home to Birmingham on Wednesday - given added significance because of Sullivan’s and Gold’s links with the two clubs.
“All I need now is for the team to start winning. Wednesday night will do for starters”
David Gold
The manner of Gold’s departure from St Andrew’s still causes angst, with the 73-year-old upset that he was not retained as chairman when Yeung took over.
“I was at Birmingham City for years but I really want to give them a good whacking,” he said.
"I have great fondness for them, but it was sad the way it ended. They reneged on the decision to keep me on the board - that will always rankle.
"After 17 years at Birmingham, I think we know how to run a football club, I am certainly a lot wiser than when I first started.
“All I need now is for the team to start winning. Wednesday night will do for starters.”
The past and present regimes at Birmingham have been involved in verbal spats over the past few months but Yeung’s representative, Peter Pannu, said there will not be any bad blood on Wednesday.
“The other party have taken over at West Ham and we wish them well. In fact, I did congratulate them myself,” Pannu told the Birmingham Mail.
"We are, after all, football people but work is work and we have to delineate on that very clearly.
"I will shake hands in the boardroom. I have no problem with that and I have had a chance to have a conference with David Sullivan and David Gold.
"We had a very candid chat. David Sullivan appears to be a very straightforward man. He speaks his mind - just like me.
"I think people must understand we are all professionals so we know how to differentiate between right and wrong, work and personal.
“I respect David Sullivan, he has got his stance, we have got ours and we agree to disagree.”