West Ham Board Gather in London For Crisis Talks

Claret & Hugh has learnt this evening that West Ham shareholder Albert Tripp Smith flew to the UK last week and was involved in meetings with the club.

His visit coincided with Daniel Kretinsky also being in the country, meaning all of the West Ham board were in the UK together.

At this stage, there are no further details, so it’s impossible to say with certainty whether the visit was a firefighting mission or connected to a potential Gold family share acquisition.

It’s almost certain, however, that both Tripp Smith and Kretinsky were fully aware of the protests before Saturday’s game at the London Stadium. We have not yet been able to confirm whether either attended the defeat against Crystal Palace.

That said, their presence in the UK at such a crucial moment feels significant. While Kretinsky was officially here on Royal Mail business, as C&H reported yesterday, he has also been directly involved in the decision-making process over Graham Potter’s potential replacement as West Ham manager.

Tripp Smith owns 8% of the Hammers shareholding and has a history of brokering, hedge funds and acquisitions.