Following a turbulent campaign that ended in relegation from the Premier League, West Ham United are undergoing a massive transformation. While optimism has largely flourished in east London due to a wave of high-profile boardroom changes—including the resignations of Karren Brady and David Sullivan, and the arrival of Karim Virani and incoming majority owner Daniel Kretinsky—not all the changes are being met with celebration.
The new regime has already flexed its financial muscle, bringing in roughly £155 million through player sales like Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville. With Czech energy tycoon Daniel Kretinsky—ranked 24th on the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List with a net worth of £8.185 billion—injecting heavy funds alongside a £100 million personal loan to back manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Nils Koppen, the “Czech Sphinx” clearly means business.
However, behind the high-stakes transfers and financial restructuring, a ruthless streak has emerged. Kretinsky has ordered significant cutbacks across the club, resulting in beloved staff members and media personnel losing their jobs.
Beloved Stadium DJ and Media Team Let Go in Post-Relegation Culls
While West Ham have confirmed that no further key players will be sold unless extraordinary offers arrive for stars like El Hadji Malick Diouf, the axe has fallen heavily away from the pitch.
Popular stadium DJ Russ Budden—a lifelong Hammers fan who spent 25 years entertaining the crowd—revealed he was let go by the club as part of cost-cutting measures following relegation.
Taking to social media to share the heartbreaking news, Budden announced:
“So, got the call that I’m no longer going to be the club’s ‘button monkey’. After 25 years working at the club, my services are no longer needed as they are cutting costs following the club’s relegation. I’m absolutely devastated.”
Budden added that working at West Ham for over half of his life was a position he never took for granted, leaving many among the 50,000-plus season ticket holders stunned by the decision.
He wasn’t the only casualty. Fans who noticed a distinct lack of club media content this summer learned that senior content producer Scott Mills was also among those made redundant due to the wider organizational restructure. Mills expressed gratitude for his time creating matchday content and original series, but his departure—alongside a wider culling of media staff—has raised eyebrows across the fanbase.
Fans Question the Severity of the Cutbacks
While squad and operational changes are standard practice following relegation, many supporters are finding these harsh cutbacks difficult to swallow.
The financial savings achieved by letting go of personnel earning relatively modest wages will be a mere drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds of millions flowing through the club via Kretinsky’s investment, record player sales, and gate receipts from a massive 50,000-strong season ticket base. Furthermore, scaling back media output in the digital age risks damaging the club’s global reach and brand engagement.
For now, Kretinsky and the new board retain plenty of goodwill and credit in the bank from the fanbase. However, that patience is slowly being tested on multiple fronts.
Growing Concern Over a Lack of Summer Signings
Beyond the emotional backlash of staff redundancies, supporters are growing increasingly restless as another week passes without a single new player walking through the door this summer.
With the new Championship campaign now just over a fortnight away, anxiety is mounting. Although manager Nuno claimed last week that new signings were arriving “soon,” the club has yet to announce any additions at the time of writing.
Insiders have urged patience as the club systematically restructures its recruitment department under Koppen, shifting the focus toward sustainable medium- and long-term targets alongside immediate squad needs. Whether that methodology pays off remains to be seen, but the pressure is firmly on the new hierarchy to deliver on the pitch as West Ham prepare for life in the second tier.
