Double act will end drama at West Ham

The East London club have desperately needed stability, continuity and their new owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, should provide that.

One former Premier League club executive put it this way today. "A Manchester City-type takeover would have been the ideal scenario but they are few and far between.

"This has to be the next best thing. Having been at Birmingham for more than 16 years, Sullivan and Gold know what it's like to run a club, they don't throw their money around but they will bring stability. West Ham need that more than anything else."

Ever since Eggert Magnusson arrived in East London in the early winter of 2006, West Ham have been one long soap opera and the global recession - followed swiftly by former chairman, Icelandic businessman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's spectacular financial meltdown - was the final straw.

His chief creditor, Icelandic bank Straumur, took over the reins and that signalled a period of necessary austerity. With debts of close to £40million, the huge wage bill had to be slashed and Gianfranco Zola's squad cut to a minimum. Every transfer window signalled fresh speculation about high-profile players leaving.

Worst of all for the long-suffering fans was that the club were in a vacuum. Up in the Midlands, all this was duly noted by Birmingham's co-owners. Gold was a true East Ender, even playing for West Ham as a youngster while Sullivan, though born in Cardiff, had been brought up a few miles away from Upton Park, in Hornchurch. Having sold Birmingham for £82m, they were looking for a new football interest, specifically West Ham.

It soon became clear that although Straumur had said they were prepared to keep control of the club for at least three years until the financial climate improved, they were ready to sell if the money was right.

They themselves had creditors to consider and although a moratorium on debts in Iceland was extended, they knew it wouldn't stay that way.

Other potential investors were also attracted by, among other things, the renewed possibility of selling Upton Park and moving to the nearby Olympic Stadium, post 2012.

There was Tony Fernandes, owner of Air Asia and principal of new F1 motor racing team Lotus and Malaysia's equivalent of Richard Branson. City-based Intermarket, who were still active at the 11th hour, were another possibility while Italian Massimo Cellino made a late, abortive bid.

The Sullivan/Gold axis was always in place, though, there on the negotiating table at Rothschilds Bank while the others tried to tie down backers.

Now that the other bidders have fallen by the wayside, what will they bring to West Ham? Initially, an end to all the uncertainty and the threat of losing key players such as Carlton Cole, Scott Parker and skipper Matthew Upson in this transfer window.

Judging from their time at Birmingham, it will not be a regime of untapped largesse. Contrary to rumours, Zola will be staying. That is a huge positive given the problems he has coped with cheerfully since he took over.

Gold and Sullivan are shrewd business people and at Birmingham, their heads invariably ruled their hearts.

Back in their emotional heartland, though, that could be more difficult.