The Icelanders have only been in charge at Upton Park for a few weeks, but it’s already getting frosty. Darron Kirkby examines the small print on a deal that promised rather more than it has delivered
When the directors of West Ham United accepted WH Holding’s offer to buy the club for £85 million on November 21, Hammers fans breathed a sigh of relief that the focus could return to the relegation battle. On paper, the deal sounded good. Not only was the Icelandic consortium taking on the club’s £23m debt, but it was pledging a £40m war chest for Alan Pardew to spend in the January transfer window.