Our new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eggert Magnusson was joined at Upton Park last night by his friend and business partner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson.

Mr Gudmundsson is the main financial supporter of the consortium that completed a successful takeover of the Club on November 21, and has since been handed the title of Honorary Life President at West Ham United.

The 65-year-old is an international investor with interests in various sectors including financial services, international transportation, seafood processing and sales, real estate and publishing. He was born in Iceland and lives in the capital Reykjavík.

In an exclusive interview provided for whufc.com, the man known to his friends and close business associates as BG reveals his love and passion for the game and why West Ham United became such an attractive proposition…

Mr Gudmundsson on…his love for football

"I have been a football fan for all of my life. I played football as a teenager and was a member of the Iceland's oldest club, KR. We became national youth champions in 1956 and this group of friends continued playing for KR and became Iceland's Premier League Champions for a number of times.

"But that was when I had stopped playing and devoted most of my energy to business. Even though I did not have time for playing football I never lost the enthusiasm for the game."

Mr Gudmundsson on…West Ham United

"Football fans all over the world take a great interest in English football. I have been following the English League for well over 40 years.

"West Ham United is one of the 10 biggest clubs in English football. It has a strong and solid group of supporters who are ambitious on behalf of the club.

"The club has a tradition and foundation for being one of the big clubs in England and in Europe. The reputation of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters from the team of 1966 World Cup champions lives on - and I know that is important for future successes.

"West Ham has also a remarkable Youth Academy that, in the last decade, has created a full squad of world ranking football players. That is tremendously valuable."

Mr Gudmundsson on…his investment in English football

"It is obvious that, without my interest in football, I would not have invested in West Ham United. On the other hand I believe that investing in an English football club is nowadays a good business opportunity.

"Football, and live football on TV, is one of the fastest growing sectors in the leisure and entertainment industry. The worldwide popularity of the English Premier League and the Champions League is a clear indicator of the business potential of game."