David Gold and David Sullivan have spoken of the "exciting experience" of taking charge of West Ham United.
The joint chairmen of the club were speaking at a specially arranged media conference at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday morning after concluding the deal overnight. Mr Sullivan said: "It's going to take time to sink in. We've been wanting to sit here for 20 years and together we owned 27 per cent of the club 22 years ago and it's taken us 22 years to get to where want to be.
"I'm still in a bit of shock. It's been a tough few weeks of negotiations. We competed with two other very serious bidders and unbeknown to us, right up until eleven last night we thought we were going to get the club and the other two parties thought they were going to get the club.
"Both me and David are supporters, I went to university here and I lived in Hornchurch. David lived 50 yards from the ground for 20 years of his life and played for West Ham's youth team. We just want to be here where we've always wanted to be. There is no other club we would want to be at so for us we have come home and that's what it's all about."
Mr Gold added: "That's what we've done, come home. I received a call from David last night at 12. It almost takes me back to when I was a young boy playing for West Ham Boys when I was 15 and we were playing East Ham at the Boleyn Ground.
"It is a very exciting experience for David and I and we've dreamt of this for many years and we felt this would never happen. When we missed out on this 22 years ago we thought the opportunity was gone forever. It's amazing and here we are today."
