West Ham United statement

West Ham United Chairman David Gold has issued the following statement:

"I was looking forward to attending the game at Birmingham City FC, seeing old friends and was more than happy to put my personal differences aside for the day and shake hands with Peter Pannu and the rest of the Birmingham board.

"I am therefore extremely disappointed that the club has decide to withdraw their offer to invite me to St. Andrew's. Despite this, I look forward to welcoming each member of the Birmingham City board to Upton Park when they visit us in February for the return fixture. I do not want this matter to overshadow or distract from what is a vital game for West Ham United, and as such I will not be making any further comments at this moment in time."