LONDON: Former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan have taken control of West Ham after acquiring a 50 per cent stake in the English Premier League club, they confirmed on Tuesday. The announcement came after Tony Fernandes, the chief executive of AirAsia and the boss of the Lotus Formula One team, confirmed that he had pulled out of the race. Sullivan and Gold will have the final say in the running of the club although CB Holdings, the current owner which is headed by Icelandic bank Straumur, retains a 50 per cent stake. The two businessmen have been working towards a takeover since leaving Birmingham in November following the sale of their controlling interest in that club to businessman Carson Yeung.