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David Sullivan admits he is daring to dream.

The West Ham supremo has already struck gold with summer signings Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia, Cheikhou Kouyate and Alex Song – who have helped to lift the club into the top four.

Now Sullivan is moving into mainstream cinema and has targeted a double reason to celebrate even further in May.

Not only is he hopeful that West Ham will cause a shock by finishing in the ­Champions League places, he is also excited about the release of the film he is part-financing – The Rise of the Krays – also due to be released that month.

“I think we are all daring to dream,” he said. “Sam Allardyce has got the team playing superbly.

“We know – as the song goes – that dreams fade and die. But we hope that will not be the case for us.

(Image: Reuters)

“After 19 games you’ve completed half the season, so we have two tough matches – against Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arsenal two days later – to finish those 19 games.

“We will maybe have a clearer idea of our chances of finishing in the top four after that. As for the film? Well, all my life I’ve loved gangster movies.

“I can go back to The Long Good Friday, Gangster No.1 and my favourite, Get Carter. Well this movie is in that mould and I hope every bit as good.

“Ronnie and Reggie are East End legends, but we wanted to tell the real story. Not just the myths. It’s a challenge, but it’s an exciting challenge.

“It’s a full-length feature film. Eight-week shoot, £3million budget and comes out in May. It is a lot of money, but we haven’t spent a fortune on artists.

“We’ve got two young guys, Simon Cotton and Kevin Leslie, to play Ronnie and Reggie, and they are just sensational.

“My Dad, every lunchtime, used to drink with the Krays’ mum. I’ve got my own ­experience as well.

West Ham record (14/15 PL season) 9 Won 4 Drawn 5 Lost Statistics accurate as of 27 December 2014. Games played: 18

“When I started in business, I was in the adult ­entertainment business and we used to sell mail order. We used to get a percentage of cheques that bounced. So I used to write them a letter saying: ‘I’m very sorry, your cheque has bounced sir. I’m sure this is a terrible mistake. We don’t want any grief. Could you send us a new cheque or a postal order?’”

“And I signed it – Sidney Kray. They were banged up at the time and I thought it would just give me a little bit of an extra edge.

(Image: Getty)

“Well surprise, surprise, Reggie writes to me from Leicester prison saying: ‘How dare you use our family name! There is only one Kray family.’

“Fortunately, I went on to have a long ­correspondence with him. But I did think at the time: ‘I’d better be careful otherwise when he comes out he might want half the business!’”

(Image: Action Images)

Sullivan and co-chairman David Gold were vilified during the summer for spelling out their blueprint for the way to improve the poor football that had Hammers fans calling for Allardyce’s head last term.

The pair have been rewarded, however, and there is real ­optimism going into the second half of the season.

“This is the best side since we’ve been here,” Sullivan said.

“We’ve only been here five years granted, but it’s the best by a million miles.

“I think we have all been vindicated. It was Sam who agreed to an attacking coach. It was Sam’s idea to play Stewart Downing centrally – where he has been a different player.

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“It was Sam who spoke to Mr Song when he had reservations about coming after last season. Then I spoke to him.

“On one occasion, it was Mr Song in Barcelona and me outside Smith’s restaurant in Ongar. I was in the street on my mobile telling him: ‘No, no, no... forget what you’ve heard. We’re a different team now!

“Then we played ­Southampton and it was our worst performance of the season. He must have thought: ‘I’ve been conned! How have I signed for this lot?’

(Image: AFP/Getty)

“But then Sam changed everything and you’ve got to take your hat off to him. He went with two forwards, he went with a diamond and we’ve never looked back.”

Defender Winston Reid’s contract remains an issue, but Sullivan is confident of holding on to the centre-back.

He added: “I know Arsenal and Chelsea have not expressed an interest. I think he wants a ­Champions League club. But you never know, he might just get it here with West Ham.”

Ahead of West Ham's Boxing Day meeting with Chelsea, take a look at this memorable war of words following last season's 0-0 draw between the two sides...