Sullivan defies advice to attend West Ham’s Carabao Cup tie with Portsmouth

David Sullivan attended West Ham United’s Carabao Cup first-round tie against Portsmouth despite being advised to stay away from the London Stadium, defying guidance issued in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him. The 77-year-old, who remains the club’s largest shareholder with a 38.8 per cent stake, resigned as co-chair in June but has continued to attend matches.

The London Stadium had this week recommended that Sullivan keep away from home fixtures and asked for advance notice of any planned visits so that additional safety and operational measures could be put in place. He nonetheless took his seat for Saturday’s Carabao Cup fixture, the first competitive match West Ham have played since the allegations against him first emerged.

Allegations and denial

Sullivan stepped down as co-chair after a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times accused him of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour towards seven women. He has strongly denied the claims, describing them as “factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life”.

Despite giving up his co-chair role, Sullivan no longer controls the day-to-day running of West Ham but retains significant influence as the club’s biggest individual shareholder. His decision to attend the Portsmouth match, having reportedly felt he was being “bullied” into staying away, suggests he has no intention of severing ties with the club he has been involved with for decades.

A difficult season already

The Carabao Cup tie with Portsmouth marked West Ham’s first competitive outing following last season’s relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, adding to what has already been a turbulent period off the pitch for the east London club. The fallout from the Panorama and Times investigation has raised fresh questions over the club’s ownership structure and governance at a time when West Ham are also adjusting to life outside the top flight.

The London Stadium’s request for advance warning of any future visits by Sullivan indicates that concerns over safety and matchday operations remain live issues for the club and stadium operators alike. How Sullivan’s continued presence at fixtures is managed going forward is likely to remain a talking point among West Ham supporters and stakeholders as the new season progresses.

Read more: Sullivan told to stay away from West Ham matches after Panorama claims

Sources

• dailymail.com
• The Independent

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.