West Ham United co-chair David Sullivan plans to attend the club's Carabao Cup first-round tie against Portsmouth on Saturday, despite receiving advice from London Stadium officials to stay away from home matches.
Sullivan, 77, resigned from his co-chair role in June following a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times that detailed accusations of sexually exploitative and predatory behavior from seven women. Sullivan has denied these allegations.
A spokesperson for London Stadium informed BBC News on Monday that the stadium had "recommended" to West Ham that Sullivan not attend matches due to concerns regarding potential fan unrest. The stadium has requested advance notice of any planned visits by Sullivan, who remains a significant shareholder with a 38.8% stake, to implement enhanced safety and operational measures.
This upcoming match against Portsmouth is the first West Ham has played since the allegations against Sullivan were initially reported. The joint investigation also revealed that Sullivan has been prohibited from contact with West Ham's women's and youth teams for the past three years due to safeguarding concerns. London Stadium stated it was unaware of these restrictions until the BBC's report.
Sullivan had been banned following a historical allegation about his conduct that was raised with the Football Association in 2023. He has previously stated this allegation was false. Prior to these recent reports, Sullivan had faced considerable fan criticism for his management of the club, which was relegated to the Championship last season for the first time since 2011.
While the club has seen on-field stabilization, with key personnel including manager Nuno Espirito Santo and captain Jarrod Bowen committing their futures, significant uncertainty persists off the pitch. Vanessa Gold, daughter of Sullivan's late business partner and former co-chair David, withdrew from a deal to sell a portion of her stake to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. Instead, she agreed to sell her entire 25.1% stake to Amanda Staveley, associated with the Saudi Arabia-backed takeover of Newcastle United.
Kretinsky has since divested a small part of his own stake, reducing his ownership below 25%. This maneuver could allow him to acquire Gold's shares under West Ham's pre-emption rights rules, which grant existing shareholders priority in purchasing available shares. If this occurs, Kretinsky would become the club's largest shareholder without triggering a clause that would obligate him to purchase the remainder of the club. The match against Portsmouth is anticipated to set an attendance record for an EFL Cup first-round tie, with West Ham having already sold 55,000 season tickets for the current campaign.