David Sullivan set to defy London Stadium ban amid fan unrest

West Ham United owner David Sullivan, 77, is reportedly prepared to ignore a recommendation that he stay away from the club’s London Stadium, a move prompted by fears of fan unrest after a BBC Panorama and The Times investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.

The story was filed by OLLIE LEWIS, DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR, and published at 22:26 BST on 3 August 2026, with an update at 22:38 BST the same day.

The BBC Panorama probe, aired earlier this year, and a concurrent Times report alleged that the Hammers owner engaged in sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour towards seven women.

Sullivan has denied any wrongdoing, insisting the accusations are factually incorrect and entirely false, and he remains the club’s largest shareholder.

London Stadium officials, citing concerns of potential demonstrations and anti‑social behaviour, recommended that Sullivan not attend home matches and asked for advance notice of any planned visits to implement safety measures.

Despite the recommendation, the billionaire businessman is said to have told the venue he will attend, and he stepped down as joint chairman of West Ham shortly before the Panorama broadcast, saying he wanted to focus on fighting the decades‑old allegations.

An FA safeguarding inquiry in 2023 led to a three‑year ban on Sullivan’s contact with the club’s women’s and youth teams, a restriction the owner disputes, claiming he never met any academy or women’s player one‑to‑one during his 16‑year tenure.

A London Stadium spokesperson said the venue sought further information after media reports of a safeguarding matter and, after consulting West Ham, upheld its advice that Sullivan stay away due to the risk of spectator unrest. West Ham open their season on Saturday 8 August with a Carabao Cup tie against Portsmouth at the London Stadium, and Sport has been contacted for comment.