West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has been advised to stay away from the club’s home matches at the London Stadium following allegations of historic sexual misconduct.
A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times saw the 77-year-old businessman accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour by seven women. He has categorically denied the allegations and described them as “factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life”.
Sullivan stood down as joint chairman of West Ham shortly before the investigation was broadcast but remains the club’s largest shareholder, although the make-up of the Hammers’ ownership is set to change this year, with a consortium led by Amanda Staveley agreeing a £150m deal to acquire a 25.1 per cent stake from Vanessa Gold, daughter of former co-owner David Gold, who died in 2023.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League in May but are pre-season title favourites in the Championship as they look to bounce back at the first time of asking and begin their 2026-27 campaign with a home Carabao Cup clash against Portsmouth on Saturday.
And a spokesperson for London Stadium confirmed they had recommended that Sullivan not attend the Hammers’ home matches due to the “potential for demonstrations and anti-social behaviour by some spectators.”
A London Stadium statement read: “Following media reports at the end of the season regarding a safeguarding matter being managed by the club, London Stadium sought further information to ensure it could fulfil its own safeguarding responsibilities.
“Based on the information provided by the club, we understand the matter was investigated and that the club does not consider there to be an ongoing safeguarding risk associated with Mr Sullivan attending the stadium.
“However, given the potential for demonstrations and anti-social behaviour by some spectators, we have recommended to the club that he does not attend.
“We have also requested advance notice of any planned attendance so that appropriate safety and operational measures can be put in place.”
West Ham have declined to officially comment, although it is understood Sullivan intends on defying the recommendation to stay away.
The BBC Panorama and Times investigation also revealed that Sullivan has been banned by the Football Association (FA) from having contact with West Ham’s women and youth teams for three years due to safeguarding concerns.
Sullivan has said of the action by the FA: “I wish to clarify recent media reports regarding a negotiated agreement with the Football Association, which has been inaccurately described as a disciplinary ‘ban’.
“In my entire 16 years at West Ham I have never met any academy or women’s team players one-to-one, therefore I negotiated and temporary agreement with the FA not to do so until the FA resolved an outstanding complaint in relation to a single anonymous complaint regarding an event in 1981.
“The complaint had nothing to do about my time in football and it never happened. I saw it as a meaningless restriction, as it didn’t impact on my work in any way. Therefore, I accepted it for a quiet life.”