Sullivan attends West Ham Carabao Cup tie at London Stadium despite advice

David Sullivan attended West Ham United's Carabao Cup match against Portsmouth at London Stadium on 8 August 2026 despite advice that he should stay away. A spokesperson for London Stadium told BBC News on Monday it had "recommended" to West Ham that Sullivan does not attend because of concerns about fan unrest.

Sullivan resigned from his position as co-chair of West Ham in June after seven women accused him of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour, allegations he categorically denies. The Portsmouth game was the first match the club played since those allegations were reported. West Ham entered the fixture in the opening round of the EFL Cup for the first time in 15 years following last season's relegation from the Premier League.

A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times reported that Sullivan has been banned from contact with West Ham's women's and youth teams for the past three years because of safeguarding concerns. That finding was published ahead of the club's return to action in the cup tie against Portsmouth.

Despite stepping down as co-chair in June, Sullivan remains the largest single shareholder at the club with a 38.8% stake. His continued ownership position at the club was unchanged at the time of the match.

There did not appear to be any problems inside the stadium before and shortly after kick-off. Matchday observers noted no immediate incidents connected to Sullivan's presence.

The fixture was an opening-round EFL Cup tie against Portsmouth, the club's first appearance at that stage of the competition in 15 years following relegation last season.