West Ham co-owner and majority shareholder David Sullivan has been advised not to attend the club’s home matches after concerns were raised about potential crowd unrest following allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
London Stadium, the publicly owned venue where West Ham play, confirmed it had recommended that Sullivan stay away from fixtures and requested advance notice of any planned visits so additional safety and operational measures could be put in place. Despite the recommendation, the club expects Sullivan to continue attending home matches and has informed the stadium operator of that position.
The move follows a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times in which seven women accused Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour. Sullivan has firmly denied all allegations.
Before the investigation was broadcast, Sullivan stepped down as West Ham’s joint chairman, saying he wanted to concentrate on challenging what he described as false allegations dating back decades. He remains the club’s largest shareholder.
The investigation also revealed that Sullivan has been barred from having contact with West Ham’s women’s and academy teams for three years because of safeguarding concerns. London Stadium said it only became aware of those restrictions after the investigation was published.
The ban followed a historical allegation reported to the Football Association in 2023. Sullivan has previously maintained the claim was false and said he accepted the restriction because he had never met women’s or academy players on a one-to-one basis during his 16 years at the club, describing the measure as insignificant and intended to avoid further dispute.
West Ham, who were relegated from the Premier League in May, are scheduled to host Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup on Saturday in their first home match of the new season. Sullivan was a regular presence at the London Stadium throughout last season, often watching matches from the directors’ box.
London Stadium said it sought further information from West Ham after reports of a safeguarding issue emerged at the end of last season. According to the operator, the club stated it had investigated the matter and did not believe Sullivan’s attendance presented an ongoing safeguarding risk. However, the stadium still recommended he avoid matches because of the possibility of protests and anti-social behaviour among some supporters.
Sullivan has already faced significant opposition from fans over the club’s ownership, with thousands taking part in demonstrations last September calling for him to leave.
West Ham declined to comment on the situation. It is understood the club intends to work with the stadium operator to facilitate Sullivan’s attendance at future matches. Sullivan also did not respond to a request for comment.
Separately, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Tony Livesey left the station on Monday after 16 years. Livesey had stepped away from his weekday late-night programme in June after allegations concerning Sullivan became public.
Livesey previously served as editor-in-chief of Sullivan’s Daily Sport and Sunday Sport newspapers. One of the women who made allegations against Sullivan claimed Livesey arranged a meeting between the two in 1999.
Livesey said he had no memory of introducing the woman to Sullivan and stated that arranging such meetings was never part of his responsibilities. While expressing sympathy for anyone who may have suffered harm, he denied any involvement in the alleged events and rejected suggestions that he played any role in the situation.