The operator of West Ham's London Stadium has recommended that the club's largest shareholder, David Sullivan, stay away from home matches because of the risk of protests and anti-social behaviour from supporters.

The advice from London Stadium — the body that runs the publicly owned venue in Stratford — follows a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times, published on 3 August 2026, in which seven women accused Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour. Sullivan has categorically denied the allegations.

Sullivan stepped down as West Ham's joint chairman in June 2026, shortly before the investigation was broadcast, saying he wanted to focus on fighting what he called "factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations" about his personal life. He remains the club's largest shareholder.

The investigation also revealed that Sullivan had been banned from contact with West Ham's women's and youth teams for three years over safeguarding concerns. The Football Association opened a safeguarding investigation into Sullivan in 2023 after receiving allegations about his conduct. Sullivan said he had never met any academy or women's team players one-to-one during his 16 years at the club and accepted the restriction "for a quiet life." He said the underlying allegation was false.

London Stadium said it was unaware of the restrictions on Sullivan until the BBC's report. A spokesperson said the venue sought further information following the media reports to fulfil its own safeguarding responsibilities. West Ham told London Stadium that the matter had been investigated and that the club did not consider there to be an ongoing safeguarding risk associated with Sullivan attending the stadium.

West Ham declined to comment on the recommendation, though it is understood the club intends to work with stadium operators to facilitate Sullivan's attendance at games. Sullivan did not respond to a request for comment.

The story carries a heavy backdrop for West Ham supporters. The club were relegated from the Premier League in May and are due to play their first home match of the new season — a Carabao Cup (the English Football League Cup) tie against Portsmouth — on Saturday, 8 August.

Sullivan's departure as joint chairman is not the only recent change in the West Ham boardroom. Baroness Karren Brady, the club's vice-chair, announced in April 2026 that she would step down from her role. Co-owners Vanessa Gold and Daniel Křetínský said in a club statement on 13 June that the full West Ham board had not been notified about the allegations against Sullivan until approximately a month before their statement was issued.

The club has said the allegations do not involve club operations and that the safeguarding measures put in place in 2023 strictly followed its safeguarding procedures. Sullivan has indicated he plans legal action against the BBC over the historic allegations.

For West Ham fans, the start of a new season in the Championship — English football's second tier — was always going to be a moment of reset after relegation. Instead, the first home game arrives with the club's ownership in turmoil and its most powerful figure told by the stadium itself that his presence could provoke disorder.