David Sullivan, the former West Ham co-chairman who resigned in June after seven women accused him of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour, attended West Ham's Carabao Cup first-round match against Portsmouth at London Stadium on Saturday — despite being advised to stay away. BBC Sport

Sullivan categorically denies the allegations. He stepped down as co-chair in June, but retained his 38.8% stake, making him the club's largest single shareholder. BBC Sport

The match was the first West Ham fixture played since the allegations were reported. It was also the club's opening-round appearance in the EFL Cup — the Carabao Cup by its sponsor's name — for the first time in 15 years, a consequence of last season's relegation from the Premier League. BBC Sport

The London Stadium operator had "recommended" to West Ham that Sullivan not attend home matches, citing concerns about potential fan unrest, a stadium spokesperson told BBC News. West Ham's own fans' advisory board issued a statement warning that his presence would cause "offence and upset". The Guardian

Sullivan came anyway. West Ham had been expecting him to attend despite the advice, according to BBC Sport. BBC Sport

There did not appear to be any problems inside London Stadium before kick-off or shortly after, per the BBC's reporting.

A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times had previously revealed that Sullivan was banned from contact with West Ham's women's and youth teams for the past three years because of safeguarding concerns. BBC Sport

For West Ham supporters, the evening already carried a heavy weight. Relegation dropped the club into the Championship — England's second tier — for the first time since 2012, and a first-round cup tie against League One Portsmouth was not how anyone associated with the club pictured a season opener at a 62,000-seat stadium. That Sullivan chose this particular night to return to his seat, against the explicit advice of both the stadium operator and the fans' own representative body, added a layer of boardroom tension to a occasion that needed no extra complications.

Whether the calm inside the ground holds across the season is a question that only the coming weeks will answer. Sullivan remains the club's largest shareholder, and relegation guarantees fewer television cameras, lower revenues, and a fan base already testing its patience.