David Sullivan plans to ignore advice to miss West Ham's first home game of the season. The club's largest shareholder, who faces sexual misconduct allegations, feels he is being 'bullied' into staying away.
The operators of the London Stadium recommended Sullivan avoid the Carabao Cup match against Portsmouth on Saturday due to fears of fan unrest. The West Ham fan advisory board stated his presence would cause 'offence and upset'.
Sullivan resigned as co-chair of the club in June. His resignation came before a BBC Panorama and Times investigation where seven women accused the 77-year-old of predatory behaviour. Sullivan strongly denies the allegations.
Sources close to Sullivan said he is worried about the team's condition and a lack of transfer activity before their first season in the Championship in 14 years. These sources told Daily Mail Sport he feels he needs to watch the game live. They added that Sullivan feels he is being 'bullied' by 'keyboard warriors'.
He has not made a final decision. However, club insiders are staggered that he plans to attend. One staff member told Daily Mail Sport they will now stay away from the Portsmouth game because of the 'circus'. The staff member added that the club 'cannot be serious about wanting to do well if this is what is planned for the season ahead.'
Sexual misconduct allegations
Sullivan was accused in June of preying on women, some in their teens, during his time as a newspaper chief stretching back to the 1980s. Seven women gave detailed accounts of predatory behaviour, including being pressured for sex or oral sex by suggestions it would help their careers. Sullivan described the allegations as 'factually incorrect and entirely false'.
Sources close to Sullivan claimed fans sent messages urging him to attend. This comes despite his presence last season sparking protests against his ownership, including marches, boycotts, sit-ins, black balloons and thousands of fans brandishing red cards.
The Panorama investigation revealed Sullivan had been banned from contact with West Ham women's and youth teams for the past three years. The London Stadium operator asked to be informed of any planned visits by Sullivan to implement safety measures. West Ham reportedly told the operator it does not consider his attendance an ongoing safeguarding risk.
Club ownership changes
Sullivan's control of West Ham appeared to be weakening in June. Vanessa Gold, daughter of former co-owner David, agreed to sell part of their stake to fellow shareholder Daniel Kretinsky. This move would have seen the Czech billionaire overtake Sullivan as leading shareholder.
Last week, a new announcement confirmed Gold accepted a new offer from a consortium led by former Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley. Staveley agreed to buy a 25.1 per cent stake for £150million. This values the club at around £600million and leaves Sullivan as the leading stakeholder.
Staveley has reportedly also made an offer to Sullivan. He is believed to be open to selling his stake but values it at much more.
