Sullivan attends West Ham game despite advice not to

David Sullivan, the former co-chairman of West Ham United, has made a point of attending a Carabao Cup match against Portsmouth, despite receiving advice not to. Sullivan's decision to attend the game, even as he had resigned from his position in June, came as the club faced allegations of sexual misconduct. Seven women had accused him of exploitative and predatory behavior, claims he vehemently denied.

Following these allegations, West Ham found themselves in the opening round of the EFL Cup for the first time in 15 years, a feat achieved after their relegation from the Premier League last season.

The match against Portsmouth marked the club's first game since the allegations against Sullivan were made public. An investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times revealed that Sullivan had been barred from interacting with the club's women's and youth teams for the past three years due to safeguarding concerns. Despite his resignation and the recommendation from London Stadium to abstain, Sullivan remains the club's largest shareholder with a 38.8% stake.

A spokesperson for the stadium informed BBC News that they had advised West Ham on Sullivan's attendance, citing concerns over potential fan unrest. However, there were no reports of any issues at the stadium before or after the match began.