David Sullivan attends West Ham tie despite stay-away advice

David Sullivan attended West Ham's League Cup tie against Portsmouth on Saturday despite advice from London Stadium that he should stay away after allegations of sexual misconduct.

Sullivan, 77, was accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour by seven women in a joint investigation by the BBC and The Times. He stepped down as joint chair of West Ham before the investigation was broadcast in June, saying he would fight what he called false allegations about his private life. He remains the club's largest shareholder.

London Stadium said on Tuesday that it had sought information from West Ham about a safeguarding matter and understood the club had investigated it. The stadium said West Ham did not consider there to be an ongoing safeguarding risk linked to Sullivan attending.

However, London Stadium said it recommended that Sullivan should not attend because of the potential for demonstrations and anti-social behaviour by some spectators. It also asked for advance notice of any planned attendance so safety and operational measures could be arranged.

Sullivan attended the first-round match, which West Ham won 3-1 against second-tier Portsmouth. AFP reported no unrest among fans before or after kick-off.