West Ham beat Portsmouth in Carabao Cup as Sullivan ignores advice to stay away

David Sullivan took his seat for West Ham’s Carabao Cup tie against Portsmouth despite being advised to stay away, according to The Guardian. Wearing an unseasonable black bomber jacket and flanked by heavy-duty company, the club’s major shareholder and former co-chair sat with his arms crossed, always conspicuous by his presence.

The decision came in the face of serious allegations placed against his name and the weight of public opinion. Sullivan ignored the advice of the stadium’s operators and was unbowed as West Ham secured a relatively comfortable 3-1 victory over Portsmouth.

The result booked West Ham’s passage to the second round of the Carabao Cup, where they will be reunited with their former Premier League peers. Attention now turns to the Championship, with a next Sunday trip to Burnley. Whether Sullivan travels north for that fixture remains to be seen, but it cannot be ruled out.