Where were the police? Sullivan slams West Ham stadium security

Dom Farrell

Where were the police? Sullivan slams West Ham stadium security image

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has criticised police and stewards at London Stadium after fan protests during Saturday's 3-0 defeat against Burnley spilled over to a shocking extent.

Fans invaded the pitch after Burnley's second-half goals, with one wrestled to the ground by Mark Noble after confronting the West Ham captain, while another individual planted a corner flag in the middle of the pitch.

A separate group of supporters congregated below the directors' box and directed their anger towards Sullivan and fellow owner David Gold, who were ushered from their seats as a safety precaution.

West Ham issued a statement after the match, pledging a "full and thorough investigation" into how events deteriorated to such a staggering extent, but Sullivan has already apportioned a degree of the blame.

"We feel very badly let down by the stadium operators appointed by the [London] Mayor's staff," he told Mirror Sport.

"Where were the stewards and police?"

The Premier League strongly condemned the incidents at the site of the London 2012 Olympics, while the Football Association will seek observations from West Ham and the match officials.

A number of videos circulated on social media, appearing to show one steward dozing off at his post, while two fans invaded the pitch and were able to return to their seats before being escorted out.

West Ham United Burnley Mark Noble 03/10/18 West Ham pitch invasion Burnley Premier League

David Moyes' side are 16th in the Premier League, three points above the relegation zone, after losing four of their past five matches and face fellow strugglers Southampton at home in their next top-flight game on March 31.

A number of Hammers fans were due to march against the board on Saturday, but the protest was cancelled at the last minute.

The club has been engulfed in toxicity in recent months, with results on the slide and the supporters angered by a lack of investment from the board, as well as the lingering bad feeling over the move to the London Stadium from Upton Park.

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.