West Ham call emergency meeting after angry supporters turn on owners and stampede towards directors' box
West Ham United’s clash with Burnley descended into chaos here as hundreds of supporters turned on the club’s co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, and a pitch invader was thrown to the floor by captain Mark Noble.
The club last night said they had launched an investigation into the events in the second half, in which four supporters broke on to the pitch and hundreds stampeded into the area in front of the directors’ box.
James Collins, the West Ham defender, and Burnley striker Ashley Barnes clashed with fans who had invaded the pitch, while police said they had received two allegations of assault.
Gold and Sullivan left their seats with five minutes of the game remaining, having spent around 10 minutes listening to fans furiously singing that they had “destroyed” the club. Some supporters were throwing missiles and others performed throat-slitting gestures towards the owners, while a middle-aged female steward was knocked off her feet in the melee.
As the protesting group of supporters made their way towards the pitch following Gold and Sullivan’s departure, the Burnley substitutes allowed children to sit on their bench, away from the mass of bodies.
David Moyes, the West Ham manager, condemned the supporters who had entered the pitch and called for unity from all at the club. The 3-0 defeat was West Ham’s third consecutive loss in the Premier League, and they remain just three points above the relegation zone.
West Ham last night called an “emergency meeting” with all London Stadium stakeholders, while the FA said it “strongly condemned” the disturbances.
The Premier League said in a statement: “There is no place at any level of the game for what happened. It is essential that everybody who plays or attends a Premier League football match can do so safely.”
West Ham fan protests boils over at the London Stadium
The club last season banned almost 100 fans following violence in a game against Chelsea, while Moyes fielded questions after the match on the prospect of being forced to play behind closed doors.
The manager said the unrest had worked against his players, who conceded two goals after the first pitch invader had been floored by Noble.
“As a supporter, you can’t cross the line,” Moyes said. “You know you can’t come on the pitch and the players know they have to perform. We were one goal down, in with a real good chance still. I would say it didn’t help, but I wouldn’t use it as an excuse.
“Everyone knows you don’t cross the line or come on the pitch. Those are the rules.
“What we need the club to do now, the players, the supporters, is pull together. When I took over, we were in the bottom three. We’re not in the bottom three now. We have eight games left to do so.”
A club statement said: “West Ham have launched a full and thorough investigation into the incidents which marred the second half of today’s match and are committed to taking decisive and appropriate action.”
The afternoon had begun with a tribute to Bobby Moore, the former West Ham captain, to mark the 25th anniversary of his death. The match was attended by Moore's daughter, Roberta.
But the build-up to the game had been interrupted by fallout over a cancelled march of protest and the roles in that decision by various supporter groups. The chairman of one fan group had said before the game that he feared for his safety after receiving abuse and threats over the proposed march, which was called off last week.
