West Ham begin life in the Championship against Portsmouth amid a bleak summer dominated by boardroom conflict and anger towards co-owner David Sullivan. The club are favourites for promotion, but the dispute over ownership, Sullivan’s continued presence and allegations against him have overshadowed hopes of an immediate return to the Premier League.

London Stadium operators reportedly advised Sullivan not to attend because of possible supporter demonstrations, though he is expected to take his seat despite objections from the fans’ advisory board. Sullivan, who owns 38.8% of the club, denies Panorama allegations of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour and stepped down from his role before the programme aired; 50,000 season tickets have nevertheless been sold, while Daniel Křetínský is seeking to increase his shareholding to just under 50.1%.