Saturday’s home opener at the London Stadium was supposed to be a unifying moment for West Ham United. A London derby facing Charlton Athletic and a crowd of 62,500 packing the stands, setting a new Championship attendance record. Supporters showed immense dedication to the club, yet the most glaring story wasn't on the pitch. Despite an underwhelming performance, it was the empty seats in the owners' box.
There is no doubt this was a historic moment in the history of West Ham. Nuno Espírito Santo called it "huge" afterward, and he wasn't overstating it. This is a club that got relegated in May and it’s supporters responded, three months later, by breaking an attendance record for the second tier of English football. Time and time again, the supporters have shown up for their club.
With all that has gone on in the boardroom, one would expect the same type of enthusiasm from their owners. Just over two months ago, the board pledged to rebuild and return to the Premier League. This was an opportunity for Daniel Křetínský, who is positioning himself as West Ham's dominant shareholder, the man who stated he would give "the additional financing the Club needs," wasn’t in attendance. This was a moment where he could have shown a commitment and told the club’s supporters he was the man to lead them into the future.
Instead… fans got David Sullivan. In full view, in the owner's box, at a match, and from his own club statement in June, effectively distanced him from the allegations that led to his resignation as chairman. Sullivan has been consistent about saying he would still support West Ham and has made clear he intends to keep attending matches.
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— E20ZoneTv (@E20WHU) August 22, 2026
There's a version of this where none of it matters. Where Křetínský has a business empire spanning energy, media and logistics across Europe, a Saturday in East London simply wasn't on the calendar. Then there’s Vanessa Gold, mid-negotiation over the sale of her family's shares, who had entirely legitimate reasons not to be there, including legal, logistical, and personal ones that would make her stay away. Owners miss games. It happens at every club in the country, every single week.
But this wasn't every week. This was the first home Championship match in fourteen years. This was a record. And this came only weeks after a summer in which West Ham's ownership structure was rewritten in public, promising fans that the club's future was being taken seriously by people who understood what was at stake. A club that was moving on from a majority shareholder and former chairman who has left the club in shambles. Millions in debt, allegations that are embarrassing for a fan base. A stadium no one wanted and of course being knocked down to the second tier.
Křetínský, for his part, was vital in helping to get Jarrod Bowen committed to stay. In just the last month, as Amanda Staveley and her consortium made a bid for Gold’s shares, Křetínský showed the feistiness supporters look for from their owner. He got angry. He responded by exercising his pre-emptive rights and even brought in his friend Jakub Harvlant to buy 2% of the club. Those are the moves of someone who does want to take the reins. But then he goes missing. If there was ever a match to be seen at, to be photographed among over 50,000 season ticket holder who just proved their loyalty despite relegation, this was it.
If he is to be the loudest voice on the board after stepping up to become co-chairman and proposing to buy out Gold and stave off a takeover attempt from Staveley, wouldn’t it instill some confidence in supporters and counteract Sullivan’s presence by being there?
There is real understanding among the fanbase that boardroom matters are messy right now, that shares are changing hands, that lawyers are involved, that this isn't a normal August. Nobody reasonable expects Křetínský to drop everything and fly in from Prague or wherever his week has taken him. But understanding the complexity of the ownership situation and excusing the absence entirely are two different things. None of the legal complexity around Staveley's bid actually prevented Křetínský from attending a football match less than three hours long on a Saturday afternoon in London. This wasn't a scheduling conflict. It was a choice about priorities, and on the day West Ham needed a show of unity and confidence more than almost any other day this year, the figure most publicly associated with the club's "new era" chose not to be seen making it.
There has been a quiet but persistent question forming among West Ham supporters since Křetínský's involvement deepened this summer: does he actually want to be an involved, visible chairman, or is this a financial position he intends to hold from a distance? His camp has talked about stadium redevelopment, about training ground upgrades, about retaining key players, about an immediate return to the Premier League. Those are the right words.
Additionally, if Havrlant is the newest shareholder, why miss the opportunity to introduce himself to the faithful at his first home match? Why buy 2% of the club and then not show any interest? Is he actually interested in the club’s success or is he just there to block a move?
None of these questions were answered on Saturday. As the product on the pitch seemed directionless and without a will to fight for a win, the absence of leadership on and off the field was apparent.
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