Premier League side West Ham is "facing more questions over crowd control measures at the London Stadium" after fans clashed following the team's 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough, according to the London GUARDIAN. Fans were seen "confronting each other inside the ground then fighting outside it in the Olympic Park," with stewards and police intervening to separate rival groups. A Metropolitan police statement confirmed three men had been detained. Police said that no injuries were reported (GUARDIAN, 10/1). In London, Matt Law reported West Ham co-Owner David Sullivan "has tried to pass off more trouble at the London Stadium" and criticism of the behavior of West Ham fans as "sensationalism" from people who "want to see the club fail." He also described the latest incidents during and after the draw against Middlesbrough as "routine" and insisted "they were not exclusive to the Hammers." The scenes were "bad enough" for the daughter of Middlesbrough Chair Steve Gibson, Victoria, to criticize the behavior. Sullivan claimed the events "were blown out of proportion by critics of the move to the London Stadium." He said in a statement, "The overwhelming majority of supporters behaved absolutely impeccably -- something that seems to get forgotten time and time again. I get the impression that there are lots of people out there who want to see the migration to our new stadium fail, and will take every given opportunity, big or small, to knock what we are trying to do" (TELEGRAPH, 10/2).
