Report: West Ham Demand London Stadium Changes After Pitch Invasion

West Ham United are "demanding changes" to how the London Stadium is run via an emergency meeting with the venue's landlords London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), per Sky Sports. 

The Hammers have struggled with crowd control throughout their time at the London Stadium, culminating in pitch invasions and a protest in front of the directors' box during the 3-0 defeat to Burnley on March 10.

It is understood that the fans' safety remains the club's primary concern.

The protests that marred the match against Burnley—West Ham's most recent outing at the London Stadium—has triggered a flurry of action from within the club, beginning with a "series of emergency meetings" with an aim to take "decisive and positive action," per an official statement on the club website.

West Ham's response comes as fans show their increasing unhappiness with the way David Gold and David Sullivan are running the club. Prior to the in-game protests against Burnley Hammers fans had planned to march beforehand, only for a prominent fan group to call off the protest following positive talks with vice-chairman Karren Brady.

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This turn of events has itself caused a serious rift between different factions of West Ham fans, per Miguel Delaney for The Independent, and it is seen as one of the "triggers" for the events that unfolded during the 3-0 defeat to Burnley.

West Ham's meeting with the LLDC is likely to be frosty, since the club are taking the organisation to the High Court over the number of fans allowed on matchdays, with West Ham believing they are contractually allowed to fill 60,000, a number the LLDC disputes. They also want more control over branding of the stadium to appease fans who do not feel the London Stadium is their home.

The outcome of these meetings could have a significant impact on the relationship between the board and fans. A leading fan group, the West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA), will reportedly take a vote on March 31 to decide whether to "reinstate plans for a protest march," per Simon Stone for BBC Sport.

"If the majority of members want a march, it is our obligation to do that," said Mark Walker, chairman of the WHUISA.

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It is unsurprising, then, that West Ham are calling for change in their emergency meeting with the LLDC. The FA has already confirmed it "strongly condemns" the scenes against Burnley, per Tom Doyle for the Evening Standard, while Sky Sports reports the governing body are considering charging the east London club.

West Ham are on a run of one win from their last seven games in all competitions, with the players reportedly worried "the toxic atmosphere" at the London Stadium will "harm their battle against relegation," per Jacob Steinberg for the Guardian.

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Hammers. West Ham may be talking urgently with the LLDC, but after fans called for mass resignations during the club's most recent Premier League encounter, supporters will likely be demanding changes far wider-ranging than those being requested of their club's landlords.