West Ham bans season-ticket holder who held up an “oversized” anti-board banner

West Ham bans a season-ticket holder who held up an “oversized” anti-board banner at the recent home game against Sunderland.

A letter was sent to 27 year old Joshua Wood, saying he is unable to attend their next five matches (two home, three away) after being seen on CCTV with a banner, which read “Time 2 Sell – Name Your Price”, calling for owners David Sullivan (largest shareholder) and vice-chair Karren Brady to sell the club.

The club said that the banner was a breach of ground regulations with its size exceeding permitted dimensions, default 2m x 1m, adding that it was made out of non-fire-retardant material, with a risk to safety (e.g. passed over heads), and that there was a lack of prior approval.

Well what a couple days… yesterday I received a letter from West Ham stating I was to receive a 3 home match ban simply for holding up a banner that voiced our distaste for the current regime

I will always love this club but silently watching it slowly crumble isn’t on ⚒️⚒️ https://t.co/KFkwaNa1WD

— Josh Wood (@Josh_woody98) January 30, 2026

Scumbags for doing this to loyal fans simply expressing a polite suggestion. Could’ve been a lot worse written on that banner, but we showed respect, reluctantly. Not much of that in the direction of the fans is there. #NoMoreBS https://t.co/Ntu6BzjVjd

— The Bobby Moore Stand Channel (@thebmstand) January 30, 2026

“Any flags or banners larger than those maximum dimensions permitted by the Club from time to time (or, in the absence of such stipulations, 2m x 1m) and/or of an offensive nature”.

They said he was “observed reaching down to retrieve a banner which breached the permitted dimensions listed above”.

Joshua denied bringing or smuggling the banner in, saying that he and others were simply asked to hold it up after it appeared from under a seat, and he was the first to pick it up.

The standard sanction for prohibited items is up to three home matches, but Joshua was handed a five game ban, and plans to appeal.

As per The Guardian, West Ham said ‘they were unable to comment on a live investigation but are understood to dispute that the ban was an attempt to stamp out fan dissent’.

The club go on to say it would be unfair to take action against other fans who came into contact with the banner as they simply held it while it was passed along the stand.

They also dispute any intent to suppressing fans’ peaceful protest.

West Ham have banned a fan who held up an “oversized” anti-board banner at last week’s game against Sunderland.

The banner was too big and therefore breached stadium policy.https://t.co/oWN3a5PdIq

— Jacob Steinberg 🎗️ (@JacobSteinberg) January 30, 2026

Joshua, who is doing some work on the effects of West Ham’s move from Upton Park in 2016 and how much it has hurt local communities, reckons around eight people held up the banner.

He said: “I was informed when I was getting a beer in the concourse that a banner had been dropped off by our seats and someone wanted us to hold up a flag.

“I’m not too sure who that was but we’re all protesting against the board so we were happy to do so. When I got down to the seat, there was a big roll of paper there. I didn’t even look at what was written on it. I just knew it was part of the campaign. I’m fed up so I was happy to voice my opinion.”

“They’ve been clever in how they’ve approached it because they’re not saying I’ve been banned for protesting.

“They’re saying I’ve been banned for bringing up a banner which doesn’t fit the regulations of their dimension sizes. I have no doubt that if it said: ‘We love you, Brady and Sullivan’ we wouldn’t be talking today.”

Here’s the social media reaction after West Ham bans the season-ticket holder who held up an “oversized” anti-board banner…

@soylent_green69: Sorry for you Josh. We need to keep up the protests to get our club back again. ⚒️

@coster_ray: Feel for you mate, and reading the comments on here the fans are with you. What happened to you should actually inspire people to start taking banners. You’ve clearly found a sensitive area for them & they can’t ban everyone

@jodyrandall: @WestHam this board should be ashamed. Can’t take criticism and want to demonstrate that we mean nothing to them. Remove the ban and put your big boy pants on. You’ve stripped this club. Now it’s your time to get the hell out of town. #NoMoreBS

@HammersUnited2: West Ham’s board proving that they are flailing around. Fiddling whilst West Ham United burns. The board hate West Ham United fans. #NoMoreBS

@MarshyBoy26: I know Josh personally, he’s West Ham through and through like the rest of us, absolute disgrace from the football club.

@Chris_Mills_: In light of this and yet another disgusting and unnecessary ban of our loyal fans @hammerunited2 should make the ManU match a ‘bring your banners and flags’ game. 1m x 2m and all anti board. We need to fight fire with fire against these scum owners. #NoMoreBS #SoldOurSoul

@westhamnetwork: Disgusting behaviour by the club @WestHam sort it out

@paulnobbyturner: Banning people is exactly the coverage we need against these scum owners

@Sam6WHU: This is disgraceful from the club. Fans have every right to show their displeasure, and banning someone for peaceful protest is a dangerous precedent. This doesn’t sit right with me at all.

@E20WHU: This Ownership only values the people currency and not value anything else.. David Sullivan & Karren Brady Have destroyed this club with lack of ambition and no forward planning into the future… If west ham go to the championship then we hold them solely to blame.

@StevieJohnSpurs: I hate West Ham, but I feel for their fans. Their owners smashed down their stadium, destroyed the local businesses and buried part of what makes match days special (meeting up with mates and eating and drinking at local establishments). Sullivan is a cunt

@nozza999: Disgusting cunts of a board. If relegation would not hurt us fans soo much I could not wish for anything better for the board to lose 100’s millions and to get relegated.

@steve_makin: They really hate us. They are in for a big shock next season when the stadium will be empty.

@SaveConcessions: WHU: ‘The club has made no attempt to thwart peaceful and lawful protest this season.’ Stewards – on multiple occasions – have burst black balloons in front of us fans.

@The_BoleynBoys: Complete and utter disgrace! But is anyone surprised? Absolutely not.