West Ham party brawl sparked by alleged racist abuse of player

| Wednesday May 18, 2011 00:00

The event was spoiled by a disturbance between supporters and players which caused the police to be called to the Grosvenor Hotel in central London.

Sullivan told Sky Sports News: 'The whole incident has been blown out of all proportion. It was one individual that had too much to drink, sadly a problem in British society. A player was racially abused by the same drunken supporter which is totally unacceptable. Sadly, one drunken supporter has let the club down.' It is thought the player in question may be Demba Ba, who, according to witnesses, was also at the centre of the row after he allegedly refused to sign an autograph.

Trouble apparently flared once the club's co-owner David Gold had delivered a speech in which he had pledged the team's stay in the Championship would be brief after relegation was confirmed at Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

Witnesses claimed supporters then reacted badly after Ba supposedly turned down the autograph request, with other players, including Manuel da Costa, confronted in the ensuing melee. Plates and glasses were apparently broken in the brief fracas that followed, with a group of supporters running from the function suite out of the hotel, pursued by security staff. (Skysports)