Two hours before kick-off around 900 West Ham supporters gathered at the nearby Aquatics Centre to stage a protest against David Sullivan and David Gold. A decade of drift had sharpened the mood within an increasingly disgruntled fanbase and, as grievances were aired against the club’s divisive owners, it was hard not to fear that the
London Stadium was going to witness one of its more chaotic afternoons.
![Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s equaliser earns draw for Everton at West Ham](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/23fdf9820193f0d6c007bce364b8c3174ad0dd66/0_155_4658_2794/master/4658.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdG8tZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=302c844fe8b4f8dd27df2b2a21475f7e)
In the event, however, a game that marked the 10-year anniversary of Sullivan and Gold buying West Ham trundled to a forgettable conclusion. There was no spark in the stands or on the pitch, merely a sense of ennui during a slog of a draw in front of supporters who lost faith in Sullivan and Gold’s ability to lift this unhappy club to the next level long ago.