HAM BAN FEAR

WEST HAM face having to play behind closed doors.

After Saturday’s shameful scenes at the London Stadium during the 3-0 defeat by Burnley,

Starsport can reveal both the FA and Newham Council have the power to make them play future home games without fans.

Hammers legend Sir Trevor Brooking also fears a repeat of the violence could send the club crashing out of the top flight.

The Burnley game was marred by trouble with co-owner David Sullivan hit in the face by a coin lobbed by angry West Ham fans and several pitch invasions.

Skipper Mark Noble wrestled with one invader on the pitch (right), while children took cover in the Burnley dugout.

The club, FA, Premier League and police have all launched investigations and there are fears fans will face a lockout.

Alternatively, they can order a partial closure of the stadium or let the club off with a heavy fine.

But the seriousness of the disturbances means that none of the potential punishments has been ruled out.

The last time the FA acted after crowd disturbances was in May 2015 when Aston Villa were fined £200,000 following pitch

invasions at the FA Cup quarter-final against West Brom.

But the flashpoints at West Ham are being viewed as far more serious.

The Hammers’ next home game is against Southampton on March 31.

Manager David Moyes is due to take his squad to Miami this week for some warm weather training.

Former midfield star Brooking witnessed the trouble first hand from the directors’ box. And he admits any repeat could send the club spiralling towards relegation.

“There is no way the team is going to play and get the points to stay up under that sort of atmosphere. It is impossible,” he said.

Bleak

“I think a coin did hit David Sullivan on his glasses.

“I didn’t see it but I did have that confirmed, which was part of the reason why they thought people in the directors’ box should go inside to save any more problems like that. Before yesterday the club had six home games out of nine, which to a certain extent looked like an advantage.

“When you’ve just lost 3-0, had people coming on to the pitch and a lot of people venting their frustration to the directors, then that means the next five games at home look pretty bleak.

“That atmosphere must never come back in the last five games otherwise the club is in serious trouble.

“The players won’t be able to deliver.”