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West Ham United's official attendance figures at the London Stadium have been called into question after data obtained through a Freedom of Information request revealed a significant gap between tickets sold and supporters actually entering the stadium.
Turnstile records from Newham Council show that almost 245,000 paid-for seats went unused across the Hammers' 19 Premier League home matches during the 2025-26 season, despite the club reporting an average attendance of more than 62,000.
West Ham's London Stadium attendance figures come under scrutiny
Data obtained via a Freedom of Information request from Newham Council's turnstile software has revealed an average discrepancy of nearly 13,000 unoccupied seats per Premier League fixture at the London Stadium last season.
The council's turnstile logs show that West Ham's published ticketing figures differ hugely from the number of supporters who actually entered the stadium.
West Ham reported an average of 62,455 tickets sold across 19 home league matches, representing a 99.92% capacity fill rate.
However, the actual average attendance was 49,567, meaning the stadium was occupied to just 78.66% of capacity.
Across the campaign, 244,870 paid-for seats went unused, with the biggest discrepancies coming during evening and midweek fixtures.
The January 6 meeting with Nottingham Forest provided the clearest example, with more than 62,000 tickets sold but just 33,357 supporters entering the stadium.
The Brentford clash also saw a significant difference, with more than 62,000 tickets sold but only just over 40,000 supporters attending on October 20.
The Brighton fixture saw 62,438 tickets reported as sold compared to an actual attendance of 43,696, while 9,868 ticket holders missed the Tottenham derby.
The FOI data adds weight to long-standing supporter concerns about the London Stadium since West Ham left the Boleyn Ground in 2016.
Upton Park was renowned for its intimidating atmosphere, while the London Stadium has faced criticism over its distance from the pitch, transport difficulties and rising ticket prices.
FGG Says: The London Stadium figures raise further questions for West Ham
The difference between tickets sold and supporters actually entering the London Stadium is striking, particularly when West Ham's published figures suggest that matches are routinely played in front of almost capacity crowds.
While ticket sale remain an important measure of demand, the turnstile data provides a very different picture of stadium occupancy and raises further questions about West Ham's long-term relationship with their home.