BBC Panorama’s ‘Predator’: speaking out, power and the need for accountability

By Polly Wooding – Fundraising Assistant at Oasis

The recent BBC Panorama documentary Predator – The Billionaire Football Boss aired in the same week that the World Cup kicked off and global attention turned to football. At a moment when the sport was preparing for its biggest stage, the documentary forced a very different story into view – one about power, accountability, and the behaviour of those who help shape the game. Its investigation into David Sullivan, the now former co‑chair of West Ham United, raises questions that reach far beyond one man or one club. It exposes a pattern that many women’s organisations have been warning about for years: when powerful men are accused of abuse, the system tends to protect them – not the women who speak out. And it asks a simple but uncomfortable question, when the world is watching: what values does the sport really stand for?

If we set to one side the horrific behaviour highlighted in the documentary for a moment, we are met with the women who have bravely come forward. Each with her own experience, but all with one reality – speaking up carries risk. The risk of not being believed. The risk of being blamed. The fear that the man they are accusing is untouchable – “What’s the point? Who would give a sh*t?” These anxieties aren’t abstract; they are grounded in lived experience.

Those women spoke out despite the risks. Football’s response? A silence that speaks volumes. When the authorities and those with influence in the game fail to act decisively on allegations of abuse or exploitation, it teaches its young fans – consciously or not – that power can protect you, and that women’s safety is negotiable. Women and girls deserve to know that when they speak, they will be heard – not dismissed, not doubted, or punished for their courage.

Standing with survivors means:

• Believing them
• Protecting them
• Challenging the systems that silence them
• Holding powerful men to the same standards as everyone else

It means refusing to accept that abuse is an unfortunate but inevitable by-product of male-dominated space. And it means demanding better from a sport that has the power to influence millions.

At Oasis, this is the work we do every day. We stand alongside women who are navigating fear and uncertainty. We provide safety, advocacy, and the practical support needed to rebuild lives after abuse. Over the six weeks of the World Cup, incidents of domestic abuse can increase by up to 38% while England are playing, and calls to the helpline can spike. When a woman reaches out to us – frightened, unsure and in need of support – she will hear a calm, steady voice on the other end of the line. Someone who will listen, believe her, and help her find a path to safety.

Yes, the Panorama documentary is uncomfortable to watch. It should be. It forces us to challenge the contradiction between football’s glossy public image and the conduct it tolerates. If football wants to inspire the next generation, it must show that integrity matters more than influence – and that no man is too powerful to be held to account.