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Ban West Ham-Millwall cup ties, says Harry Redknapp
James Goldman27.08.09
Former West Ham boss Harry Redknapp believes fans should never again get the chance to attend a match between the Hammers and Millwall.
Redknapp, now in charge of Spurs, was sickened by the violence which interrupted Tuesday's Carling Cup tie between the London rivals.
One man was stabbed and the match itself was interrupted on three occasions by fans invading the pitch.
The Football Association, police and both clubs are all investigating the trouble and Redknapp (right) believes the clubs must now be kept apart in cup competitions.
He said in his Sun column: “I don't like saying this but I am afraid there is only one answer if the Hammers and Lions are ever drawn to face each other again — put the balls back in the hat and draw them out again.
“When the two names were drawn together it was just asking for trouble and that is exactly what we got because of the history between them.
“And if they ever meet in the league then the game should be played behind closed doors because the human cost of these kind of disturbances is just too high to bear any longer.
“There's the physical price you have to pay of high-profile policing and the cost to local shopkeepers but it's the emotional price that's the highest of all.
“How many young fans at that game at Upton Park have been put off for life of ever seeing another football match by the stupid violence?”
“Of course the blame game is now being played out as both clubs are quizzed and police levels are questioned with most hoping this was an isolated incident - a one-off.
“But I can tell you exactly how many of those mindless morons responsible for the mayhem will be holding their heads in shame today — NONE.”
Former West Ham defender Julian Dicks felt the actions of the so-called fans tarnished the name of his old club.
Dicks told BBC Radio Five Live: “I thought it was absolutely disgraceful.
“I know West Ham and Millwall fans have grievances but it wasn't a nice thing to watch. It was pretty sickening to see.”
Reader views (23)
i believe west ham had to play a game in the 70s behind closed doors
- Harold, chicago u s a
Presumably same will apply in Europe? Can't imagine UEFA being to happy with those two having to play each other in the Champions League.
- David Gill, Manchester
Will people stop calling these idiots Fans of any club - They are purely thugs looking for an excuse for a fight.
There are thousands of peoper West Ham and Millwall fans who are not interested in being involved in the thuggery that went on - probably including 24000 of the 25000 crowd in the ground on Tuesday.
Do not attack the clubs for the organised crime that went on Tuesday night - do not ban games or stop the fixtures being played in front of true fans.
Do not take points away from the clubs or stop them participating in cup competitions as that punishes the true fans and grants success to the thugs.
If you do the thugs win and the thousands of true fans are punished for something they do not want anything to do with!
- Steve, Redhill
The answer has to be for any similar fixture in the future to be played without any spectators allowed to attend.
- Simon Ellis, London
That mask slip for the first time revealing the WHU fans as thugs and racist.
I never did belive they were a family and friendly club.
Hope the punishment is severe for those lunatics to realise what they done to their club !
- Joe, Swanley Kent
Will people please give up on calling the people outside the ground fans?
If they were fans they would have been IN the stadium watching the match like 23000 others like myself and a few idiots who ran onto the pitch to celebrate West Ham scoring, not fight, i hasten to add.
This is why Harry's comments are so stupid because the people who want to watch football bought tickets to watch football. They had no other reason to go to Upton Park, unlike the ticketless idiots outside.
- Paul R, London
In the days before all-seater stadiums, a football ground was a potentially violent place to be. I should know because I was beaten at one and chased at another to avoid a second - and I hasten to add, I'm not a thug, hooligan or person who looks for that sort of trouble.
The remedy in an extreme case is a game behind closed doors.In lkesser cases, where violence might break out at a level far less serious than at West Ham, there should be the maximum number of stewards and police and if someone does make trouble, they are banned for life from every ground in the country and abroad, no questions asked.It might sound a bit draconian but sometimes you have lance the boil rather tan put a poltice on it.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
I am not a football fan but it seems to me that it might be better for any games to be played between West Ham and Millwall be played behind closed gates with no fans allowed in to watch.
- Liz Swann, Canvey Island
Barry: isn't that exactly what happened? Sure I read somewhere that they were the last two out of the bag. And if you mean them two meeting in a cup final... you're kidding right?
- Brett, SW13
Bagpuss,should wake up and realise the same applies to Chelsea and Spurs.
- Paul From Enfield, Enfield
Rollerball stadium should do the trick...no time limit, no substitutes, no penalties.
- Philip, castres france
It's a completely barmy notion from a normally sensible and coherent bloke. If the FA do what they should, West Ham will be banned from all Cup competitions for this season and next, so the problem will not arise. After that if they get drawn together then play the match behind closed doors and make the vicinity around both stadia no-go areas. Zero tolerance, but we all know the FA will shirk their responsibilities, as usual, and will be entirely culpable as and when someone gets killed.
- Charlie, Nr. Crackpot, North Yorkshire
And what would happen if they were to both get into the final?
- Kh, London
These idots are neither West Ham nor Millwall FANS. They are thugs - nothing more nothing less. I've been a season ticket holder at West Ham for over 10 years. Yes the fans get excited at matches and yes some of them overstep the mark on occassion. Never have I felt that unsafe.
At least 25%of the season ticket holders that sit near me decided not to attend on Tuesday night. I really wish I had made the same choice.
It didn't help that reports of what was going on outside were being text/called in to fans inside the ground. There was a noticable change in the atmosphere after reports of the stabbing made it in.
I agree with Harry that this fixture should never be played again, however, that won't stop these thugs from meeting for a fight. If the names are returned to the bag, they will still arrange to meet. It just won't involve genuine fans getting caught up in the trouble just trying to get to/from the game.
I was shocked by how few police were inside the ground. If they had this billed as odds on for trouble, why hadn't they insisted on a huge number of police inside as well as outside? The stewards don't normally have much to do on a normal match day. They are not, and will never be a match for a large number of fans invading the pitch like that. No club could have coped with what happened on Tuesday night. I am just upset that football 'fans' have once again been tarred with this brush.
- Jules, Essex
Whilst I agree future West Ham v Millwall fixtures need to be considered would Harry would have given the same opinion on future Chelsea v Spurs following the riot at the White Horse in Parsons Green on 11 March 2007??
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23388581-details/10+fans+knifed+in+Chelsea+battle/article.do
- Martin, Kew, London
sensible comments from two people, and then my god, Eric pipes up. In answer to his points. 1) So football grounds should be moved to posh areas eh? 2) what has standing or not standing got anything to do with violence? Maybe you'd like to see people stapled to their seats. 30 No cheap tickets!? Yes, exactly what football needs. People are already priced out of the game as it is. So I take it you encourge footballs evolvement into a middle class sport?
I've not heard such utter drivel for a while. A life-time supporter?? Since when, since Sky Sports no doubt. You're the sort of person who ought to be banned from grounds, you're the sort of supporter killing football.
- Alex, bristol
Has Harry thought what a possible consequence of putting the balls back might be? Both teams may progress to the final - try putting the balls back and drawing again when there are only two in there and see what you get.
This isn't a problem that football can solve. These cretins will be causing trouble somewhere again on Friday and Saturday nights, just like they do every weekend.
Holding football responsible for this is like blaming a street when somebody has a fight in it.
Sadly these no hopers suffer from what is a British disease - beligerence and aggression.
- Barry Chapman, Welwyn England
I have minimal interest in football and zero interest in having a fight with someone about it. However lots of ‘people’ at least pretend to have an interest in football and revel in the opportunity to have a fight with someone about it.
West Ham and Millwall fans want to fight each other particularly strongly, because they have done it in the past and it is one of the few things their little brains can remember (along with nazi-esque racist ‘football’ chants and that used kebabs make excellent street decorations).
- Alex, London
This is coming from the man whose 'new' club has a hardcore of total idiots.Fairweather fans with a nasty mentality.When we want your opinion Judas,we'll ask.OK?
- Steve, London
If you ban West Ham v Millwall ties it will only promote more trouble as fans will cause trouble against all the better teams so as not to draw them in the cup in future - it would be mayhem at the Big Four!
- Paul, London
The trouble was bad and needs to be looked at but all the stuff in the ground has been blown up way to far.....and im a Millwall fan
Football trouble never went away and will never go away, all you can do is police as well as possible
- Lb, London
Let's not fool ourselves - trouble has continued to be around football. As West Ham are in the news, let's see... rumours of trouble before the "friendly" versus Napoli (oddly enough in the same area around the Queens as Tuesday night) and more recently against Spurs in the Mile End area.
The police sure can't be shocked by Tuesday's disorder, after all sure they had enough time, intelligence and previous expeience to have done more planning to avoid it.
- Brian, London
As a life time supporter I feel qualified to give my opinion. 1. West Ham need to change their location. Too long they have been associated with a deprived area. There are too many public houses, poor transportation and crowed streets. 2. WHFC need to exert discipline over the fans that persist in standing, particularly in the Bobby Moore stand. There should be zero tolerance with bans on fans who fail to comply with the regulations.3 The sale of cheap tickets should be examined. How can the impeccable behaviour of WH fans for the past ten years be explained by these events. I am sure that 90% of those who invaded the pitch were not regular fans. 4. Private security guards are fine on most days but they need to be supplemented by police for "special" games, and although this will increase costs, the public need the security of regular policemen being available if required.
- Eric Ellen, Hornchurch, Essex.
