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Stuart Nethercott: West Ham will get off lightly
David Yuill22.09.09
Former Millwall captain Stuart Nethercott believes the FA would be closing down The Den had last month's Carling Cup riot happened in south London
The hard-hitting defender believes the FA - who are set to charge both West Ham and Millwall this week for failing to control their supporters - will be more lenient on the Premier League East Enders.
When asked about the likely punishments, Nethercott said: "If it had happened at Millwall, they would be clambering to close the ground down. As it has happened at a Premier League side - which is a one-off these days - they won't hit them anywhere near as hard."
Both clubs are expected to be hit with a fine by the FA but Nethercott believes any large fines will see the Lions suffer most. He added: "It won't bother West Ham financially but a big fine for Millwall wouldn't help the club at all."
The 35-year-old, who was axed as boss of non-League Malden Town, added: "It was certainly no surprise to me that it went off."
Reader views (6)
West Ham so called supporters were the aggressors of every criminal act from outside the ground to the inside and the pitch invasion.
To blame Millwall just on reputation is very a weak excuse and I agree that the F.A. will let off West Ham lightly and the real victim will be Millwall F.C.
The F.A. has no clue in how to deal with the real offenders supported club namely West Ham.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
"The heart and soul clubs of English football", Thanks for the chuckle Mark. West Ham til I die.
- Gordon, East London
Rob,
Most commentators stated categorically that Millwall supporters were for the most part well behaved inside the ground and that's the over-riding impression I got at the game. Yes I saw a few broken seats but nowhere near 200. I can't comment on the toilets as that's one part of a football ground I try hard not to visit! My cousins who are WHU supporters, also at the game, admitted that their own fans had caused almost all of the trouble both inside and out of the Boleyn. If you watch any TV coverage of the game it is clear who exactly is causing the trouble not to mention the pitch invasions.
Millwall should not get any punishment over this, it's purely WHU's responsibility. The FA have created a precedent in that they charged Millwall with failing to control Liverpool supporters, at the New Den, although they later backed down. So logic tells you that WHU should be held solely responsible!
Still given what happened with the Tevez saga, the FAs/Medias love affair with West Ham and Millwall's reputation then I suspect that Millwall be disproportionately hit harder despite the fact that their supporters were responsible for and/or involved in the smallest fraction of the events, which occurred a few weeks back.
- Mark, South-East London
Got news for you Mark. Your fans did try to get out of their section and ripped out over 200 seats. Oh and they smashed up the toilets as well. Perhaps you'd like to fire off another letter of complaint.
- Rob, London
"whose fault it would have been if the same incidents had happened at West Ham."
Should have read......
"whose fault it would have been if the same incidents had happened at Anfield.
- Mark, South-East London
Spot on.
A few years back the FA tried to charge Millwall with failing to control away supporters, when Liverpool fans tried to get out their section, causing them to knock-over one of their own wheelchair bound supporters and throwing seats. You could imagine whose fault it would have been if the same incidents had happened at West Ham.
A few years back I formally complianed to the FA when Liverpool supporters threw a beer bottle at a Chelsea player at a FA Cup semi-final, missing him by a few inches and smashing up toilets at Old Trafford. I even sent them photos. The silence, despite me following it up from the FA was deafening.
There's is definitely one rule for the elite/also rans of the Premiership and the real heart and soul clubs of English football.
- Mark, South-East London
