Newsgroup: it.sport.calcio.milan
Titolo: [attn Dejan] Derbytime WHU!

Millwall FC - West Ham United - 21/03/2004
Source: Reuters + Guardian
Crowd trouble marred the English first division match between Millwall and
West Ham United on Sunday.
Mounted police were needed to restore order at Millwall's New Den stadium as
trouble flared in the second half of the crucial promotion battle between
the London rivals.
According to BBC radio, West Ham fans tried to invade the pitch when
Millwall, leading 3-1, were awarded a penalty and West Ham goalkeeper
Stephen Bywater was sent off.
The match had attracted a massive security operation, with a reported 1,000
police officers on duty in and around the stadium close by the River Thames.
FA Cup semi-finalists Millwall, who missed two penalties, won the game 4-1
to boost their chances of reaching the promotion playoffs.
The south London club are now seventh in the table with 59 points, level
with Sunderland and Ipswich and just one behind fifth-placed West Ham with
two games in hand.
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A section of West Ham's fans brought disgrace on their club yesterday as 40
riot police and eight mounted officers were called into the stadium to quell
disturbances at the away end.
Around 250 visiting fans left their seats in an effort to confront home
supporters in the West Stand. As the mob formed, cordons separating the away
seating from the pitch were torn up, as was a "Lions Against Racism" banner.
It is the fourth time this season that West Ham's hooligan problem has
reared its head. Before and after the Carling Cup matches against Tottenham
and Cardiff, as well as at the league fixture with Cardiff at Upton Park,
West Ham fans have been involved in violence.
A seat was thrown from one of the Millwall stands towards the away fans but
had it not been for the strides made in fan management at the Den over
recent seasons, there might have been more violence inside the stadium.
A vetting scheme allowed yesterday's to be a membership-only match,
guaranteeing the home fans would lose their season tickets if drawn into the
confrontation. The construction this season of a tunnel from the ground to
the local train station further ensured that away supporters could be
segregated and escorted all the way back to east London.
In the event, there were four ejections of Millwall fans, with one arrested
for racial abuse. "We will deal with that with zero tolerance," said
Millwall's chairman Theo Paphitis. "If you noticed, our fans were booing the
incidents and did not get involved."
Two West Ham fans were arrested for criminal damage and another three
ejected after visiting supporters vandalised the toilets. Yet Alan Pardew,
dismayed at his team's insipid display, sympathised with fans' fury. "You
can't condone that behaviour but by the same token the frustration from the
pitch made the fans edgy and we have to take responsibility for that," he
said.
There is an issue of primacy between the two clubs which required an
1,100-strong police presence, but that could not prevent matters getting out
of hand. The Football Association will now consider the evidence before
bringing charges against either club.
"They were West Ham season-ticket holders - that's a big disappointment,"
said Paphitis. "We will be passing the CCTV footage to the club."
West Ham's captain Christian Dailly had opened the scoring for Millwall,
prompting ironic shouts of "Shoot!" every time he was in possession in his
own half.
It was later, with Millwall 3-1 up, that Stephen Bywater's sending-off for a
professional foul and the consequent award of a penalty stirred the visiting
fans into violent action. Tim Cahill, who had doubled Millwall's lead, sent
the spot-kick high and wide - Millwall's second missed penalty after
Bywater's legs had thwarted Neil Harris in the first half.
The visitors made no such mistake with their penalty, again correctly
awarded by Jeff Winter after Matt Lawrence handled in the area. Yet Marlon
Harewood's conversion to make it 2-1 did not act as a platform from which a
feeble West Ham side would mount a response. Instead, eight minutes later,
Cahill volleyed in Paul Ifill's corner. When Tomas Repka failed twice to
clear from Nick Chadwick, a fourth Millwall goal was rammed home.
It was a day to forget for West Ham's fans - but the recriminations may
prevent that.
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 Millwall FC - West Ham United - 21/03/2004
letto con voracità :-)))
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