| Hateland -
Articles |
03/05/02
- POLICE TO SUE MILLWALL OVER RIOT
By Naveed Raja
Daily Mirror
Police chiefs today said they may sue Millwall after hooligans
went on the rampage following the club's play-off defeat
against Birmingham last night. Thugs injured 47 officers
and 26 police horses, one of which nearly died, as up
to 900 Millwall fans threw bricks, paving stones, flares
and fireworks outside the ground.
Injuries sustained by policemen included a broken leg,
arm and foot. One officer needed stitches to a face wound.
Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair said the
violence directed towards the force, which police think
was premeditated, was "totally unacceptable".
He said: "In the next few days we will be calling
Millwall Football Club into Scotland Yard, and also the
Football League. "We will be taking legal advice
to consider whether or not it is appropriate to seek recompense
for the injuries and the overall cost of this operation."
Mr Blair added: "This was absolutely unacceptable.
We had a situation in which for an hour and 10 minutes
the football fans of Millwall decided to attack the police.
"The Birmingham fans were all locked inside the ground
and they weren't involved so this was a confrontation
between the people who allegedly support Millwall."
Chief Superintendent Mike Humphrey, who led the police
operation on the ground, said he feared for the lives
of his officers in the worst scenes he had witnessed in
six years at Millwall matches. He said: "Millwall
has always been a difficult club and last night it disgraced
itself."
But Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis said the club could
not be blamed for the disgraceful scenes. He said: "Hooligans
alone are responsible for their actions, no one else.
The problem of mob violence is not solely a Millwall problem.
It is not a football problem. It is a problem which plagues
the whole of our society.
"We, unfortunately, don't have the answer to society's
problems but we will continue to have dialogue and work
with anyone who believes they can help eradicate this
evil." |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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