FA condemn Upton Park violence

Calls for culprits to be banned for life

Last updated: 26th August 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

FA condemn Upton Park violence

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The Football Association 'strongly expect' all culprits involved in the violence which marred West Ham United's Carling Cup tie with Millwall to be banned from football for life.

Prior to the second round tie at Upton Park, a man was stabbed and trouble flared between opposing supporters in what police labelled "large-scale" trouble.

There were also several pitch invasions in the latter stages of the game, which West Ham won 3-1 after extra time.

Hundreds of fans were involved in the disorder which police said was caused by people without tickets to the tie who had planned to start trouble.

Police said later that the victim of the stabbing was a 44-year-old man who was in a stable condition in hospital.

A Football Association spokesperson said: "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park this evening both inside and outside of the ground.

"We will be working with all parties, including the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding tonight's events.

"We strongly expect all culprits to be banned from football for life. They have no place in our game."

As the final whistle blew at Upton Park hundreds of fans invaded the pitch. Police and stewards battled with fans in an attempt to remove them from the field of play.

As thousands of fans flooded from the ground, police closed several roads surrounding Upton Park and ushered them towards the tube station.

Around 200 officers in riot gear, backed up by at least 20 mounted officers, patrolled outside the station.

Rubbish, shards of glass and beer cans were strewn across Green Street and bricks could be seen in rubbish bins.

The Metropolitan Police said tonight they had no reports of any officers being injured during the violence.

Comments (84)

Dave C (Norwich City fan) says...

We need ZERO tolerance now! This country is too soft on football thugs and violent crime in general. Banning from football games on its own is no use, they'll wait outside the grounds. Fine them thousands, sack them from their jobs and send them to the army and see if they still think they're hard men then (the discipline learned there will do them the world of good). If they get away with violence, they will repeat offend knowing they can get away with it.

Posted 15:14 27th August 2009

Stephen Burke (West Ham United fan) says...

This has been going on since the 1920's.I have been to 4 of these games and each time there has been severe violence.I know of 3 fans who have died in this time,1 west ham fan chased onto the embankment in london and stabbed to death.! Millwall fan pushed under a train,and another millwall fan killed in the canterbury arms.All were a result of these two teams rivalry.If the game is behind closed doors they will meet somewhere else.

Posted 13:43 27th August 2009

Kev Shuttleworth says...

West Ham should be kicked out of the competition, it is not the first time they have been involved, and won't be the last. Please someone put them in there place buy kicking them out, and everyone who went on the pitch to be banned for life at every ground. Let's see if anyone has the guts to do it. On another matter Eduardo last night you were a cheat, we do not need any more players like that in our league. From a true Gooner

Posted 09:52 27th August 2009

Michael Hewitt says...

The world press is overreacting to this because it's us. Bye bye world cup 2018

Posted 07:20 27th August 2009

Steve Malkin (Manchester United fan) says...

It's all very well saying what did you expect with this tie. blah blah blah. Grow up, Gentlemen. It is high time that a little bit of maturity is brought into the game instead of acting like a bunch of animals. It's a great shame. We have such a great culture with our Football and it's ruined by idiots. All very well saying the media blow it out of all proportion. That's what they get paid for.

Posted 05:11 27th August 2009

James Boardman (Manchester United fan) says...

Send both teams down the League 2 at the very least. Fines and Point deductions are not enough. A man got stabbed for crying out loud. That is ridiculous. Football is our country's game. I'm ashamed to be British today..!!

Posted 05:06 27th August 2009

Dan Underhill (West Ham United fan) says...

I, like many other west ham fans are totally ashamed of the incidents last night. This match was always doomed to end in disaster. respect to all the true fans who supported the teams properly and didn't act like mindless idiots. this fixture if it ever happens again should be played at a netural ground out of london. and big respect to jack for being utterly brave and brilliant.

Posted 02:22 27th August 2009

Chris B says...

All blown out of proportion by the media, Yes there was trouble there was always going to be, but it was nothing like the 80s. should of been played on a sunday at 11am to limit it though so the FA and police have to take some of the blame.

Posted 22:08 26th August 2009

Jordan Ryan (Manchester United fan) says...

i think its disgusting,it takes english football back to the darker days of the game.both teams should be given very hefty stadium suspensions,if their fans can behave then they cant watch their team,its the only way to prevent this animal behaviour happening again.

Posted 21:22 26th August 2009

Gordon Doig says...

People listen to what you are saying, it's has little to do with pubs being open or closed and every thing to do with what you find acceptable in your attitudes. The way the media glorifies the FIRMS and the associated trash. In North America we have baseball & football played in front of much larger crowds, soccer draws decent size crowds. We even have tailgate parties prior to games where hundreds of guys do bbq's drink beer and party on. The crowds & families mix together at games, Red sock fans with Yankees fans (you think theres no violences in these cities) but there's very little violence shown, just good natured rivalry & fun. Show a violent attitude at a game & you are gone, charged & banned, sucurity & police present in the stands jumping on any problems asap. You will over come this type of thing untill the powers that be send a strong message that anti social acts are not manly they are just dumb and unaceptable.

Posted 21:11 26th August 2009

Louise Cooper says...

I have just been listening to the so called proffesionals on the tv about the upton park fiasco and i'm disgusted, they don't have a clue, they are still insisting on calling the thugs and lowlives that caused that horrible scene "fans", they are Not fans.It doesn't matter when or where they schedule a match if there are people out there that want to causetrouble then sadly they will find a way.I'm a west brom fan and would never dream of causing such trouble and Gary Johnson is right, you carn't tar everyone with the same brush, Approx 6 years ago my brothers friend left St Andrews after a wolves match, he wasn't wearing any colours but a group of lads followed him from the exit and as he went into a shop before getting into his car he was dragged from the shop and kicked and beaten and left for dead, he still has trouble walking to this day, any witness's at the scene were to scared to talk to police apparently they are well known for doing this and they wear the birmingham city colours whilst doing it, does that mean every blues fan is to be condemned for this behaviour. I don't want to see this sort of violence back in the game anymore than any of you lot, i think that a zero tolerance approach is the only way. Louise, lifelong West Brom fan.

Posted 19:38 26th August 2009

Neil Parkinson says...

This is going back to the 70's and 80's the blame lies with hooligans and not true supporters, mostly to blame is the media because leading up to this tie they were talking about history between the clubs, films like green street ect. The league should have also made stipulations.

Posted 19:33 26th August 2009

Marc Brown says...

No matter what you do, Early kick off to minimise drinking, behind closed doors etc, these games are always goa cause mayhem betweem fans. But how come there is never this much trouble with arsenal chelsea games? it is always with Millwall wen they are in a london derby. the fans that do this crap need to re think their priority, im newcastle fan and to be hones i cant be bothered with the fighting it is only a game of over paid pansies who dont care about the club they are with its only the money, so why do we need to lower ourselves. just cause we get beat does not mean that if we kick the crap out of the other fans is gona get us the 3 points. Bottom line is it is ridiculous. sad sad sad people who have nothing better to do than get drunk and fight oh and throw bottles at police hahahahahaha IDIOTS. I can see all those involved trying to justify what they did, dont bother.the only justification of this will be not to bother going to a game if you dont want to watch the game

Posted 19:26 26th August 2009

Clare Johnson (West Ham United fan) says...

I wouldn't normally bother commenting on something like this but as a season ticket holder that attended the game yesterday as normal, I wish to reiterate the small percentage of people that were involved in the violence, I was sitting well away from any of the away supporters and the fans surrounding me were all good spirited aiming lighthearted banter at the away fans as we would do whoever they were. You could tell it meant more to everybody, but we were all there to enjoy the game. Its a shame that half way through the game we started to feel so uneasy with the rumours of what had been going on outside... we had been sensible and avoided the trains and parked a safe distance from the ground where millwall fans would have no reason to go to, therefore were lucky enough to avoid it. Despite this we decided to leave the game with 5 minutes of extra time to spare as we didn't want to risk being there at the end of the game. The pitch invasions were a joke, it was a relief to equalise after a pretty poor performance but that's all it was an equaliser with 5 minutes left!!! I agree ban those "supporters" that were there to cause trouble but don't take it out on us loyal supporters (of either team). And millwall weren't completely blameless, they may not have invaded the pitch but even from the other end of the stadium you could see things including seats being thrown... will these be dealt with for criminal damage? Or issued bans? In respect of the police, I've never seen so many officers at a game, how much more could be done? On a positive note, well done Jack Collison, I thought he coped with the whole thing tremendously and would have made his dad very proud. Don't hate the clubs... hate the small minority of hooligans left out there!

Posted 19:17 26th August 2009

Mark Seltzer says...

No need for an official enquiry this will do; The reason = Historical rivalry between the clubs featured with films like Green Street so no suprise when the draw was made this would happen. The punishment = Ship them all out to Afghanistan for 1 year and see how brave they are then. The result = Shocking scenes the beautiful game turned ugly again sadness for true football fans :( I have been a West Ham season ticket holder for the past 3 years with my (now) 11 year old son, thank g-d we werent there last night.

Posted 19:08 26th August 2009

Seb Frank says...

There is rivalry in every major city in the UK. In Birmingham there are loads of derbies and rivalries and in Liverpool there are as well and Manchester and in London as well. So why should one think West Ham United v Millwall shouldnt have fighting. I knew the second those two clubs were playing against each other there would automatically be trouble which is common knowledge if one knows a little bit about footballing history in England. Me being a Spurs fan, and spurs being rivals towards Arsenal and West Ham United. One is always going to have rivalries and differences, but its how one tackles situations in a tense moment like yesterday. Millwall n West Ham United fans cannot control their anger and tempers towards one another because of their past history. If I saw an Arsenal fan on the street I wouldnt go up and kill him or beat him up because he supports Arsenal, I would obviously have a laugh with him and say I support Spurs and we get a joke going on but not by having a scruffle or something like that. Because violence dont solve anything. People in those days dating back in the 80s when Millwall fans were having it with West Ham United fans and via ser versa is just utter stupidity for having something in common in this day and age, but they do because of their past history and also the films mentioned like Football Factory and Green Street etc. I am not saying my club fans are saints either but I can rest assure one Spurs fans have a much better reputation then alot of the Millwall fans and West Ham United fans. Those scenes one saw yesterday marks just what happened back in the 80s when those two fans were fighting throwing bricks bottles etc etc. That is what happened exactly in those days I cannot understand why the FA could ever set up a meeting between the two teams and not know that something like that could happen or will happen. I just think it was absolutely incredible really that the FA didnt t

Posted 18:37 26th August 2009

Jon Dine (Brighton and Hove Albion fan) says...

I only saw the clips of the violence of last night¿s game this morning on Sky Sports News. There is no excuse for what those thugs did last night inside and outside the ground; I hope every person that ran onto that pitch gets banned for life and so do the mindless thugs who didn¿t have a ticket and only wanted to start trouble get banned for life or if we are lucky get sent to prison. Some of the guys that have commented on here have forgotten about the safety of the stewards, players, photographers, the police and other "staff" members at Upton Park; any of those fans could have attacked them last night and in great numbers which could have meant DEATHS! Which NO ONE wants to see in the game that we love so much. I feel sorry for Millwall and West Ham football clubs as this is not do them any favours when it come to future fixtures and reputations will now be worse than ever for these clubs and for the REAL fans who come to actually watch the games and support their club. No club is perfect and there are those few stupid thugs for most clubs who only aim in LIFE not just in football is to spoilt it for other people; this really has to stop and surely more action can be taken to make sure we never see this footage ever again in today¿s game or in any sport in this country.

Posted 16:25 26th August 2009

Wayne Bruce (Rangers fan) says...

At least it takes some of the heat of Rangers and the infamous Manchester debacle :-P Trouble was always destined to break out at this game, I have no idea what the police and or FA could have done to minimise crowd trouble. Short of doing the draw again, or tossing a coin an the winner of the toss goes through to the next round. Both of which I dont aggree with as where do you stop with that? Would they do that with every game which threatens to have crown trouble? If a Rangers and Celtic game was subject to a coin toss i know the crowd trouble would be ten times worse!

Posted 16:02 26th August 2009

Harry Shortland (Arsenal fan) says...

Yet another example of fanaticism on our terraces!! In Los Angeles (where the crime statistics would be staggering to Brits) there are two college teams, USC and UCLA who play a local derby every year before 90 - to 100,000 rabid fans, and millions on TV. The fans are often insulting to the opposing fans, but all in good fun. There are rarely any problems before, during or after the games and the fans often mingle in seating. I know us English are passionate about the game, and I played there for many, many years, but I NEVER understood the recent violence at matches! I still watch a dozen games a week on US Sky, Setanta and ESPN2, and I'm amazed that many fans go to a match (seemingly) to boo a player from beginning to end of the games, just because he once played for a rival team! What a waste of time and money! We Brits are still not really serious about the violence at the matches, based on (a) the milk-sop actions of the worthless FA, and (b) the many 'excuses' published by fans, who insist on blaming everyone other than the dorks who go there just to cause 'bovver'. Wake up, fellow Brits! You're systematically destroying one of the most envied traditions on the planet ..... the Saturday afternoon football games, with all its excitement and tradition!

Posted 15:06 26th August 2009

Romana Anon (Arsenal fan) says...

For anyone to think that this game wasn't going to kick off was absurd! The pubs should have been shut and police prescence should have been a lot more. I have do not support either Millwall or West Ham nor was I at the game, but I have been to Millwall games with other family members and so I am a little suprised to see so many people saying "typical Millwall". I am very aware of the Millwall reputation but as someone else so rightly said...every club has a firm! From what I have watched on Sky News the manager of the Queens pub in West Ham where some video footage was shot said it all kicked off with the police and he dosen't know why because there was not an away fan in sight.. nor did any Millwall fans go onto the pitch so the comments about them jumping on the young boys back whose dad had just died was not true. I am by no means saying no Millwall fans were responsible but the way people have said "typical Millwall" and "they are always trouble" is unfair as the club has worked extremely hard to lose that particular reputation

Posted 14:27 26th August 2009

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