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Millwall launch ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign with fans slammed and staff attacked

Millwall launch a ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign this with fans slammed and staff members reportedly attacked by at the Crystal Palace game.

Steve Kavanagh, the club’s CEO, has written to the supporters urging them to stop booing players who take a knee before kick-off as it is causing “extensive damage”.

Millwall’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at The Den in the FA Cup third round on Saturday saw some home fans jeering visiting players.

Millwall players don’t take a knee before kick off, but Kavanagh says he has “lost count” of the number of fans who feel they can no longer attend matches at The Den due to the reception visiting players receive when they do so.

He also told fans that employees at the club were “understandably very upset and angry by the damage it is doing”.

In a letter published on Millwall’s website, Kavanagh wrote: “We have had extensive dialogue with different groups of fans over many months about the impact that booing the opposition taking the knee is having throughout the club.

“The way in which fans back all our anti-discrimination initiatives is clear for all to see, and that is greatly appreciated by all at the club.

“Clearly the debate around the taking of the knee is a complex one but what is inarguable is that the booing is causing extensive damage in so many different ways.

“I’ve lost count of the amount of supporters who have contacted me or other staff to say they can no longer attend while the booing is going on, and we also have employees throughout the club, academy and community trust who feel understandably very upset and angry both by it and the subsequent damage it is doing.

“As our campaign asks, I again urge those booing to Think Twice.”

As we saw, Michael Olise got struck by a bottle thrown from a section of the ground housing home supporters, while Conor Gallagher – who is on loan from Chelsea – was subjected to homophobic abuse.

Kavanagh reiterated Millwall’s stance that any individuals found guilty of discriminatory abuse would be banned by the club for life, and added they were helping police to investigate allegations of such abuse at Saturday’s game.

“The club’s stance on discriminatory abuse of any form could not be clearer,” Kavanagh said. “There is zero-tolerance and any supporter found guilty will be banned from this club for life.

“Individuals with such unpalatable views are not welcome at Millwall Football Club.

“There was also chanting towards a Crystal Palace player which contributed, quite understandably, to widespread negative media coverage following the game. Chants including the terminology used are entirely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

“Again, such events could lead not just to punishment for the club but also for supporters by way of potential block or stand closures, or worse. Nobody wants that and so that should be at the forefront of minds.

“Through the work of the club’s Equality Steering Committee we will continue to support victims and work tirelessly to eradicate discriminatory behaviour for good and the assistance and support of fans is absolutely imperative to that objective.”

Millwall have launched a campaign, called ‘Don’t be a Tosser’, aimed at preventing supporters from throwing missiles onto the pitch.

Kavanagh also criticised supporters following reports of abuse of club staff on matchdays, and revealed Millwall will be deploying detection dogs following reports of drug taking during games.

One Millwall fan was arrested for alleged discriminatory abuse, while two more are said to have assaulted stewards. Another was held for an alleged pitch incursion. A Palace supporter was arrested for allegedly using pyrotechnics.

The Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] said it takes racist and homophobic chanting “extremely seriously” and is working to “drive this hideous behaviour out of the game”.

A spokesperson added: “The impact on groups attacked by this type of mob behaviour can be devastating.

“We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone accused of these actions where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”

The Football Association has also begun its own investigation into the events.

MILLWALL ON THEIR CAMPAIGN:

If one of the missiles thrown on to the pitch caused any sort of injury to a player or member of staff then the consequences would be beyond anything the club or supporters have experienced in recent history. I cannot stress that enough.

The severity of this threat is very real, and it is with that in mind that we are launching a new ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign which we hope will contribute to the prevention of such incidents in the future.

A campaign like this is clearly not enough on its own, however, and in certain areas of the ground – starting this Saturday – we have no choice but to start decanting all bottles into plastic cups.

This operational change will begin in the Dockers Stand (apart from Zampa’s Family Stand) and in our entire hospitality area, but in the weeks ahead this may well widen into all other areas of the stadium.

It is essential that staff having to carry out this process are respected as it is not their choice, and while it was a difficult decision the club simply has no other option. Any abuse towards them given they are only carrying out instruction would be grossly inappropriate and will not be accepted.

Bringing bottles into the stadium has not been allowed for some time which is a measure respected and followed by almost everyone and this is an unavoidable extension of that policy which again is designed to protect the health and safety of all in attendance, the reputation of the club and therefore the interests of the majority of supporters.

Twitter users reacted as Millwall launch a ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign with fans slammed and staff attacked…

@KaneEdward2: Being called a tosser as a Millwall fan is a compliment always remember Steve you fat nonce blm means BOO LIKE MILLWALL

@Candi12546384: I mean amongst all of this if you could address the issue with the club shop as a whole, incompetence of the ticket office and the lack of womens booze options at the bar that would be amazing. Oh and the toilets being like the River Nile every home game…

@Mark777Mark: I hear that, but what about addressing our biggest issue? Our hand dryers are from 1995 when are we getting new ones…

@c_gee_1986: I think the comments on this thread show why Millwall is what it is and will always be

@millwallmickey: “They can no longer attend while the booing is going on”?!? Hahaha he should take go for PM next. Youve got that a bit mixed up mate! People will no longer attend while “the knee” is happening. Simple fact. I know non-white season ticket holders who dont agree with it.

@TMP_ToffeeLatte: People who know this club from the outside and have seen what we’ve done for at least the past decade know we’re far better than what we’re made out to be, and that it was never the message of people taking the knee that the majority of us booed.

@KevZampa67: As Steve said just about all Millwall fans support anti racism. It is clearly the gesture that is in question and what it stood for. The simple solution has to be change the gesture. It would then be supported up and down the country not just at Millwall.

@millwallmickey: Millwall Football Club was here long before you and will be here long after you. Take up your own comment… ”dont be a tosser”

@Mafioso34388206: Fuck me if we didn’t do any of them things we’d have 1500 every home game 😂😂😂

@Justin54501772: I completely get that statement but you must understand, millwall stand for no racism. Taking the knee is a left movement and a statement that blm have been very racist to whites, so how can anyone been wrong for booing that. The rest I agree but why do we have to witness that

@CAslett97: Our biggest tosser is Steve Kavanagh.

@ClintWalker9: You need drink and drugs to watch Millwall

@Lawfi74: Being a Millwall fan is hard work. You’re basically filed as a racist, homophobic scum bag as soon as you state “I’m a Millwall fan” Maybe others need to “think twice” before coming to this ridiculous conclusion about us as individual fans.

@DarthAlcoholic: What a load of negative bollocks! Keep the sanitisation going though west ham Steve… We were here long before you mush.

@AndrewD95952582: Booing the knee is exercising freedom of expression in opposing a BLM-tainted gesture; MFC implying this is roughly on a par with public order offences is outrageous, and it reminds us of how important it is that people are able to question colour-based political activism

@dutnall_liam: Don’t think it’s sanitisation of the fans, you can carry on being ‘wall’ without being a cunt

@HC15OnTour: The comments & quoted RTs in response to this are why it wont change & why the have such a problem. Morons trying to live up to a “now” fabricated & backwards reputation. Lots of fans that will fail miserably at the “Dont be a tosser” campaign & nothing to do with throwing stuff

@JPMillwall2: Tbf, if you’re verbally / physically assaulting stewards you probs need to have a rethink.. The rest is pretty standard. Drugs / missiles / chants seen everywhere. Then again we are very lucky Olise didn’t make a big deal out of it

@minsterlion: Mr ceo, Millwall will never be your happy clappy prawn brigade politically correct premier league club, we are quite happy eating babies being hated middle of the league fuck wits BUT imagine the chaos for one season only at the top table

@LovelyGeezer65: I remember the last time you used drug dogs at The Den this one particular dog started jumping all over me licking my face and hands next thing I know he’s rolling about on the floor like he was at a illegal rave out of his nut staring at me. God knows what was wrong with him?

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