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Monday
Nov 14, 2006 11:29:19 GMT -1
Post by miz on Nov 14, 2006 11:29:19 GMT -1
It's happened a few times before.
At the last away game (Tranmere on a friday night)...some younger Millwall fans had a fight with some Aberdeen Millwall fans but that was more a case of not knowing each other.
It was a bit pathetic in the pub.
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Monday
Nov 14, 2006 11:44:35 GMT -1
Post by miz on Nov 14, 2006 11:44:35 GMT -1
HUNDREDS of police officers swamped the streets around Fratton Park last night for the FA cup clash between Havant and Waterlooville and Millwall. And the visiting team lived up to its reputation when a brawl broke in Smiffy's Bar, Goldsmith Avenue, before the match. The pub was set up by a police for away-fans only in a bid to stop the fighting. A worker said: 'The police asked if we would open the pub to away fans, even though it annoyed some Pompey regulars. It was all going fine and then there was two fans toe-to-toe in front of the bar. 'It all kicked off for a while.' Staff broke up the fight and police emptied the pub before leading the 500-strong crowd down Goldsmith Avenue to the stadium. Rows of officers marched them, flanked by more officers on bikes and six police vans. Pedestrians were forced to find other paths. Wendy Dougherty, 62, from Portsmouth, said officers were a welcome sight, adding: 'Millwall have a bad reputation and the police did an excellent job of controlling them - it was my first time at Fratton Park and I felt very safe.' But many Hawks supporters were surprised by the sheer number of police. Alan Chandler, 33, from Havant, said: 'I haven't seen anything like this since Pompey played Southampton - it is totally ridiculous. 'There are more police than fans.' During the evening seven people were arrested, four home supporters and three Millwall fans. There were several incidences of public disorder and one man was arrested for assault. Three people were also thrown out of the ground. The Hawks had been forced to move the match from West Leigh Park after police said it was too risky to host the match at such a small ground. And the club as hosts were slapped with a £35,000 policing bill, which threatens to plunge it into hardship after just 5,793 tickets were sold - almost 2,000 short of their break-even target. Hawks secretary Trevor Brock said: 'There were 511 Millwall supporters and everybody who was here saw a small, little corner of the ground surrounded by loads and loads of policemen - if they think that's £35,000 well spent I have to disagree. 'The intelligence 10 days ago was 2,500 would travel when they set the categorisation, somebody somewhere got it wrong.' 14 November 2006
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