We're not going to Millwall

Last updated : 11 June 2002 By Tony Scholes

Can't see many Burnley fans here but we are the ones having to pay
All hell broke loose yet again after they were beaten in the play off semi-final against Birmingham City and so to punish them severely the home fans will be able to attend all home games. However for some games there will be no visiting supporters allowed.

The Metropolitan police have managed to avoid just about everything that happened and who caused it and have come up with a plan that hits the innocent fans of five other clubs and not the home fans.

The police have split the games into three categories as follows.

Category A: These matches are considered low risk and although monitored there will be no restrictions. These will be the games against Bradford City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Gillingham, Grimsby Town, Ipswich Town, Milton Keynes, Norwich City, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Walsall, and Watford.

Category B: These matches will take place when there is a minimum of one hour of daylight after the final whistle. Admission to visiting supporters will be by ticket only. These will be the games against Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby County and Reading.

Category C: No visiting supporters will be allowed at either the home/away fixture. Admission to the game at the New Den will be open to season tickets holders and members of Millwall Supporters Club only. These will be the games against Burnley, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Because of this Millwall fans will not be allowed into Turf Moor and I suspect Burnley will now need to implement some sort of system to prevent them getting any tickets. The club have already said that the Cricket Field Stand will be open to Burnley supporters for this fixture. We can only hope that our police don't come up with another embarrassing Operation Blackburn Rovers style coverage of the game.

So we have done nothing wrong and have found ourselves banned from a game. What the Metropolitan Police think this will achieve is anyone's guess. They clearly did not take too much notice of the recent BBC programme ‘Hooligans'.

Burnley have said that there is a possibility of a large screen being erected at the Turf to enable us to see the game but again those who have done no wrong have been punished. Will somebody please tell us when some real action is going to be taken against those who actually cause the problems?