Millwall have issued a statement condemning the actions of a section of the home crowd on Saturday.
Championship club angered by bottle-throwing incidents
Millwall have issued a statement condemning the actions of a section of the home crowd on Saturday.
The 3-2 league defeat by Middlesbrough was close to being abandoned after bottles were thrown towards Boro keeper Jason Steele and one of the referee's assistants.
The club feels this latest incident has served only to reinforce the negative perception many have had of Millwall over the past three decades.
In a joint-statement on the club's
official website by chairman John Berylson and fan director Peter Garston, they urged an end to such behaviour from anyone associated with the club.
"On Saturday, a wonderful game of football at The Den was overshadowed by the actions of a handful of mindless idiots who threw bottles onto the pitch," read the statement.
"The newspaper match reports and TV coverage made little mention of the football, and once again the name Millwall was linked in people's minds with hooligan behaviour. This has to stop.
Tremendous progress
"As a club, we have made tremendous progress over the past three years on and off the pitch. We have an excellent manager, a developing team and an ambitious board, all of whom are working very hard to see the club competing with the best.
"This cannot be allowed to be undermined by a minority who apparently believe they can do as they like.
"We had planned to open the lower tier of the North Stand for one of the big games we have coming up at The Den. In light of what happened here at the weekend we will not be doing so, which hampers our attempts to increase our attendances and hits us financially."
The FA have launched an investigation and while some arrests have already been made, the club believes there will be more.
Arrests
Millwall insist they are working with the police to identify those responsible, vowing to give a life ban to all those found guilty of throwing objects.
"We know the majority of our fans are as angry and dismayed by this as we are," the statement added.
"We now, more than ever, need the help of our decent, law-abiding supporters to rid ourselves of those individuals who do our club such damage.
"There are boundaries which cannot and must not be overstepped."
