FANS ‘RUIN’ GLORY
Millwall go up but their big day is spoiled by huge pitch invasion
MILLWALL hero Steve Morison said his club’s fans ‘ absolutely ruined’ their Championship promotion party at Wembley Stadium yesterday after an unsavoury pitch invasion.
Morison’s 85th-minute winner was the difference in this League One play-off final but some Millwall supporters ran on to the pitch to goad Bradford’s players at full-time.
Security were forced to step in. Bradford boss Stuart McCall said he felt ‘close to clocking a couple’ of fans as they squared up to him.
‘It’s annoying me,’ said 33-yearold striker Morison, pointing at the fans. ‘I can’t focus right now. I can’t celebrate. They’ve ruined it for me. Absolutely ruined it. Well done for the club. It’s fantastic to be back in the Championship.’
McCall added: ‘I still don’t understand supporters wanting to come and have a go at myself, the staff and the players when they’ve just won a game. I was close to clocking a couple. They were coming up in my face. That’s not sour grapes.
‘ Five or 10 minutes after the event, an army of stewards walk on. Where were they straight after the game when they should have been on the halfway line? Wembley have got to learn.
‘Celebrate with your own players. We’re feeling bad enough as it is.’
Millwall manager Neil Harris said: ‘The fans came on in good spirit. We didn’t want them to come on but they came on in good spirit. We don’t condone it. I apologised to Stuart and his players.’
Police arrested 12 fans, though it is not clear from which club.
Millwall are ones for the big occasion. In the FA Cup this season, they beat three Premier League teams, but for Harris, this tops them all. In the League One final last year, Millwall were left heartbroken. Lightning did not strike twice.
Bradford thought they had drawn first blood in the 13th minute when Mark Marshall’s throughball left Billy Clarke one-on-one with Jordan Archer. Somehow, Mill wall’ s goalkeeper got his fingertips to the shot to send it wide.
Bradford’s Colin Doyle was largely untested in the first half.
The second half was more open and Millwall’s Morison was getting under the skin of his markers. In the 85th minute, he struck.
A cross by Jed Wallace led to a flick-on by Lee Gregory, taking it into the path of Morison. He got in behind and beat Doyle.
Millwall held on and will be in the Championship but it was the ugly scenes at the final whistle that unfortunately stole the show.