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Millwall
prepare for a Chelsea Invasion
By
Michael Hart
Millwall
began immediate preparations today for the visit of London Neighbours
Chelsea in the second round of the Milk Cup.
Millwall
were one of several small clubs to benefit from the seeding of the draw
and anticipate breaking their receipts record of £25,000 set when WBA
visited the Den in the same competition last season.
The
Third. Division club managed by former Chelsea midfield player George
Graham - were consulting local police this afternoon to set an
attendance limit for the first limit for the first match in the two-leg
tie.
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“Our
capacity for a night game used to be 32,000 but after recent alterations
to the ground it might be a little lower," Said club secretary
Sylvia Shaw.
Millwall
were also planning to meet Chelsea officials later today to discuss
security arrangements for a game that will almost certainly be
all-ticket.
“The
reputation of our fans, has improved in recent seasons," said Mrs
Shaw, “Hull City give an award each year for the best behaved fans and
we are the current holders.”
Chelsea
fans were blamed for the terrace trouble at the opening day game between
Wimbledon and Manchester City, although there have been no reports of
any significant disturbances at the four matches they have played since
their return to Division one. |
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It’s a Milk Cup cracker
By BRIAN
STATER
MILLWALL are
predicting a gate of over 20,000 for their Milk Cup cracker with
Chelsea. The Lions will face the First Division outfit at The Den in the
first leg of the second round clash.
Charlton are
at home to Notts County and Palace travel to Sunderland. The first
leg games must he played in the week commencing September 24.
After
yesterday's draw, Millwall Chief executive Tony Shaw forecast, “We
should at least double the receipts we gained from the 3-0 defeat of
West Brom at the same stage last year.”
Club
officials were last night meeting their Chelsea counterparts and police
to discuss arrangements for the Den match, which is likely to be
all-ticket. |
Lions chief
George Graham, who played for Chelsea under Tommy Docherty in the late
1960s said, “It’s a marvelous draw for us. It will produce
two very hard games.”
The tie also
gives 24-year-old central defender Micky Nutton an extra incentive to
break back into the Lion's line-up. Nutton was bought from Stamford
Bridge for £10,000 by Graham 18 months ago and started with Chelsea as
a schoolboy.
Meanwhile
the Lions expect to have Anton Otulakowski and Dave Cusack fit for
Sunday's Third Division home clash with Orient, which kicks off at 11.30
a.m.
Graham must decide whether to bring
back Tony Kinsella who was dropped for the midweek Reading outing.
Left: George Graham will take
Millwall back to his old stamping ground in the Milk Cup |
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By Tony
Stenson
Chelsea
chairman Ken Bates frustration boiled over as the Milk Cup second-round
draw sucked his club into a flashpoint tie against London neighbours
Millwall.
Bates
reacted by casting his eyes to the heavens and groaning: “Why are you
doing this to me”.
The
announcement of this potentially explosive two-leg confrontation
had Bates and Millwall chairman Alan Thorne dashing to a hurriedly
arranged meeting near last night where they swapped ideas that might
help to keep peace between their fans.
Bates has
worked hard to polish Chelsea image. He said: "It would have been
much better for us to have drawn Torquay or Carlisle.
“We do have a reputation. We do
have some violent |
people. But
it's only a minority and I believe the rest is a figment of the medias
imagination”.
Two Millwall
games this season have already been scarred by crowd trouble.
But Millwall
manager George Graham, once a Chelsea idol, said: “For God's sake,
let's talk about the game. It's not about violence directors or
managers, but the people who matter – the Players”.
Excited
“If
there's going to be trouble, then we should leave It to the police or
the administrators. I’m totally excited about the tie. I had two great
years at Chelsea and won a League cup medal with them. I made four final
appearances in the competition.”
“They were
good, glorious days and I hope my players experience the same joys I
did.” |
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