Former referees' chief Keith Hackett has urged the Football Association to take stronger action after both Millwall and Bristol City were charged following an unsavoury post-match confrontation earlier this month.
The Incident at Ashton Gate
The flashpoint occurred after the final whistle of the Championship fixture at Ashton Gate on December 21st, which Millwall won 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal from Mihailo Ivanovic. What began as a disagreement between the two technical areas quickly escalated into a mass melee involving players and staff from both camps.
Millwall head coach Alex Neil provided his account of the incident, claiming it was sparked when Bristol City manager Gerhard Struber pulled away from a post-match handshake. Neil stated he went to shake hands as usual, but Struber's refusal led to a misunderstanding and a subsequent push, which then drew in a 'swarm of people' from both sides.
FA Charges and Club Response
The Football Association swiftly brought charges against both clubs. An FA spokesperson confirmed the allegations, stating: "Both clubs allegedly failed to ensure that their players and/or technical area staff did not behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way after the match finished."
In addition to the club charges, five individuals were charged for their specific roles in the incident. Bristol City's Joe Williams, Harry Cornick, Ross McCrorie, and Joel Coleman, along with Millwall's Dave Livermore, all face individual disciplinary action.
Hackett's Call for a New Precedent
Speaking to Football Insider, former Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) boss Keith Hackett argued that fines alone are not a sufficient deterrent. He predicted the clubs would receive financial penalties but proposed a more direct approach to halt the growing trend of post-match confrontations.
Hackett suggested that the clubs should make the players and technical staff involved pay the fine out of their own earnings. He believes this would set a powerful example and make individuals directly accountable for their actions on the touchline and pitch.
The veteran official emphasised that the FA needs to be firmer to protect the game's image, stating such measures could stop this 'unsavoury incident' from becoming a regular occurrence.
