Millwall Manager Criticized for Comments on Racial Abuse Stoppage

Millwall manager Alex Neil has faced criticism from anti-racism campaigners for his remarks following an incident of alleged racial abuse during a match against Bournemouth.

During the game at The Den, referee Edward Duckworth paused play after being alerted to accusations of racist chanting. Duckworth engaged in lengthy discussions with both teams' coaches and consulted with Millwall's safety officer before the match eventually restarted. An announcement was made over the stadium's public address system, confirming allegations of racist chants and that police were using CCTV to identify offenders.

However, Neil expressed frustration with the stoppage, stating his primary concern was to restart the game. "I understand, obviously, there's been an incident," Neil said. "That's not something I'm going to get involved in - that'll be for the authorities to deal with. But the fact that it stops the game, I just don't see the point. The referee was wanting to speak to whoever the safety officer is, and then when he spoke to him, it [the game] restarted. That's partly my frustration. I want to get the game restarted, I want to get the game played. I understand there's other things that are going on, but you're not dealing with it down there, are you? It's going to get dealt with after the event anyway."

Millwall went on to lose the match 1-0 after conceding a goal in the 90th minute. Neil acknowledged that his feelings might have been different had his team scored. "If we score, I probably don't feel this way, let's be honest,"

Kick It Out, an organization dedicated to eradicating racism in football for over 30 years, expressed disappointment regarding the reports of abuse directed at player Eom. The organization affirmed the importance of established protocols designed to protect players and capture essential details for future accountability.

"Both clubs have condemned the incident, and it's positive that Millwall and match officials followed the right protocols so that action can be taken to identify any individual responsible," Kick It Out stated. "In that moment, protocols are in place to help match and security officials respond appropriately. That ensures that players are protected and key details are captured so that accountability can follow, regardless of how long it takes."

Campaigners emphasized the responsibility of managers and officials to "set the tone" in addressing such incidents, highlighting the role they play in fostering a respectful environment within the sport.