Tony Cascarino has admitted his shock at the racist scenes which took place at The Den ahead of Millwall’s Championship clash with Derby on Saturday afternoon.
Fans were back at The Den for the first time in months but it was not a joyous return as some of the 2,000 spectators present booed as the players took the knee ahead of kick-off.
Players have taken the knee almost consistently since football restarted in June in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, but the Millwall supporters showed their distaste for the gesture before the Lions went on to lose to Derby.
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The incident was captured live on talkSPORT as Adrian Durham made clear his feelings of shock and sadness over the booing.
“It’s customary now up and down the land that respect is paid, the players take the knee… and there’s an adverse reaction from the Millwall fans – wow,” he said.
“That is not good at all, questions will be asked about that for sure, that is a SHOCKER. It had all been going so well.
“I can’t really believe what I’ve just heard. it was all joy, it was all love, it was all laughter, everybody was happy, fans are back in at The Den to support their team and then the players take the knee and there’s booing all round from the 2,000.
“I can’t believe it. It’s taken the wind out of my sails a little bit.
“I just wonder what someone like Mahlon Romeo, who is playing at right-back for Millwall today, I wonder what he felt when he heard that noise when he took the knee?
“The whole thing is unacceptable.”
You can listen to the moment as it happened live on talkSPORT by clicking on our radio player at the top of the page.
And Millwall legend Casc could not believe what he was seeing at The Den, criticising those supporters who booed and the ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’ attitude which pervades the fanbase.
“They are showing a lot of disrespect for Black Lives Matter and for taking the knee,” said Cascarino on Sunday’s Weekend Sports Breakfast. “It is embarrassing.
“My dad was born in Elephant and Castle and south London has been a big part of my life. Being around the football club, I know many people who work at the club and they’ve had many challenges over the years whether it’s hooliganism or racial issues.
“It’s very difficult and embarrassing to speak about.
“We are in 2020, nearly going into 2021, and you think: ‘How on Earth do these people think?’
“It makes you think. I said to one of the guys before the show, ‘if you were a black footballer you wouldn’t want to play for Millwall, would you?’.
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“There is an element of Millwall fans who are really proud. I’ve said this numerous times but I am not a fan of ‘no one likes us, we don’t care’; it’s this attitude of we’ll do what we like, we’ll say what we want – we are just Millwall.
“It’s an element and I just don’t like it.
Cascarino also admitted his shock that Millwall have retained such a fanbase despite being located in such a diverse part of London and with the club doing much for their local community.
“There’s a certain part of the fanbase that I know are terrific and who will back their club and don’t get involved in the hooliganism or racist side of the club,” he continued.
“It’s just amazing! This club is sat in the heart of south London, where everywhere around it is diverse.
“This club does so much in the community yet problems arise like this in the stadium.
“It’s not the first time, it’s happened over many years. I’ve watched black players play for Millwall; I watched Trevor Lee, I watched Phil Walker, I played with George Lawrence and Wesley Reid at Millwall. I know the feelings black players have had playing for Millwall.
“Yesterday felt planned as well. It wasn’t just, ‘they take the knee and we all reacted’, it felt way bigger than that. It was an actual planned reaction to the players taking the knee.
“I just found it amazing…”
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