Throw the book at boorish, beastly Millwall and their reckless keeper Liam Roberts, writes KIERAN GILL after Jean-Philippe Mateta was hospitalised amid grotesque fan chants
Liam Roberts may not have sprinted out of his box with the intention of claiming Jean-Philippe Mateta’s head as well as the ball but, in truth, motive does not really matter. Millwall’s goalkeeper put himself in a position to cause serious harm and he did so.
It was a challenge so reckless, it left Crystal Palace’s striker requiring 25 stitches and reading the evening menu of London’s St George’s Hospital.
Mateta has since been discharged and, though he is likely to miss several matches — starting with the visit of Ipswich on Saturday — it could have been much worse. Fatal, if you believe the Premier League club’s chairman Steve Parish.
The FA now have a decision to make on whether Roberts should be slapped with a suspension longer than the standard three games for violent conduct.
As of yesterday, they had not made up their mind as to the 30-year-old’s challenge meeting the ‘truly exceptional’ threshold. They have until 1pm tomorrow to submit a claim of ‘clearly insufficient’ punishment and, if they do, a regulatory commission would hear the case.
Judging by the comments of Millwall manager Alex Neil, Roberts’ club will fight their corner if it comes to that.
Millwall keeper Liam Roberts was sent off early on in their FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace after his studs caught Jean-Phillipe Mateta in the head following a reckless challenge
Mateta was stretchered off and required 25 stitches at London’s St George’s Hospital
Millwall boss Alex Neil insisted his goalkeeper had no ill intentions behind the nasty collision
Neil has the odd backer, Joey Barton having taken to social media to suggest it was a foul by Mateta on Jake Cooper first and therefore should have been a free-kick to Millwall.
Yet for every clickbait contrarian, there have been many more besides condemning the controversies of Saturday afternoon, both on and off the pitch.
The FA Cup is supposed to be where you go for the beauty of the game. Here we only saw its beastly side and, as it stands, the sole guaranteed punishment for the visitors from this trip to Selhurst Park is a routine ban for a reserve goalkeeper.
That would add up to one almighty escape. Not only in light of Roberts’ foul, but for the classless behaviour in the stands.
Millwall have worked hard to shake their nasty old image, to show that theirs is now a much more family-friendly environment, to change the public perception.
Yet Saturday’s group in the away end only served to set them back a few years in that regard.
While Mateta was on the floor, surrounded by paramedics and breathing into an oxygen mask as he was transferred to a stretcher, the song came from Millwall supporters. ‘Let him die, let him die, let him die,’ they chanted. The repulsiveness did not stop there as other chants were dreamt up in the aftermath.
‘Boom, boom, boom, boom, he’s in the medic room, he won’t f***ing remember that his name is Mateta,’ went one. ‘Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be, Mateta’s in A&E, que sera, sera,’ was another, completing a hat-trick of hatred.
With Mateta receiving treatment, Millwall fans sickeningly chanted ‘let him die, let him die’
Palace chairman Steve Parish hit out at the challenge in a half-time interview with BBC Sport
The FA tell us they are unable to act on those chants as, while grotesque, they do not constitute a breach of their rulebook.
They are investigating the Millwall end for potentially engaging in homophobia, however, after Ben Chilwell was targeted by ‘Chelsea rent boy’ chants.
There was also a Millwall fan who apparently tried to take on an entire stand of Palace supporters by himself, as footage emerged showing him being swarmed on after hopping over a few barriers.
It was boorish behaviour. When Millwall’s Camiel Neghli hurt an ankle, Palace supporters looked to get their own back by singing ‘let him die’ in response.
Two wrongs do not make a right, though anyone claiming that is on a par with the Mateta incident is doing some real mental gymnastics. Millwall boss Neil defended Roberts and also declined to criticise the chanting.
‘I don’t know what you want me to say,’ he said when asked about the targeting of Chilwell.
Condemning such behaviour was an option. He did mention a club statement should follow. No such announcement dropped yesterday.
Millwall will soon discover if the FA seize their chance to ask for a longer ban for Roberts and if a charge follows for the apparent abuse of Chilwell, if not Mateta.
If the Championship club want their reputation to change within football, they could do with their fans not setting them back so perverse.
