Liverpool fans 'sickened' by Millwall taunts

Liverpool FC supporters said they were “sickened” today after Millwall fans taunted them with chants about the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster.

Crowd violence erupted during the second half of yesterday’s Carling Cup match at the New Den, as a section of away fans tried to charge into the home end.

Security chiefs at the stadium said 68 seats were ripped out and two supporters from either side were ejected.

Millwall fans had allegedly taunted the away supporters by chanting “Hillsborough” and “You should have all died at Hillsborough“.

It is believed they also chanted “There’s only one Boris Johnson“, a reference to the Conservative MP and editor of the Spectator magazine who was last week forced to apologise for publishing derogatory comments about Liverpudlians and their role in the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed 96 lives.

Phil Hammond, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said the abuse was “sickening” but not unique to Millwall fans.

He said: “I’m not surprised to hear the Millwall fans were doing that, I wouldn’t expect anything else from the likes of them. But they aren’t the only ones to do it.

“My son has been to Old Trafford and seen Manchester United fans press their hands against their faces, to pretend they are being crushed.

“It is sickening to use something which took 96 lives as a way of winding people up.

“The Liverpool fans shouldn’t have reacted in the way they did, but it is easy to say that when you are not there.

“People in that crowd last night may well have been at Hillsborough or lost loved ones there, so it is understandable if they find it difficult to turn the other cheek.”

He added that the publicity surrounding the Spectator article on Hillsborough and murdered Iraq hostage Ken Bigley may have caused the problem.

He said: “This happened so soon after the comments in the Spectator, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it had jogged their memories and made them realise that feelings over Hillsborough still run high.”

Les Lawson, of the Official Liverpool Supporters’ Group, said the Millwall fans had “crossed the line of acceptable banter“.

He said: “I was not at the match last night, but from what I’ve heard, the Millwall fans were totally out of order.

“No one minds a bit of banter, but to insult the dead is crossing the line of what’s acceptable.

“People should remember that Liverpool fans have a very good reputation when it comes to not causing trouble. They were given a UEFA award for fan behaviour a couple of years ago.

“So people should ask themselves what has been said or done to make them react in the way they did last night.”

Millwall FC was unavailable for comment this morning.