Special security measures taken ahead of 'high-risk' Tottenham vs Millwall FA Cup clash to avoid crowd trouble
There was a heavy police presence ahead of kick-off while stewards inside White Hart Lane were instructed to wear plastic hard hats
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Your support makes all the difference.There was a heavy police presence around White Hart Lane on Sunday as Tottenham readied to host Millwall in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The two sides have not met in a competitive fixture since April 1990 and security around the ground was tight ahead of kick-off, with the Metropolitan Police classifying the match as a ‘high-risk’ fixture.
Millwall sold out their ticket allocation of 3,681 seats in a matter of minutes as the club look to ruin Tottenham’s last ever FA Cup match at White Hart Lane.
Former Spurs midfielder and BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas shared a short video of his taxi approaching White Hart Lane, with a long phalanx of police vans separating supporters of the two teams.
More vans were parked along Tottenham High Road, while the Millwall travelling support were escorted by large numbers of police officers as they walked to the stadium.
Inside White Hart Lane, all advertising boards were taken down in the away end, to avoid a repeat of the scenes that marred last season’s north London derby, when Arsenal fans ripped up the hoardings and allowed them to fall on supporters below.
Every steward inside the ground has meanwhile been instructed to wear a hard hat, to avoid injury in the case of supporters throwing missiles at one another.
At his pre-match press conference, Millwall manager Neil Harris pleaded with both sets of supporters to behave.
“I would say to the fans, ‘Just come and enjoy the game’. Certainly be proud of your team but be loud also,” he said.
“It is the last FA Cup game at the Lane and Millwall are in town with just under 4,000 fans, so it is going to be an electric atmosphere and one we should all embrace. We talk about good crowds and great atmosphere because of the size of the tie and the rivalry between London clubs.
“You want to paint yourself in the right light as a club. We want the focus to be on on-pitch activities.”
Ugly scenes after the full-time whistle overshadowed Millwall’s Round of 16 win.
The League One club stunned Premier League champions Leicester City 1-0 at the New Den, with their supporters running onto the pitch after the match in ugly scenes which have prompted an FA investigation.
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