IT'S OUR FAULT

The FA and Millwall issued a joint statement after a meeting between the London club's chairman Theo Paphitis and FA chief executive Mark Palios.

Paphitis was unhappy that his club had been allocated 7,000 fewer tickets than Manchester United for next month's final at the Millennium Stadium.

The FA cited safety concerns as the reason for the discrepancy.

The statement said:

'Millwall again expressed their deep disappointment at the allocation of tickets to the club and also the way that the decision was reached and communicated to the club. Millwall believe, and the FA concur, that they and Manchester United may have been able to offer valuable advice and knowledge to those
responsible for the safety and security around the event.”

“Although it would be a break with traditional protocol, the presence of competing clubs at safety meetings will be one of the areas of procedure that will be reviewed by The FA for future finals.”

'The FA made the decision on respective ticket allocations after taking into consideration the requirements of the various safety and security agencies, including a directive from South Wales Police that there should be no neutral areas in the stadium - now or in the future.”

'Both Millwall and The FA recognise that safety and security are paramount in any decision taken. The FA acknowledge the disappointment of the Millwall fans who will not be able to attend the cup final.'

Clueless.