Millwall fans hold applause for goalkeeper Liam Roberts in same minute of controversial tackle
Millwall fans rallied behind under-fire goalkeeper Liam Roberts with applause in the eighth minute of their Championship clash with Bristol City. The 30-year-old was sent off in the eighth minute of Millwall’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend for a flying tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta. Millwall fans applauded in the eighth minute in an apparent show of support for RobertsX: @@BroadcastMoose That was after Roberts was sent off against Palace for a dangerous tackle on Mateta and widely condemnedGetty Described as the ‘most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen’ by Palace owner Steve Parish, Mateta was immediately rushed to hospital after being whacked in the face. The Frenchman was later discharged after receiving 25 stitches to his ear having been left with a ‘severe laceration’. Roberts, who was handed a three-game ban for the red card, has come under intense criticism over the dangerous tackle. On Monday, Millwall issued a statement condemning “abhorrent online abuse” that had been directed at Roberts in the aftermath of the incident. And in the eighth minute of the club’s 2-0 Championship defeat to Bristol City on Tuesday night at The Den, the home fans showed their support for the shot-stopper. In a video shared by talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams, Milwall supporters could be seen rising to their feet to loudly clap. It has left some rival fans stumped, as one mystified X user commented: “Bizarre. Bloke takes off Mateta’s head nearly and he’s the victim?” Another messaged: “Nah, this has gotta be a joke.” A third added: “So embarrassing especially in such a empty Den.” This fan then simply stated: “Everything about this is so embarrassing.” Though Millwall fans found the funny side over the gesture, as one said: “Mate I f****** love my football club.” Roberts has come under heavy criticism over his reckless challengeGetty His foul left Mateta requiring 25 stitches to his earGetty talkSPORT co-host Jason Cundy reacted: “Millwall have come out defending their player, and I get it. I don’t think he meant to do what he did to Mateta. “It was an honest challenge, reckless. I said, and I stick to it, I don’t think it’s just a red card, three-game ban, I think it’s more than that. “There is no place on the football field for that challenge. That’s not just a kick in the head. “I’ve seen kicks in the head, we’ve all seen it, we’ve all played in games, right? That’s not a kick in the head. There’s no play, that challenge should never be seen on a football field. “Some of the stick that he’s got, I’ve not seen it all, but by all accounts, it’s quite bad.” He added: “But I mean, clapping at eight minutes, drop me out on that one, mate. “That’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing. But they’re not the only embarrassing football club that do it, Millwall. “Pretty much every club out there does something similar. They all do it, mate. T-shirts come out, pray for, hashtag, pray for this player.” Cundy’s Sports Bar co-host Jamie O’Hara said: “To applaud him in the eighth minute, I have to say, is a strange one for Millwall fans. “They’ve been saying there’s all this heat around, talking about the situation of the incident and how it’s got so much talking points, and then they’ve gone and done that and raised even more talking points.” talkSPORT co-host Cundy wasn’t impressed with the gesture from Millwall fans Having the final say, Cundy then stated: “Do you know what makes me laugh? Here’s the thing that makes me laugh about Millwall, right? “We’ve been told for years and years, we’re Millwall… you’re embarrassing your club. “You do care, and now you’re doing a minute’s applause. We’re Millwall. Everyone hates us. We don’t care. Yeah, you do. Yeah, you care.” Roberts is understood to have apologised to Mateta, who provided a positive update on his health on Saturday night. The Palace forward said on social media: “I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon. And stronger than ever. “Well done guys for the great job today. I love you.” Millwall, meanwhile, hit out at the media reaction to Roberts’ challenge with a strong club statement. The statement read: “The club are disgusted by abuse directed towards goalkeeper Liam Roberts following Saturday’s unfortunate collision with Jean-Philippe Mateta. “The reporting on the matter, as well as disgraceful suggestions made by certain news organisations and high-profile figures within the sport that Liam intended to harm Jean-Philippe, has contributed to the unwarranted character assassination of Liam and fuelled abhorrent online abuse towards him. “No player at Millwall Football Club steps onto the pitch with the intent to harm another and the club will continue to support Liam, who reached out to Jean-Philippe personally on Saturday evening with an apology, which was accepted immediately. “The club are pleased to hear positive updates from Jean-Philippe and wish
Millwall fans rallied behind under-fire goalkeeper Liam Roberts with applause in the eighth minute of their Championship clash with Bristol City.
The 30-year-old was sent off in the eighth minute of Millwall’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend for a flying tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Described as the ‘most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen’ by Palace owner Steve Parish, Mateta was immediately rushed to hospital after being whacked in the face.
The Frenchman was later discharged after receiving 25 stitches to his ear having been left with a ‘severe laceration’.
Roberts, who was handed a three-game ban for the red card, has come under intense criticism over the dangerous tackle.
On Monday, Millwall issued a statement condemning “abhorrent online abuse” that had been directed at Roberts in the aftermath of the incident.
And in the eighth minute of the club’s 2-0 Championship defeat to Bristol City on Tuesday night at The Den, the home fans showed their support for the shot-stopper.
In a video shared by talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams, Milwall supporters could be seen rising to their feet to loudly clap.
It has left some rival fans stumped, as one mystified X user commented: “Bizarre. Bloke takes off Mateta’s head nearly and he’s the victim?”
Another messaged: “Nah, this has gotta be a joke.”
A third added: “So embarrassing especially in such a empty Den.”
This fan then simply stated: “Everything about this is so embarrassing.”
Though Millwall fans found the funny side over the gesture, as one said: “Mate I f****** love my football club.”
talkSPORT co-host Jason Cundy reacted: “Millwall have come out defending their player, and I get it. I don’t think he meant to do what he did to Mateta.
“It was an honest challenge, reckless. I said, and I stick to it, I don’t think it’s just a red card, three-game ban, I think it’s more than that.
“There is no place on the football field for that challenge. That’s not just a kick in the head.
“I’ve seen kicks in the head, we’ve all seen it, we’ve all played in games, right? That’s not a kick in the head. There’s no play, that challenge should never be seen on a football field.
“Some of the stick that he’s got, I’ve not seen it all, but by all accounts, it’s quite bad.”
He added: “But I mean, clapping at eight minutes, drop me out on that one, mate.
“That’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing. But they’re not the only embarrassing football club that do it, Millwall.
“Pretty much every club out there does something similar. They all do it, mate. T-shirts come out, pray for, hashtag, pray for this player.”
Cundy’s Sports Bar co-host Jamie O’Hara said: “To applaud him in the eighth minute, I have to say, is a strange one for Millwall fans.
“They’ve been saying there’s all this heat around, talking about the situation of the incident and how it’s got so much talking points, and then they’ve gone and done that and raised even more talking points.”
Having the final say, Cundy then stated: “Do you know what makes me laugh? Here’s the thing that makes me laugh about Millwall, right?
“We’ve been told for years and years, we’re Millwall… you’re embarrassing your club.
“You do care, and now you’re doing a minute’s applause. We’re Millwall. Everyone hates us. We don’t care. Yeah, you do. Yeah, you care.”
Roberts is understood to have apologised to Mateta, who provided a positive update on his health on Saturday night.
The Palace forward said on social media: “I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon. And stronger than ever.
“Well done guys for the great job today. I love you.”
Millwall, meanwhile, hit out at the media reaction to Roberts’ challenge with a strong club statement.
The statement read: “The club are disgusted by abuse directed towards goalkeeper Liam Roberts following Saturday’s unfortunate collision with Jean-Philippe Mateta.
“The reporting on the matter, as well as disgraceful suggestions made by certain news organisations and high-profile figures within the sport that Liam intended to harm Jean-Philippe, has contributed to the unwarranted character assassination of Liam and fuelled abhorrent online abuse towards him.
“No player at Millwall Football Club steps onto the pitch with the intent to harm another and the club will continue to support Liam, who reached out to Jean-Philippe personally on Saturday evening with an apology, which was accepted immediately.
“The club are pleased to hear positive updates from Jean-Philippe and wish him the best in his recovery.”
