The club admitted the charge for a chant in the 11th minute of the September 16 game at Selhurst Park, which included a reference to disability and was described as substantial by the FA. No supporters have been identified or sanctioned for the incident. The match ended 1-1, with Crystal Palace winning 4-2 on penalties. Millwall were also charged for a chant in the 80th minute but denied this, and an independent regulatory commission was unable to prove the charge.
This marks Millwall's third breach in three years, with the FA calling for a partial or full stadium closure due to repeated violations. The FA argued that anything less than a stadium closure would fail to address the seriousness of the breaches or serve as a sufficient deterrent. However, the commission extended the action plan instead, noting Millwall's 'very poor' disciplinary record but deciding against closure. The commission said the action plan has worked to a considerable extent and extending it would best serve the cause of removing discriminatory chanting.
We consider that the extant action plan has worked to a considerable extent and the cause of seeking to remove, in so far as it is possible to do so, discriminatory chanting is best served by it being further refined and extended in duration as opposed to.
Previous incidents include sanctions in October 2023 for abuse with religious references towards James McClean while he played for Wigan, with action plans imposed both times to prevent recurrence and promote inclusivity. The Crystal Palace match was deemed high-risk by Millwall, but the commission found not all steps had been taken on the day to comply with the action plan. The commission acknowledged that Millwall had taken some steps to meet its action plan requirements.