Spanners 'behaved impeccably'

Millwall fans 'behaved impeccably' during last night's crowd trouble at Upton Park according to Spanners manager Paul Jackett: Millwall

It is certainly the case that it was West Ham fans who invaded the pitch to celebrate what was ultimately a 3-1 victory, but various reports (including one from a friend who was not going to the match) indicate that trouble kicked off on the tube beforehand.

It looks as if West Ham are going to take the hit in terms of any punishment being meted out by the FA, but there may well have been some provocation from supporters of the New Cross family club.

Radio 5 is doing its phone in this morning on 'Is football violence back?' They have to fill their air time, of course. What they should be asking is whether it went away at the New Den. To be fair the club has tried to stamp out some of the worst excesses, although according to one eye witness there were racist chants last night.

Many Millwall supporters are normal individuals, but the club does attract a lunatic fringe because of its historic reputation. As the old joke goes, the biggest branch of their supporters club is in Maidstone prison.

Spanners upset at Met intervention

The Spanners are upset that the Metropolitan Police have cut the away ticket allocation for their Carling Cup tie with West Ham in half: Spanners

Mind you I do think that the Daily Mail is OTT when it talks of the two sides having a 'notorious hatred of each other'.

Chairboys open third division season

Charlton will host promoted Wycombe Wanderers at The Valley in their first League One fixture of the 2009/10 season on August 8th. The Chairboys inflicted a humiliating cup defeat on Charlton when they were a Premiership side and will now be looking to inflict a defeat on a fallen giant. the fixture is headlined in the BBC Sport review of League 1 fixtures.

After starting the season at The Valley for the third season in a row, the Addicks will then face three successive away trips with their Carling Cup first round clash with Hereford United preceding the long journey to Hartlepool United on Saturday, August 15th - a first ever visit to Victoria Park - and a shorter midweek trip, to Leyton Orient, three days later.

Swindon Town are the Valley visitors on Boxing Day. To start the festive mood, the Spanners visit The Valley just before Christmas The first clash with Gillingham takes place at the Priestfield Stadium on Saturday, October 14th, and the campaign ends with a trip to Oldham Athletic, another club that has been managed by Iain Dowie, on Saturday, May 8th.