The FA have charged Millwall after their recent FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace was marred by homophobic chanting aimed at Chelsea loanee Ben Chilwell. Palace claimed a 3-1 win over the Championship side in the fifth round tie at the start of March.
But in the first-half, Millwall fans are alleged to have aimed the ‘Chelsea Rent Boy’ chant at Chilwell. In January 2022, Mirror Football revealed that chant would be classed as a homophobic hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service going forward.
In January 2023, the FA wrote to clubs across the pyramid informing them that they could now be charged if their supporters were heard singing homophobic chants. Several clubs have since been handed hefty fines, including Wolves.
Millwall could be in line for a similar punishment if they are found guilty of the charge. The FA confirmed the charge in a statement on Thursday morning.
The statement read: “Millwall FC has been charged with misconduct in relation to crowd control following the FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace FC on Saturday 1 March.
“It’s alleged that during the 5th and 20th minutes the club failed to ensure its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don’t use words or behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting way with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation. Millwall FC has until Wednesday 16 April to respond.”
Millwall are yet to confirm how exactly they will respond to the charge. But the club have insisted they condemn the chant in question and emphasised its work combatting homophobia.
“Millwall Football Club notes The Football Association’s decision to charge the club with breaches of rule E21 following the Emirates FA Cup fixture away to Crystal Palace on Saturday 1st March 2025,” a club statement read.
“The chant in question is condemned by Millwall Football Club, and once again it strongly emphasises its zero-tolerance policy against discrimination of all kinds. The club remains committed to working tirelessly to eradicate homophobic chanting, and any other form of discriminatory abuse, from the sport.
“This work will continue under the club’s leading anti-discrimination campaign, All ‘Wall, which is promoted ahead of every fixture and overseen by its industry-leading Equality Steering Committee.”
During the same game, Millwall fans were also heard singing ‘Let him die’ towards Jean-Philipe Mateta after the Palace star was involved in a sickening collision with Lions keeper Liam Roberts. Mateta was hospitalised by the incident, though the FA will be taking no action with regards to those chants.
Chilwell joined Palace in the January transfer window having been frozen out by Chelsea. He could now play in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa at the end of the month after Palace smashed Fulham in the quarter-finals.
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