Man, 30, arrested after ‘football fan, 60, assaulted’ at Millwall vs Birmingham clash

A MILLWALL supporter has been rushed to hospital after being attacked in a violent clash at their Championship draw with Birmingham FC.

The 60-year-old victim was seriously injured after being pounced on by a yob outside of the stadium before kick off.

The 60-year-old was assaulted ahead of the Millwall v Birmingham matchRex

Stewards battled to regain control of the crowdsRex

Police announced a 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the horrific attack as they launched an investigation.

Cops said the Millwall fan, from London, had just arrived at St Andrews stadium with his family when he was ambushed.

He endured a horrific beating on Cattell Road shortly before 3pm, before being given medical attention by nearby officers.

The victim was then rushed to hospital while the attacker was arrested.

The 30-year-old is ccurrently being held on suspicion of a Section 18 assault.

West Midlands Police urged witnesses or anyone with information to get in touch quoting reference number 2193-23/04/22. 

The force said they had already began speaking to witnesses, reviewing CCTV footage and have forensically examined the scene.

The pivotal match, which ended in a 2-2 draw, was overshadowed by frenzied brawls in the stands and outside St Andrews stadium.

Despite the whistle being blown, there was plenty of action kicking off in the stands between warring fans.

Shocking footage shows rival supporters hurling chairs and bottles at each other as powerless stewards battled to control the crowds.

Furious Millwall boss Gary Rowett said after the game: “We don’t want to see these sort of scenes at matches.

“My daughter was in the away end today. We don’t want to see this and I’m sure that both clubs will look at what happened.”

The post-match comes after a dramatic day on the pitch, with Benik Afobe rescuing a last-ditch point for promotion-hunting Millwall from the spot.

The Stoke loan star struck in the 98th-minute after Blues’ skipper Gary Gardner fouled Jake Cooper from a Ryan Leonard long throw.

Lyle Taylor’s spot-kick looked to have sealed a late City win after two crushing defeats before Afobe’s penalty tied it up at the death, leaving Millwall three points off the top six.

Blues’ boss Lee Bowyer said: “It was never a penalty for them.

“Just because the lad goes to ground doesn’t mean that the ref has to give it.

Chaos erupted in the stands at the Championship matchRex

The ugly scenes played out after a 2-2 Championship draw

“I’m not blaming the player, the officials have to see through it.

“But we were very good from start to finish, we deserved to win and the players did me proud.”

Gardner rattled the outside of the left-hand post with a wicked 25-yard free-kick inside the first three minutes as City took the fight straight to Millwall.

Pacey Blues’ wideman Juninho Bacuna cut in from the right and tried his luck from 20 yards as the hosts pushed the Lions back.

George Saville sent a 25-yard free-kick high over the bar as Millwall tried to get a foothold in a frantic match Birmingham blew a fantastic chance to draw first blood.

Unmarked full-back George Friend nodded Bacuna’s corner yards off target right in front of goal as the visitors’ defence switched off.

Oliver Burke tried to set up Benik Afobe at the back stick but his ball floated out and Tom Bradshaw was foiled as he prepared to pull the trigger as Millwall upped the tempo.

Blues’ keeper Neil Etheridge pulled off a top-drawer stop from Murray Wallace before Ivan Sunjic brilliantly headed an angled bullet from captain Shaun Hutchinson off the line to deny the Lions.

Bacuna curled inches wide of keeper Bartosz Bialkowski’s back post with quickfire chances exploding at both ends.

The tricky Dutch winger shuddered the woodwork with a rocket on the brink of half-time after he was played in by Onel Hernandez.

Bacuna went one better to score just 64 seconds after the restart.

The ex-Rangers ace crashed home a thunderous left-footed strike after Hernandez chased down a lost cause on the byline.

Etheridge fisted away Bradshaw’s blast before Bialkowski got down to turn away Taylor’s 30-yard effort as the contest hotted up.

Millwall equalised on 68 minutes.

Danny McNamara headed sub Mason Bennett’s looping ball back across goal and Sheffield United loan man Burke popped up to slide in.

But Blues surged back in front after 79 minutes.

Taylor picked himself off after being chopped by Saville to stroke the penalty in to the bottom left-hand corner before Afobe’s last-gasp twist in the tale.

After snatching a controversial point on his old stamping ground, Lions’ chief Gary Rowett said: “To be honest I didn’t think either theirs or ours was a penalty.

“Both Taylor and Coops went down a bit too easily.

“We weren’t at our best but we have a great never say die spirit and this point could be huge.”