The Lions Trust Press release

LIONS AND LEEDS: FANS SPEAK AS ONE

Leeds United v Millwall – League One play-off semi-final

Whilst both sets of fans await the results of the final round of regular season games, the proposal that the likely Millwall v Leeds United play-off matches may be drastically restricted by allowing an away fan allocation of only 1,000 tickets for each leg will be greeted with dismay by the genuine fans of both clubs.

These matches are the climax of a long seasons efforts by both clubs and both sides deserve the best possible support of their loyal fans. Supporters who have regularly travelled the length and breadth of the country to follow their teams deserve every opportunity to attend these matches. For this reason, The Lions Trust in tandem with The Leeds United Supporters Trust are calling upon the managements of the clubs and police commanders involved, to work with fans to make both matches the fantastic occasions that they deserve to be.

The difficulties of policing important football matches and the security problems that they impose is of course recognised and acknowledged. We have every confidence however that the Metropolitan and the West Yorkshire police forces have both the professionalism and experience to be able to handle what remain, after all, third-tier level football matches. It should also be noted that imposing such severe limits on away tickets could actually cause considerable problems in that visiting fans, who wish to do nothing worse than watch their team play in a very important match, may be tempted to acquire and use tickets for the home sections of the ground, thus seriously undermining the policy of segregation.

The two Supporters Trusts are speaking with one voice and are requesting that the away ticket allocation for these two matches is increased to more normal levels and call on all parties concerned to work together to make matchday security the first priority. Reasonable fans on both sides will not have any problem with co-operating in making the game safe.

Leeds and Millwall supporters trusts are jointly sending this release to the Police Commissioner of the Metropolis, the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, the Football League, the Chairmen of both clubs, interested members of parliament, and media. We sincerely hope that a reasonable compromise may be reached and a way forward found which will allow as many genuine and loyal fans as possible to enjoy live what should be 180 minutes of cracking football.

Both Supporters Trusts together with the Football Supporters Federation draw attention not just to this likely meeting of Leeds and Millwall but also to the larger principle at stake here - namely that going to football matches should be as enjoyable an experience as possible and that football fans should not be arbitrarily criminalized.

Rick Duniec

Leeds Trust Chairman

Nick Hart

Lions Trust Chairman