Millwall's Neil criticised over racial abuse stoppage comments

What the report says

Anti-racism group Kick It Out has criticised Millwall manager Alex Neil after he questioned the decision to stop Tuesday’s Championship match against Swansea City when allegations of racist abuse were raised. The game at The Den was paused for about seven minutes in the second half while referee Edward Duckworth followed the competition’s protocol, spoke with both benches and arranged for the safety officer to be informed. Police are now investigating reports that discriminatory chants were aimed at Swansea substitute Ji-sung Eom.

Neil told BBC Radio London that he understood the matter needed to be dealt with, but argued that halting the match did not solve the problem and affected the flow of the game. Kick It Out said player welfare must come before match momentum and urged managers and other leaders to “set the tone” in how they speak about discrimination, so that abuse is challenged consistently.

Millwall said it had a zero-tolerance approach to discriminatory behaviour and that any individual identified would face strong action. Swansea head coach Vitor Matos praised the referee and club staff for handling the incident properly, while saying it was distressing that it happened at all. The incident adds to wider scrutiny of how football handles alleged racist abuse, with clubs relying on matchday protocols to preserve evidence and support possible disciplinary or criminal action.