Millwall Boss Alex Neil revealed the full extent of a furious tunnel confrontation that erupted following Saturday’s explosive Dockers Derby at The Den, calling for immediate apologies from several West Ham players.
The Championship clash the first meeting between the bitter rivals in 14 years ended in a heated 2-2 draw, but the real fireworks exploded after the final whistle as tensions boiled over in the tunnel area .
Neil, who had earlier declared “We love being hated” ahead of the fixture, was visibly incensed as he made his way down the tunnel and refused to shake hands with multiple West Ham players .
WHAT HAPPENED
According to sources close to the situation, the confrontation stemmed from a series of flashpoints during the match including an allegation that West Ham forward Taty Castellanos spat at Millwall goalkeeper Filip Marschall during the second half .
Marschall delayed releasing the ball while his side led 2-0, prompting Castellanos to close him down. The two players became involved in an altercation in the penalty area, after which Marschall appeared to point toward his jersey, gesturing that he had been spat at. Sky Sports later confirmed that the fourth official had been informed of the allegation by Millwall staff .
The incident was not penalized by referee Paul Tierney, but it left simmering resentment that carried into the tunnel after Mavropanos’s 80th-minute equalizer and Kanté’s 89th-minute red card had sealed a dramatic 2-2 draw .
NEIL REFUSES HANDSHAKES
As the players made their way off the pitch, Neil stood near the tunnel entrance. Witnesses describe the Millwall boss making a deliberate decision to withhold handshakes from several West Ham players, pointedly ignoring them as they passed.
The tension was palpable as voices were raised, with Neil reportedly making his feelings abundantly clear about what he perceived as a lack of respect from the visiting side.
“THEY NEED TO APOLOGIZE IMMEDIATELY”
Speaking after the match, Neil did not hold back.
“I won’t shake their hands,” he said. “They know what happened out there, and they know what was said. That’s not how you conduct yourself not in this stadium, not in this derby.”
When pressed on the specifics, Neil confirmed that the confrontation involved several West Ham players and that the matter was far from resolved.
“They need to apologize immediately,” Neil stated. “Not to me to my players. To the supporters who came here expecting a football match, not that.”
A DERBY THAT DELIVERED EVERYTHING
The match itself had been a classic Dockers Derby. Millwall raced into a 2-0 half-time lead through Caleb Taylor’s 16th-minute opener and Camiel Neghli’s strike in first-half stoppage time, both goals stemming from Lyndon Dykes’ trademark long throws .
West Ham, the Championship leaders, fought back in the second half. Substitute Mohamadou Kanté halved the deficit in the 74th minute with a precise low drive, before Konstantinos Mavropanos headed home Manor Solomon’s cross ten minutes later to level the score .
Kanté’s afternoon turned sour when he was shown a straight red card in the 89th minute for pulling back Kyrell Lisbie as the Millwall substitute raced through on goal .
WHAT’S NEXT
The draw keeps West Ham at the top of the Championship table on 15 points, while Millwall sit 10th with 11 points .
The two sides will meet again on February 21, 2027, at the London Stadium. If Saturday’s events are anything to go by, that fixture cannot come soon enough or perhaps too soon, depending on who you ask.
For now, Alex Neil has made his position crystal clear. The apologies, he says, are overdue.
