‘You’re not in Ibiza!’ – Footage shows Millwall fans booing their own new pre-match light show
Light shows have become a common feature in modern football, but one club’s fans have firmly rejected the introduction of it. Premier League and Championship games see plenty of light shows before kick-off, with clubs attempting to build up the atmosphere before the game gets underway. Millwall fans made it clear what they thought of their new light showX:@AchtungMillwall But while most supporters either don’t mind it or begrudgingly get on with it, Millwall fans have had a different reaction. The Lions welcomed Leeds to The Den on Wednesday evening, and the fixture marked the first time their new light show had been implemented. And footage on social media shows the home faithful didn’t feel particularly thrilled with the new pre-match dramatics prior to their 1-0 victory. As the light show begun, supporters were heard booing loudly. ‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim was being played over the sound system, but the boos drowned the song out. One fan vlogging the moment said: “No, you’re not in Ibiza. You are in South Bermondsey!” Gary the Millwall fan said on talkSPORT: “It doesn’t work for us. The light show ain’t doing it. What is this about boys? It’s Millwall.” Chris Poskitt, Managing Director of Lights at the Den, was responsible for the light show, and came on talkSPORT on Thursday night to defend the pre-match antics. He said: “The fans are so important to the club, we not are there to take over the fans, we’re there to work with the fans. “There’s two assets at the club which are so important, and that’s the players and the fans, we want to make it a better experience for the fans if Millwall want that.” The Old Den had a reputation for being an intimidating place to goGetty The fans are trying to make The New Den feel the sameGetty He added: “But the booing, there were 2,000 boos from the Leeds fans, there were boos from a certain amount of Millwall fans, but listen, if we thought we going to make everybody happy, we’d be at every club in the world. “So I think we just need to work on the positives of this, it was a brilliant atmosphere, Millwall, three points against Leeds United.” Poskitt continued: “We’re not going to push it [light show at every Millwall match], but if that’s what Millwall want, that’s what Millwall can have. “There is an element that I’d like to clear up as well, there’s no contractual agreement that states Millwall will have to use us three times [this season], it’s not about that. “It’s about us working with Millwall to improve the experience, to improve and work with fans, the players are important, the fans have always been the 12th man. “I’ve worked with fans for 30 years and if I was making every fan happy then I would be the best in the game.” Millwall’s old ground, also named ‘The Den’, was famed for its intimidating atmosphere. And the fans are trying to get their former home’s reputation to manifest itself at their current ground, which they moved into in 1993. It’s not particularly surprising, then, that Lions fans weren’t keen on having a light show reminiscent of an American sport half-time show at their home game. After a tough start to the season, Millwall have recently hit form and currently sit fifth in the table thanks to Japhet Tanganga’s 40th minute goal against Leeds.. Meanwhile, Leeds, who lost the play-off final to Southampton last season, sit in third spot – four points behind leaders Sunderland.
Light shows have become a common feature in modern football, but one club’s fans have firmly rejected the introduction of it.
Premier League and Championship games see plenty of light shows before kick-off, with clubs attempting to build up the atmosphere before the game gets underway.
But while most supporters either don’t mind it or begrudgingly get on with it, Millwall fans have had a different reaction.
The Lions welcomed Leeds to The Den on Wednesday evening, and the fixture marked the first time their new light show had been implemented.
And footage on social media shows the home faithful didn’t feel particularly thrilled with the new pre-match dramatics prior to their 1-0 victory.
As the light show begun, supporters were heard booing loudly.
‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim was being played over the sound system, but the boos drowned the song out.
One fan vlogging the moment said: “No, you’re not in Ibiza. You are in South Bermondsey!”
Gary the Millwall fan said on talkSPORT: “It doesn’t work for us. The light show ain’t doing it. What is this about boys? It’s Millwall.”
Chris Poskitt, Managing Director of Lights at the Den, was responsible for the light show, and came on talkSPORT on Thursday night to defend the pre-match antics.
He said: “The fans are so important to the club, we not are there to take over the fans, we’re there to work with the fans.
“There’s two assets at the club which are so important, and that’s the players and the fans, we want to make it a better experience for the fans if Millwall want that.”
He added: “But the booing, there were 2,000 boos from the Leeds fans, there were boos from a certain amount of Millwall fans, but listen, if we thought we going to make everybody happy, we’d be at every club in the world.
“So I think we just need to work on the positives of this, it was a brilliant atmosphere, Millwall, three points against Leeds United.”
Poskitt continued: “We’re not going to push it [light show at every Millwall match], but if that’s what Millwall want, that’s what Millwall can have.
“There is an element that I’d like to clear up as well, there’s no contractual agreement that states Millwall will have to use us three times [this season], it’s not about that.
“It’s about us working with Millwall to improve the experience, to improve and work with fans, the players are important, the fans have always been the 12th man.
“I’ve worked with fans for 30 years and if I was making every fan happy then I would be the best in the game.”
Millwall’s old ground, also named ‘The Den’, was famed for its intimidating atmosphere.
And the fans are trying to get their former home’s reputation to manifest itself at their current ground, which they moved into in 1993.
It’s not particularly surprising, then, that Lions fans weren’t keen on having a light show reminiscent of an American sport half-time show at their home game.
After a tough start to the season, Millwall have recently hit form and currently sit fifth in the table thanks to Japhet Tanganga’s 40th minute goal against Leeds..
Meanwhile, Leeds, who lost the play-off final to Southampton last season, sit in third spot – four points behind leaders Sunderland.
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