Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has condemned the football violence coming out of the Carling Cup clash between West Ham and Millwall on Tuesday night.

Large groups of fans were involved in violent clashes, before, during and after the match which the Hammers won 3-1 with one man being admitted to hospital after being stabbed.

Sutcliffe believes that the people involved need to be given harsh punishments because there is absolutely no room for that type of behaviour in the modern game.

"I completely back the FA's call for any person identified as involved to be banned for life," he said. "The scenes last night were a disgrace to football."