West Ham defender Jonathan Spector admits he didn't know how to handle the pitch invasion for their Carling Cup clash with Millwall. "I can't say I have ever experienced anything like that in my life," Spector told the Washington Times. "It was a shame that a few fans can spoil the game for everyone else. That is not the way to promote the sport or to promote the English game to the rest of the world. It's hard to enjoy a win when that other stuff is going on."

On the bus ride to the stadium, Spector and his teammates saw signs of impending trouble: boarded-up shops and a heavy police presence. Inside, while fans were hurling insults at one another, "you drown them out until they are actually out there [on the field] with you," he said.

"You try not to get angry because obviously they are very intoxicated. They are saying, 'Great job!' and you're saying, 'Thanks, but would you mind getting off the field so we can continue the game?' You try to help shepherd them off, but at the same time you've got to be careful. You don't really feel threatened; a lot of it was kind of funny because there were some big guys with their shirts off, waving them around and sliding around the field."