Bid to sell booze outside Millwall’s The Den ground rejected after cops fear violence

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A woman has had her bid to sell booze to Millwall fans turned down after police said they feared drunken supporters could become violent.

Tara Grimes had her application to serve alcohol to fans outside the Lions’ ground, The Den, before the team’s match against Coventry City on Saturday turned down by Lewisham council.

PC Gillian Pearce, from Lewisham Police, said rowdy banter which sees supporters banging on the windows of away team coaches could escalate into violence if fans were intoxicated.

She said there was no need for a bar opposite Millwall’s stadium, as supporters could already buy drinks inside the ground.

Reading from a statement written by PC Sam Moore, from the Metropolitan Police’s football unit, she said: “What is usually seen is some inter-rivalry banter when the coaches come across the stadium into Bolina Road, which generally sees some banging on the windows, anti-social behaviour.

“It can escalate to supporters exiting coaches to engage in disorder or violence.

“This occurs while no alcohol is being drunk, so if there’s alcohol being drunk and those people are then exiting the coaches and this is happening with the supporters then this has the propensity to escalate into violence.”

PC Pearce added that the football club itself didn’t want the cafe to sell booze to fans.

She added: “Millwall Football Club do not want this to go ahead. The football ground has got its own licensed bar.

“They’re used to dealing with football crowds so they already have their club.

“Why would we need another drinking venue that is directly outside?”

But Tara Grimes said she’d never experienced trouble from fans in her years working at The Millwall Cafe opposite the stadium.

She said: “We’ve never had trouble. I work in the cafe and get on with everybody.

“I have nothing but respect for all the Millwall supporters, of which I know quite a lot of.

“I don’t think there will be any trouble regarding selling alcohol from there. They will be eating and there’s a seating area which is relaxed before they go to the game.”

Lewisham council said it was worried that policing of the Championship match against Coventry would be undermined by the plan to sell booze.

The local authority said it was “unacceptable” for Miss Grimes to expect police officers to provide security.

The decision, published on the council’s website, reads: “The committee was aware that home matches at The Den are well managed by the police, and were very concerned that the proposed event would undermine the policing of the match on August 13, 2022.

“They were also concerned that the applicant had not prepared a risk assessment for the proposed event and therefore could not be satisfied it would go ahead safely and in a way that promotes the licensing objectives.

They considered it unacceptable for the applicant to rely on the police to provide security for the proposed event which would divert resources away from other priorities and undermine the careful policing plan.

“For all of these reasons, the committee decided that the proposed event would undermine the licensing objectives and therefore served a counter notice, meaning that the proposed event could not go ahead.”

Pictured top: Tara Grimes wanted to sell booze to fans on the forecourt of The Millwall Cafe (Picture: Google Street View)