Millwall hit with fine after FA charge over Ben Chilwell chants during Crystal Palace clash

Millwall have been charged and fined £15,000 for breaches of rule E21 following homophobic chanting in their FA Cup match with Crystal Palace back in March.

Chants of 'Chelsea rent boy' were aimed at Ben Chilwell, the Crystal Palace left-back, during the match at Selhurst Park, which the home side went on to win 3-1 in order to advance in the competition.

And The FA have now confirmed that a £15,000 fine will be imposed on Millwall by an Independent Regulatory Commission as a result of the chants, which occurred in the fifth and 20th minute of the match.

The Championship club will also be subject to an action plan until the 2025-25 campaign and received a warning over their future conduct.

The FA said in a statement: "An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed an action plan, £15,000 fine and warning on Millwall FC for misconduct in relation to crowd control during its FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace FC on Saturday 1 March.

READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool close on Guehi deal, Gyokeres snubs Sporting return, Man Utd's Onana exit

READ MORE: UEFA give update on Crystal Palace's Europa League hopes as two sides kicked out

"It was alleged that Millwall FC failed to ensure its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don’t use words or behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting way with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation during both the 5th and 20th minutes.

"Millwall FC admitted the charges, and the Regulatory Commission imposed the club’s sanctions following a hearing."

The FA explained in its written reasons that the club's "substantial ad successful efforts" to adhere to a previous action plan, plus their wider efforts to prevent discriminatory chanting were among the reasons they were not given a more substantial fine.

In a statement acknowledging the fine, Millwall referenced said action plan as well as the EDI work acknowledged by The FA in their ruling.

They wrote: "Millwall Football Club acknowledges the decision by The Football Association to impose upon it a £15,000 fine, an extended action plan and warned of future conduct, following a breach of FA Rule E21 during the Emirates FA Cup fixture against Crystal Palace on Saturday 1st March 2025.

"An Independent Regulatory Commission has imposed these sanctions in relation to the use of a chant containing the phrase "Chelsea rent boy." This term is officially recognised as a homophobic slur and condemned by the club. Since January 2022, the chant has been classified as a prosecutable offence by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for anyone found using or singing it, and anyone identified in doing so will also be banned from the club.

"As part of its action plan, the Club will continue to do all it can to proactively tackle discriminatory abuse through its Equality Steering Committee and dedicated anti-discrimination campaign, All ’Wall. The FA has acknowledged the significant work the Club and the Millwall Community Trust has undertaken in this area, and both organisations remain strongly dedicated to building on this foundation and fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community and all individuals alike."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.