Por Renan Filho · 2026-09-24The atmosphere at The Den was, predictably, electric. Millwall and West Ham, two clubs with a long and troubled history of fan rivalry, met in a Championship fixture that promised passion but delivered disgrace. In the 67th minute, a melee broke out near the touchline after a heavy challenge. What followed, however, was not just a scuffle but a deliberate act of contempt: a West Ham player was filmed appearing to spit towards a Millwall opponent. The footage, verified by multiple sources including The Sun and the BBC, shows the player leaning forward and expelling saliva in the direction of the Millwall defender’s face. The referee, after consulting with his assistants, issued only a yellow card to the West Ham player. No red card was shown. No retrospective action has been announced by the Football Association (FA) as of Sunday evening.
This is not an isolated incident. Spitting in football is a recurring stain on the sport. In 2020, during Project Restart, several players were caught spitting, and the Premier League issued a stern warning, threatening 10-match bans. Yet, here we are, four years later, and the same offence is being treated with the same leniency. The FA’s guidelines on spitting are clear: it is a sending-off offence under Law 12 of the IFAB rules. But enforcement, as always, is inconsistent. The referee on Saturday chose discretion over a strict application of the law. That discretion, in this case, was a failure. The FA must now step in and apply a retrospective ban of at least six matches, as they have done in similar cases, such as the 10-match ban handed to Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos for spitting in 2019. Anything less would signal that the governing body is more interested in protecting its brand than in protecting the integrity of the game.
Why does this matter beyond the usual football tribalism? Because it speaks to a broader cultural rot. The liberal-conservative view holds that order, personal responsibility, and respect for rules are the bedrock of a functioning society. Football is a microcosm of that society. When players, who are role models for millions of young people, are allowed to spit on opponents with impunity, it sends a message that there are no real consequences for vile behaviour. It also undermines the authority of referees, who are already under immense pressure. The FA, a body that spends millions on diversity initiatives and virtue-signalling campaigns, seems unable to spend a fraction of that on enforcing basic standards of decency on the pitch.
Critics will argue that the referee had a better view and that a yellow card was sufficient because the spit did not make full contact. This is a weak defence. The intent to degrade and humiliate was clear. In any other public setting—a workplace, a pub, a street corner—spitting on someone is considered an assault. Football should be no different. The law is the law. If the FA wants to claim it is serious about stamping out this behaviour, it must act decisively. The Millwall-West Ham fixture has always been a powder keg. The clubs, the police, and the local authorities have spent years trying to reduce tensions. The last thing they need is a player’s lack of self-control undoing that work. The FA must now do its job.