A brawl broke out in Bristol City vs Millwall, as the two sets of players and staffs clashed after the full-time whistle blew, having been sparked by a coming together on the side-lines.
17:34, 06 Dec 2025Updated 18:12, 06 Dec 2025
Bristol City captain Jason Knight pushes Millwall’s manager Alex Neil.(Image: Will Cooper/Shutterstock)
Bristol City and Millwall players – and staff – clashed at the end of their Championship match at Ashton Gate on Saturday, as tensions flared after the full-time whistle blew. It came in a frustrating match for the Robins, as they failed to break down the visitors, who took all three points.
A Mihailo Ivanovic goal in the second half gave Millwall the lead, one that they just about managed to see out. Three penalty appeals and a disallowed goal for the hosts saw them charge for a way back into it – but it wasn’t enough to land them any points from the game.
Then, as soon as the full-time whistle blew, tensions flared, with Bristol City captain Jason Knight appearing to push Millwall manager Alex Neil on the side-lines. That sparked a brawl among the staff and players alike, with frustrations spilling over in that very moment, as Millwall assistant David Livermore appeared to be shoved to the floor in the midst of it all.
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They were ugly and chaotic scenes to end the game on, with the Championship providing yet more drama during the clash. It was a defeat that leaves Bristol City in seventh place, just one point from the play-offs, but with a gap now growing to the top three, which includes Millwall.
The London side cemented their position in third, just two points away from second-place Middlesbrough, with automatic promotion still on for this season. It sums up a league which is still in flux, as nine points separate third from 16th in the division.
With the scenes eventually calming down at Ashton Gate, both sides were able to give their view on exactly what happened. Neil was the first to speak with the press, explaining how a withdrawn handshake appeared to spark the whole situation.
He said: “I went to shake his [Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber’s] hand at the end of the game and he sort of pulled his hand away. We certainly weren’t instigators in that.”
Gerhard Struber certainly cut a frustrated figure at the end of the match, too, with video footage showing a conversation he had with the officials after the game. There were plenty of decisions the Bristol City manager would’ve felt aggrieved by, with several penalty calls and a goal ruled out for offside.
Struber defended his position, as he responded after: “It’s a big joke. I will say this crystal clear. I showed him my hand twice and he was not ready to shake hands.”
Millwall head coach Alex Neil stands on the pitch.(Image: Ben Roberts – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Bristol City won’t have much time to reflect on that reverse, with a match against Leicester City coming up on Wednesday. The Robins play host again, with the Foxes coming into it off the box of a huge 3-1 win over Derby County in a local East Midlands clash.
As for Millwall, their charge towards automatic promotion continues with an away trip to the Rams, at Pride Park, in search of another three points. The south London team haven’t lost to Derby since 2020, picking up a win and a draw against them last season in the Championship.
Elsewhere in the division, the race at the top might not be over just yet, with Ipswich Town pulling out a huge 3-0 win over runaway leaders Coventry City. Frank Lampard’s side still hold a nine-point gap over Millwall in third, but it opens up an opportunity for others to compete.
With the division wide open, the festive fixture period could provide a few more twists and turns in the race for promotion.