The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 141: What one says must be followed by action

Although Millwall Football Club has its own medical department, in the case of serious injuries, especially acute injuries during matches, the first priority is always to send the players to the hospital. The club's doctors arrive promptly to the hospital to assess the situation and collaborate with professional doctors to discuss treatment plans.

Aldrich sat in the hospital corridor, tears staining his face, looking extremely despondent and sorrowful.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, the distinct clatter of high heels resonating.

Melanie, who had heard the news in London, rushed to the hospital as soon as she could. Upon seeing Aldrich sitting in a chair, she slowed her pace, approached him, and gently hooked her arm around his neck, pulling his head close to her chest. Kneeling slightly, she cupped his face and softly reassured him, "He'll be fine."

With his eyes closed, Aldrich held her waist tightly with both arms, feeling the grip grow tighter and tighter...

After a while, Melanie sat down next to him, turned off her phone, and kept him company until the late hours of the night.

The hospital's examination report was released, and the club's medical director, Thompson, solemnly informed Aldrich about the situation.

Neil required surgery for a torn ACL. This kind of surgery is difficult, and the risk of failure is high.

Aldrich could do nothing but remain silent.

When Neil woke up, Aldrich was sitting in the room. The moment Neil opened his eyes and saw Aldrich, his first words struck Aldrich like a dagger to the heart.

"Boss, did we win?"

Tears streamed down Aldrich's face as he forced a smile and nodded, "Yes, Pavel and the others came by to see you. Look, they brought you a lot of flowers. They said they'd be waiting for you to return to the team. Our journey is just beginning; you can't fall behind."

A faint smile appeared on Neil's pale face as he said, "Of course, I won't fall behind. Is my injury serious?"

Aldrich shook his head, "Not serious. Just a surgery is needed for recovery, although the recovery time will be long. You need to stay strong and face everything with courage, Lucas. You're one of the toughest players on the team; you can't let your teammates laugh at you. The team will wait for you, and I will too."

"Oh."

Hearing Aldrich's words, Neil understood deep down how serious his injury really was.

This thought left him feeling somewhat dejected.

Aldrich couldn't expect a few words to lift Neil's spirits completely at this point. For players, there's usually a period of depression immediately following an injury, which is entirely normal, but a positive mindset during recovery is crucial for getting back on the field.

Aldrich informed Neil's family, who would visit regularly, and his teammates continued to offer him encouragement.

The next morning, Aldrich left the hospital with Melanie by his side.

After resting at home for the entire morning, when he returned to the club in the afternoon, Adam approached him with a grave expression.

"After the match yesterday, all of East London went into chaos. The disorder continued into the late hours, and police arrested many fans, with our supporters in the majority. The FA has announced an investigation into the stadium chaos, and we're likely facing penalties that include closing stands for our remaining home games. Additionally, the owner and two other coaches might face fines as well."

Aldrich sat quietly behind his office desk, contemplating as silence enveloped the room—so silent you could hear a pin drop.

About ten minutes later, Aldrich finally spoke up, "Review the match footage and identify which fans instigated the trouble. Compile a list. If any extreme fan organizations are involved, investigate them as well. Also, check with the police about the troublemakers outside the stadium. It's quite possible that not all of them were Millwall supporters."

Adam nodded in agreement and asked, "What about the FA?"

"The club will prepare a written statement addressing referee Barry Knight's performance. If there are no additional sanctions, we won't appeal. If there are further suspensions, we'll discuss it then."

Aldrich finished speaking and sent Adam off to work. He needed some quiet time. Although he had been with Melanie, he didn't want to hear anyone's reassurances right now; he was worried about Neil.

After the East London derby, Millwall was set to face Newcastle United in the FA Cup quarter-finals midweek.

Aldrich forced himself to focus on work to push away his worries. After this round of matches, the Premier League standings underwent a shocking shift.

Newcastle United faced off against Liverpool at Anfield, producing a thrilling match that ended with a breathtaking score of 4-3. The home team initially took the lead, but the Reds clinched a last-minute victory over the Magpies. Kevin Keegan's disheartened expression behind the advertising boards became another iconic moment, albeit a memorable negative one.

Now, the Premier League was heating up. After Manchester United's away victory over Newcastle the previous month, Newcastle had shown signs of collapse. With five rounds left in the league, Manchester United trailed Newcastle by just two points, while Millwall was only three points behind Newcastle.

The schedule favored Manchester United, as they had already faced Millwall and Newcastle. However, Millwall still had to battle it out against Newcastle in the penultimate round.

Since Cantona's return, especially in the second half of the league starting in February, Manchester United had been surging under his leadership at Old Trafford, going over two months without defeat.

The title race was entering a fever pitch, with five matches remaining; all three teams still had a chance at the championship. However, Millwall's recent negative publicity from the East London derby sparked uncertainty heading into the final stretch.

At the FA Cup pre-match press conference on Tuesday, reporters continued to focus their questions on the league.

The FA was overwhelmed because Aldrich had not only criticized West Ham's dirty tactics in the press conference but also condemned Barry Knight's poor officiating.

David Miller, a reporter from The Times, posed a question that silenced the room.

"Mr. Hall, you previously stated in an interview that if there were any disturbances at Millwall's home ground, you would not tolerate such behavior. Now, as the owner of Millwall, how will you exercise your authority?"

All eyes were on Aldrich as the reporters awaited his response.

Many felt a sense of schadenfreude, believing Aldrich had overstepped months ago by assuming his own supporters would behave. Now they were eager to see how he would handle the situation.

Aldrich slowly picked up a document and began to read, "Millwall has conducted an investigation into the fan disturbances that occurred during the last home match and, based on verified facts, has made the following decisions. Due to privacy issues, I cannot disclose the names of the fans or the names of the fan organizations. What I can tell you is that Millwall will ban 238 fans who caused disturbances in the stands from entering The Den for the next three years. For those who purchased season tickets, we will refund the remaining matches. Additionally, three fan organizations have been identified as extreme organizations that seriously disrupted stadium order, and their members are permanently banned from the stadium. Millwall's long-term goal is to ensure the safety and comfort of our fans when attending matches. We welcome fans who support us to cheer for us, but cannot accept any fans instigating trouble that compromises the safety of others. Thank you, this concludes the press conference."

After finishing, Aldrich took the document and turned to leave.

The reporters raised their hands, calling out his name, hoping to ask more questions.

Once it became clear that Aldrich wasn't going to turn back, the reporters exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and shock.

"Is he serious?"

"Aldrich really is going head-to-head with the fans!"

"Isn't that essentially severing his financial support?"

Fans entering the stadium mean money for Millwall.

Aldrich thought through this matter thoroughly; he couldn't be soft.

Among the three extreme fan organizations, the most notorious was the Bushwhackers, who intentionally positioned themselves closest to the West Ham fans during the East London derby, waiting for an opportunity to clash.

Aldrich believed these fans, who usually wouldn't show up for every match, were merely using the fandom as a front for violence, and that most of Millwall's supporters were influenced by these organized extreme groups, leading to escalating violence.

When caught in such a chaotic standoff, ordinarily rational people can easily get swept away by others around them. If someone instigates trouble, it can spread like wildfire, and if not extinguished quickly, it can escalate uncontrollably.

To resolve the issue, one must address the root cause. Mere condemnations without tangible consequences hold no authority.

Members of the three extreme fan organizations faced bans from entering the stadium, and those individuals were now on Millwall's blacklist.

As soon as Millwall announced their disciplinary decision that day, it immediately provoked a hostile reaction from the fans. Over a hundred supporters, led by members of the three extreme organizations, surrounded Aldrich's apartment, unfurling banners and shouting for Aldrich to come out and explain himself.

Inside his home, Aldrich listened to music and read, completely unconcerned with the chaos outside.

That evening, in the back row of a cinema in London, Andrew sat watching a boring romantic film. The audience was sparse, mainly couples seated in dark corners, lost in their own world.

Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in a coat and hat sat down beside Andrew and whispered, "Mr. Hall, what did you want to meet me for? If you're looking to plead for those extreme fans, I'm afraid I can't help you."

Keeping his eyes on the big screen, Andrew calmly replied, "Director Trande, you are mistaken. I'm not here to plead on their behalf. There's a box under my seat containing documents with the names and details of certain individuals. My brother wants the London Police to maintain better order in East London, so let's try to turn these people into model citizens. If they can't do that, then please act according to the law. London's detention centers or prisons are running out of space, and the Hall family can contribute funds to build a new prison for the sake of social stability."

Trande was momentarily taken aback, and after hesitating, he began to put on an official tone, "We will, of course, do our job correctly."

"Good. Please don't disappoint us; we hope to see a stable and peaceful East London. This movie isn't bad, but it's a bit too platitudinous for my taste—I can't continue watching. Goodbye."

Andrew stood up, putting on his trench coat, hands in his pockets, and quietly left.

Trande bent down to find the briefcase underneath the seat. When he opened it, he was taken aback.

Inside the box was one hundred thousand pounds, with some documents pressed beneath the money.

Bang.

Trande quickly shut the box, quickly glanced around to ensure no one had seen him, and nobody would catch him accepting a bribe.

After a brief internal struggle, Trande grabbed the box and stealthily left the cinema through a different exit.

Taking other people's money to do their bidding wasn't illegal; the Hall family merely encouraged Trande to perform his duties better.

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