Six fans arrested at Millwall vs West Ham after fiery derby draw as cops deploy 400 officers to police clash

COPS have arrested six people at the heated Dockers derby clash between fierce rivals Millwall and West Ham today. The points were shared between the two London clubs who had not met in a competitive fixture since February 2012. Around 400 cops were deployed to tackle any potential troublemaking Credit: Getty Football supporters scuffle with police outside The Den Credit: Getty Konstantinos Mavropanos rescued a point late on for West Ham to make it 2-2 in what was the 100th meeting between the East London rivals. Hundreds of police officers were out in force today with the Dockers derby one of the fiercest rivalries in the game. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The Met Police issued a statement at 4pm on Saturday confirming six people have so far been arrested for a number of offences. These included assaulting an officer, tailgating, and entering or attempting to enter a stadium whilst intoxicated. Fans face off against cops following today’s derby Credit: Getty Eleven men were also arrested at around 7.15pm on Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage at around the same time on September 18. Other bystanders were seen watching on gobsmacked as the unsavoury scenes unfolded. Rival fans were largely frogmarched to local stations without incident to begin their journey’s home, as police enforced strict order to avoid violence. Millwall and West Ham have a fiery relationship which extends beyond the pitch, back to the bustling industry of East London in the late 1800s. Most read in Sport Stewards and authorities were already on high alert today in case any of the grim scenes of the past threatened to repeat themselves. Prior to today’s clash, Millwall had 38 wins to West Ham’s 34, as well as 27 draws. Since their first meeting in 1899, the pair have carved out a reputation as having one of English football‘s fiercest rivalries, and even spawned notorious depictions in films such as Green Street and The Firm. Millwall were formed as Millwall Rovers in 1885 from workers of the J.T Morton Canning and Preserve Factory on the Isle of Dogs, East London – a company which provided sailing ships with canned goods for their travels. West Ham‘s earliest form emerged a decade later, with Thames Ironworks FC forming out of workers of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company in nearby Canning Town. The pair would meet for the first time in 1899, with Millwall – now Millwall Athletic – taking a 2-1 victory in a qualifying round for the FA Cup. The clash would kick off a flurry of activity between the two, with the sides clashing sixty times over the next 16 years, including seven fixtures in 1902 alone. The rise of their respective hooligan firms in the 1970s and 1980s did little to calm down the tension that had continued to bubble over since their early clashes. Things hadn’t calmed down by 2009, when things would this time bubble over at West Ham’s former stadium Upton Park. The rivals had been drawn against each other at the venue in the second round of the League Cup. Goals from Zavon Hines and Junior Stanislas saw the Hammers leave 3-1 victors after extra-time, but not before a number of pitch invasions marred the match. Things escalated even more after the match, with the unsavoury scenes spilling out of the ground, resulting in a number of injuries and one visiting fan being stabbed.