London, United Kingdom. Westminster Council has apologised to Millwall after the club’s badge was used in an illustration depicting a white supremacist in a children’s anti-racism booklet distributed in primary schools.
Millwall supporters consider legal action
Millwall’s Supporters’ Club said on X that legal action was still being considered over what it called a “serious misuse” of the club’s registered rampant lion badge, saying it created a false and damaging image of the club.
The supporters’ club said the council had confirmed no more copies of the image featuring the club’s logo would be made or distributed, and that all remaining material in the council’s possession would be destroyed. It added that the club was still considering its legal position and was unable to comment further.
Booklet content and illustration
The booklet highlighted the career of Paul Canoville, the first black player to play for Chelsea. It included an illustration of a white supremacist wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood and robes emblazoned with Millwall’s badge, placed next to a photograph of Canoville.
A speech bubble alongside the photograph said: “Racism never went away. I was badly abused in a reserve match at Millwall, but then I could show the racists my 1984 2nd Division Champions medal!”
Council apology and review
In its apology, Westminster Council said it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within football”.
The council said the booklet had been removed from circulation and that it was reviewing processes to ensure the issue does not happen again.
Paul Canoville Foundation response
The Paul Canoville Foundation said it had no involvement in the commissioning or production of the booklet, although Canoville made a personal appearance to meet students as part of the associated programme.
The foundation said it understood the illustration depicted a real incident Canoville experienced while playing for Chelsea Reserves against Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, when he was subjected to serious racial abuse by individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods.
What steps should councils take to prevent insensitive imagery from being used in school materials?
