WEST HAM have vowed to slap life bans on all those responsible for the ugly, appalling scenes inside Upton Park on Tuesday night, writes DAVE EVANS. It was a dark night for football and West Ham in particular as vicious fighting inside and outside the gro

WEST HAM have vowed to slap life bans on all those responsible for the ugly, appalling scenes inside Upton Park on Tuesday night, writes DAVE EVANS.

It was a dark night for football and West Ham in particular as vicious fighting inside and outside the ground marred the Carling Cup match against south London rivals Millwall.

A 44-year-old man was stabbed in the chest in Priory Road, while inside, West Ham fans battled with stewards and police in riot gear, while there were three separate pitch invasions by so-called Hammers supporters.

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe described the scenes as a "disgrace to football" and added: "We will not tolerate any return to the dark days of the 70s and 80s when hooligans plagued the game."

West Ham have been asked by the FA to explain their security arrangements for the match, and if they are not satisfactory then they could face severe punishment.

An FA spokesperson commented: "In terms of the club, our priority with West Ham is to ask what steps they took before the match, what steps they took on the day and what lessons they have learned from this.

"Of course, there is a possibility for us to take action against clubs, but we will only do that in instances where the club has failed with their handling of events on the day."

The club itself vowed to give the police any assistance they could to help track down the perpetrators.

A West Ham statement read: "Video footage, photographic evidence and witness statements are being collated to identify those responsible, while there is ongoing liaison with all relevant parties including the Metropolitan Police and Football Association.

"We will also assist the authorities in their investigation of the mindless violence that took place in the area surrounding the stadium."

A total of 13 arrests were made on the night, but many more are expected, as a CCTV intelligence team scour footage from cameras inside and outside Upton Park.