BURNLEY'S fans have been banned from travelling to Millwall next season amid police concerns about crowd trouble.

But Turf Moor chiefs are considering whether to appeal against the ban while supporters have hit out angrily at the decision.

The club is one of six to have fans banned from the New Den by the Metropolitan police.

Clarets and Millwall fans were involved in disturbances outside the ground following the Clarets' 2-0 win last season.

But today Burnley chief executive Andrew Watson said: "It is a shame when it comes down to this because we have got 400 members of the London Clarets who all look forward to games in London.

"Also there are fans who have not missed games for many years and want to keep that run going.

"The Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis met myself and the chairman at the Football League meeting last weekend and told us what was being planned. The police have insisted that for six games there should be no away fans and ours is one of them.

"We will be taking stock and seeing if there is any other way but it is probably something we can do nothing about.

"It is a big shame for Millwall Football Club because we have taken 2,000 fans there the last two seasons. It is the clubs with big followings, like us, Wolves and Pompey, that they are keeping away.

"Millwall have offered us the chance to screen the match at Turf Moor but that does not help those who love to watch live football."

Paul Smith, from the Boundary Clarets has been angered by the ban and he said: "I definitely hope that we appeal. The club knows all the members of the supporters clubs and they can easily identify them for Millwall if everyone is made to go on an official trip.

"If anyone causes trouble the club has shown that they will be banned for life. We had problems last season, it took a long time for us to get away, but the trouble was caused by home fans.

"If they are going to have an ID scheme next season they should be able to sort out the problems."

The shocking scenes of violence which marred the London club's First Division play-off defeat by Birmingham have persuaded the police they have to do something.

Around 900 fans of the London club went on the rampage outside the New Den after Birmingham's second leg success on May 2.

At a press conference held in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police yesterday, it was confirmed that supporters of Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Stoke, Portsmouth and Leicester, as well as Burnley, will not be allowed at the ground next season.

Burnley supporters have already started contacting other clubs hit by the ban and it is hoped that joint action might salvage something in time for next season.