‘It’s a big joke’ - Gehard Struber hits out after chaotic full-time scenes at Ashton Gate
Gerhard Struber reflects on the touchline clash after City’s defeat to Millwall.
Bristol City missed the chance to record consecutive Championship victories as they slipped to a frustrating 1–0 defeat at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon. A single second-half goal from Mihailo Ivanovic proved decisive, with the Millwall forward firing home from close range just before the hour mark. City goalkeeper Radek Vitek had produced two smart saves to keep out Femi Azeez moments earlier, but the Robins were unable to clear their lines before Ivanovic pounced.
Heated confrontation
A heated confrontation broke out between both benches immediately after the final whistle, with Millwall manager Alex Neil expressing his disappointment over the incident: “I went over to shake their coach’s hand as I do after every match,” Neil said. “He pulled his hand away, which I thought was poor. Jason [Knight] must have seen and assumed I’d refused the handshake, which wasn’t the case, and then he’s pushed me. After that, everyone piled in from all angles — lots of pushing, shoving, all the usual nonsense you get on the touchline.”
Struber: “It’s a big joke”
The reds boss offered a very different account of the altercation, dismissing Neil’s version entirely: “It’s a big joke — a really big joke,” the Austrian said. “I tried twice to shake his hand and both times he moved away. I looked him in the eyes, offered my hand, and he walked off. I hope there are pictures because it’s crystal clear.”
Struber suggested the heated nature of the match had contributed to emotions spilling over: “It was a game full of pressure, duels, second balls. That atmosphere builds, and the wrong call at kick-off added more fire. But in the end, we should be talking about the football.”
For long spells, City were the stronger side but could not turn pressure into goals. They saw three second-half penalty appeals waved away by referee Ed Duckworth, despite strong protests from players and fans alike. Their best chance came deep into stoppage time when Ross McCrorie was brilliantly denied by Max Crocombe.
Moments later, City thought they had salvaged a point when Zak Vyner rifled home after McCrorie nodded the ball down, sparking celebrations around Ashton Gate. Those were quickly halted as the assistant referee flagged for offside, ruling that McCrorie had strayed beyond the defensive line in the build-up. Although, replays suggested the decision was highly questionable, with the defender appearing to be onside.
Struber did not hide his frustration with the officiating: “He [Duckworth] has an influence on the game and how he decides in the end was of course a really big mistake. The [officiating] team were not ready in this moment and it’s cost us a point. This is hard, I feel super sorry for my boys. I will be happy when the EFL also looks deep inside what we can do together to not have a situation like that.”
Calls for VAR
The City head coach believes the Championship must seriously consider introducing VAR to prevent similar incidents: “The referee situation is not only with us, I can see also many other colleagues in the championship, they are not always happy so what can we do together? That we have in the end a better situation. I would say a video assistant would help on a really good level. You can see in every league, the video assistant you have discussion points but in the end, the decision goes to the better direction.”