FEARFUL football fans on their way to Millwall this Saturday have been reassured about their safety.Ipswich Town are expecting a following of about 1,000 fans to south London for the match against Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

FEARFUL football fans on their way to Millwall this Saturday have been reassured about their safety.

Ipswich Town are expecting a following of about 1,000 fans to south London for the match against Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

But despite the feared reputation of the Millwall hooligan element, officials at Portman Road believe their fans will be safe at the New Den.

A club spokesman said: "To allay any doubts that supporters have regarding their safety at Millwall, their own fans are only able to enter the stadium with a swipe card and every supporter has been fully checked before the issue of these cards."

Millwall's fearsome reputation is long-established and the club's image was worsened by a recent BBC2 programme highlighting the growth of violence in the Nationwide League.

But the new season has seen a number of safety measures including banning some away fans from the Millwall ground.

And the club spokesman believes Millwall's trouble-free start to the season will continue on Saturday.

He said: "There has been no trouble at Millwall this season and they are well aware of the good behaviour of the travelling Ipswich Town fans.

"Millwall are anticipating a maximum crowd of 10,00 and are looking forward to an enjoyable Saturday afternoon."