"A meeting took place today between Millwall Chairman Theo Paphitis and Mark Palios, The FA's Chief Executive, to discuss the ticket allocations for this year's FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on May 22, 2004.

Millwall again expressed their deep disappointment at the allocation of tickets to the club and also the way that the decision was reached and communicated to the club.

Millwall believe, and The FA concur, that they and Manchester United may have been able to offer valuable advice and knowledge to those responsible for the safety and security around the event.

Although it would be a break with traditional protocol, the presence of competing clubs at safety meetings will be one of the areas of procedure that will be reviewed by The FA for future finals.

The FA made the decision on respective ticket allocations after taking into consideration the requirements of the various safety and security agencies, including a directive from South Wales Police that there should be no neutral areas in the stadium - now or in the future.

Both Millwall and The FA recognise that safety and security are paramount in any decision taken. The FA acknowledge the disappointment of the Millwall fans who will not be able to attend the Cup Final."