Millwall Considers Legal Action After Westminster Council Uses Badge on KKK Illustration

Millwall is considering taking legal action after Westminster City Council used the club’s badge on an illustration of a Ku Klux Klan member in a children’s anti-racism booklet distributed in primary schools in the local area about the life of former footballer Paul Canoville.

“- Published Millwall are considering taking legal action after Westminster City Council used the Championship club's badge on an illustration of a Ku Klux Klan member”

BBC

The BBC reports that the image appeared in a booklet about Canoville, who was “the first black player to play for Chelsea,” and that it showed a cartoon figure wearing a white hood and robes, with the outfit also bearing Millwall’s crest.

BBC

In the same account, the figure was imposed next to a photograph of Canoville, with a speech bubble reading: "Racism never went away. I was badly abused in a reserve match at Millwall, but then I could show the racists my 1984 2nd Division Champions medal!"

The BBC says Westminster City Council apologised to the club for the “improper use of their logo and for any offence caused,” and that “The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn't happen again.”

The New York Times similarly describes the image as a registered Millwall club badge placed on a Ku Klux Klan figure in a children’s educational book, in a booklet called ‘The Paul Canoville Story’.

The Times adds that the booklet was distributed by Westminster city council to schools and that Millwall is “considering taking legal action” after the badge was pictured on the KKK figure.

In parallel, GB News reports that the illustration was distributed in an educational booklet about the life of Paul Canoville, and that Millwall said it had received a “full apology” from the council.

Westminster City Council’s apology is central to how the dispute unfolded, with multiple outlets quoting the council’s acknowledgement that the image was inappropriate for children.

The BBC reports that “On Thursday, Westminster City Council apologised to the club for the 'improper use of their logo and for any offence caused'” and that it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within football.”

Daily Star

The BBC also says the council stated “The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn't happen again.”

The Times likewise quotes a Westminster city council spokesperson saying: “We accept the use of this image was an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within football.”

The Times adds that the council “has apologised to Millwall Football Club for the improper use of their logo and for any offence caused,” and that “The booklet has been removed from circulation.”

Football365 frames the same sequence by reporting that Millwall received a full apology and that the council confirmed “no more copies of the image with the club’s logo will be made or distributed by them and all remaining material in their possession will be destroyed.”

The BBC’s account of Millwall’s response says the club told supporters it was a “serious misuse of a registered club badge” that created a “false and damaging image of the club.”

Millwall, Westminster City Council, and the Paul Canoville Foundation each offered distinct statements about what happened and what they did or did not approve.

“Millwall are ‘furious’ after their club badge was placed on a member of the Klu Klux Klan in a children’s eduction booklet and are considering legal action against Westminster Council”

Football365

The BBC says Millwall told supporters that the “serious misuse of a registered club badge” created a “false and damaging image of the club,” and that “The club is still considering its legal position on the matter and are unable to comment further.”

The council’s position, as quoted by the BBC, was that it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within football,” and that “The booklet has been removed from circulation.”

The Paul Canoville Foundation’s chief executive officer Raphael Frascogna told the BBC that the foundation had no involvement in the material’s content, saying it was “not produced by, commissioned by, or approved” by the foundation or Canoville.

The BBC quotes Frascogna adding: “At no stage were we shown, consulted on, or asked to approve the content of the booklet, including any illustrations within it.”

The New York Times provides a longer foundation statement, again saying: “this booklet was not produced by, commissioned by, or approved by The Paul Canoville Foundation or our founder, Paul Canoville.”

The GB News account adds that a spokesman for the council told “The People's Channel” that “Paul Canoville had not seen the booklet or approved its distribution.”

While all the reports describe the same core incident—Millwall’s crest appearing on a Ku Klux Klan figure in a children’s booklet—outlets differ in how they frame the dispute, including which details they foreground.

The BBC focuses on the council’s apology, the removal of the booklet, and Millwall’s statement that it is “still considering its legal position,” while also noting that the speech bubble references “1984 2nd Division Champions medal.”

GB News

HITC instead emphasizes Millwall being “furious” and highlights that the booklet was “written by Westminster County Council’s education and interpretation officer Peter Daniel,” and it specifies that “Page 20 of the booklet shows the KKK figure with Milwall’s crest.”

The Telegraph similarly centers on the legal angle, using phrasing that Millwall “are considering legal action” after the illustration appeared in “a children’s education booklet distributed in schools.”

The Daily Star, in contrast, uses tabloid framing by stating “Millwall may sue over KKK image with club badge in 'educational' council booklet,” while still repeating the council apology and the foundation’s denial of approval.

The New York Times adds contextual detail about Canoville’s career and says he “endured horrific racist abuse during his career and later battled drug addiction,” while also describing the KKK as referring to “two white supremacist organisations.”

GB News adds specific programmatic detail by referencing “AllWall,” described as “the umbrella for Millwall's equality, diversity, and inclusion work,” and it also states that the Lions were the first EFL club to achieve Kick It Out’s “Intermediate Level Race Equality Standard award in 2010.”

The immediate next steps described in the coverage revolve around legal consideration by Millwall and process changes by Westminster City Council, with the booklet already removed from circulation.

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HITC

The BBC says Millwall is “still considering its legal position on the matter and are unable to comment further,” and it reports that the council confirmed any remaining copies will be destroyed and no more copies will be made and distributed.

The New York Times

The BBC also says the Paul Canoville Foundation stressed it had no involvement in the material’s content, with Frascogna saying it was “not produced by, commissioned by, or approved” by the foundation or Canoville.

The Times reports that Westminster city council confirmed the booklet has since been “removed from circulation,” and it quotes the council spokesperson saying “The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Football365 similarly quotes the council’s confirmation that “no more copies of the image with the club’s logo will be made or distributed by them and all remaining material in their possession will be destroyed.”

The BBC and HITC place the controversy against Millwall’s Championship position, with the BBC saying Millwall are “third in the Championship this season, level on points with second-placed Ipswich,” and HITC adding that Millwall had “79 points” with “two games remaining.”

The reports tie the next steps to how children’s educational materials are produced and approved, with the foundation insisting it was not shown or consulted on the booklet’s illustrations.