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Millwall reprieve as council land purchase scheme vote postponed

A crucial council meeting affecting the future of League One Millwall was postponed on Tuesday amid growing fury over plans for land around their ground to be compulsorily purchased and sold on.

Millwall have warned that they could be forced to leave The Den, their south-east London home, and relocate to Kent if Lewisham Council goes ahead with a plan to purchase land and sell it to an offshore developer.

It had been expected that the decision would be confirmed at a meeting on Wednesday -- but it has now been postponed, with no new date having been set.

The Lions, who beat Bournemouth in the FA Cup, have played in the borough of Lewisham since 1910 and at their current ground since 1993.

But they fear the purchase of the land would have severe repercussions for their youth academy and the Millwall Community Trust.

Millwall say neither could operate in their current format, meaning they could lose the source of young local players on which they rely.

The compulsory purchase order was voted through in September but then stopped by the council's own Overview and Business Scrutiny Panel.

It came after links between the council and Renewal, the development company, were revealed.