THIS morning, relations between Burnley and Millwall Football clubs are at rock bottom.

Allegations of racism towards Clarets defender Mo Camara have been made, denied, debated on the airwaves and plastered across every weekend newspaper.

It was the talk of the press room two weeks ago - well reported at the time - and it was again the main topic of discussion on Saturday.

Yet still there remain two totally divided camps, depending on where your allegiance lies.

Let me first state that, on Saturday, I did not hear any repeat of the monkey chants that definitely came from Millwall fans mouths during the first meeting between the sides in the FA Cup two weeks ago.

What I heard was incessant booing of Camara from the very first whistle, apparently some kind of throwback to an 'incident' a fortnight ago that nobody in the press box seems to be able to recall.

However, unlike certain people, I am willing to listen to the views of others and take them on board - unlike a blinkered, ignorant (London-based) reporter who believes all the sensational headlines provide us with "easy copy". What garbage!

An independent freelance (London-based) photographer, sat in front of the home supporters for 90 minutes, was 100 per cent adamant he heard racist chanting.

So too were many of my colleagues, who first commented on the worrying trait two weeks ago - the very day a national broadsheet journalist was so incensed at the alleged treatment of Camara that he penned a particularly vitriolic piece branding Millwall fans as openly racist.

On Saturday, furious Clarets manager Ternent was again unrepentant, condemning the monkey chants he heard on both occasions as "scandalous" without any prompt from the floor.

Could these unconnected, professional people all possibly be wrong?

Let's get another thing straight - Millwall have a problem with racists and they openly admit it. A corner of their media centre is dedicated to the 'Kick it Out' theme, while their match day programme carries a prominent, bright yellow, eye-catching message urging 'PRIDE NOT PREJUDICE'. It adds: 'Passionate support does not need indecent, obscene or racist comments or actions. Racism of any sort will not be tolerated and anyone uttering racist abuse will be arrested and banned indefinitely from the club. Help us to help our club'.

Lions chairman Theo Paphitis also knows he needs to be seen as pro-active, since in his post-match statement he revealed that, following the previous allegations, stewards and police had been approached in advance of the second game to "monitor the situation".

Paphitis claims he also spoke to representatives of the press, a number of whom confirmed what they heard was booing and nothing else. I would lay odds the ignorant reporter mentioned previously was a willing contributor and that none of the northern press were consulted.

For Paphitis to then suggest that is easy for people with an axe to grind to undermine a serious issue by jumping on the bandwagon of hearsay and speculation, is, I believe deeply patronising. Whether this is a smokescreen only he knows, but the one thing even Paphitis cannot deny is that the New Den is a pretty unpleasant place to be on matchday.

The fall-out from the weekend leaves a nasty taste in the mouth and surely now, the footballing authorities must be drafted in to investigate a serious issue that seems certain to tar, and even threaten repercussions, at any future meetings between the two sides.

Naturally, this totally overshadows what was, result aside, an enjoyable battle between two pretty evenly matched First Division sides.

Burnley, with a midfield decimated through the absence of Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant and Paul Weller, went for the untried pairing of Neil Wood and Bradley Orr in central midfield, while Alan Moore, fresh from the FA Cup miss that has surely haunted him for the past fortnight, was restored to left midfield to make up the numbers.

And Moore got an early chance to bury a ghost with just six minutes on the clock. Ian Moore and Robbie Blake helped create the opening on the left side of the area, but Moore's goalbound drive was turned for a corner by the alert Andy Marshall.

Soon it was Ian who had a golden chance to put the Clarets ahead with a similar chance to the one he also spurned at the New Den a fortnight ago.

Blake was again the instigator, threading a ball beyond the last defender for Moore to try his luck with a low drive across the keeper that Marshall again saved well.

Burnley meant business and soon Orr, who performed admirably on his full Football League debut, came within a whisker of marking his first start for the club with a stunning goal, firing in a 25-yard volley that Marshall superbly turned around the post at full stretch.

But the tide turned Millwall's way in the 12th minute as Paul Ifill sprung a fragile looking offside trap, rounded Brian Jensen with ease and left the Clarets keeper the task of picking up net rash with virtually his first touch.

Aussie midfielder Tim Cahill almost made it two soon after, first seeing his looping header force a fingertip save from Jensen and then watching Lee Roche head off the line from the resulting corner.

Yet how Burnley failed to equalise on the half hour will forever remain a mystery.

Blake linked up with Little before dinking a lovely cross to the far post, where Alan Moore's stabbed effort was parried back into the heart of the goalmouth by Marshall. Ian Moore was first to react and fired an instant shot on the turn that somehow Marshall got back to block. Unbelievable!

Marshall was straight back in the groove from the restart, palming Camara's cross-cum-shot away from goal to keep the lead intact.

And that latest save paid double dividends as Burnley fell to the sucker punch to allow the Lions to effectively wrap up the win with 52 minutes on the clock.

Dangerman Ifill jumped the challenge of Mark McGregor on the half way line to race completely clear down the right wing, then picked out Peter Sweeney at the far post for the teenage midfielder to rifle home his third professional goal.

Graham Branch instantly replaced Alan Moore for his first start in over six weeks, pushing straight into attack as Burnley went for broke.

But what followed quickly became academic on a day the game came a very poor second to a bigger problem that must surely now be addressed.

MILLWALL 2

Ifill 13, Sweeney 52

BURNLEY 0

The New Den. Att: 10,148