By Micky Monsoon
June 6 2005

If Peter Sweeney joins Stoke for a fee to be decided by tribunal, it'll be the final straw for some fans. Let's be honest. Sweeney's not everyone's idea of a great prospect. Some fans love him, others loathe him. Yet if he leaves, what does it say about the state of Millwall? It's quite clear the club's in a mess. We could have tied Sweeney up to a longer-term deal ages ago.

But we've been like a rudderless ship for some time. Jeff Burnige has an uneviable task on his hands, trying to balance the books, but losing Sweeney makes no sense financially.

If we can't keep our young players at the club, what's the point in pursuing this dream of a homegrown first team.

Some Burnige supporters are saying they'll turn against him if Sweeney moves on, and these people are not necessarily great believers in the young winger's ability.

It's the principle we're talking about here not just the fate of one player!