FORMER Middlesbrough defender Steve Vickers was spat at by rampaging Millwall fans after setting up Birmingham City's last-gasp play-off semi-final winner on a night of anarchy at the New Den.

Vickers, who moved from Boro to Birmingham last December in a £500,000 deal, supplied the cross for Trinidad striker Stern John to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory for Steve Bruce's side.

The now face a First Division final showdown with Norwich at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

But Stern's goal was the trigger for an orgy of violence and destruction as Millwall's notorious followers fought with police and set cars alight outside the New Den.

Vickers and his teammates were confined to the sanctuary of the visiting dressing room for two hours after the game before being allowed to leave a scene of devastation.

"I've never known anything like it,'' said Vickers. "It was unbelievable.

"Two hours after the game, we were still in the dressing room. As soon as the whistle went, their fans were on the pitch and a few of us were confronted by them and spat at.

"Some of the kids looked to be only six or seven years old.

"The police weren't very quick on the scene. You would have thought they would have been prepared for trouble.

"It was ridiculous that we had to wait so long in the dressing room afterwards. It was three o'clock in the morning before we got back to Birmingham.''

Vickers was making his first appearance for several weeks after suffering a string of injuries.

"The manager told me he wanted me to play for my experience,'' said the 34-year-old centre-back. "You have to go where people want you and he wanted me at Birmingham.

"Having been on loan under him at Crystal Palace, I knew what Steve Bruce was about and how he wanted me to play. Middlesbrough didn't want me, and that's fair enough.

"Birmingham are a big club and have the potential to be massive. But the job is only half done - we've still got to beat Norwich.''

Meanwhile, the man who let Vickers leave Boro, Steve McClaren, has promised fans "exciting'' signings this summer.

As revealed in Northern Echo Sport a fortnight ago, Derby striker Malcolm Christie is among McClaren's prime targets.

Having this week wrapped up the £2.5m signing of French left-back Franck Queudrue from Lens, McClaren is also hoping to agree a deal with Bradford for on-loan striker Benito Carbone.

But McClaren won't stop there. The Boro boss knows he needs to add at least four new faces to his squad.

Boro, who flirted with relegation, are destined to finish comfortably in mid-table.

They also came agonisingly close to reaching today's FA Cup final when an own goal by defender Gianluca Festa gifted victory to Arsenal at Old Trafford.

McClaren admitted: "The Cup run and the semi-final was a just reward for the fans - a fantastic day. We want to bring more of that.

"We want to bring more excitement, better play, more chances and more goals - we haven't scored enough.

"That's what we want and we need the backing of the fans. During the summer we'll try to excite them with who we are bringing in and make sure there is optimism.''

* Boro duo Robbie Stockdale and Allan Johnston have been named in the squad for Scotland's Far East tour.

Berti Vogts' side face Korea in an international challenge match at the World Cup stadium in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday, May 16.

They then travel to Hong Kong to play two matches in the Reunification Cup, against South Africa on May 20 and a Hong Kong League XI three days later.