As usual, I don't have a drink or food in the ground. They are trying to build a positive reputation which is unfortunately tarnished by a handful. I found the journey very pleasant as I took the official supporters coach. All very easy with no delays. I apologise when I use the term "Soccer" but we have some US followers also lol, Copyright 2023 AwayGrounds - awaygrounds.com is intended for the sole use of the individuals over 18 years of age. Each two tier stand must be the same inside, and unlike most two tier stands, there is only one concourse inside, so you have to descend three flights of stairs to get to the bar. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. Millwall went into the game knowing that they were pretty much safe but a win would mathmetically confirm it, whereas Leicester still had a chance of making the play-offs. We had eaten before the game and had a Brick Lane curry planned for later so just had a pint before kick off. 020 7231 3663 Ticket Office: Not really sure why I left the Den until last. Sat outside the ground and found everyone in good spirits due to The Lions good start to the season. The home fans got the occasional MILLL-WALLL going but that was about that. Overall a lovely looking ground that Im sure on a Championship match day its buzzing. It's crunch-time. We had chosen to drive down to West Ruislip and then jumped on the overland train which connects through to Central London and the tube network. These seats offered us a great view of the pitch and stadium, and were impressed considering they were some of the cheapest seats. A really weird thing happens to you when you do this. There was laughter. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. Game was a bit dull with Chesterfield winning 2-0, a very professional away performance. London Bridge seems the best place to go. A couple of trains. Sadly the Barrow Boy and Banker were not allowing football fans into the pub any more, so we went to the Southwark Tavern (also near to London Bridget station) instead to quench our thirst. As the Founder of Away Grounds, I love travelling to watch football matches throughout the UK. Were having a superb season, and the chance to tick off another of the 92 really appealed, despite The Dens, ahem, reputation for being a place away fans fear to tread. 4. There were some chants and threats by the oyster machines at the station entrance, but nothing serious. In 2001, 250 Millwall hooligans stormed The Feathers pub where Wolverhampton's Subway Army were drinking and slashed their rivals in the face with Then, over the hill, came 120 Middlesbrough. Theyd led you into a trap? Cold Blow Lane (Lower Tier): (pricey drinks as always in London). Glad I hadn't taken the kids! Newer Than: Search this thread only; Search this forum only. If your team brings a sizeable following, then an away fan football special may be laid on from London Bridge. We got our tickets from the ticket office and were sat in the East Stand upper tier, block 16 just to the left of the halfway line. Mick Hubbard adds; Also on Borough High Street is the George Inn, which is owned and leased by the National Trust. The home fans saw Millwall dominate almost all of the first half against a lethargic looking Forest side. I would say they're one of the best home fans I have witnessed. Well, I personally would never go again, so Del Boy is welcome to his ticket next time. Anyone coming from further afield I can recommend the Southbank area if you have an hour or so to kill. Arch 3, 75 Manchester Road Island Gardens E14 3DN. The stadium is made up of four separate two-tiered stands that are of the same height and look fairly similar. The Den is separated into four stands, and the away fans are situated in the upper tier of the North Stand. The view from the away end is one of the best I have ever experienced. The biggest surprise of the night for me was how good the pies were!! That saw them move just a few hundred yards and theyve remained there since the changeover in 1993. The new stadium had cost 16 million to build. It took about 20 minutes for the atmosphere to heat up but the Millwall fans were behind their side 100%. The Den is exactly that. Street parking can be found on the small estate on your left just past the ground, otherwise, be wary of on street parking restrictions around the area of the ground so check lamp posts for signage. It was only mentioned over the PA System 20 minutes before the end of the game and quite frankly is ridiculous in 2019. Even got a Scumwall flag behind the bar. We sat and waited in the stand and watched the players warm down. Having identified their Pal they proceeded to wave at her in a rather strange way. Click here to check the current flight times. Although even as a Hartlepool United fan drinking in there on one of my many trips to watch millwall, I never had any bother and always had a good chat with a few lads just having a good (very good) drink before or after the game. But it did, and Wolves led at The Den! The Den is a small, compact, claustrophobic ground, with at times the atmosphere to go with it. Considering our train from London Bridge to South Bermondsey was ten minutes late, myself and about 300 other Ipswich fans missed the opening five minutes. But it was a job. 10.05 for a single with a railcard. Most visiting fans discourage away fans from drinking near the ground. As a result of his actions and those of four other undercover officers, Scotland Yard is now being sued by eight women. Ex- Red Bradshaw put a header wide, but Barnsley's fragile defence were never really troubled. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground? In the second half Worner slipped leaving Andy Keogh to score and we conceded a second after another mistake. But being serious, it's as safe as you can get because of the reputation from the What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly? Neil Harris the Millwall manager finished his career at Southend. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: Brisk walk back to the tube station and off to Brick Lane for that curry.. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: We had a great day and it was good to add another ground to my list. With a nice tour of London on the way home. What a nightmare! It's only the American melts of r/soccer that stigmatize The few hundred Bantams who attended were vocal throughout and added to the general feel of the match. The concourse is rather narrow, especially when there is a large away following. Our 612 supporters were accommodated in the upper tier behind one of the goals. A great day out. I bypassed the Bermondsey "crawl" and took advantage of the fayre on offer on the concourse. We were seated in the upper North stand which appears to be a bit remote from the the two side stands. 1993 Undersoil Heating: The area around the Den has yet to be built up, and as such there aren't many local pubs for Milwall or away fans to drink at before the game. Millwall fans enjoy a pint of London Pride and a plate of fish and chips at Churchill's Pub Calling themselves the "Russian Lions", The Sun Online tracked down It is great for away fans. The Den first opened its doors on August 4, 1993, with a friendly match between Millwall and Sporting Portugal from Portugal. Southend managed to take the lead with a Mooney header at the home end after 37 minutes. Overall a great day. If you are travelling on train, I do not recommend wearing colours, as you will meet some of the home supporters. I still wonder if this is because they wanted to drown out the away fans. As a result of this we didn't meet any home fans. We heard Millwall score after 45 seconds just as we got off the train, and then on four minutes (whilst we were queuing up at the turnstiles) Garner made it 1-1 to our delight! WebAway pubs. By the time we made it back to Stratford it was 11:15pm. From Elephant & Castle, take the A2 into Old Kent Road. For more information, please see our For fans of real ale, the Barrow Boy and Baker, on Borough High Street and the Market Porter, on nearby Stoney Street, have also been recommended. There was a cordon of about 20 police keeping an eye on proceedings which turned it all into a tourist attraction for passing tourists. We were both looking forward to this trip with me being a little apprehensive due to the clubs' reputation. Zampa Road is the 7th turning on the right. There is a direct walkway specifically built for away fans which takes you directly to the away end and back to the station afterwards. The atmosphere was good. However local rivals West Ham and Crystal Palace were also at home that day, and their fans reached London Bridge at approximately the same time causing a bit of aggro, At London Bridge we jumped on the Jubilee line and got off at Waterloo, changing over to the bakerloo line and getting off at London Paddington again. Went into this pub to play darts, they didn't have any. Brown broke down the left and squared the ball into the box for Chaplin to scoop the ball across the keeper inside the far post. Required fields are marked *, Please read our Terms and Conditions before submission. The Stadium itself is fine; four separate identical stands arranged around a football pitch offering a perfectly good view. I thought the Den ground was great. This was first new major football ground to be constructed in London since before the Second World War. The Shipwright Arms, on Tooley Street, about The police will tell you until theyre blue in the face that they led us there because they thought wed be fine. Therefore the place to drink is the area of London Bridge.The Shiprights Arms is very popular for fans seeking a pub with character - another pub similar to this is the 17th Century George Inn located on Borough High Street. After weighing up the options, we decided to use the clubs official travel. If you want a friendly experience in the Capital go to Brentford or Fulham. We were locked into the ground after the match to let the home fans leave, once the gates had finally opened it was fairy quiet and easy to get out of. He didnt like football particularly and was very bright and educated. Generally its a smart enough ground compared to some of the others in the Football League. Boris Johnson has said that Londoners must pay particular attention to Government advice and avoid all non-essential social contact because of coronavirus. If you want that Eastern Europe intimidating atmosphere then this away day is for you, and as the police have got keeping the two sets of fans apart down to a fine art I might even bring my scarf next time! Cue an ariel bombardment. The only awkward bit is about half way in-between New Cross Gate and the ground where the road splits into two. After the match had ended all away fans were held in the ground for what seems like forever, but is probably about half hour. The snow did not put off the 2000 strong expected away support. Their general surliness was topped by two burly uniforms refusing point blank to help an elderly disabled gent in a chair up the steps to the station platform leaving supporters to clear a path and lift him up to the top. Note that several of these, including the Market Porter on Stoney Street, dont A lovely little pub which also serves food. Thats how it finished, and we celebrated our third win in three! I stopped in Redhill at a Wetherspoons for breakfast. We would head to the ground later on. .css-1vdylis{cursor:pointer;overflow:hidden;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;text-overflow:'More';}The Den is a venue in or near London that is most often used for Soccer. It was just part of growing up. Had things turned out differently, might he have become a criminal? Well, basically we didn't get away after the game. We then got the train from London Bridge to South Bermondsey which is a regular service but is rammed the closer you get to kick-off. Millwall tickets can be purchased online, over the phone at +44 (0) 871 230 5585, or in person at The Dens Ticket Office. Once we got close to the ground we didnt see any home fans as we were massively segregated from South Bermondsey train station. Where do I start? We live in North Wales so it was a round journey of nearly 500 miles rather than Southend locals only travelling 80 miles. You dont need me to tell you that the language was very spicy at times but I didnt feel that the atmosphere become overly hostile in any way, which as I mentioned at the beginning has become something people almost expect to be the case at Millwall matches. Teemu Pukki wrapped up the points with his 25th goal of the season as Norwich carved through Millwall, Buendia set the Finn through and he guided the ball over Jordan Archer and into the back of the net. At a meeting at Scotland Yard, in March 1987, he was offered the chance to work on a covert operation looking at football hooligans that was planned to last a maximum of six months. If you haven't then please do go. The stewarding I found surprisingly relaxed and no issue at all while as for the pie price you have to pay London prices. The stewards were very friendly, but then they are the same ones used at Charlton so they are used to Charlton fans. Me and a few lads got the 13:09 service from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street. Still lots of singing and banter with the Millwall fans in the ground. Several fans have reported that despite a cursory search on entry to the ground, the game was interrupted by sections of both home and away fans throwing missiles at each other and onto the pitch. Wolves came out for the second half in better shape than Millwall, and we were delighted when we took the lead through an unlikely scorer. Id have been even more annoyed had I missed another goal. The ground is quite impressive and modern. Anyone that knows me, knows I love football, and love Wolves! Tweet. The Lions Year Ground Opened: Not really given reputation of home support which I may add was in my view unfounded. Michael Olise inspired a Crystal Palace turnaround to spare Jack Butland's blushes and help the Premier League side avoid an FA Cup shock at Millwall. Boro started off well, but that was very brief, Millwall got a goal, (great through ball to set it up) and then added a second, which was embarrassing from our point of view. Your email address will not be published. The language wasn't for your Nan and young children but I seem to think that they take the attitude that this is a football ground and the working man must let off steam. The second half held out until Millwall made it 3-3 in the 80th minute, but Jordan Spence popped up in the 88th minute with a header for Ipswich to win it 4-3, to send me and 2,000 town fans into hysterics! I had a great view all round of the pitch, with not an obvious obstruction in sight apart from the big bloke in front of me. What you do not need is any confrontation between rival fans, even a small one. Sports Where I Am is a registered trademark of Where I Am Group 2023 WhereIam Group Pty Ltd. As you exit the station turn right for the visiting supporters walkway. The reason is very similar to that of their rivalry with Charlton as there are just six miles between the two grounds. Millwall had several corners and numerous free kicks. Opened in August 1993, the stadium is less than a quarter of a mile away from the original Den, which had been the home of Millwall FC for 83 years. The Albion, on Albion Street, is being replaced with flats but locals hope to keep its memory alive by salvaging the 12ft sign commissioned by Courage Brewery. I strongly recommend The Den to anybody who gets a chance to go. With a build cost of 16 million, it was the first new football stadium to be constructed for a professional team in London since 1937, and the first all-seater stadium to be completed after the Taylor Report on the Hillsborough disaster. The early years were spread across North Greenwich, The Athletic Grounds, the Lord Nelson Ground and, the first of them all, a literal dump of a ground on Glengall Road. Therefore, it was a 'low pressure' game for us which we could watch without any nerves/worries about what the result might be. Most Leeds fans enjoy being hated (Dirty Leeds!) Very tasty, but the beer is the standard plastic bottles of Carlsberg. Beforehand we went around Borough Market near London Bridge Station. It was for us just a regular trip up to London. Ive done some stupid things in my time, but that was one of my better manoeuvres, he says. Once inside the ground, you will generally find the stewards helpful and friendly. Adults 29 (B 26) (C 24), Over 61s 20 (B 17) (C 15), Under 18s 16 (B 14) (C 12), Under 16s 14 (B 12) (C 10),Under 12s 9 (B 7) (C 5)** From a Forest perspective, the game was nothing to write home about. There are quite a large number of home fans up for 'banter' As for the game itself we lost 1-0, a score line that quite honestly flattered us. Its just a case of turning left or right, isnt it? he says. After such a resounding victory the Police decided it was appropriate to keep us in for 20 minutes after the final whistle, just to let the understandably annoyed home support leave the area. According to the Millwall away end seating plan, around 4000 away fans can be seated in The New Den. Was I a football hooligan? Bannon asks of himself. As always in London, public transport is not a problem. There were parts of it where I laughed more than Ive ever laughed before. 20,093 v Arsenal Bannons cover had almost been blown when some of his Millwall associates had gone to find him and Chris at the house they were supposed to be decorating, only to discover they werent there, and roofers who were at the building had never heard of them. A fairly easy journey. As I say, the chips were nice, and selling Somersby cider gets anyone some extra thumbs up from me! The home fans were few and far between when we arrived due to the fact that we arrived at 5:30pm but although many stared at the coach nothing was shouted or gestured towards us. With that in mind I wasnt overly worried about going to The Den although I did have the advantage of not going as an away fan, I guess. Not the best performance or result weve had in a fantastic season so far, but there will be plenty of teams who will come unstuck against a dogged, spirited Millwall side. Although the Den ground itself is directly unaffected, the losing of supporting infrastructure, such as for example, most of the current Club Car Park, would make the Clubs stay untenable and Millwall would need to relocate elsewhere. Ardent West Ham and Millwall fans have declared a surprise truce to help Isla Catons fight against cancer. We sat in the home end behind the goal with a very vociferous group of home fans who thoroughly got into the game and let their opinions be known. Millwall clearly werent happy with that result, so we were kept behind for about half an hour after the game, and then a further half hour at South Bermondsey station. It was like a church. That intense mood was thickened by the presence of individuals that he recognised from surveillance tapes as being highly dangerous.