Internet Football Ground Guide

The Den Millwall
Division Two v Notts County
Saturday December 30th 2000
By Lee Roberts

I had originally planned on visiting Craven Cottage for the Fulham v Birmingham City match, and had already pre-ordered a ticket for the Hammersmith End terrace. The 'Big Freeze' that had gripped the country over the previous few days had seen many fixtures wiped-out so I telephoned Fulham early in the morning to check whether this fixture was in any doubt. I was told that the game was certain to go ahead, with a final inspection scheduled for midday which would confirm this.

So I ventured out into the cold, and caught the train into London. I usually travel by car - perhaps more expensive but far more convenient - however I'm sure many fans would agree that London grounds are better reached by train/tube. I tuned into Radio 5 Live to catch the news on all the postponements, and I heard nothing reference the Fulham game. However, at about 1 o'clock I arrived at Putney Bridge tube station only to be greeted by a few dozen disgruntled fans who spread the word that the match was now off. For the second time this season I had reached a ground only to find the game called off late in the day - and both times, uncannily, Birmingham City were the visitors. I phoned my wife and asked her to check teletext to see if Millwall's match was still on - it was, so I headed back into central London. I was informed at the ticket kiosk that the nearest tube station to the ground was Surrey Quays, which is on the East London line, so I had to change at Waterloo and then Canada Water. Although I was pushed for time there were no major hiccups even though a large number of people were heading for the Millennium Dome. I arrived at Surrey Quays at about 2.15 pm, and followed the crowd walking to the ground. I was grateful for the other fans around me, as the route took me through a rather menacing looking estate and the 10 minutes or so to the ground seemed to take twice that.

As I approached the ground I noticed that large queues had formed at all turnstiles and the ticket office outside of the Main Stand. I only had Ł10 cash on me (having already pre-paid for my Fulham ticket and had no chance to find a cashpoint on my quick detour) and I didn't know if the ticket office would accept Switch as payment.

Furthermore, there was an overwhelming intimidatory atmosphere around the ground, and I got the impression that the fewer people I spoke to the better. I had visited the previous home of Millwall - The Den - twice with Everton, and although we got a hostile reception on both occasions at least we were in large numbers (and took care of ourselves, shall we say). I soon realised that although the club had now moved to far superior surroundings, the same hostility was prevalent. Noticing a sign for a ticket office for away supporters, I made my way around to the North Stand. I didn't really want to sit in the away section, as that may have made things worse for my return walk to the tube station, but I knew that I would find out quicker whether or not the club accepted payment by card. Suffice to say, the ticket office in the North Stand was closed as Notts County don't have the largest of followings. My luck then changed. I asked a steward if she knew whether the main ticket office accepted Switch. She went to the nearest turnstile and spoke to the gateman, and I was asked how much cash I had on me. Although I was Ł3 short of the admission price, I was allowed in for a tenner - on a junior ticket (face value Ł5). I wasn't complaining as I had a bargain and the gateman had made enough for a couple of pints afterwards.

Taking my seat in the upper tier of the North Stand, I was impressed with the New Den. The four stands were all double-tiered and similar in size. One of the corners was taken up with a large electronic scoreboard, and whole ground was of fair size and very neat - a far cry from the original Den. The seating in the North Stand was comfortable with plenty of leg-room and there were no obstacles to the view from any of the seats. The few visiting fans that had made the trip were all housed in the upper tier, with the tier below being the only area of the ground unused. With Millwall at the top of Division 3 a large holiday crowd turned up. The match was entertaining with the home side playing some very attractive attacking football, however Notts County stole all three points with a late winner in a 3-2 encounter. At the end of the game I walked back to South Bermondsey BR station with a small group of away fans, and this was by far the better option than Surrey Quays. The station is only a couple of minutes walk from the ground, and a large police presence both en route and on the platform at the station was welcomed by all of us.

I have to say that a trip to Millwall is still perhaps the most intimidating in the country. The locals are extremely passionate and their antics are well known. I was relieved to be on the train back to London Bridge as the whole afternoon had an unwelcoming atmosphere. I wouldn't recommend either driving there or having a pre or post-match drink. It is far better to visit by train and have a drink in central London. The ground itself is impressive enough, and the noise made by the home fans is even more impressive. It's just that a large amount of that noise was aggressive and directed at visitors, although I saw no actual violence during my trip. Perhaps I felt isolated as I was in amongst the away fans who were small in number and I knew that only a few would be walking back to the train station; had I queued up for a seat in with the Millwall fans it may have made the afternoon more pleasant. The stadium deserves to be hosting football at a higher level, but I'll certainly only return to the New Den in the future with Everton.

On the train home from Kings Cross I sat with a group of Sunderland fans from the Peterborough area, who had seen their team draw 2-2 at Arsenal. They were a good bunch of lads, and I had a decent chat with them which made the return journey all the more bearable.

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