WebThe 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. Their next stadium though would become a name synonymous with Millwall; it wasnt, however, anything to do with the fact the ground was designed by the highly respectable Archibald Leitch. It was a great day out as all away games are more especially as I hadn't been to the Den before. 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. Running with the Firm (Ebury, RRP 14.99) by James Bannon is out now. The stewards were relaxed, the food at the ground was well priced and varied and much better than a lot of Premiership grounds I have been to. Out of nowhere, on 15 minutes, a long ball cut our defence in two and Lee Gregory was there to make it 1-0. The arrangement with away fans arriving at the Station and been sent down their own passageway to the away end seemed a very sensible idea. 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 tried to spot car parks in the vicinity, but didnt see any. The Police are well drilled in dealing with the coaches and supporters arriving by train. Very easy from London Bridge. 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. Seeing this really got us in the mood to go to a local game, and we picked Millwall v Leicester at The Den. Its location and proximity to other buildings make it seem almost claustrophobic, and to be honest, a refreshing throwback, compared to many modern grounds built in the middle of nowhere, or at the back of a retail park. forget mrsa bugs, the type of infection you'd get here are much worse. A free weekend and shamelessly snubbing Non-League day, son and I headed to South London and a visit to The Den. But if an undercover officer, in order to enhance their cover, having explored every other opportunity open to them, is still struggling to gain acceptance and the only way is by having a relationship with a target, I think its justified.. This is a spooky place and the locals are hostile believe me. In 2001, 250 Millwall hooligans stormed The Feathers pub where Wolverhampton's Subway Army were drinking and slashed their rivals in the face with If Blackburn win tonight against Luton, only a draw between Rovers and the Lions would be good enough for Sunderland. Then the police just left. Millwall away sounds like a bit of a challenge and a rite of passage for football fans. Further down the High Street is the Borough Market, which on nearby Stoney Street is situated the legendary Market Porter pub. Costa did brilliantly down the right, shimmying his way past a challenge from the left back. Responsibly, Map showing the location of the Den Football Ground and Railway Station. There was a cordon of about 20 police keeping an eye on proceedings which turned it all into a tourist attraction for passing tourists. I used the designated walkway to the station. These seats offered us a great view of the pitch and stadium, and were impressed considering they were some of the cheapest seats. The atmosphere from us was brilliant and we sung from the first until the last minute even if the Millwall fans didnt really get behind the team. I recognise that my experience might have differed had I been there as a Forest fan and not a neutral, but the most important thing was that at no point did I feel intimidated or threatened both within the Millwall ground or around the Millwall fans, which would seem to bear out the good work the club has done to quell the hostility around it. Its just a case of turning left or right, isnt it? he says. Most of the Everton fans we came across sounded to be true scousers whereas the Liverpool fans had some southern accents, surprise, suprise. Id have been even more annoyed had I missed another goal. Gradually Charlton worked their way back and eventually equalised early in the second half. The first thing to go wrong did so almost immediately, when Chris (not his real name) ordered them both half-pints of lager. Pommelers Rest by London Bridge tube station is a large, popular Wetherspoons where you should be pretty comfortable. Unfortunately a Millwall supporter was taken seriously ill early in the second half and after that all fans around the stadium were very quiet as a mark of respect to the poor supporter, To be honest the game really should have been stopped at this point but it continued until the 90th minute at this point a few fans came on the pitch to get the game finished and the referee blew his whistle immediately. Therefore, it was a 'low pressure' game for us which we could watch without any nerves/worries about what the result might be. Traffic congestion is a factor if travelling by car. It wasn't a bad drive up to the ground, taking just over two hours. The Den the home of Millwall | Around The Grounds millwall pubs to avoid. 1-1. Golden Lion, South Bermondsey, London, SE16 3EP - pub details Heading down to London on a Tuesday night is always, very appealing, and the added fact t hat The Den would be my second new ground in a week with Ipswich gave me even more of a reason to look forward to it. 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. The Den first opened its doors on August 4, 1993, with a friendly match between Millwall and Sporting Portugal from Portugal. By the time he was 21, Bannon had been singled out as a rising star. This something we sometimes do at the weekend anyway. Went in there after the 4-4 a few years ago, as it was the nearest pub that was open on my way home - gents was Having been expelled from school for fighting, Bannon found work in the civil service, transferring magazines to microfiche. The ground is quite impressive and modern. In addition to the close proximity, the two clubs have spent plenty of time playing at a similar level. The new Den is made up of four, fair sized two tiered stands that are of the same height. This was a really enjoyable tour. It was to be my first time to the Den and so I was interested to see what the atmosphere would be like. Why were you looking forward to visiting the Den football ground? 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. Normally, as far as I am aware, the away fans are kept behind. Bannon began to see his time running with Millwall as a two-year long exercise in improvisational acting. Sometimes you see a team and a stadium match each other perfectly, and that was certainly the case with the Lions and their ground. The food was reasonably priced and so were the beverages. A nice quiet pub with a decent pint of Harvey's bitter. Went into this pub to play darts, they didn't have any. I would strongly advise you to do what most travelling fans do and drink in the London Bridge Area. I wore my Middlesbrough scarf and I was asked by the bouncers to take it off to go into "The Barrow Boy & Banker". Whilst weve proved the cold Tuesday night in Barnsley clich to be a load of nonsense, Millwall away is, and always will be, a test of anyones mettle! This was the start of a police operation that was to last two years. Worth it I guess though! Also close to London Bridge Station on St Thomas Street is the Bunch of Grapes pub. As I always say to my wife size isn't everything! Norwich won it through something of a rarity a set-piece goal, with Christoph Zimmermann getting his ginormous bonce on the end of Emi Buendia's corner. Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! 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 After about 4 miles, turn left into Ilderton Road and left into to Zampa Road. The 90-minute tour went by quickly and would be very entertaining even if you dont support Millwall. Best pubs near Millwall FC? - London Message Board Adults 30 (B 27) (C 25), 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)** Mostly Villa fans on the train although there were a few Millwall fans on there as well. 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. Even better result, Don't believe what you read and see on TV about Millwall They are a club who receive a lot of poor press when in reality safety of all fans is their number one priority. My experience of Millwall fans is that if you fine with them, then you wont have a problem. Thats the difference., Does he maintain he never stepped over that line? If you are not in a major rush or with children best to wait for the next one. What period was our mob at So we got the coach from Oxford to Baker street then tube to London Bridge followed by one stop on the overground train to south Bermondsey. Although I would like to avoid stereotyping it did feel a bit like being on the set of a Guy Ritchie film. With its artisan flapjacks, this middle-class establishment is not the sort of place that existed when he patrolled the streets in the mid-Eighties. Lovely beer. The floodlights are built into the side stands roof and the pitch was in pristine condition. There is simply no place for that kind of behaviour in our society, and whilst I dont expect anything to be done about it, I do hope that eventually, more is done to make sure this is stamped out of football for good. Up there in my top three away days I think. Having arrived back at London Bridge and it was still baking hot we decided to go for a couple more beers. No arrests were made it was thought the evidence theyd gathered wouldnt stand up in court. Might be a bit more intense if there was a lot riding on the game perhaps. It is a great pub with reasonably priced beers and food. wow this stadium might have looked good 20 years ago" Having said that it had plenty of legroom and good unobstructed views all around. But it did, and Wolves led at The Den! I went to this game with my cousin, who is a Tottenham Hotspur supporter who also wanted to go to Millwall. Turn left into Old Kent Road then right into Ilderton Road. As above, we joined some other fans at the Bunch of Grapes pub near London Bridge. Because they were not expecting a big crowd myself and a couple of mates were let into one of the executive bars for a beer. We got to the ground just after half 2, and saw the blue bars on the back of the stands which make the ground look very modern indeed. The area under the stand were these are situated is very dark and mainly made of concrete but as soon as I took my seat in the North Stand (upper tier) I was really impressed with the view as well as the turn out from the rest of the Wimbledon fans. The Den | Millwall FC | Football Ground Guide It's fair to say this wasn't Norwich's best performance of the season but equally, after last year's mauling, it was a very valuable three points. I must have been drunk when I bought my rail tickets 3 months ago. The atmosphere throughout the game was lively. It was my first visit to the Den. I headed downstairs to grab a pie on 43 minutes, but saw the queue and decided against it and returned to my seat. There are no car parks near the New Den ground. It was then a 45 minute trip to London Bridge Station and a short five minute shuttle to South Bermondsey. I would advise keeping any colours covered, even when drinking in the London Bridge area. It is an outstandingly beautiful building, and the pub itself retains its wooden flooring and wall panelling. There are several taxi companies in Millwall that can take you to and from the new Den. But total infiltration wasnt as simple as a handshake. What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly? Having got off the replacement bus service at South Bermondsey, we were surprised to see that there were no Police to be seen. Why you were looking forward to going to the Den (or not as the case may be)? Dark ground Moron fans Expensive beer Worst away day so far. And when I leave the toilet, what do I see? The atmosphere was proper with non stop singing for the entire 90 minutes from the 2000 strong Red n White army. The whole day was very enjoyable, all apart from the football (that we didn't play). This pub is also a regular listing in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and always has 9 real ales on tap. In these instances, the Police are well drilled in getting away fans into the ground from the special train and safely away afterwards. As a result of this we didn't meet any home fans. Similarly is the Shipwright Arms, not far from Spoons. It was an atmosphere Id not experienced before, remembers one of those policemen, James Bannon. Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Den? The A2 actually passes the ground. The game was great if you were a neutral a one all draw with us missing a penalty, having a goal disallowed but also clearing off our own goal line twice! "F**k you, I'm Millwall": Roy Larner. Drank in London Bridge at the Bunch of Grapes, where there was a great atmosphere Very friendly staff but the pub is a little small for a large away following. He apologised for his colour blind friend. It is evident that the Millwall supporters both young and old have no problem letting the opposing fans, players, officials and anyone else that is remotely outside their clique, know exactly what they think about them. Many visitors have found the New Den to be quite intimidating and advise covering club colours around the ground. 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! We had plenty of time to kill and we headed for a German bar called Katzenjammers, which is a tad pricey (that's London for you) but certainly quieter than other pubs in the vicinity and enjoyable nonetheless. scores 1 cos they sold beer. With time to kill we had a couple of drinks in the big pub opposite London Bridge station that was showing the early game on television. Forest didnt take too many fans (around 1300) and the season is petering away with nothing but pride to play for. 10.05 for a single with a railcard. 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. We got the tube to Canada Water at this point there were enough Millwall colours to follow to the New Den. I've always said it, but after visiting The Den, I think it's a smaller version of Wolves' Molineux Stadium except both ends at Millwall are two tiered. My friends and colleagues all thought I was mad to go, my husband assured me it would be great fun. There were about 80 of us at this point. As I mentioned it was a good atmosphere and a good view. Breakfast at London Victoria station and then got the Underground to London Bridge. After the match had ended all away fans were held in the ground for what seems like forever, but is probably about half hour.