The Den, home of Millwall FC based in Bermondsey, South East London and compete in the Championship. Nicknamed the “Lions” after being named “Lions of the South” many years ago and have kept the name ever since. My 150th ground!!! As I’m in London for the weekend, it can only be a special one!! The passion of the Millwall crowd is too good for me to not visit whilst I’m here and they’re at home, so let’s go and see them face Luton Town!
It’s 1pm in the afternoon and I have finally arrived at the Leandro Hotel in London just yards away from Tower Bridge!! But before all the sightseeing, I have a game to get to! Off to South Bermondsey I go! To the ticket collection point and in I go! £31 to watch this Championship tie! Champ! Out come the players and on comes the famous Millwall song! “Let ’em all come down TO THE DEEEEEEENNNNNNN!”
Kick Off! “No one likes us! NO ONE LIKES US! No one likes us! We don’t care! We are Millwall Super Millwall! We are Millwall from the Den!” There it is, that famous chant!! 9 minutes in and Millwall come forward, the ball is played through to Jed Wallace who runs into the box on the left side, he shoots… Keeper saves.
13 minutes now and Luton play a long ball forward, Millwall win the header but Luton win the second ball, Jordan Clark gets onto it, he gets into the box and plays it across the middle to Harry Cornick… Brilliant finish!!! Right into the top bins!! Luton have the lead and have stunned the Millwall fans into silence… 0-1!
“EIEIEIO! Up the Football League we go!” Luton fans in delirium here now! “Hark now here! The Luton sing! The Watford run away!” 21 minutes gone and Luton play forward, ball played to Adebayo who shrugs off his man and he plays it out wide to the right for James Bree, he plays it in low towards Harry Cornick at the far post… He doesn’t get there and it’s a goal kick.
24 minutes now and Millwall have the ball now, they work it to the edge of the box and now over to the right hand side, it’s fizzed in low towards Benik Afobe… Shot Blocked! It’s loose… It’s out for a corner, in it comes… Luton clear.
Millwall fans starting to become frustrated with their team’s performance now… 35th minute and they have a corner, in it comes… Headed away but only back to Millwall, it’s played back in, Jake Cooper with the header… Wide! At half time the score remains 1-0 to Luton and a chorus of boos echo around the Millwall ground! I’d be disappointed too if I was them!
Second half, 52nd minute and Luton win the ball back in midfield, a through ball is played to Harry Cornick and he’s in on goal here… He’s scored!!! He’s got 2! Luton have 2! They are in dreamland here! 0-2! Millwall fans getting angry now… “S**T! S**T! S**T!”
A bit of tension now between the 2 sets of fans at the other end of the ground now… “You are embarrassing! You are embarrassing!” Luton fans there to the Millwall fans… “EIEIEIO! Up the Football League we go!” Again from the Luton fans.
Can Millwall show a bit of fight here today? 58 minutes on the clock and Luton win the ball back in the Millwall half much to the ever growing frustration of the Millwall fans… It’s played to Mpanzu about 30 yards out and he goes for goal… OH! He’s hit the bar!! Millwall head the ball back to their keeper. What a goal that would have been!
71 minutes played now and Millwall have a throw in on the left, it comes to Sheyi Ojo to cross, headed away to the right but Millwall still have it, crossed in again, Jake Cooper with the header… Keeper claims.
82 minutes now and Millwall have a corner, in it comes… All the way over to the other side, crossed back in… A hand in the air there from the Luton defender there! Penalty!! 100% for me that! You can’t have you arms up like that as a defender! Are we going to see a grand stand finish here? Jed Wallace steps up… SAVED!! Out for a corner… in comes the corner… Luton clear! Isn’t that the story of Millwall’s day?
85th minute and it’s a corner again for Millwall, in it comes… headed back out to Wallace to cross again, it’s come off Sonny Bradley… Just wide! So close! Another corner coming in… Cleared by Luton again. Into stoppage time and Millwall play down the right flank, crossed in, Matt Smith with the header… Good save by the keeper! Luton clear their lines again! The Referee blows for full time… “S**T! S**T! S**T!” And boos all over the ground! A bad day at the office for Millwall…
Now for the journey back to Tower Bridge. One stop from South Bermondsey to London Bridge and let the sightseeing continue!
FT: Millwall 0-2 Luton Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 6.5/10 – A very passionate fan base here at Millwall and I am a big fan of that despite the troubles they have caused over the years, it’s a very passionate football club! The noise started off so well but with the team performing as bad as they were, it’s hard to keep up the noise. On another day it could have been rocking but today it just wasn’t to be, but the Luton fans certainly made a good name for themselves here today.
- The Ground: 7.5/10 – It’s a nice ground! It’s the same all the way around but it’s great and it’s got a lot of character! For me, it’s a proper football ground and it’s also what a football ground should be like.
- Expense: 7/10 – £31 isn’t too bad! Saw 2 goals, a Penalty and some banter between the fans! Not bad for that!
- Overall Experience: 8/10 – I really enjoyed that today! I would have loved to see a better performance from the home side but you can’t always get that sadly, but it was a great day out and I’m certainly happy with the choice I made coming here today instead of the other options at stake today! Would have loved to have belted out TO THE DEN! If Millwall had scored though…
29/40