Millwall and West Ham meet for the first time in 14 years on Saturday at the Den, and it will not be a joyous reunion. The Metropolitan police have been granted special powers to tackle violence, with the atmosphere expected to be ferocious and the main hope being that the focus stays on the football rather than any trouble away from the pitch.
The two clubs have plenty of previous even though they so rarely play each other. The most glaring example came at Upton Park in August 2009, when Millwall lost in the second round of the League Cup. A 44-year-old man was stabbed in the chest as trouble raged outside, riot police struggled to maintain order during the game, and play was suspended briefly when home supporters invaded the pitch after one West Ham goal. There is nothing to glorify in any of it.
This will be the 100th competitive meeting if discontinued and minor tournaments are counted. The rivalry is not an obvious one by geography: Millwall are south of the Thames, making Crystal Palace and Charlton more natural enemies. It is not really about football. The tribalism runs deep, dating back to the clubs being formed by rival shipbuilding firms at docks on the Isle of Dogs in east London, and owes more to hooligan elements than to anything on the pitch.
Hooliganism was rife in English football during the 1970s and 1980s, and Millwall and West Ham both had fearsome firms. Trouble erupted when the sides met at the Den for a testimonial for the Millwall defender Harry Cripps in 1972, and Millwall fan Ian Pratt died after a clash with West Ham fans at New Cross station in 1976. The 2009 game was disturbing and frightening. In March 2004, police horses were on the pitch when West Ham fans rioted and ripped up seats during a 4-1 defeat at the Den; away fans were not allowed in the lower tier when West Ham returned eight months later.
Security will again be a major part of the occasion. West Ham have only 1,774 tickets for Saturday. The Metropolitan police will have measures in place to try to keep opposing fans apart, and the dedicated walkway linking South Bermondsey station to the away end acts as a coolant. The mood will still be tense. There is an odd dynamic to the game: West Ham have at times found it awkward because some of their fans care far more about beating Chelsea and Tottenham. A trip to Stamford Bridge or N17 is a familiar experience, but going south of the river to Millwall is viewed as different, with the short train ride from London Bridge treated as an intrepid journey into a hostile alien planet. The irregularity of the fixture adds to the mystique.
It has happened only 18 times in the league since the second world war, and only in 1988-89 have the teams been together in the top flight. Millwall stayed up that season but West Ham were relegated, which is usually required for the game to take place. West Ham have generally done something wrong if they are looking for Millwall when the fixture list comes out. The fixture pits Millwall as underdogs, a role they play well. They often rose to the occasion after West Ham were relegated in 2003, and Millwall had a decent team – they reached the FA Cup final in 2004 – picking up two wins and two draws against West Ham before Alan Pardew led the Hammers back into the Premier League in 2005. Tim Cahill celebrated Christian Dailly’s own goal as Millwall ran out 4-1 winners at the Den in 2004.
It can be hard for West Ham to match up to the intensity. They won at Upton Park when the sides last met, bouncing back from an early Kevin Nolan red card to beat Millwall in February 2012, but they tend to struggle in the away game. The Den is tight, compact and intimidating. Millwall are on a five-match unbeaten run at home against West Ham since losing in 1988, and they will look to level the odds. West Ham, meanwhile, are on a four-game winning run in the league and top the Championship after smashing Wrexham 6-0 last weekend. Alex Neil’s Millwall came close to winning automatic promotion last season but have injuries and are 10th after an inconsistent start. Logic says West Ham should win. Logic may not count for very much when the game begins.