Millwall and West Ham United will renew their rivalry on Saturday when they meet at The Den at 12:30 BST, more than 14 years after their most recent competitive fixture. The match will be the 100th competitive meeting between the two clubs, who are separated by only a few miles but whose fixture carries a significance that goes well beyond geography.
The wait since February 2012 has been a long one. Managers have changed, players have moved on, and both clubs have experienced their share of highs and lows, leaving the rivalry to be kept alive largely through memories, stories and old footage. The fixture has been passed down through generations of supporters, which means that for some younger fans Saturday will be their first experience of the derby.
Millwall supporter George Cole was only 10 when the sides last met in 2012 and has grown up aware of the fixture’s significance without being able to experience it during his adult years following the club. “I was very young at the time so in my prime years I’ve not been able to experience this fixture,” he told BBC Radio London. “It’s important, from a Millwall point of view, to play the game rather than the occasion. There’s a certain level of passion which is needed and will go into the game, but composure is also important.”
While the occasion will dominate the build-up, both managers are eager for their players to stay focused on what happens once the noise settles. West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is well aware of what the match represents. “All of us have experienced matches like this, they are so special for the clubs,” he said. “I’ve been involved in many rivalries in my career, many of our players also – and we know everything is inside of the pitch. Inside of the pitch is where things happen, what dictates the games. It’s not the noise, it’s not the 40,000 or the 20,000, it’s inside the pitch. Of course, it’s a special game and we’re aware.”
The two sides approach the game from very different positions. West Ham sit top of the Championship, having responded strongly to a disappointing opening run with a sequence of positive league results, most recently an emphatic 6-0 win over Wrexham, although they were beaten 3-2 by Fulham in the Carabao Cup in midweek. Nuno’s players will now attempt to carry that league form into an atmosphere unlike anything they have encountered in the division so far, and the manager believes experienced members of the squad have an important role in helping younger players handle the emotion of the occasion. The message from the West Ham camp is not to shy away from the rivalry but to embrace it without letting it distract from the football.
For Millwall boss Alex Neil, the challenge is different. Millwall are depleted by injuries, with 14 players currently unavailable, and a run of four consecutive midweek fixtures has stretched the squad further. Their latest test came on Tuesday at Middlesbrough, where they led 2-0 before being pegged back to a 2-2 draw. Neil said afterwards that his players were “running on empty”, yet there was no suggestion that Saturday’s game could come at a worse time – quite the opposite. “It means a lot to everybody – we’ll give it everything,” he said after the Middlesbrough match, and when asked about the motivation required for a fixture of this magnitude, his answer was blunt: “If you need motivation for this game, you shouldn’t be playing football.”