RTG’s totally and utterly (we hope) indispensable guide to this season’s away grounds.
THE OPPO Millwall FC
DATE – Saturday 17 January
KO TIME – 3pm
THE GROUND – The New Den, Zampa Road, London– click here and here for maps of the area – the arrow points to where the ground is.
Millwall is in south London, close to Rotherhithe, Bermondsey and Deptford, and the main A2 London – Dover road, South Bermondsey railway station and Surrey Quays tube station. It’s about 1km south of the river, south from Canary Wharf. It’s also conveniently close to the Surray Quays shopping centre so if you have an other half who doesn’t fancy the match (or doesn’t have a ticket), give them your credit card to look after while they pass some time there.
Away supporters are accommodated in the North Stand of the Den; there are plenty of spaces for disabled supporters in the West Stand and booking isn’t necessary.
Millwall seems to have quite a reputation as a venue for hooliganism, so it’s advised to keep your colours well hidden outside the ground, and drinking in the nearby pubs might also be something to miss unless you’re absolutely certain that visiting supporters are welcomed.
TICKETS
Tickets for this fixture are still on sale, £22 for adults or .£17 for kids/OAPs.
GOING BY CAR?
Travelling from the north east, get yourself onto the A1/A1M southbound and stay on for about 190 miles – until you get into Cambridgeshire, past Peterborough and just before Huntingdon.
Look for signs for the A14 and stay on that road for 15 miles – look for signs for the M11 southbound (the junction is 3 miles after the Travelodge at Cambridge).
When the M11 runs out, go straight ahead onto the A406 then shortly afterwards turn left onto the A12, signposted ‘Central London’.
Stay on the A12 for 5 miles then take the A13 signposted ‘The City’.
Turn left into the Rotherhithe Tunnel then at the roundabout take the first exit, onto the A200.
Go straight over at the traffic lights outside ‘The Caulkers’ pub, then at the next lights turn right into Rotherhithe New Road, then a sharp left onto the road for Peckham.
Stay on the A2208 then after you drive under the railway bridge , turn left into Ilderton Road and you’ll be able to see the stadium.
There’s no dedicated car-parking for Millwall FC so either park at a railway/tube station further out, and travel in – or use on-street parking in the streets near the ground (Juno Way, Cold Blow Lane mentioned by the London Evening Standard) – please park considerately for local residents!!
GOING BY TRAIN?
For the major part of the journey it’s another Newcastle to King’s Cross job. The 08.33 gets you there at 12.03, the 08.57 gets you there at 12.23 or the 09.31 gets you there at 13.03.
From Kings Cross, you’ve got a couple of options:
– Take a Tube train on the Hammersmith & City line to Whitechapel, then change to the East London line for a Tube train to Surrey Quays, then walk to the Den.
– Northern Line to London Bridge, change to BR line for South Bermondsey, then walk to the Den using the new ‘secure’ route.
Coming home: if you can get back to Kings Cross in time, the 17.45 will get you back to Newcastle for 21.18; or the 18.15 gets you there at 21.50, and the 19.15 gets you there at 23.11.
ALS are, as usual, running their coach service – click here for details.
STOPPING OVER?
– Holiday Inn Express, Bugsbys Way, Greenwich – tel 0208 269 5000
– Holiday Inn Express, Old St, Islington – tel 0207 300 4300
– Comfort Inn, South Vauxhall Rd, Vauxhall – tel 0207 735 9494
SCRAN AND BOOZE
As you’ll probably be aware, Millwall has a reputation for trouble, so it’s probably best not to drink in the pubs in the immediate vicinity of the ground itself.
You could have a quick drink at the London Bridge station; or within 5 minutes’ walking distance of there are The Wheatsheaf on Stoney Street or the Market Porter on the next corner. Also in the area are The George, The King’s Head, the Royal Oak and The Ship. There’s also a pub called the Barrow Boy & Banker – it’s a Fullers’ pub but also sells Guinness. You’ll find it directly opposite London Bridge station.
Or wait until you get inside the ground, and The Den sells the usual burgers, chips, pies and beer.
LEND US A FIVER I’M OUT OF CASH
There’ll be cash machines at Kings Cross Station if you’re taking the train down.
Otherwise using most of the ATMs closest to the ground involve paying a charge. There’s a Travelex ATM at the McDonalds on Evelyn Street (£1.25 charge), one in the Post Office on Rotherhithe Road (£1.25 charge), a Barclays ATM on Plough Way (no charge), or a Nationwide ATM at the Shell petrol station on Southwark Park Road (£1.50).
IN THE NEWS
Defender Ronnie Bull has gone to Brentford on a month’s loan.
They had striker Nick Chadwick on loan from Everton until recently, but he’s been recalled to have surgery on a hernia problem – but they’re hoping he’ll be back when he’s recovered.
Dennis Wise was recently keen on signing Carl Cort.
LAST SEASON
Finished 9h out of 24 with 66 points
THIS SEASON
Currently 10th of 24:
P26 W9 D9 L8 F29 A26 Pts 36 GD 3
HOME FORM
P13 W6 D5 L2 F14 A7 Pts 23 GD 7
HEAD TO HEAD
We’ve played Millwall 29 times in the League in recent years, once in the FA cup and twice in the league cup: from all of those, we’ve won fourteen, they’ve won ten, and we’ve drawn 8.
LAST 6 MEETINGS
16/08/03 Sunderland 0 Millwall 1
09/12/95 Sunderland 6 Millwall 0 (Gray, Russell x 4, Scott)
23/09/95 Millwall 1 Sunderland 2 (Scott, Smith)
10/12/94 Millwall 2 Sunderland 0
04/10/94 Sunderland 1 Millwall 1 (Gray)(League Cup)
21/09/94 Millwall 2 Sunderland 1 (Russell)(League Cup)
TRIVIA
– Best league win: 9-1 vs Torquay in 1927.
– Worst league defeat: 1-9 vs Aston Villa in 1946.
– Record transfer fee rcvd: £2.3m from Liverpool for Mark Kennedy (March 95)
– Record transfer fee paid: £800,000 to Derby County for Paul Goddard (Dec 89)
Our own Mick McCarthy was manager at the Den from March 1992 to February 1996, when he left to take the reins for the Republic of Ireland national team, succeeding Jack Charlton – he was there for over six years.
The Den is the location for the external views needed for Sky One’s football-based soap, ‘Dream Team’ – The Den doubling as Harchester Utd’s ground, “The Dragon’s Lair”.
The club was formed in 1885 as Millwall Rovers, by workers from the Morton’s Jam Factory on the nearby Isle of Dogs. Because most of the workers were Scottish, the team used blue and white as their colours. They later changed their name to Millwall Athletic then later to just Millwall FC, and moved to The Den in 1910.
Famous ex-Millwall players: Teddy Sheringham, Colin Cooper, Ben Thatcher, Mark Kennedy, Alex Rae, Kasey Keller, Kenny Cunnigham, Stephen Reid, Steve Claridge, Lucas Neill, Tony Cottee, Darren Huckerby, Ray Wilkins, Anton Rogan.
Credits Millwall FC, London Clarets, Link, Multimap, Rough Guide to English Football, Soccerbase, streetmap.co.uk, The AA, BBC.
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