Apologies on the New Den comment.
The location comments just described what was round the ground. The Lane is hardly in a particularly great area too. As you say better to be in that sort of an area or just off a motorway or nowhere near anything of note; Bolton other week a casing point.
The ground itself is not new as you say and is a lot older than I thought - 23 years wow. You can tell! As you say not best facilities inside but I bet when full it is a great atmosphere. I expected a greater level of intimidaton to be honest. It was all a bit.' Is that it?' both before and after. Not that I was asking too be threatened or feel unsafe of course but you kind of are ready for a lot more trouble. Heard last year there was? Millwall fans on the train were really friendly after the game which was good and fans were mixing. I think by locking you in it adds to the problems and gets people wound up - we were allowed to leave fulll time and saw no issues whatsoever. Mind you seems a lot of our big, hard chav fans did not fancy this - not many there from what I saw and none of the throwing beer antics at half time.
The Den is in a great place in terms of proximity to London and so many great sights and things to do. It took us 10 mins to get to from Greenwich which was a lovely place to walk/drink. Quick to get back to centre of London after.
No probs with unreserved seats - just could not understand why it did not say or there was not a message pre game - understand why they have to print ticket numbers/seats so aware of sales etc but been nice to know as lots of other fans were looking for seats that did not exist or quibbling to sit where someone else was sat Personally love unreserved seating. Great idea as those who want to stand can go to the back etc
Will definitely come again but hopefully both of us in the league above.
No need to apologise - paid journalist get that wrong quite a bit too. Although, have noticed in recent years (since ground turned 20) that the incorrect 'new' has been dropped.
I should think it is quick to get back to the centre of London from The Den - as it is inner city London
As for 'I expected a greater level of intimidation to be honest'... That is because of the rep. I think most away fans expect to be attacked the minute they get into Bermondsey, or for all sides of the ground to be baying for their blood for 90 minutes non-stop...and are almost disappointed not to be attacked or at least feel like they might be.
The ground can be very intimidating - but it needs to have some of the right ingredients.
If it is a big match it will be loud & intimidating - take Wolves on a Friday night one year, or Huddersfield in the play-offs. You actually saw their players wilt on the pitch. In fact even Sky & the media picked up on the fact that Huddersfield players stopped going wide & were reluctant to take corners and throw-ins. And Wolves players look like rabbits caught in the headlights. As did Villa in the Cup a couple of years back. And of course you have the infamous play-off riots v Derby & Birmingham City.
Or if the away side brings a big hooligan following - I've seen us play Cardiff, Stoke City, Wigan and Birmingham City play in front of crowds of no more than 10-11,000 and for it to be extremely intimidating. Indeed, we played Birmingham City in a League Cup game in front of just 7,000 and their fanzine described it as 'ground zero for football' as they felt it was going to go off any minute.
And if the other club are a big scalp in terms of hooligans. No matter what the division or importance of the game v Leeds, Man City, West Ham, Chelsea and believe it or not Arsenal, it has always been a nasty, nasty atmosphere. We played Spurs in a pre-season friendly once & the Met described it as the worst crowd control situation they had to deal with for years - and they police Spurs/Arsenal, Spurs/Chelsea and Spurs/West Ham all the time.
However, we played you on a nice August day early season, off the back of a 5-1 drubbing to poxy Peterborough & less home fans turned up than what we averaged last year - some on holiday, some put off by drubbing. You lot brought less fans than you usually do (for good reason too - so not a pop), and after the disorder last season (your mob actually arranged a meet) the police were out in force and therefore your firm did not travel & so ours did not bother showing up either.
Hence it was a pretty ordinary atmosphere - in fact it was subdued even more by the bang average Div3 football on show.
As an side, Charlton fans always say that the atmosphere at The Den is no more intimidating than anywhere else - but that is because for Millwall fans that is a nice friendly, family derby.
Yet, if you ask West Ham or Chelsea fans they will say The Den is the only place they have ever feared for their lives. And I mean really feared for their lives.
It is just that all fans expect the West Ham level of achievement.
You lot got the low key August game treatment. Yet, if we met in the Play-Offs on a Friday night then you may feel more like the West Ham fans!
However, I think what sets The Den apart from most grounds is the fact that even if it is low key, it only takes a small spark to set it off. If we played Fleetwood in front of 7,000 on a cold Tuesday night for a mid-table game and one of their players hacked one of ours down and then offered an angry Dockers Lower out, someone would take him up on it and try and knock him out...which would lead to the whole ground getting involved, and it probably going off with the police on a large scale. I have seen this happen a few times.
Let's put it this way - The Crystal Palace Ultras think they actually make Selhurst Park a bear-pit by banging a drum, dressing black and waving big banners...but if Eric Cantona had karate kicked one of our fans I don't think the Manchester United team would have been able to leave until about 3am...and that's if they had a coach left.
Again - before start, this isn't Danny Dyer crap / or gloating or being 'proud' of hooligans...just an honest response. I know my club & I can carry the cross.
