The rivalry between Millwall and West Ham United is one of the longest-standing and most bitter in

English football Association football is the most popular sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game. With over 40,000 association f ...

. The two teams, then known as Millwall Athletic and Thames Ironworks, both originated in the

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

of London, and were located less than three miles apart. They first played each other in the

1899–1900 FA Cup The 1899–1900 FA Cup was the 29th staging of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as the FA Cup), and the last to be held fully in the 19th Century. The cup was won b ...

. The match was historically known as the Dockers derby, as both sets of supporters were predominantly dockers at shipyards on either side of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. Consequently, each set of fans worked for rival firms who were competing for the same business; this intensified the tension between the teams. In 1904, West Ham moved to the

Boleyn Ground The Boleyn Ground, often referred to as Upton Park, was a football stadium located in Upton Park, east London. It was the home of West Ham United from 1904 to 2016, and was briefly used by Charlton Athletic in the early 1990s during their years ...

which was then part of

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

until a London boundary change in 1965. In 1910, Millwall moved across the River Thames to

New Cross New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich, ...

South London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...

and the teams were no longer East London neighbours. Both sides have relocated since, but remain just under four miles apart. Millwall moved to

The Den The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which it ...

Bermondsey Bermondsey () is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark, England, southeast of Charing Cross. To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford, to the south Walworth and Peckham, a ...

in 1993 and West Ham to the

London Stadium London Stadium (formerly and also known as Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford district of London. It is located in the Lower Lea ...

in Stratford in 2016. Millwall and West Ham have played each other 99 times competitively: Millwall have won 38, West Ham 34 and 27 have ended in a draw. Before the First World War the teams met 60 times in just 16 years, mostly in the

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

and

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Football Leagues. They have played a total of 39 times in league and cup competitions since 1916. The teams have usually competed in different divisions, spending only 12 seasons in the same tier of

the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

. Even so, the derbies have retained their passion and both sets of supporters still consider the other club their main rival. They last played against each other in the 2011–12 Championship. As of the 2022–23 season, West Ham play in the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

and Millwall play in the

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

, the tier below. The rivalry between the teams is deeply embedded in British football hooliganism lore and culture, and has been depicted in books and films that focus specifically on the animosity between the clubs' two

hooligan firms Football hooliganism, also known as soccer hooliganism, football rioting or soccer rioting, constitutes violence and other destructive behaviours perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Football hooliganism normally involves ...

, the

Inter City Firm The Inter City Firm (ICF) is an English football hooligan firm associated with West Ham United, which was mainly active in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The name came from the use of InterCity trains to travel to away games. They were the sub ...

and the

Millwall Bushwackers The Millwall Bushwackers are the most notorious football firm associated with Millwall Football Club. The club and fans of Millwall have a historic association with football hooliganism, which came to prevalence in the 1970s and 1980s with a fi ...

. Violence has occurred sporadically between the fans, resulting in the death of a Millwall supporter in 1976, and the murder of a West Ham fan in 1986. Most recently in the

2009 Upton Park riot The 2009 Upton Park riot occurred in and around West Ham United's Boleyn Ground, in Upton Park before, during and after a Football League Cup second round match between West Ham and Millwall on 25 August 2009. The match was won by the home side ...

, widespread disorder between supporters in and around West Ham's Upton Park ground led to numerous injuries and a Millwall fan being stabbed before the match began. In the last two games between the sides in the 2011–12 season, the

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

implemented London-wide operations to ensure the games were trouble-free.

History of the rivalry

Founding of the clubs: 1885–98

Millwall Rovers Football Club was formed in 1885 by

tinsmith A tinsmith is a person who makes and repairs things made of tin or other light metals. The profession may sometimes also be known as a tinner, tinker, tinman, or tinplate worker; whitesmith may also refer to this profession, though the same wo ...

s at JT Morton's canned food factory on the

Isle of Dogs The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ham ...

in the

of London. Ten years later, Thames Ironworks Football Club was formed by Dave Taylor, a foreman at

Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and iron works straddling the mouth of Bow Creek at its confluence with the River Thames, at Leamouth Wharf (often referred to as Blackwall) on the west side and at Cannin ...

, London's last major shipbuilding firm.

Arnold Hills Arnold Frank Hills (12 March 1857 – 7 March 1927) was an English businessman, sportsman, philanthropist, and promoter of vegetarianism. Biography Hills was born in Denmark Hill, Surrey, son of a manufacturing chemist. Arnold Hills was also a ...

, the company owner, decided to form a football team to improve the morale of his workforce. The two clubs were situated under three miles () apart. With each set of players and supporters working for opposing firms, competing for the same contracts, rivalries developed. The earliest meetings between the clubs were reserve games: the first ended in a 6–0 home win for Millwall Athletic ReservesMillwall Rovers were renamed Millwall Athletic in 1889. on 14 December 1895 over a newly formed Thames Ironworks side.Lindsay, p. 9 On 23 September 1897, the two sides played a first-team

friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

at Millwall's

Athletic Grounds The Athletic Grounds ( ga, Páirc Lúthchleasaíochta) is a GAA stadium in Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is the county ground and administrative headquarters of Armagh GAA and is used for both Gaelic football and hurling. Uses The stadium i ...

, Millwall Athletic won 2–0 in front of a crowd of 1,200 spectators.Powles, p. 53

Sixty meetings in sixteen years: 1899–1915

On 9 December 1899 the two teams met for their first competitive fixture – a Fifth Round qualifying match in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

. Millwall Athletic won 2–1 at Thames Ironworks'

Memorial Grounds Memorial Grounds was the home stadium of East London football club Thames Ironworks from the beginning of the 1897–98 season, until the end of the 1899–1900 season. The team continued to play at the stadium, under its new name of West Ham ...

; their goal scorers were

Hugh Goldie Hugh Goldie may refer to: *Hugh Goldie (director) (1919–2010), English theatre director *Hugh Goldie (footballer, born 1874), Scottish footballer active at the turn of the 20th century *Hugh Goldie (footballer, born 1923), Scottish footballer acti ...

and Bert Banks. Millwall reached the 1899–1900 semi-final and lost 3–0 to

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, but gained the nickname ''The Lions'' from a newspaper headline heralding them as "The Lions of the South" for their cup exploits. The teams' second competitive meeting was a Southern League match that spanned two centuries. A fixture at the Memorial Grounds on 23 December 1899 was abandoned after 69 minutes owing to smog, with Millwall leading 2–0. Instead of replaying the game, the remaining 21 minutes were completed after the return fixture four months later, on 28 April 1900. After Ironworks won 1–0, the players took a short rest and played the rest of the abandoned game. With no further score, Millwall won the game 2–0.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 262 ThamesIronworksMillwallAthletic

Thames Ironworks was disbanded in June 1900 owing to disputes over the running of the club. The following month it was relaunched as West Ham United. The club's nickname is ''The Hammers'', owing to their Ironworks origins. In the 1901–02 and 1902–03 seasons, Millwall and West Ham competed in the Southern League, London League, Western League and Southern Professional Charity Cup. The two sides met seven times in each of these seasons, the highest number of meetings in a season between the clubs.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 268 During this period Millwall were unbeaten in 12 consecutive games against West Ham, with nine wins and three draws over two years. This included a 7–1 win in a Southern Professional Charity Cup semi-final on 2 April 1903, the largest winning margin between the teams. Ben Hulse scored four of the goals at the Memorial Grounds.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 166 The run was finally broken on 1 September 1904, in a 3–0 victory at West Ham's first ever game at Upton Park, with two goals from Billy Bridgeman and one by

Jack Flynn Jack Flynn (1875 - unknown) was an English footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian foot ...

. Upton Park was in Essex until 1965, and technically West Ham was not a London team again until an act of Parliament changed the boundary lines of London in 1965 and the

Borough of Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the s ...

was formed. On 17 September 1906, in a Western League game, Millwall player Alf Dean was hurled against a metal advertising board by West Ham's Len Jarvis. Others were stretchered off following heavy tackles. The ''East Ham Echo'' reported: "From the very first kick of the ball it was seen likely to be some trouble, but the storm burst when Dean and Jarvis came into collision (Millwall had two players sent off during the match). This aroused considerable excitement among the spectators. The crowds on the bank having caught the fever, free fights were plentiful." In 1910 Millwall decided to drop Athletic from their name and move out of

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

. With limited expansion space on the Isle of Dogs, the club wanted to boost support and attendances. It moved four miles to

, in

. The last

East London derby The East London derby is a football match that takes place between two of either Dagenham & Redbridge, Leyton Orient and West Ham United. This derby rarely takes place because, as is the case with the Dockers Derby, the clubs are usually in diffe ...

between the teams was at Millwall's North Greenwich ground on 24 September 1910; West Ham won 2–0 with goals from Danny Shea and

Fred Blackburn Fred Blackburn (29 July 1902 – 1 May 1990) was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde from the 1951 general election until 1970. Early life Blackburn was educated at Queen Elizabe ...

.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 284 Four months later, Millwall travelled to Upton Park as a South London team for the first time. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. On 9 March 1912, 28,400 supporters saw West Ham's first visit to The Den. The Lions won the game 5–1, with their

Welsh international The Welsh International is an international badminton championship held in Wales since 1928 and is thereby one of the oldest badminton tournaments in the world. The tournament was halted during World War II and until 1956, between 1960 and 1966, a ...

striker Wally Davis scoring a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

Two World Wars and joining the Football League: 1915–45

A number of friendlies and non-competitive derbies took place during the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second World Wars World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In total, 33 matches were played between the teams in

Wartime League The Wartime League was a football league competition held in England during World War II, which replaced the suspended Football League. The exclusion of the FA Cup in these years saw the creation of the Football League War Cup and it was a friendly ...

s.Lindsay, pp. 316–317 They both fielded severely depleted sides of juniors, reserves and non-professionals, playing 14 games in the

London Combination The Football Combination was a football competition for the reserve teams of English Football League clubs from Southern England, the Midlands and Wales; other clubs from the Midlands and those from the North playing in the Central League (it is n ...

between 1915 and 1919. West Ham won nine, Millwall three and two were drawn. After the First World War, the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

was reintroduced in England by

The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...

and West Ham joined the

Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

for the 1919–20 season. Millwall joined the inaugural

Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

in the 1920–21 season, in the Football League expansion of 44 clubs to 66.Lindsay, p. 17 In 1926 a

general strike A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...

was observed by workers around the

Royal Docks Royal Docks is an area and a ward in the London Borough of Newham in the London Docklands in East London, England. The area is named after three docks – the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. They are ...

, the majority of whom were West Ham supporters. An unsubstantiated story states that Millwall-supporting shipyard workers of the Isle of Dogs refused to lend their support, provoking outrage. At this time, Millwall had already moved away from the Isle of Dogs and had been playing in New Cross for 16 years. Between 1919 and 1929 the clubs played each other 11 times in the London Professional Footballers' Association Charity Fund and the

London Challenge Cup The London Challenge Cup was a football tournament formerly organised by the London FA. It was first contested in 1908, and other than during the World Wars, was contested every season until 1974, when the tournament was disbanded. After a 16-ye ...

, with West Ham winning five games, Millwall winning three, and three drawn. On 15 February 1930, West Ham won the Fifth Round FA Cup game 4–1 at Upton Park;

Vic Watson Victor Martin Watson (10 November 1897 – 3 August 1988) was an English professional footballer who played most of his club football for West Ham United. Playing career Watson, a centre forward, played 505 times for West Ham between 1920 and ...

scored two goals, and Viv Gibbins and Tommy Yews one each.

Harold Wadsworth Harold Wadsworth (4 October 1898 – 2 November 1975) was an English association football, footballer who made over 250 appearances in The Football League for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, Leicester City F.C., Leicester City, Nottingham Forest F.C ...

replied for the Lions. The teams met for the first time in the Football League in the 1932–33 season, after West Ham were relegated from the First Division.Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 300–322 On 17 September 1932, West Ham beat Millwall 3–0 at Upton Park in the Second Division, two goals being scored by Vic Watson and one by Jackie Morton. On 27 December 1938, 42,200 spectators at Upton Park saw a Second Division game between the sides end 0–0. As of , this remains the record attendance for the fixture. Between 1939 and 1946 the two clubs played non-competitive fixtures in the League South (A) Division, South Regional League, London League, Football League South and the

Football League War Cup The Football League War Cup was an association football tournament held between 1939 and 1945. It aimed to fill the gap left in English football by the suspension of the FA Cup during the Second World War. Though it was often referred to in conte ...

.Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 342–354 They played 19 games against each other during the Second World War: Millwall won 3, West Ham 12 and 4 were drawn. The Den was severely damaged by a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

bomb in 1943, and for a brief time Millwall were invited by their neighbours

Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building * ...

and West Ham to play their games at The Valley,

Selhurst Park Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon which is the home ground of Premier League side Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted international footba ...

and Upton Park. To offset the shortage of professional players during the Second World War, a guest player system was introduced. Players such as

Sailor Brown Robert Albert John "Sailor" Brown (7 November 1915 – 27 December 2008), also known as Albert Brown or Bert Brown, was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. He was given the nickname "Sailor" by teammates due to his ...

Louis Cardwell Louis Cardwell (20 August 1912 – 23 April 1986) was an English professional footballer. A defender, he spent six years at Blackpool in the 1930s, making over 100 the Football League appearances for the club, and helping them to win promotion ...

and Jimmy Jinks played for both clubs during this period. West Ham lost 2–1 to Chelsea at

White Hart Lane White Hart Lane was a Association football, football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater i ...

in the 1944–45 War Time Cup semi-final, with two Millwall guest-players in their team – both of whom went on to play for Millwall in the South Final, which they lost to Chelsea 2–0.

Different leagues and hooliganism: 1946–87

After the Second World War Millwall's form was poor and the club dropped into the Third and

Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

of the Football League. West Ham have never played below the Second Division in their history and often played a league or two above Millwall. The two sides did not play each other competitively between 13 October 1959 and 7 October 1978, making the 1960s the only decade the teams have not met. Despite the infrequency of their meetings, both sets of supporters still consider the other club their major rival. During these years, the Hammers enjoyed considerable success, winning the FA Cup in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

and

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

. They also won the

European Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

. Over four decades the sides were only in the same tier of the Football League for three seasons, in 1946–47, 1947–48 and 1978–79. They played two cup games against each other in the

Southern Professional Floodlit Cup The Southern Professional Floodlit Cup was an association football competition played in the late 1950s, which involved clubs from London, South East England and a small number of teams from the Midlands (England), Midlands. The competition started ...

in 1959 and the

Full Members Cup The Full Members' Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992. The ...

in 1987.Lindsay and Tarrant, p.438

Football hooliganism Football hooliganism, also known as soccer hooliganism, football rioting or soccer rioting, constitutes violence and other destructive behaviours perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Football hooliganism normally involves ...

reached its height in the 1970s and 80s. West Ham's

and the

firm were at the forefront of the trouble, not just against each other, but against the police and firms associated with other football teams. In 1972, the two clubs played each other in a

testimonial match A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, particularly in association football in the United Kingdom and South America, where a club has a match to honour a player for servic ...

for Millwall defender

Harry Cripps Henry Richard "Harry" Cripps (29 April 1941 – 29 December 1995) was an English professional footballer who played for South East (London sub region), South East London side Millwall F.C., Millwall for the majority of his career, becoming a cult ...

, who began his career at West Ham. The game was marred by intense fighting between the two club's hooligan firms, both inside and outside the ground.Spaaij, pp. 135–136 Four years later, a Millwall supporter, Ian Pratt, died at

New Cross railway station New Cross railway station serves New Cross in south-east London, England. It is down the line from and is in London fare zone 2. The platforms are lettered rather than numbered to avoid confusion with those at by staff who worked at both sta ...

after falling out of a train during a fight with some West Ham fans. After the incident West Ham hooligans constructed the chant, "West Ham boys, we've got brains, we throw Millwall under trains."Spaaij, p. 136 Millwall fans waited patiently for two years for revenge, until West Ham were relegated to the Second Division. Prior to their next meeting with the Hammers on 7 October 1978, leaflets were distributed at Millwall's home matches bearing the words: "A West Ham fan must die to avenge him." The police responded with an unprecedented show of force for the game at Upton Park, which West Ham won 3–0. Some 500 police officers controlled the crowd, carrying out extensive searches and strict segregation.Dunning, p. 178 Six officers were injured and 70 people were arrested after fans clashed in the street. Numerous weapons were also seized. The Lions' 2–1 home league victory over the Hammers on 14 May 1979 ended a run of ten games without a win against their rivals, which stretched over 46 years, back to 1933.

Pop Robson Bryan Stanley Robson, better known as Pop Robson (born 11 November 1945) is an English former footballer who played as a centre-forward. He played for Newcastle United, West Ham United, Sunderland, Chelsea and Carlisle United, and scored 265 ...

had given West Ham a half-time lead, but second half goals from

Dave Mehmet David Nedjate Mehmet (born 2 December 1960) is an English former professional association football, footballer. His clubs included Millwall F.C., Millwall, Charlton Athletic F.C., Charlton Athletic, and Gillingham F.C., Gillingham, where he mad ...

and Nicky Chatterton gave Millwall the win. On 4 October 1986, over seven years since the clubs last played each other, 19 year-old West Ham fan Terry Burns was stabbed to death by a group of Millwall supporters on

Villiers Street Villiers Street is a street in London connecting the Strand with the Embankment. It is partly pedestrianised; traffic runs northbound only up to John Adam Street, where vehicles must turn right. It was built by Nicholas Barbon in the 1670s on th ...

, next to

Embankment tube station Embankment is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, known by various names during its history. It is served by the Circle, District, Northern and Bakerloo lines. On the Bakerloo line and the Charing Cross branch of the Northe ...

. A 2–1 victory in the Full Members Cup on 10 November 1987 gave Millwall their first win at Upton Park in 73 years.

Alan Dickens Alan William Dickens (born 3 September 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder. He played the majority of his football at West Ham United and Chelsea, and later played non-league foot ...

gave the Hammers the lead in the second half, but two goals in three minutes from

Teddy Sheringham Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham, MBE (born 2 April 1966) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a forward, mostly as a second striker, in a 24-year professional career. Sheringham began his career at Millwall, where he ...

and

Tony Cascarino Anthony Guy Cascarino (born 1 September 1962) is a former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), striker for various British and French clubs and internationally for the Republic of Ireland ...

assured Millwall of their first away win in the derby since 1914. As of their last game in 2012, it stands as the Lions last away win in the fixture.

First top-flight meeting and the Mothers' Day Massacre: 1988–2008

In 1988, Millwall won the Second Division championship and gained promotion, joining West Ham in the First Division for the first time in the club's history.Lindsay, p. 29

Paul Ince Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (; born 21 October 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship side Reading. A former midfielder, Ince played professionally from 1982 to 2007, star ...

scored the only goal at The Den on 3 December 1988, as West Ham won the game 1–0. They also won 3–0 at home on 22 April 1989, with goals from

Julian Dicks Julian Andrew Dicks (born 8 August 1968) is an English football coach and former footballer who is assistant manager of EFL Championship side Watford. Playing from 1985 until 2002, he was a defender, notably in the Premier League for West Ha ...

George Parris George Michael R. Parris (born 11 September 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or defender for West Ham United, Birmingham City, and Brighton & Hove Albion. Early life Parris was born in Barking, Esse ...

and Alan Dickens. This is the first and only time either side has completed a Football League

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

over the other. At the end of the season West Ham finished 19th and were relegated. Millwall finished 10th, the highest league finish in their history. The 1988–89 season is the only season both teams have been in the top division of English football. Millwall were relegated from the First Division in the 1989–90 season, the last time they appeared in the top tier. During the foundation of the

in 1992, the two teams competed in the tier below in the newly formed First Division. The last game played between the teams at The Den was on 15 November 1992. It was the featured Sunday game on ''The London Match'', an

LWT London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...

sports show. Millwall won the game 2–1, with goals from Malcolm Allen and Phil Barber.

Mark Robson Mark Robson may refer to: * Mark Robson (film director) (1913–1978), Canadian-American film director and producer * Mark Robson (American writer), Scottish-American writer and expert in United States coins and stamps * Mark Robson (footballer) ...

replied for West Ham.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 448 In the 1993–94 season, Millwall moved into the first purpose-built all-seater stadium, after the

Taylor Report The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report is the report of an inquiry which was overseen by Lord Justice Taylor, into the causes of the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989, as a result of which, ...

on the

Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the ...

. The Hammers were promoted, spending ten seasons in the Premier League and it was twelve years until they played at Millwall's new ground,

The New Den The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which i ...

. On

Mothering Sunday Mothering Sunday is a day honouring mother churches, the church where one is baptised and becomes "a child of the church", celebrated since the Middle Ages in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries on the fourth Sunday in ...

, 21 March 2004, Millwall beat West Ham 4–1, with two goals from

Tim Cahill Timothy Filiga Cahill (; born 6 December 1979) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder but also played as a striker on many occasions. A box-to-box midfielder, Cahill became recognised for "his ag ...

, one from

Nick Chadwick Nicholas Gerald Chadwick (born 26 October 1982) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a forward in the Premier League for Everton, before going on to play in the Football League for Derby County, Millwall, Hereford United, S ...

and a

Christian Dailly Christian Eduard Dailly (born 23 October 1973) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre-back. Dailly started his professional career as a teenager, playing as a forward (association football), st ...

own goal.

Marlon Harewood Marlon Anderson Harewood (born 25 August 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. Harewood started his career at Nottingham Forest. During his career there, he had loan spells at Haka and Ipswich Town before j ...

scored the West Ham goal. This is the largest winning margin between the sides in the Football League.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 470 In an eventful game, Millwall missed one

penalty Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penalty ...

and had another saved by West Ham goalkeeper

Stephen Bywater Stephen Michael Bywater (born 7 June 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He has made appearances for thirteen clubs, most notably for Derby County, where he made over 150 appearances and won the 200 ...

, who was subsequently sent off. Violence also broke out between the opposing fans. Millwall fans and the media named the match "The Mothers' Day Massacre". During an open-air showing in

Canada Square Canada Square is a square at Canary Wharf, on the Isle of Dogs in London's Docklands. It is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of Central London along the River Thames. Canada Square is surrounded by three of the tall ...

London Docklands London Docklands is the riverfront and former docks in London. It is located in inner east and southeast London, in the boroughs of London Borough of Southwark, Southwark, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets, London Borough of ...

of an

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

game against

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

at the

2006 World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...

, 100 West Ham and Millwall supporters fought each other, resulting in injuries to 16 people, one of whom required hospital treatment. The police shut down the screening with 10 minutes of the game remaining to be played.

Upton Park riot and West Ham move stadiums: 2009–present

In the 2009–10 season Millwall were drawn away to West Ham in the

League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...

, which was the first meeting between the teams in the competition. The police cut the number of tickets given to travelling Millwall fans from 3,000 to 1,500, sparking anger among supporters; Millwall warned police of a higher probability of trouble. West Ham won the game 3–1 on 25 August 2009, their first win over Millwall in seven games played over in 18 years. Neil Harris had given Millwall the lead, but a goal from

Junior Stanislas Felix Junior Stanislas (born 26 November 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for club AFC Bournemouth. He started his career in the youth team of West Ham United at the age of 10 in 2000. He signed a three-year ...

three minutes from the final whistle forced the game into extra-time. Stanislas added another and

Zavon Hines Zavon Albert Hines (born 27 December 1988) is a football coach and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. He is the coach for the West Ham United F.C., West Ham United under-14 team. Born ...

a third for the win. Violence marred the match before, during and after kick-off, with multiple pitch invasions by Hammers supporters. Lions fan Alan Baker was stabbed outside the ground and suffered a punctured lung, but made a full recovery.Calvin, p. 1 He was one of 20 people injured. The police concluded that the violence, because of its large scale, was organised beforehand. The Football Association brought misconduct charges against both clubs. A disciplinary tribunal fined West Ham £115,000 for "failing to ensure that their fans did not enter the field of play and refrained from violent, threatening, obscene and provocative behaviour", but concluded that the allegations against Millwall of "violent, racist behaviour and throwing missiles or dangerous objects on to the pitch" had not been proved. In a poor 2010–11 season, West Ham manager

Avram Grant Avraham "Avram" Grant ( he, אברהם "אברם" גרנט; born Avraham Granat; ) is an Israeli professional football manager. He has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup ...

guided his team to only seven wins from 37 games. On 15 May 2011, the Hammers were finally relegated from the Premier League after a 3–2 defeat at

Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...

. As Wigan equalised at 2–2, a

light aircraft A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. Light aircraft are used as utility aircraft c ...

flew above Wigan's ground, the

DW Stadium The DW Stadium is a stadium in Robin Park, in Wigan, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The ground is owned and managed by Wigan Football Company Limited, which is 85% owned by Wigan Athletic and 15% owned ...

, trailing a banner which read "Avram Grant – Millwall Legend". Grant was sacked after the game. The plane had been hired by Millwall supporters from the fans' website House of Fun, celebrating Grant's failure to prevent West Ham's relegation. Their relegation meant they met the Lions in the

2011–12 Football League Championship The 2011–12 Football League Championship (known as the npower Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the eighth season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format. Reading secured the ...

. On 17 September 2011, their first league meeting for seven years ended in a 0–0 draw at The Den. The return fixture and most recent game between the two sides was on 4 February 2012. West Ham beat Millwall 2–1 at Upton Park, despite having their captain

Kevin Nolan Kevin Anthony Jance Nolan (born 24 June 1982) is an English former professional footballer and current first team coach for Premier League club West Ham United. He has represented England at under-21 level. After growing up in Toxteth, Liver ...

sent off after only nine minutes for serious foul play. West Ham's goal scorers were

Carlton Cole Carlton Michael George Cole (born 12 October 1983) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. He scored 52 goals in 288 Premier League appearances for four clubs. Cole began his career at Chelsea ...

and

Winston Reid Winston Wiremu Reid (born 3 July 1988) is a New Zealand professional footballer who last played as a defender for club West Ham United. He captained the New Zealand national team. He has also played for Midtjylland with loan periods at Sport ...

. Millwall's goal was by

Liam Trotter Liam Antony Trotter (born 24 August 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelmsford City. He has previously played for Ipswich Town, Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham F ...

. Fixtures between Millwall and West Ham United are currently categorised by the Metropolitan Police as category C – games which carry a high risk of disorder amongst supporters. For the 2011–12 season, the

implemented London-wide operations to ensure that the games passed by without any incident. In 2013 a member of West Ham's hooligan Inter City Firm was jailed for 12 months for organising violence between West Ham and Millwall fans during an FA Cup match between

Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...

and Millwall on 7 January 2012. He chose this game in the belief fewer police would be in attendance at a match in

Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Forest ...

, but who instead, turned out in force to prevent trouble. In November 2014 the two sides' development squads were drawn against each other in the

U21 Premier League Cup The Premier League Cup is an English football competition run by the Premier League for under–21 sides. History The competition was created in 2013 as the U21 Premier League Cup, an U21 equivalent of the FA Youth Cup (an U18 competition com ...

. The Metropolitan Police took preventive measures against any trouble occurring, demanding the game at Rush Green kick-off at 12pm and be played behind closed doors. Millwall and West Ham moved a mile closer and are now under four miles () apart, when the Hammers moved into the

in Stratford in the 2016–17 season, which ended 112 years at Upton Park. On 24 August 2017, a

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...

fan Paul O'Donnell died, following an attack by Millwall fan Andrew Lewis after O'Donnell had said "West Ham" to Lewis. A charge of manslaughter was eventually dropped against Lewis. In 2018, Hammers and Lions fans put their rivalry aside to help raise money for a West Ham fan suffering from cancer. Three-year-old Isla Caton needed money for expensive treatment of her

neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands but can also develop in the neck, chest, abdomen, or spine. Symptoms may include bone pain, a lump in the ...

condition. A Millwall fan did a sponsored run in a West Ham kit from The Den to the London Stadium to help raise funds for the sick girl. Shortly after her death in 2022, West Ham and Millwall jointly released a statement of condolences in solidarity with the Caton family.

Results

By competition

This table only includes competitive first-team games, excluding all pre-season games, friendlies, abandoned matches, testimonials and games played during the First and Second World Wars.Five other contests in 1900, 1902, 1919, 1926 and 1929 were played, abandoned and not completed due to fog and bad light. In 1930 there was an alteration in the London FA Challenge Cup, the rule "Clubs must play their strongest elevens" was deleted. After that, the competition was considered to be for reserves and the six games between the clubs after that date are not classed as first-team games.

Full list of results

:''Score lists home team first.''

Statistics

Firsts

* First ever meeting: Millwall Athletic 2–0 Thames Ironworks ( friendly), 23 September 1897 * First competitive meeting: Thames Ironworks 1–2 Millwall Athletic (

), 9 December 1899 * First league meeting: Thames Ironworks 0–2 Millwall Athletic ( Southern League), 23 December 1899 * First football league meeting: West Ham United 3–0 Millwall (

), 17 September 1932 * First away victory for Millwall: Thames Ironworks 1–2 Millwall Athletic (

), 9 December 1899 * First away victory for West Ham United: Millwall Athletic 0–1 Thames Ironworks ( Southern League), 28 April 1900

Results

* Highest scoring game: 8 goals (twice) ** West Ham United 1–7 Millwall Athletic, 2 April 1903 ** West Ham United 6–2 Millwall, 22 September 1912 * Largest winning margin (Millwall): 6 goals ** West Ham United 1–7 Millwall Athletic, 2 April 1903 * Largest winning margin (West Ham United): 4 goals (four times) ** West Ham United 4–0 Millwall Athletic, 9 September 1901Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 266 ** Millwall Athletic 1–5 West Ham United, 26 December 1901 ** West Ham United 6–2 Millwall, 22 September 1912 ** West Ham United 5–1 Millwall, 8 October 1928 * League doubles: 1 ( 1988–89 season. West Ham beat Millwall home and away.)

Trends

* Most consecutive wins (Millwall): 6, 2 April 1903 – 29 February 1904Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 268–270 * Most consecutive wins (West Ham United): 4, 8 October 1928 – 17 September 1932 * Longest undefeated run (Millwall): 12 (nine wins, three draws), 26 April 1902 – 1 September 1904Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 266–272 * Longest undefeated run (West Ham United): 10 (four wins, six draws), 21 October 1933 – 14 May 1979Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 330–420 * Longest undefeated run in the Football League (Millwall): 7 (three wins, four draws), 15 November 1992 – 17 September 2011 * Longest undefeated run in the Football League (West Ham United): 9 (three wins, six draws), 21 October 1933 – 7 October 1978 * Home form in the Football League: In 12 attempts Millwall have never won at Upton Park in the Football League. They have attained six draws and six defeats over a period of 80 years, from 1932 to 2012. West Ham have won twice at

the old Den The Old Den (known while in use as the Den) was the fifth football stadium occupied by Millwall F.C. in Cold Blow Lane, New Cross, London since their formation in Millwall on the Isle of Dogs in 1885 before moving to the New Den (now called th ...

, in 1939 and 1988. They have never won at

the new Den The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which i ...

, in three attempts.Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 328–482 * Most consecutive draws: 3 (twice), 21 October 1933 – 27 December 1938; 25 January 1947 – 1 September 1947 * Most consecutive games without a draw: 8 (twice), 9 December 1899 – 26 December 1901; 26 October 1907 – 20 September 1909 * Most games played against each other in a season: 7 (twice), 9 September 1901 – 26 April 1902; 8 November 1902 – 25 April 1903 * Longest period without playing each other: 18 years, 11 months, 24 days. 13 October 1959 – 7 October 1978 (the 1960s is the only decade the teams have not met since they were formed.)Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 382–420 * Record highest attendance: 42,200. 27 December 1947, Upton Park. West Ham United 0 Millwall 0 * Record lowest attendance: 200. 24 November 1902, North Greenwich. Millwall Athletic 2 West Ham United 1 * Record goal scorer: Alf Twigg (10), Millwall. Scored his first on 16 April 1906 and his tenth on 26 April 1909.Lindsay and Tarrant, pp. 274–280

Crossing the divide

Managers and coaches

Billy Bonds William Arthur Bonds (born 17 September 1946) is a former professional footballer and manager, who is most often associated with West Ham United with whom he spent 27 years as player and manager. He played 799 first-team games for West Ham in a ...

is the only manager to have managed both clubs. He was in charge of West Ham from February 1990 to August 1994, managing the club for 227 games as the team yo-yoed between the First and Second divisions. He guided them to two promotions and one relegation. He resigned in August 1994. He was appointed as Millwall manager in May 1997 by chairman

Theo Paphitis Theodoros "Theo" Paphitis ( el, Θεόδωρος Παφίτης; born 24 September 1959) is a Greek-Cypriot British retail magnate and entrepreneur. He is best known for his appearances on the BBC business programme ''Dragons' Den'' and as former ...

— an unpopular decision with many Lions fans due to his West Ham allegiance. Bonds, from south London, had several family members who were Millwall fans; a fact which meant some supporters felt he should be given a chance. After a good start, the team narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 18th in the

. Bonds was sacked in May 1998, having been in charge of the side for only 53 games.

Ted Fenton TED may refer to: Economics and finance * TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar Education * ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association ** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey ** Transvaal Education Depart ...

managed West Ham from 1950–61 and was responsible for the establishment of youth development at the club,

the Academy of Football The Academy of West Ham United F.C. is recognised as one of the most successful football academies in modern football, hence its nickname the ''Academy of Football''. The introduction of the FA's new Academy system in 1998 has placed even mor ...

.Hellier and Leatherdale, p. 98 He won the 1957–58 Second Division championship, assuring top-flight football for the Hammers for the first time since 1932. His brother

Benny Fenton Benjamin Robert Vincent Fenton (28 October 1918 – 29 July 2000) was an English professional association football, football player and manager. He played for West Ham United F.C., West Ham United, Millwall F.C., Millwall, Charlton Athletic F.C. ...

started his career as a player at West Ham in 1937, before moving to Millwall in 1939. After he retired as a footballer, he moved into management, managing Millwall from 1966–74.Lindsay and Tarrant, p. 217 On 17 January 1967 he was manager of the Lions team that established an English Football League record of 59 games unbeaten at home. The record was eventually taken by

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

in 1981, who went 85 games unbeaten at

Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...

in all competitions.

Pat Holland Patrick "Patsy" Holland (born 13 September 1950) is an English former footballer who played for clubs West Ham United, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and Team Hawaii. Holland has also coached and scouted for teams such as Leyton Orient, Totten ...

, an FA Cup winner in 1975 with West Ham, served as Millwall assistant manager to

Willie Donachie William Donachie (born 5 October 1951) is a Scottish former professional footballer. Donachie had a long playing career, the majority of which was with Manchester City. He also played for Norwich City, Burnley, Oldham Athletic and Portland Timber ...

in 2006. After Donachie was fired in 2007, he continued on as chief scout until 2009. In June 2011 former Millwall player

Sam Allardyce Samuel Allardyce (; born 19 October 1954), colloquially referred to as Big Sam, is an English association football, football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent most ...

was appointed as manager of West Ham. In June 2013 Millwall appointed former Hammers captain

Steve Lomas Stephen Martin Lomas (born 18 January 1974) is a Northern Irish football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, Lomas was a midfielder from 1991 to 2010. He had spells in the Premier League for both Manchester City and West Ha ...

as their new manager. Lomas joined ex-West Ham defender

Tim Breacker Timothy Sean Breacker (born 2 July 1965) is an English football coach and former player, who is chief scout at Bolton Wanderers. As a player, he was a right-back who notably played in the Premier League for West Ham United, where he made 240 ...

, who was Millwall's first-team coach. As a former West Ham player, Lomas' appointment was unpopular with many Millwall fans. Lomas was sacked on 26 December 2013, after winning only five of his 22 games in charge. In May 2014, former Millwall and West Ham player,

was appointed as an attacking coach with West Ham for the 2014–15 season. Sheringham left in May 2015 to become manager of

Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...

Players

Players who have played for both teams.

, Peter Buchanan, Johnny Burke,

, Jimmy Jinks and Harold Pearson also played for both sides as wartime guest players. * Gary Alexander *

Clive Allen Clive Darren Allen (born 20 May 1961) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward for seven different London clubs. Allen was a prolific striker throughout his career ...

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which h ...

* Charles Ambler *

Moses Ashikodi Moses Ashikodi (born 27 June 1987) is retired footballer. Having started his career at Millwall, he has also played professionally for West Ham United, Gillingham, Rangers, Watford, Bradford City, Swindon Town, Hereford United and Shrewsbu ...

* Joe Blythe * Gary Bowes * Kenny Brown *

Jack Burkett Jack William Burkett (born 21 August 1942) is an English former professional footballer who played as a full-back in the Football League for West Ham United and Charlton Athletic, and was player-manager at League of Ireland team St Patrick's ...

Dennis Burnett Dennis Burnett (born 27 September 1944) is an English former football defender. Club career He started his career as a youth team player at West Ham United, making his first team debut in October 1965. He played 66 games in all competitions f ...

Tony Cottee Antony Richard Cottee (born 11 July 1965) is an English former professional footballer and manager who now works as a television football commentator. As a player, he was a striker from 1982 until 2001, notably playing in the top flight of En ...

Roger Cross Roger Cross (born October 19, 1969) is a Jamaican-born Canadian actor who has made numerous appearances in several films and television series, mostly on productions shot in Canada. He is known for his work as CTU Agent Curtis Manning in the ...

Brian Dear Brian Charles Dear (born 18 September 1943) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker in the Football League for West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Millwall. Career Dear, nicknamed ''Stag'', started ...

Charlie Dove Charlie Dove (1879–?) was an English footballer. Career Dove was regarded as being very physically fit for a footballer; in 1895 he stood nearly 6 feet tall and weighed 12 stone, which was considered large for a sixteen-year-old from a worki ...

* David Forde * Ryan Fredericks * Paul Goddard *

Dale Gordon Dale Andrew Gordon (born 9 January 1967) is a former professional association footballer who played predominantly as a right-sided midfielder for Norwich City, Rangers, West Ham United, Peterborough United, Millwall and AFC Bournemouth. Earl ...

* Fred Griffiths * John Hamilton *

Terry Hurlock Terence Alan Hurlock (born 22 September 1958) is an English former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. Over the course of a 15-year career in the Football League, he had notable spells with Brentford and Millwall. He won ...

Don Hutchison Donald Hutchison (born 9 May 1971) is a former professional footballer. Hutchison is a football television pundit and commentator for Talksport and ESPN FC. As a player, Hutchison was a midfielder, who played in the Premier League for Liverpoo ...

Andy Impey Andrew Rodney Impey (born 30 September 1971) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who is an academy coach at Queens Park Rangers. As a player, he was a full-back or winger who notably played in the Premier League for ...

* Tommy Inns *

Matt Jarvis Matthew Thomas Jarvis (born 22 May 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. After an unsuccessful spell as a youth-team player for Millwall, Jarvis began his professional career with Gillingham, making his ...

Glen Johnson Glen McLeod Cooper Johnson (''né'' Stephens; born 23 August 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played predominantly as a right back. Johnson began his career at West Ham United, spending time on loan at Millwall, and was s ...

Jack Landells John Landells (11 November 1904 – 1986) was an English association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Born in Gateshead, County Durham, Landells played for Grays Athletic F.C., Grays Athletic, Millwa ...

Lawrie Leslie Lawrence Grant Leslie (17 March 1935 – 4 June 2019) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Hibernian, Airdrie, West Ham United, Stoke City, Millwall and Southend United. Internationally, he represented Scotlan ...

Dave Mangnall David Mangnall (21 September 1905 – 10 April 1962) was an English association football, football player and manager. As a player, he scored 144 goals from 221 appearances in the Football League playing for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, ...

* Dave Martin (son of

Alvin Martin Alvin Edward Martin (born 29 July 1958) is an English football manager, former professional footballer and pundit. As a player, he was a defender, playing most of his footballing career for West Ham United he appeared in 598 games for them, sc ...

, West Ham's fifth longest serving player) * Joe Martin (son of

) * Tommy Moore * Frank Neary * George Neil *

Lucas Neill Lucas Edward Neill (born 9 March 1978) is an Australian former soccer player. Neill played as a defender, often playing as a centre back as well as a full-back. Neill spent almost 15 years of his career playing in England. He represented Austr ...

* Harry Obeney * Anton Otulakowski * John Payne *

Graham Paddon Graham Charles Paddon (24 August 1950 – 19 November 2007) was an English footballer who played as a midfielder for Coventry City, Millwall, Norwich City and West Ham United. Playing career Paddon was born in Manchester and began his career as ...

Wilf Phillips Wilfred John Phillips (27 August 1895 – 14 March 1976) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Bristol Rovers, Millwall, Clapton Orient, Thames, West Ham United and Stoke. Career Phillips was born in Bradley, Stafford ...

* Jack Powell * Peter ReaderLindsay and Tarrant, p. 534Reader played at youth level for West Ham United and did not make a first team appearance. *

Neil Ruddock Neil "Razor" Ruddock (born 9 May 1968) is an English former professional footballer and television personality who is a club director at Enfield. As a player he was a central defender from 1986 to 2003, and was voted the 17th "hardest footballe ...

* Fred Shreeve *

Jim Standen James Alfred Standen (born 30 May 1935) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Arsenal, Luton Town, West Ham United, Millwall and Portsmouth. He won the FA Cup and the European Cup Win ...

Willie Stewart William S. Stewart (11 February 1872 – July 1945) was a Scottish footballer who was born in Coupar Angus. He played as an inside forward before switching to his favoured half back position. He joined Newton Heath from Warwick County in July ...

In popular culture

In film

The rivalry between the teams, specifically the clubs' two hooligan firms has been depicted on the big screen several times. In 1989,

Alan Clarke Alan John Clarke (28 October 1935 – 24 July 1990) was an English television and film director, producer and writer. Life and career Clarke was born in Wallasey, Wirral, England. Most of Clarke's output was for television rather than cinema, ...

directed ''

The Firm The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Bens ...

'', starring real-life Millwall supporter

Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy Fi ...

. He plays Bex, leader of the football firm the Inter City Crew, a fictional representation of West Ham's Inter City Firm and their violent exploits. In it, Millwall's Bushwackers firm are depicted as The Buccaneers. '' Green Street'' was released in 2004, with real-life Hammers supporter

Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003) and '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012). Wood ...

playing an American student who gets involved with West Ham's firm. The film builds up to the big clash with Millwall's firm at the climax, after the two teams draw each other in the Cup, foreshadowing the reality of the League Cup game which led to the

. It was a moderate financial success, grossing just over $3 million worldwide. The rise of a football hooligan,

Carlton Leach Carlton Leach is an author, occasional actor, and a former criminal. Early life Leach was born in Canning Town. A fan of West Ham United F.C., he became involved in the Inter City Firm, a gang of hooligans who followed the East London club. ...

, is chronicled in 2007's ''

Rise of the Footsoldier ''Rise of the Footsoldier'' is a British crime and gangster film franchise written and directed by Julian Gilbey, Will Gilbey, Ricci Harnett, Zackary Adler, Andrew Loveday and Nick Nevern, distributed by Optimum Releasing. The franchise and i ...

'', from his beginnings on the terraces to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals. The bitter rivalry between the Hammers and the Lions is displayed, by the use of original footage, during the opening scenes of the film. In 2009, a

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

sequel to Green Street was made, '' Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground''. It follows on directly from the original's climax, with several members of West Ham's and Millwall's firms ending up in prison together and arranging a football match."r A remake of The Firm, also titled ''

'' was released in 2009 by

Nick Love Nick Love (born 24 December 1969) is an English film director and writer. His credits include the films '' The Football Factory'', '' The Business'', ''Goodbye Charlie Bright'', ''Outlaw'', ''The Sweeney'', and a 2009 remake of football hoolig ...

, director of ''The Football Factory'' and himself a Millwall supporter. Set in the 1980s, the film highlights the music, fashion and culture surrounding football at the time. It was generally well received by critics. In October 2009, the

released still photos from the film in relation to a search for hooligans from the Upton Park riot. The mistake led to an apology from

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...

. The 2012

zombie comedy The zombie comedy, often called zom com or zomedy, is a film genre that aims to blend zombie horror motifs with slapstick comedy as well as morbid humor. History The earliest roots of the genre can be found in Jean Yarbrough's ''King of the ...

Cockneys vs Zombies ''Cockneys vs Zombies'' is a 2012 British zombie comedy film directed by Matthias Hoene and written by James Moran and Lucas Roche. The plot centres on a group of Cockneys who arm themselves to rescue their grandfather and his friends from their r ...

'' referenced the rivalry, showing Millwall and West Ham zombies fighting amongst themselves in East London after a

zombie apocalypse Zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which society collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. Typically only a few individuals or small bands of survivors are left living. In some versions, the reason the dead rise and attack hum ...

. In 2013 a third film in the Green Street franchise, '' Green Street 3: Never Back Down'' was released. It focuses on a rivalry between West Ham and Millwall fans within

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

In literature

As with film, the rivalry between the clubs' hooligan firms has been covered in books such as ''Congratulations You Have Just Met the ICF'' by

Cass Pennant Carol "Cass" Pennant (born 3 March 1958), is an English writer and former football hooligan. Background Pennant's mother emigrated from Jamaica while pregnant and he was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire. Six weeks old, he was abandoned and was plac ...

, leader of the Inter City Firm. ''No One Likes Us, We Don't Care: True Stories from Millwall, Britain's Most Notorious Football Hooligans'' by Andrew Woods focuses on the fights between the two firms, from the perspective of Millwall's Bushwackers. ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'' columnist Mike Calvin spent the 2009–10 season covering Millwall's Play-off promotion, writing the book ''Family: Life, Death and Football''. The beginning extensively features the rivalry and the stabbing of a Millwall supporter before the

game. Millwall vs West Ham: il derby della working class londinese (English, The London Working Class Derby) is a 2014 Italian book on the rivalry by Luca Manes. It chronicles the derby from its inception, declaring it to be one of the most feared matches in world football.

Gallery

File:Millwall v West Ham 2011.jpg, West Ham and Millwall players shake hands before kick-off at

on 17 September 2011. File:West Ham United and Millwall programme 1930.jpg, Programme from a

Fifth round Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash th ...

game between the teams on 15 February 1930 File:Millwall fans celebrate scoring at Upton Park.ogv, Millwall fans celebrate an equalising goal in the last game between the sides at Upton Park in 2012.

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Millwall official website

West Ham United official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millwall F.C.-West Ham United F.C. rivalry London derbies Millwall F.C. West Ham United F.C. England football derbies

History of the rivalry

Founding of the clubs: 1885–98

Sixty meetings in sixteen years: 1899–1915

Two World Wars and joining the Football League: 1915–45

Different leagues and hooliganism: 1946–87

First top-flight meeting and the Mothers' Day Massacre: 1988–2008

Upton Park riot and West Ham move stadiums: 2009–present

Results

By competition

Full list of results

Statistics

Firsts

Results

Trends

Crossing the divide

Managers and coaches

Players

In popular culture

In film

In literature

Gallery

See also

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links