One Game at a Time: You’re Only Here for the Pasties
The Wall (not the Danny Dire one )(H) October 3rd
Another quick turnaround for a squad already finding its stock of left sided defenders slowly being whittled down. This weekend saw Lewis Gibson join the walking wounded, alongside Saxon Earley and the intermittently available Brendon Galloway. This meant a return for Macauley Gillesphey into the familiar five at the back system that he inhabited so frequently, and a first Championship start, although not as it turned out, a finish.
No first half blitzkrieg this week, but in a battle between two of the more highly regarded young coaches, the initial honours went to the visitor. After weathering twenty minutes or so of Norwich style possession, Argyle moved the ball smartly though midfield to find Bali Mumba. He drove into the box and when his shot was parried out, it became an early birthday gift for Adam Randell who celebrated his last day as a twenty-two-year-old by gleefully driving the ball home.
Shortly afterwards a good Argyle press turned the ball over to Azaz whose shot hit the inside of the post and then flew across the goal with ex Whycome keeper Allsop so comprehensively beaten he forgot to collapse and feign a head injury.
If that bounce was unlucky then worse was to follow. Gillesphey, struggling for an out ball forward, turned and crashed an aimless clearance which rebounded off Jadon Philogene and headed for the goal line and a goal kick. Gillesphey followed the ball and eschewed the chance to make sure the ball went into row Z as the natural trajectory of the ball was to safety. Unfortunately, the rebound from the winger had imparted some fairly vicious back spin, and rather like a McIlroy approach shot at the Ryder Cup, span back perfectly to leave Gillesphey floundering. Philogene danced inside and his perfect cross was met by two onrushing Hull players with Regan Slater winning the race to side foot a simple goal.
The second half saw Gillesphey withdrawn after ten minutes, and then a collective shudder amongst those of a green persuasion as Scott Twine, possibly salivating, and Liam Delap joined the fray. In truth, Argyle saw out the remainder of the game in relative comfort, adopting the start of season four at the back system smoothly. Stoppage time however saw Conor Hazard, by far the quieter of the two keepers, demonstrate both his concentration and reflexes with three excellent saves to secure the point, one the now traditional “how did he get that over the bar from there” with his outstretched boot.
A valuable away point secured sends Argyle into two home matches before the next International break, the first of which sees the losing side from a battle between Argyles next two opponents, Millwall, trek west.
It would be easy to focus on the traditional role that Millwall fulfil in the football pyramid. From Margaret Thatcher using a riot at Luton perpetrated by their fans to launch an offensive on football fans in general and identity cards, though to Bobby Robson suggesting a suitable crowd control method at the Den would be the use of flame throwers or that the fans sing their crowd anthem “No-one likes us”, the history of the club has become a byword for hooliganism and violence with a dash of racism thrown in. No club has a better understanding of that undercurrent after the events of 1967 which are much better covered in the OGAAT when we head to the New Den later in the season.
To be fair, I have also been one to perpetuate the myth by claiming one of my twin daughters briefly held the title of hardest football fan in the UK, when aged six, her only two football matches were both Millwall away. Her sibling blotted her copybook by not having had a cold the previous year so made her debut at much more sedate Gillingham. Following on from BBC documentaries about F Troop and other gangs, and even a Play for Today, former MP Tory leadership candidate and podcaster Rory Stewart has even jumped on the bandwagon, likening the Remainer response to the ERG and Brexit wing of the party as being like sending a book group to a Millwall game. One Millwall supporter even wrote to the Guardian to complain about the stereotyping.
That Millwall are a working-class grass roots club is beyond doubt. Common consent is that they were formed, initially known as Iona, by a group of tinsmiths and others working for JT Morton in a canning plant on the Isle of Dogs (yes folks, that is why it is called Canning Town on the District Line) who, amongst other products, produced potted jams and preserves, as well as many other food stuffs that required cans. The oft touted theory that the club was an outpost for Scots come south to work for the Aberdeen based firm is considered more suspect these days and certainly there is no obvious evidence for it. Similar claims that the Lion rampant on the badge was a nod to Scottish heritage also appear to be wide of the mark.
In fact, after being Ionas (which does have a Scottish tinge) the club became Millwall Rovers at the outset, playing first at Glengall Road in 1885 and then behind the Lord Nelson Pub between 1896 and 1890 where the landlords son became their club secretary.
In 1890 they moved again, staying on the Isle of Dogs, to the Athletic ground and changed their name to Millwall Athletic. In 1901 they moved, this time to the atmospherically named Mudchute, where they stayed until 1910.
In fact, if you look for a Millwall station on the new DLR you will be disappointed. It was decided, presumably after a focus group, that having a station named Millwall would be a rallying point for hooligans, and so the station is named Mudchute as well. At this point in time the club were known as the Dockers, although ironically the reason they were moving was that the Millwall Dock Company wanted their pitch to be the site of a new timberyard.
By now playing in the Western and Southern Leagues, the club reached its first FA Cup semi-final in 1900 losing in a replay to Southampton, and repeated the feat in 1903, this time going down to Derby County.
The clubs first met in 1903/4 in the Southern league, Millwall winning home and away, and then in four of the next five seasons met in both the Southern and Western Leagues. Millwall were Western League Champions in both 1907/8 and the following season. As a result of their success and growing following they then relocated to New Cross in 1910 and a ground they christened The Den. After the clubs FA Cup feats of giant killing the Lions was a nickname that had replaced the Dockers, and so the naming of their new permanent home The Den was a nod to that.
Argyle and Millwall were both invited to the new 3rd Division in 1920/1, where once again Millwall (now having dumped the Athletic suffix) managed to win at Home Park, although Argyle did manage a goalless draw at the Den.
Millwall, powered by ex Pilgrim Jack Cocks goals, finally won promotion in 1928, finishing above a third place Argyle, who were in their slump years after six consecutive runners up spots, when they finished third and fourth before their 1930 promotion triumph. The club’s fixtures from then until the Second World War were all in Division 2, including the eight one thumping handed out by Argyle in January 1932, which remains Millwall’s heaviest league defeat. The game featured the 50th appearance of Harry Roberts for Argyle. In the mid-sixties his namesake was being lauded by football hooligans, including Millwall fans, for the murders of three policemen. To the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down. They don’t help themselves really.
After being one of only three games Argyle managed in the season just prior to World War Two, when Argyle won at The Den 2-0, Millwall were founder members of Division Four in 1958 and then after some yo-yoing, set about an unbeaten home run that lasted for 59 games and two promotions. Suffice to say they anticipated it being sixty, when the only side in the division without an away win rolled into town. Judging by his reaction to a Plymouth caller on his radio show once, Danny Baker still isn’t over it.
Connections between the clubs since then are rarer to find. Millwall were a source of some fine players over the years, including Alex Stepney, the keeper who at lined up in the FA Cup in January 1974 against Argyle having just been overtaken as United’s leading scorer that season by Sammy McIlroy, who had three goals (Stepney along with Lou Macari had two, both penalties).
They also had the winger Gordon Hill, for whom the adjective mercurial was almost compulsory in press reports, and Teddy Sheringham, who scored almost a goal every other game in his Millwall career, although that average was heavily boosted by his tendency to put Argyle to the sword, including one four goal haul in the late 1980’s.
Jimmy Abdou carved a fine career at Millwall after leaving Argyle, and one protegee that went the other way, albeit via Cadiz was Champ Manager favourite Cherno Samba. Subject to a two-million-pound bid from Liverpool when still a schoolboy, Samba never made his football league debut for the club that developed him. Renowned as being a player who rapidly gained value in the simulation beloved by football fans, Samba eventually made his English league debut after being signed by Ian Holloway for Argyle. Eight minutes after coming on against Coventry he netted his first league goal in a 1-0 victory. Samba, now an agent, never managed to kick on from that start and has since opened up about his mental struggles his early fame brought him. Holloway himself included Millwall in his whistle stop tour of managing London teams, and one assumes the only reason he hasn’t appeared at Watford yet is that he is holding out (and with good reason so far this season) for Chelsea.
One Millwall legend, the epitome of a one club man, was the centre half Barry Kitchener, whose six hundred and second and final appearance for Millwall was at Home Park in 1982. The uncompromising defender has the West Stand named for him at the New Den, after his untimely death from cancer aged only 64. He was also briefly caretaker manager after he stopped playing and revered to this day by Millwall fans.
Millwall finally made the topflight some six years later, and to the surprise and delight of the fan base briefly topped the division in October. Following an FA Cup Final under cheeky Blue Peter Garden destroyer Dennis Wise, and another dabble with the EPL, their fall from grace was arrested and reversed after the acquisition of the club by the late John Berylson, whose untimely death at the beginning of this season was a shock to all in football. He, since taking charge, had worked wonders in improving the club’s image and reputation and will be greatly missed, not just by Millwall.
Trekking down to Argyle and returning to Home Park will be Ryan Leonard, still driving forward in midfield, who played one game for Argyle against Blackpool in the Mariner managerial year, and his erstwhile Southend playing colleague Adam Barrett, who is now assistant manager to Gary Rowett, who has been in change for three seasons now.
Having turned Millwall into a solid Championship side, who last season could, and perhaps should have made the play-offs, instead collapsing to a final day home defeat to near rivals Blackburn, when a comfortable three-one half time lead became a four three defeat, to miss out by a single point, Rowett is looking to find the goals that are missing, but still without injured leading scorer Tom Bradshaw.
Argyle, likely to be missing Gibson until after the international break, will want to build on two excellent results and their superb home form.
Another three points at Fortress Home Park, and we will like Millwall just fine.
COYG!!!!!!
The Wall (not the Danny Dire one )(H) October 3rd
Another quick turnaround for a squad already finding its stock of left sided defenders slowly being whittled down. This weekend saw Lewis Gibson join the walking wounded, alongside Saxon Earley and the intermittently available Brendon Galloway. This meant a return for Macauley Gillesphey into the familiar five at the back system that he inhabited so frequently, and a first Championship start, although not as it turned out, a finish.
No first half blitzkrieg this week, but in a battle between two of the more highly regarded young coaches, the initial honours went to the visitor. After weathering twenty minutes or so of Norwich style possession, Argyle moved the ball smartly though midfield to find Bali Mumba. He drove into the box and when his shot was parried out, it became an early birthday gift for Adam Randell who celebrated his last day as a twenty-two-year-old by gleefully driving the ball home.
Shortly afterwards a good Argyle press turned the ball over to Azaz whose shot hit the inside of the post and then flew across the goal with ex Whycome keeper Allsop so comprehensively beaten he forgot to collapse and feign a head injury.
If that bounce was unlucky then worse was to follow. Gillesphey, struggling for an out ball forward, turned and crashed an aimless clearance which rebounded off Jadon Philogene and headed for the goal line and a goal kick. Gillesphey followed the ball and eschewed the chance to make sure the ball went into row Z as the natural trajectory of the ball was to safety. Unfortunately, the rebound from the winger had imparted some fairly vicious back spin, and rather like a McIlroy approach shot at the Ryder Cup, span back perfectly to leave Gillesphey floundering. Philogene danced inside and his perfect cross was met by two onrushing Hull players with Regan Slater winning the race to side foot a simple goal.
The second half saw Gillesphey withdrawn after ten minutes, and then a collective shudder amongst those of a green persuasion as Scott Twine, possibly salivating, and Liam Delap joined the fray. In truth, Argyle saw out the remainder of the game in relative comfort, adopting the start of season four at the back system smoothly. Stoppage time however saw Conor Hazard, by far the quieter of the two keepers, demonstrate both his concentration and reflexes with three excellent saves to secure the point, one the now traditional “how did he get that over the bar from there” with his outstretched boot.
A valuable away point secured sends Argyle into two home matches before the next International break, the first of which sees the losing side from a battle between Argyles next two opponents, Millwall, trek west.
It would be easy to focus on the traditional role that Millwall fulfil in the football pyramid. From Margaret Thatcher using a riot at Luton perpetrated by their fans to launch an offensive on football fans in general and identity cards, though to Bobby Robson suggesting a suitable crowd control method at the Den would be the use of flame throwers or that the fans sing their crowd anthem “No-one likes us”, the history of the club has become a byword for hooliganism and violence with a dash of racism thrown in. No club has a better understanding of that undercurrent after the events of 1967 which are much better covered in the OGAAT when we head to the New Den later in the season.
To be fair, I have also been one to perpetuate the myth by claiming one of my twin daughters briefly held the title of hardest football fan in the UK, when aged six, her only two football matches were both Millwall away. Her sibling blotted her copybook by not having had a cold the previous year so made her debut at much more sedate Gillingham. Following on from BBC documentaries about F Troop and other gangs, and even a Play for Today, former MP Tory leadership candidate and podcaster Rory Stewart has even jumped on the bandwagon, likening the Remainer response to the ERG and Brexit wing of the party as being like sending a book group to a Millwall game. One Millwall supporter even wrote to the Guardian to complain about the stereotyping.
That Millwall are a working-class grass roots club is beyond doubt. Common consent is that they were formed, initially known as Iona, by a group of tinsmiths and others working for JT Morton in a canning plant on the Isle of Dogs (yes folks, that is why it is called Canning Town on the District Line) who, amongst other products, produced potted jams and preserves, as well as many other food stuffs that required cans. The oft touted theory that the club was an outpost for Scots come south to work for the Aberdeen based firm is considered more suspect these days and certainly there is no obvious evidence for it. Similar claims that the Lion rampant on the badge was a nod to Scottish heritage also appear to be wide of the mark.
In fact, after being Ionas (which does have a Scottish tinge) the club became Millwall Rovers at the outset, playing first at Glengall Road in 1885 and then behind the Lord Nelson Pub between 1896 and 1890 where the landlords son became their club secretary.
In 1890 they moved again, staying on the Isle of Dogs, to the Athletic ground and changed their name to Millwall Athletic. In 1901 they moved, this time to the atmospherically named Mudchute, where they stayed until 1910.
In fact, if you look for a Millwall station on the new DLR you will be disappointed. It was decided, presumably after a focus group, that having a station named Millwall would be a rallying point for hooligans, and so the station is named Mudchute as well. At this point in time the club were known as the Dockers, although ironically the reason they were moving was that the Millwall Dock Company wanted their pitch to be the site of a new timberyard.
By now playing in the Western and Southern Leagues, the club reached its first FA Cup semi-final in 1900 losing in a replay to Southampton, and repeated the feat in 1903, this time going down to Derby County.
The clubs first met in 1903/4 in the Southern league, Millwall winning home and away, and then in four of the next five seasons met in both the Southern and Western Leagues. Millwall were Western League Champions in both 1907/8 and the following season. As a result of their success and growing following they then relocated to New Cross in 1910 and a ground they christened The Den. After the clubs FA Cup feats of giant killing the Lions was a nickname that had replaced the Dockers, and so the naming of their new permanent home The Den was a nod to that.
Argyle and Millwall were both invited to the new 3rd Division in 1920/1, where once again Millwall (now having dumped the Athletic suffix) managed to win at Home Park, although Argyle did manage a goalless draw at the Den.
Millwall, powered by ex Pilgrim Jack Cocks goals, finally won promotion in 1928, finishing above a third place Argyle, who were in their slump years after six consecutive runners up spots, when they finished third and fourth before their 1930 promotion triumph. The club’s fixtures from then until the Second World War were all in Division 2, including the eight one thumping handed out by Argyle in January 1932, which remains Millwall’s heaviest league defeat. The game featured the 50th appearance of Harry Roberts for Argyle. In the mid-sixties his namesake was being lauded by football hooligans, including Millwall fans, for the murders of three policemen. To the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down. They don’t help themselves really.
After being one of only three games Argyle managed in the season just prior to World War Two, when Argyle won at The Den 2-0, Millwall were founder members of Division Four in 1958 and then after some yo-yoing, set about an unbeaten home run that lasted for 59 games and two promotions. Suffice to say they anticipated it being sixty, when the only side in the division without an away win rolled into town. Judging by his reaction to a Plymouth caller on his radio show once, Danny Baker still isn’t over it.
Connections between the clubs since then are rarer to find. Millwall were a source of some fine players over the years, including Alex Stepney, the keeper who at lined up in the FA Cup in January 1974 against Argyle having just been overtaken as United’s leading scorer that season by Sammy McIlroy, who had three goals (Stepney along with Lou Macari had two, both penalties).
They also had the winger Gordon Hill, for whom the adjective mercurial was almost compulsory in press reports, and Teddy Sheringham, who scored almost a goal every other game in his Millwall career, although that average was heavily boosted by his tendency to put Argyle to the sword, including one four goal haul in the late 1980’s.
Jimmy Abdou carved a fine career at Millwall after leaving Argyle, and one protegee that went the other way, albeit via Cadiz was Champ Manager favourite Cherno Samba. Subject to a two-million-pound bid from Liverpool when still a schoolboy, Samba never made his football league debut for the club that developed him. Renowned as being a player who rapidly gained value in the simulation beloved by football fans, Samba eventually made his English league debut after being signed by Ian Holloway for Argyle. Eight minutes after coming on against Coventry he netted his first league goal in a 1-0 victory. Samba, now an agent, never managed to kick on from that start and has since opened up about his mental struggles his early fame brought him. Holloway himself included Millwall in his whistle stop tour of managing London teams, and one assumes the only reason he hasn’t appeared at Watford yet is that he is holding out (and with good reason so far this season) for Chelsea.
One Millwall legend, the epitome of a one club man, was the centre half Barry Kitchener, whose six hundred and second and final appearance for Millwall was at Home Park in 1982. The uncompromising defender has the West Stand named for him at the New Den, after his untimely death from cancer aged only 64. He was also briefly caretaker manager after he stopped playing and revered to this day by Millwall fans.
Millwall finally made the topflight some six years later, and to the surprise and delight of the fan base briefly topped the division in October. Following an FA Cup Final under cheeky Blue Peter Garden destroyer Dennis Wise, and another dabble with the EPL, their fall from grace was arrested and reversed after the acquisition of the club by the late John Berylson, whose untimely death at the beginning of this season was a shock to all in football. He, since taking charge, had worked wonders in improving the club’s image and reputation and will be greatly missed, not just by Millwall.
Trekking down to Argyle and returning to Home Park will be Ryan Leonard, still driving forward in midfield, who played one game for Argyle against Blackpool in the Mariner managerial year, and his erstwhile Southend playing colleague Adam Barrett, who is now assistant manager to Gary Rowett, who has been in change for three seasons now.
Having turned Millwall into a solid Championship side, who last season could, and perhaps should have made the play-offs, instead collapsing to a final day home defeat to near rivals Blackburn, when a comfortable three-one half time lead became a four three defeat, to miss out by a single point, Rowett is looking to find the goals that are missing, but still without injured leading scorer Tom Bradshaw.
Argyle, likely to be missing Gibson until after the international break, will want to build on two excellent results and their superb home form.
Another three points at Fortress Home Park, and we will like Millwall just fine.
COYG!!!!!!
Last edited:
