Seaside Essex Xile takes a look at the ground of our next opponents Millwall, The New Den.
Nobody Likes Them!
‘No-one likes us we don’t care’
How many times will the sarf London youth sing that tomorrow whilst jabbing an angry finger towards us? To be honest I bet we lose count, however saying that a trip to Millwall away doesn’t carry the same fear as it used to.
Long gone are the days of Harry the Dog + his F Troop.
Probably one of the first teams to gain notoriety for having a firm, a trip to Millwall still requires away fans to keep their wits about them.
The ground itself is a smart looking 20000+ all seater that gets regular tv coverage from Sky`s Dream Team. Away fans are housed in a stand behind one goal. Room for 4000 however, despite our renewed optimism following yesterday`s signings I expect our support to remain in the 3 figure category.
Located in the top tier we will have a decent view.
Getting there, safest way – official coach, however the car requires the A2 via J2 off the M25. Car parking is a real problem around the ground however. An estate used for off street parking is apparently reminiscent of the scenes shot for the Bill at times of riots etc. No doubt the trainers amongst us will use South Bermondsey as this is the nearest station.
Please note that we have on good authority (see below) that away fans are taken to this train station after the game. It has a covered walkway both to and from a platform that goes straight to the away end – providing a safe entry + regress from the ground. Now the Met aren`t known for their patience and expect pleas of “I have my car parked just over there to fall on deaf ears.”
Where to drink? Well using the train will lead to the HITW. Drinking nearby the ground isn`t recommended, and not a single pub springs to mind within a staggering distance.
Alcohol is on sale in the ground, as is food. Probably realising that no-one wants to eat in the local area the food choice on offer is larger than a normal away game.
Following our display at Brizzle hopes must be high as Millwall have had a poor start by their own standards. Lets hope for pleasure tomorrow and not the pain.
To end on a positive note:
Hastings Exiles son in law is a Met Plod, and he informs us that the Met use Millwall for all their crowd control training. Reassuring to know that we have some boys in blue that are actually keen to help us on our foray into the Capital this Saturday.
Fear Factor rating – 8.
