Tomorrow, at 12:30 local time, Millwall will be hosting West Ham United for the first time in twelve years. Both clubs play in the 2nd Division (think AAA Baseball), which is filled with teams you may have heard of (Wrexham, Wolves), and teams that you haven’t (Preston, Bolton, Derby etc).
It’s not glamourous at this level. It is gritty, local, affordable, and almost completely ignored by anyone who isn’t a fan.
That changes tomorrow.
Millwall v West Ham is arguably the biggest rivalry in UK sport, and there has been over a decade since the two met (West Ham have been living large in the Prem while Millwall have been slumming it in the lower leagues). As such, the Metropolitan Police have set up a zone for keeping fans from tearing each other into pieces.
I won’t be waking up at 5:30 to watch, but I will be keen to see how it plays out. My guess is that it will be a test affair, with West Ham coming away winners. Outside the ground, it won’t be as bad as some people are suggesting.
The return fixture, played in Stratford, will be absolute chaos.
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