SkyBet EFL Championship
at 'The Den', South Bermondsey
Millwall (0) 0
Birmingham City (1) 2
James Meredith 11 OG
Michael Morrison 76
Attendance: 11,664 (inc. 1,305 away)
Match reports:
From Millwall website Click HERE
From Birmingham City website Click HERE
From BBC website Click HERE
Why are the coaches that provide alternative transport when the trains aren't running called a 'bus replacement service' when they are clearly a 'train replacement service'?
Either way, that's what a lengthy swathe of the East Coast Mainline had on offer this tea-time, so a decision was taken to drive down the A1, as far as Peterborough... and then jump aboard one of the numerous locomotives that are still heading south from there. Inevitably, because we purchased tickets in advance, there are no train guards in attendance on the Great Northern running stock and the exit gate at King's Cross was wide open upon our arrival... it was a further thirty five minutes or so across the Capital of England, via London Bridge, but despite leaving Peterborough at around 5.20PM, we were still strolling along the fenced in (caged in) walkway signposted 'AWAY FANS ONLY' a good half a hour before kick off.
All we could hear on our approach to the ground, were the Birmingham fans warming up their vocal chords... and to their immense credit, they continued to fill the South East London night air, with their extensive vocabulary of unique songs throughout the night.
There was a time when travelling through to this ground and Millwall's previous home on Cold Blow Lane in particular, was a virtually guaranteed way of finding yourself embroiled in some kind of intimidating situation. But, I witnessed nothing untoward whatsoever tonight.
Even so, my travelling sidekick was a Den first timer, so I had wound him up, telling him that if wanted to fit in, he'd have to swear every other word and substitute the letter u for an a in the crudest of words, to sound like an authentic Isle of Dogs local... and that if all else failed, he should break into a chorus of that 'Big Horse' song, that is popular round these parts... y'know the one: "Maybe it's big horse I'm a Londoner and I love London town!"
As we alighted at London Bridge on our way back across London, he suggested that the hooligans must've all got old and grown up by now; but anybody who'd been here back in the 'good old days', would testify that there was no age limit to the people who wanted to cause you some serious harm.
I 'reassured' him that the crowd was so low tonight, because the heavy mob were all just up the road from London Bridge, plotting an ambush... and their spotters were watching us and making phone calls to the rogue element right now! They weren't, obviously, but hey! You have to make your own fun to pass the time away on long and boring train journey sometimes.
Millwall do indeed play in a rough and ready area of London, and can, if the need ever arose, call on a massive amount of really handy big lumps, hell bent on destruction. But they were hardly likely to be bothered about a couple of specky old farts like us.
Anyway, we got back to King's Cross fairlyy swiftly and were on a northbound train shortly after 11PM, via a 'Tesco Express meal deal' carry out... and the only problem that we encountered all night, was discovering the rip off parking prices at Peterborough Station in midweek... where the same facilities that cost us a mere £6 for the whole weekend recently, mugged us for £17 for seven hours on a Wednesday night, that had to be paid on the spot or we wouldn't be retrieving my car.
I have linked three versions of the match reports above (and added a video of the highlights, once they became available), because I'm not messing about with any of that 'long winded self indulgent bullshit blog, with added football content' malarkey at this time of night... and I desperately need some sleep before that 5.30AM alarm rudely interrupts my slumber in a few hours time.
FT: Millwall 0 v Birmingham City 2
It was quite an ugly game all told, but having conceded a combined total of ten goals in their last three (win-less) games, the clean sheet, three points and a 'professional away performance', were all that mattered to the 1,300 plus Blues fans who'd trekked down to Londonshire tonight, a stoic and gallant bunch, who fully understand the constraints under which their team and it's management are currently operating under... and continue to give their unwavering and unconditional support regardless. Respect!
I'm closing this half-arsed attempt at a blog post, with a conundrum for the few remaining people, who are still persevering with reading this waffle to answer. They reckon there are places in the UK that are more boring and soul destroying than Peterborough Railway Station at night... name me one, because I don't believe it.
Footnote: A few people have pointed out that Millwall's current home is actually called the New Den, which I also thought was true. But, apparently, now that the Lions have played here for twenty five years (Jeez that makes me feel really old), it's called the Den... because it isn't new anymore.
I suppose that by the same token the ground formerly known as the Den, that stood a short distance away from the stadium I visited tonight, will be referred to as the Old Den from now on.
And this all got me round to wondering if New Cross itself, will soon have its name truncated too, and simply become known as Cross.
Don't tell me these things don't trouble you and keep you awake at night too.
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| The Old Den |
I suppose that by the same token the ground formerly known as the Den, that stood a short distance away from the stadium I visited tonight, will be referred to as the Old Den from now on.
And this all got me round to wondering if New Cross itself, will soon have its name truncated too, and simply become known as Cross.
Don't tell me these things don't trouble you and keep you awake at night too.
