Millwall Football Club is planning on expanding its stadium in Bermondsey. Known to football fans as The Den, the huge stadium in London has a capacity of 20,146 people. According to the latest news about the stadium expansion, The Den will be able to hold a crowd capacity of 34,000 people after the renewed construction.

The Den gets a 999-year lease

In a landmark agreement, the Lewisham Council has granted a 999-year lease to Millwall FC. The English football club can move forward with its plans of building new homes around its stadium to facilitate a long-term engagement with its audience.

We are delighted that Lewisham Council has offered Millwall Football Club a new, long lease that will permit us to bring forward development plans in New Bermondsey for residential accommodation, a new community, and an ambitious football club, said James Berylson, the chairman of Millwall FC.

He elaborated on its potential to bring the club to life saying My family's involvement with Millwall goes back almost 20 years. My father, John Berylson, had a vision and an ambition for the football club and its local community.

Ms. Dacres, the mayor of Lewisham, added This has been a long process, and I'm pleased we've been able to work together to secure the relocation of facilities for the Millwall Community Trust and support our shared ambitions for this part of Lewisham.

© Millwall FC, AFL Architects | Redevelopment concept

30 years of Millwall stadium

The Millwall stadium in Bermondsey was built in 1993. It cost £16 million to construct The Den about 30 years ago. John Smith, the head of the Labour Party, opened The Den to the public. The last stadium to be newly constructed in London was in 1937.

Despite playing with the Millwall team at the new stadium, the football club could not qualify for the Premier League in its initial years. In 2004, Millwall FC managed to enter the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester United in a 3-0 loss.

On average, more than 10,000 people attended the football matches between 1993-2023 held at The Den. The Millwall stadium has also hosted other sports events like boxing and rugby matches. The East Stand of the Den became known as the Dockers Stand. It was a tribute to Millwall’s supporters from the Thames dockers.

Named after the longest-serving player of Millwall FC, the North Stand was titled as the Barry Kitchener Stand. It was occupied by people visiting Bermondsey to watch football clubs compete in matches and tournaments. The South Stand at The Den is called the Cold Blow Lane Stand.

© Bex Walton (CC BY 2.0) | The Den

Easy access to The Den

People can walk up to The Den within 5 minutes from the National Rail station at South Bermondsey. Match days open an alternative entry for fans supporting the away team. Football fans relying on public transport can catch a bus to the P12 bus stand on Ilderton Road. It can take 15 minutes to reach the Millwall stadium from the former East London Line stations like Surrey Quays and New Cross Gate.

© Matt Rayns - Groundhopper | The Den

Key Millwall FC players

Shaun Hutchinson is a defender for Millwall FC. He is currently the captain of the English football club, having played for the Millwall FC since 2016. With more than 230 appearances for Millwall FC, Shaun Hutchinson has scored 13 goals for his team.

Jake Cooper is the vice-captain and plays in the back of the football field. He transferred from Reading Football Club to Millwall FC in 2017. Jake Cooper has played over 300 games for Millwall FC after joining the club. Millwall FC is optimistic about playing in the upcoming English football leagues with both Shaun Hutchinson and Jake Cooper handling the ball at The Den. Adam Mayor, Matija Šarkić, and Kevin Nisbet are a few of the key players on the 2024 roster. The midfielder Ryan Leonard was announced as the 2024 Player of the Year for Millwall FC.

© Matt Rayns - Groundhopper | The Den

Their biggest rivals - West Ham United

Millwall FC has an ongoing rivalry with West Ham United. After their first football match in 1899, both the clubs have faced each other in 99 matches. Millwall FC have won 38 matches against West Ham United and lost 34 games to their rivals. It is considered as one of the most bitter rivalries among English football clubs.

The last match played at The Den between Millwall FC and West Ham United was played on September 17, 2011. It drew over 16,000 people to the grounds and ended in a 0-0 draw during the English Football League Championship. Recently, West Ham United played Millwall FC at Upton Park to gain a 2-1 victory.

On record, Millwall won 6 consecutive games against West Ham United between 1903-1904. The forward player Alf Twigg scored the most goals for Millwall during rivalry matches with West Ham United, hitting 10 goals behind the nets.

Films like Green Street have depicted the clashes between Millwall FC and West Ham United. Matches from the League Cup are displayed in Green Street to illustrate their rivalry on the big screen. Green Street has released 2 sequels since its release in 2004.

© joshjdss (CC BY 2.0) | The Den