History of Millwall F.C. facts for kids

Millwall Football Club is a professional football team from London, England. Their history began in 1885 when they were first known as Millwall Rovers.

How Millwall Football Club Started

The club was formed in 1885 by workers from a company called J.T. Morton. This company made food and had a factory in Millwall, on the Isle of Dogs. J.T. Morton started in Scotland and opened its London factory in 1870. Many workers came from Scotland, especially from Dundee.

The club's first secretary was Jasper Sexton, who was only seventeen. His father owned The Islander Pub, where the team held their meetings. The first chairman was Doctor William Murray-Leslie, a local doctor who never played for the club.

Millwall Rovers played their first game in 1885 against Fillebrook from Leytonstone. They lost 5–0. But they learned quickly! After that, they didn't lose for their next 12 games. In their first season, they only lost three times.

In November 1886, a new competition called the East End Senior Cup started. Millwall reached the final against London Caledonians. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, so both teams shared the cup for six months each. Millwall even won the East London Senior Cup in their first try! They won it for the next two years too, so they got to keep the trophy forever.

Playing in the Southern League

The club, now called Millwall F.C., helped start the Southern Football League. They won this league in its first two years and were runners-up in the third. Back then, the main Football League was just starting and mostly had teams from the north of England. In the south, the Southern League was very important. Millwall also won the Western League in 1908 and 1909.

Millwall played at different grounds on the Isle of Dogs. It was amazing how many fans came to watch them, sometimes thirty or forty thousand people! This was a big deal because travel was much harder back then.

Moving to The Den Stadium

Millwall became famous for their stadium, The Old Den, in New Cross, London. They moved there in 1910 after playing at four different grounds on the Isle of Dogs for 25 years. Building The Den cost about £10,000.

The first match at The Den was on October 22, 1910, against Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton won 1–0, spoiling the celebration a bit! The official match program cost just one penny.

At the opening ceremony, a brass lion was given to the club. It had a Scottish Gaelic message that meant "We Will Never Turn Our Backs To The Enemy." But the club's official motto was already "We fear no foe, where e'er we go."

This is also where the famous Millwall Roar began. While other fans might cheer for good play from both teams, Millwall fans would only cheer for their own team, very loudly, from start to finish. This strong support made the team feel like they had a "goal start" before the game even began. The Den became a tough place for other teams to play because of the amazing atmosphere created by the crowd.

The Den even hosted an England international match against Wales on March 13, 1911. England won 3–0.

Joining The Football League

Millwall's first Football League match at The Den was on August 28, 1920. They beat Bristol Rovers 2–0. This was their seventh win in a row against Bristol Rovers since moving to The Den. They were founding members of the Football League Division 3 South.

Millwall became known as a strong Cup team. They had many memorable matches, like beating Huddersfield Town (who had won the league three times) 3–1 in the FA Cup in 1927. In the 1930s and 1940s, crowds of over forty-eight thousand people watched games against teams like Derby County and Sunderland.

One of the biggest cup upsets happened on January 26, 1957. Millwall beat the strong Newcastle team 2–1, with 45,646 fans watching. At this time, Millwall was struggling in the Third Division. Before World War II, Millwall was one of the top 10 most supported teams in England, even though they were in lower divisions. Many thought they would become one of England's best clubs, but the war changed things.

Wartime Challenges

On April 7, 1945, Millwall played in a Southern FA Cup Final at Wembley against Chelsea. This was an unofficial wartime cup final, so it's not in the official record books. With the war ending, more fans were allowed to attend games. A huge crowd of 90,000 people watched, which is the biggest crowd Millwall has ever played in front of. Millwall lost 2–0 to Chelsea.

The Second World War made it hard for all clubs to keep their strength because so many young men were lost. Millwall seemed to suffer more than most. From being one of the country's biggest clubs before the war, they became much smaller afterward.

The Den stadium was badly damaged by bombs during The London Blitz. A German bomb hit the North Terrace on April 19, 1943, and a fire destroyed the main stand on April 26. Other clubs like Charlton, Crystal Palace, and West Ham offered their grounds for Millwall to play games. On February 24, 1944, Millwall returned to The Den, which was now an all-standing stadium. Fans helped a lot with the repairs.

After the war, it was still hard to get building materials in Britain. Millwall was not allowed to build a new two-tier stand until 1948, even though they had all the materials. They finally got permission to build a smaller stand.

Tough Times and New Players

The 1950s were difficult for Millwall, and they were often relegated to lower divisions. A special moment during this time was on October 5, 1953, when Millwall played Manchester United to celebrate the opening of their new floodlights. 25,000 fans watched Millwall beat Manchester United 2–1. In the 1958–59 season, Millwall became founding members of Division Four.

Things started to get better in the early 1960s. The club found good players like winger Barry Rowan and goalkeeper Alex Stepney. Stepney later became famous playing for Manchester United and won a European Cup medal in 1968.

The Amazing Class of '71

Later in the 1960s, Millwall set an incredible record: 59 home games without defeat! This streak lasted from August 22, 1964, to January 14, 1967. Managers Billy Gray and Benny Fenton helped build this strong team. All the players received a special gold cigarette lighter from the Football Association.

In the early 1970s, Millwall had a truly great team, known as "The Class of '71." This team included inspiring players like Harry Cripps, Dennis Burnett, Derek Possee, Barry Kitchener, and Teddy Sheringham. They almost got promoted to the top division, missing out by just one point.

In 1974, Millwall hosted the first football game ever played on a Sunday in England (against Fulham). To get around the rules at the time, fans bought a "Programme Only" ticket, which was actually the price of admission. Millwall did this again in 1982 for another Sunday game against Fulham.

Millwall is also the only club to be unbeaten at home in four different divisions:

• 1927–28 Division 3 (South)
• 1964–65 Division Four
• 1965–66 Division Three
• 1971–72 Division Two
• 1984–85 Division Three

George Graham's Leadership

George Graham was Millwall's manager from 1983 to 1986. He helped the club get promoted to the Second Division. Millwall also won the Football League Group Trophy, beating Lincoln City 3–2. During this game, Graham noticed a talented young striker from Lincoln, John Fashanu, who later joined Millwall.

In the 1984–85 season, Millwall knocked Leicester City out of the FA Cup. Leicester had famous players like Gary Lineker and Alan Smith, but Millwall played with great teamwork and won 2–0. Graham later left to become a very successful manager at Arsenal.

Graham said that Millwall fans reminded him of his home in Glasgow. He said, "The Millwall fans were in a different class. Their passion for the game reminded me of my days in Glasgow. The people up there are really fanatical about their football, they eat it and sleep it, and the Millwall fans were exactly the same."

Finally in the Top Division

John Docherty became the new manager. In his second season, Millwall surprised everyone by winning the Second Division championship! This meant they were promoted to the top division of English football for the first time in their history. Millwall had been the only professional team in London never to have played in the top league.

Docherty said it felt amazing to celebrate with the players and fans. Millwall was also the first club in the Football League to open a crèche (a place for children to be looked after). They were also named "Community Club Of The Year."

Millwall started the 1988–89 First Division season very well, even topping the league on October 1, 1988. They were often in the top five before Christmas. This was thanks to their strong strikers, Tony Cascarino and Teddy Sheringham, and their powerful midfield led by Terry Hurlock and captain Les Briley.

The first time a Millwall game was shown live on TV was on January 22, 1989. Fans held up a banner that said, "It's Taken You Long Enough To Find The Den!" Millwall lost that game 3–2 to Norwich City. Millwall finished their first top-division season in tenth place. However, they were relegated the next season, finishing in last place in 1989–90.

Life After the Top Flight

After relegation, Bruce Rioch became manager. Striker Teddy Sheringham, who was the top scorer in the Football League in 1990–91, was sold to Nottingham Forest for £2,000,000.

Mick McCarthy became manager in 1992. He led Millwall to third place in the new Division One at the end of the 1993–94 season. This was their first season at the new stadium, also called The Den, which was opened on August 4, 1993. They also knocked Arsenal out of the 1994–95 FA Cup, winning 2–0. But they lost to Derby County in the play-off semi-finals that season. Young Irish midfielder Mark Kennedy was sold to Liverpool in March 1995 for £2,300,000.

McCarthy left in February 1996 to manage the Republic of Ireland national team. Millwall had been top of Division One just before he left, but then they lost 6–0 to Sunderland. The new Den was the first new football stadium built in London since World War II.

Another Difficult Period

Jimmy Nicholl became manager, but he couldn't stop Millwall from being relegated at the end of the season. They finished 22nd, even though they had been top of Division One just five months earlier. Millwall also faced serious money problems and were in financial administration for a short time. Jimmy Nicholl was replaced by John Docherty for a short period to help the team.

The club got out of financial trouble, and new chairman Theo Paphitis appointed Billy Bonds as manager. Bonds had managed West Ham United, Millwall's rivals. Paphitis wanted Millwall to play in grey shirts, but fans didn't like it, so the home colors became all white with a blue away strip. He also changed the club's lion badge. Fans campaigned to bring the old "Rampant Lion" badge back.

This season was not successful, and the club was close to being relegated to the Third Division. Bonds was replaced by Keith "Rhino" Stevens, with Alan McLeary as his assistant. Millwall's blue home shirts were brought back.

Keith Stevens and Alan McLeary led Millwall to their first official appearance at Wembley. They reached the final of the Auto Windscreens Final but lost 1–0 to Wigan Athletic in injury time. Millwall also lost to Wigan in the 2nd Division play-off semi-finals in 2000.

In 2007, Millwall fans voted to bring back the "Rampant Lion" badge, and the club agreed. It has been used since the 2007–08 season.

Promotion and FA Cup Final

Mark McGhee became Millwall's new manager in September 2000. Eight months later, the club won promotion as Division Two champions after five years in the lower league. They started the season well, winning their first match 4–0 at home to Norwich City. Millwall qualified for the Division One playoffs but lost to Birmingham City in the semi-finals. This meant they missed out on a second promotion in a row, which would have taken them to the Premiership. McGhee was sacked early in the 2003–04 season.

In 2003, Dennis Wise, a former Chelsea and England player, became player-manager. In his first season, Wise led the club to their first ever FA Cup final (not counting the 1945 War Cup Final). When Millwall played at the Millennium Stadium, they were only the second team from outside the top division to reach the final since 1982. They were also missing sixteen players due to injuries or suspensions. They played the Cup final on May 22, 2004, losing 3–0 to Manchester United.

Because Manchester United had already qualified for the Champions League, Millwall got to play in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup. Millwall midfielder Curtis Weston became the youngest Cup Final player in history at 17 years and 119 days old. Dennis Wise also made sure that injured players Tony Warner and Kevin Muscat received medals.

Playing in Europe

In the 2004/05 UEFA Cup, Millwall lost 4–2 on total score to Hungarian champions Ferencváros in the first round. Wise scored both of Millwall's goals.

Millwall fought hard in both games, but the Hungarian team was too strong. Millwall could have had an easier draw against a team like Terek Grozny. If they had won that, they would have reached the group stage of the competition and faced some of Europe's best teams.

Changes in Leadership

In 2005, Theo Paphitis announced he was stepping down as chairman, and Jeff Burnige would replace him. At the end of the 2004–05 season, manager Dennis Wise left because he couldn't work well with the new chairman.

On June 21, 2005, Steve Claridge was announced as the new player/manager. However, when Burnige stepped down just two months later, Claridge was sacked on July 27 after only 36 days, without managing a single competitive game.

Colin Lee replaced him but only lasted five months. On December 21, with the club at the bottom of the Championship, he became Director of Football. Player Dave Tuttle, who had no management experience, took over as manager temporarily. In February 2006, Colin Lee left the club completely. Millwall had a very tough season, possibly because they had four different managers in 2005. They were relegated to League One on April 17, 2006, after losing 2–0 to Southampton.

Tuttle couldn't save Millwall from relegation and resigned on April 20, 2006. Goalkeeping coach Tony Burns and Alan McLeary took charge for the last two games. Millwall won one and lost one of these games, playing with a very young team. They were officially relegated to League One on April 30, 2006.

New Leaders and Investment

In March 2006, Millwall appointed their first fan to the Board of Directors. Peter Garston was chosen by the Millwall Supporters Club members.

On May 3, 2006, lifelong Millwall fan Stewart Till became the new Chairman. New Executive Deputy Chair Heather Rabbatts oversaw the company. On May 23, 2006, Nigel Spackman was announced as the new manager. Spackman didn't make a big impact, with only 2 wins out of 8 games. In September 2006, Theo Paphitis, a former chairman, left his role as a non-executive director.

On September 25, 2006, Spackman left the club after five losses in a row, leaving Millwall near the bottom of League One. Assistant Willie Donachie took temporary charge. On October 27, 2006, Peter de Savary stepped down as Chairman of Millwall Holdings plc, and Heather Rabbatts took his place.

On November 22, 2006, Willie Donachie became the permanent manager. On March 19, 2007, Donachie received a two-year contract because the club had climbed to 11th place in the league. Before Donachie, Millwall had only earned six points from their first ten games.

However, at the start of the 2007–08 season, Millwall was at the bottom of the table by October. Willie Donachie and his assistant were both sacked on October 8. Richard Shaw and Colin West became caretaker managers.

The Millwall board appointed Kenny Jackett as Manager on November 6, 2007. Millwall secured their League One status with a 3–0 home win against Carlisle the week before the last game. They finished in 17th place.

Growth and American Investment

In 2006, Millwall's Board revealed a big plan to improve the area around The New Den, with support from new investors. This "Sports City" project would include new homes and a hotel, with the football ground at its center.

In March 2007, Chestnut Hill Ventures, led by John Berylson, invested £5 million into the club. Other investors and directors added another £1.5 million, and former chairman Peter de Savary invested £500,000 more.

Graham F. Lacey became the club's biggest shareholder, buying 15% of shares and investing £1 million. Berylson became the non-executive chairman, and his colleague Demos Kouvaris joined the boards. Heather Rabbatts continued to run the club as executive deputy chairman.

Pushing for the Championship

In July 2008, some fans worried about the new players Kenny Jackett signed. However, these worries lessened when Neil Harris scored often during pre-season games. New signings like Tony Craig, David Forde, and Jimmy Abdou gave fans hope for promotion. Tony Craig showed his loyalty by saying, "I'm home" on the Millwall website. Harris and Chris Hackett also signed new contracts.

Millwall players celebrating promotion to the Football League Championship at Wembley Stadium in 2010.

Jackett led Millwall to two top-six finishes in League One. Neil Harris broke Teddy Sheringham's all-time goal-scoring record for Millwall on January 13, 2009, with his 112th goal. After losing a play-off final in 2009 and missing automatic promotion in 2010 by one point, Millwall finally returned to Wembley. They won the 2010 League One play-off final 1–0 against Swindon Town, securing their return to the Football League Championship after four years.

Millwall's first game back in the Championship was a 3–0 away win at Bristol City. The club celebrated its 125th anniversary on October 2, 2010. They wore a special kit with the names of every player who had played for the club. Before the 2011-12 season, Neil Harris left the club for the second time, as Millwall's all-time top goalscorer with 138 goals.

Kenny Jackett celebrated five years at the club in November 2012 with a 4–1 win against Nottingham Forest. After a strong start to the 2012–13 season, Millwall finished poorly, barely avoiding relegation on the last day. However, they reached the semi-final of the FA Cup for the fifth time in their history. They played Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium on April 14, 2013, losing 2–0 to the eventual cup winners. Kenny Jackett resigned on May 7, 2013, after managing 306 games.

After a month-long search, Millwall appointed St Johnstone boss Steve Lomas as their new manager on June 6, 2013. This caused mixed feelings among some fans because he used to be captain of West Ham United, their biggest rival. Club record goalscorer Neil Harris returned to Millwall for a third time as a coach on June 23, 2013. Millwall sacked Lomas on December 26, 2013, after only five wins in 22 games. Harris and youth team coach Scott Fitzgerald took over as temporary managers.

Harris Returns, Play-offs, and FA Cup Success: 2014–2019

Millwall fans celebrating at Wembley Stadium in May 2017

The club appointed Ian Holloway as their new manager on January 6, 2014. His main goal was to keep them in the Championship, which he achieved. Millwall went unbeaten in their last eight games of the 2013–14 season and finished in 19th place. The next season, Holloway was sacked on March 10, 2015, and Neil Harris became caretaker manager again. He couldn't save them from relegation to League One. Harris was then confirmed as Millwall's permanent manager. In his first full season, Harris led Millwall to a fourth-place finish in League One and a play-off final at Wembley, which they lost 3–1 to Barnsley.

In the 2016–17 FA Cup, Millwall reached the Quarter-finals for the tenth time. They beat three Premier League teams in a row: Bournemouth, Watford, and reigning champions Leicester City. On February 28, 2017, Millwall beat Peterborough United 1–0, extending their unbeaten run to 16 games and going nine games without letting in a goal for the first time since the 1925–26 season. Millwall reached the League One play-off final at Wembley for the second year in a row. They were promoted back to the Championship after a 1–0 play-off final victory over Bradford City, thanks to an 85th-minute goal from Steve Morison.

In Millwall's return to the Championship in the 2017–18 season, the team had a club record 17-game unbeaten run. They also won six away games in a row, matching a club record. In the 2018–19 FA Cup, Millwall reached the Quarter-finals for the 11th time, losing to Brighton on penalties. In the previous round, they knocked out Premier League team Everton. This meant Millwall equaled Southampton's FA Cup record for "Giant-killings," having beaten 25 top-flight teams while not being in the top flight themselves.

Millwall also broke their transfer fee record twice this season, buying Tom Bradshaw for £1.25 million and then Ryan Leonard for £1.5 million. They also received a record £8 million for selling George Saville to Middlesbrough.

On October 3, 2019, Neil Harris resigned as Millwall manager. He had led Millwall to Wembley twice, achieved one promotion, and reached two FA Cup quarter-finals. He was the Lions' fifth longest-serving manager, having managed 248 games.

Recent Years: New Managers and Sad News

Millwall's late American chairman John Berylson, who owned the club from 2007 to 2023.

On October 21, 2019, Gary Rowett became the new manager. Rowett quickly improved the team's performance, losing only two of his first 15 league games. The 2019–20 season ended with an 8th-place finish, just two points away from the play-offs. Rowett guided the club to 11th place in his second season. This season was the first time Millwall had spent more seasons in the second division (44) than the third division (43). The next 2021–22 season saw an improved 9th-place finish, missing out on the play-offs on the final day. Millwall came close again in 2022–23, needing a win on the last day to secure a play-off spot, but they lost 4–3 to Blackburn Rovers and finished 8th.

On July 4, 2023, the club announced the sad news that owner and chairman John Berylson had passed away in a car accident. He was 70 years old. A club statement said, "Under John's passionate leadership and guidance, Millwall Football Club has enjoyed tremendous success and stability." His son, James, was named as his replacement as chairman.

On October 18, 2023, the club announced that Gary Rowett had left by agreement, with assistant manager Adam Barrett taking over temporarily. On November 6, 2023, Millwall confirmed Joe Edwards as their new Head Coach. In his first game, Edwards led Millwall to a 4–0 win at Sheffield Wednesday, their biggest away win in the second division in 22 years. However, after only four wins in 19 games, Edwards was sacked on February 21, 2024. He was replaced by former player and club record goalscorer Neil Harris, in his third time managing the Lions.

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