The Den
SE16 | |
Coordinates | 51°29′9″N 0°3′3″W / 51.48583°N 0.05083°W |
---|---|
Public transit | South Bermondsey |
Capacity | 20,146 |
Field size | 106 × 64 m |
Surface | SISGrass (hybrid grass) |
Scoreboard | 55sqm LED Display |
Construction | |
Built | 1992–93 |
Opened | 4 August 1993 |
Construction cost | £16 million |
Tenants | |
Millwall F.C. (1993–present) Millwall Lionesses L.F.C. (2015–2019) |
The Den (previously The New Den) is a
Built on a previous site of housing, a church and the Senegal Fields playgrounds, the Den has an all-seated capacity of 20,146, although that is restricted to approximately 18,100 to allow for visiting fans' segregation and crowd safety measures.[2]
The Den is the sixth stadium that Millwall have occupied since their formation in the
History
The New Den, as it was initially known to distinguish it from its predecessor, was the first new all-seater stadium in England to be completed after the Taylor Report on the Hillsborough disaster of 1989. It was designed with effective crowd management in mind (particularly given Millwall's crowd problems at The Old Den), with the escape routes being short and direct. After chairman Reg Burr decided that it would not be viable to redevelop The Old Den as an all-seater stadium, he announced in 1990 that the club would relocate to a new stadium in the Senegal Fields area in south Bermondsey. Originally, it was planned to have a seating capacity of between 25,000 and 30,000; however, the club opted to wait so the capacity was kept to just over 20,000.[3]
Millwall played their final game at The Old Den on 8 May 1993 after 83 years and then moved to the new stadium a quarter-of-a-mile away from Cold Blow Lane. The £16 million New Den was opened by John Smith, the leader of the Labour Party and of the Opposition at the time, on 4 August 1993 prior to a prestigious friendly against Sporting CP, which Sporting won 2–1. The Den was the first new stadium constructed for a professional football team in London since 1937.
Millwall have experienced mixed fortunes since relocating to the Den. Their first season at the stadium (
In September 2016
In December 2016
In October 2019 Lewisham Council terminated the conditional land sale agreement with Renewal, ensuring the stadium's future. This allowed Millwall to prepare their own development plans,[7] and in February 2020, Millwall announced plans for a phased expansion, adding upper tiers behind existing seating to gradually expand the Den to 34,000 seats.[8]
In June 2021, Renewal submitted new plans for its housing development by the Den, with 3,500 new homes in towers of up to 44 storeys over a 15-year period. The first phase, behind Surrey Canal Road, would see 600 new flats in three 31-storey blocks, with 35% meeting an "affordable" requirement. Surrey Canal railway station is planned to service the area.[5]
Stands
On 20 January 2011, the East Stand of The Den was renamed as the Dockers Stand, paying tribute to Millwall's early history and supporter base of Thames dockers.[9] The South Stand is known as the Cold Blow Lane Stand, which was the name of the road which led into The Old Den. The North Stand is for visiting supporters and the West Stand was renamed the Barry Kitchener Stand, named after Millwall's longest-serving player. It houses Millwall's family enclosure, press box and executive seats.
Average attendances
EFL Championship |
League One
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The Championship
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League One |
The Championship
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Division One |
Division Two |
Division One |
International matches and other events
In 1994, a
Celebrity Soccer Sixes
The Den hosted the Samaritans Celebrity Soccer Sixes on 18 May 2008. Film and Television stars played at the Den, the first time the event has not been hosted by a Premier League Club. Babyshambles failed to retain the trophy, losing 3–2 to dance act Faithless.[12] The winners of the women's trophy were Cansei de Ser Sexy. Around 150 celebrities took part including McFly, Tony Hadley, Amy Winehouse and ex-Millwall fan favourite Terry Hurlock to raise money for the charity.[13]
In drama
The Den doubles as The Dragon's Lair, home ground of
Transport and access
The Den is served by the
Construction of
The
See also
Notes
- ^ "Views of The Den". millwallfc.co.uk. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
- ^ "Clubs like Brighton & Millwall take steps to halt declining attendances". BBC Sport. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ Moving On: The New Den
- ^ "Millwall Football Club 'to fight' compulsory purchase order". BBC News. 8 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Heren, Kit (21 May 2021). "Millwall: New plans submitted for massive development by The Den". Southwark News. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "Pitch battle". Private Eye. London: Pressdram Ltd. 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Millwall welcome Council announcement". Millwall FC. 11 October 2019.
- ^ Morby, Aaron (19 February 2020). "Millwall FC reveal new stadium plan". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ The Dockers stand Archived 24 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sports People: Boxing; Bentt Released From Hospital". The New York Times. New York, NY. 22 March 1994. p. B-15. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
- ^ "London Calling". 29 July 2015.
- ^ "Doherty swaps music for football". BBC News. 19 May 2008.
- ^ Celeb spotting | Millwall | News | Breaking News | Breaking News
- ^ Location location | Millwall | News | Breaking News | Breaking News
- ^ "Walking directions to The Den from closest bus stop". google maps. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
- ^ "Walking directions to The Den from Surrey Quays station". google maps. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
- ^ Sustrans, http://www.sustrans.org.uk/news/millwall-quietway-cycle-path-connects-waterloo-greenwich
External links
- Millwall's official site
- The Den at Football Ground Guide
- Picture Gallery Den on londonfootballguide.com