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Fascinating Facts about Millwall
Fascinating Facts about Millwall
Tuesday, 26th Feb 2013 04:16

Yes it's only Tuesday, but no doubt like me you cannot wait to meet and greet our dear old friends from Bermondsey on Saturday lunchtime! To whet your appetite here are some fascinating facts about Millwall.

As I alluded in my opening paragraph, Millwall FC as we know and love them are actually based south of the river Thames in Bermondsey rather than on the western side of the Isle of Dogs. In fact Millwall crossed the Thames way back in 1910 which arguably was the start of making the London Docklands a far nicer place to live and work.

Indeed there is some lively debate as to the origins of the name the Isle of Dogs, some say it originates from Edward III's fondness for greyhounds, others claim it is a corruption of Isle of Ducks as apparently wildfowl used to enjoy marshing there. There is also a similar corruption argument that it derives from Isle of Dykes...I could not possibly comment however a successful women's Rugby team called Millwall Venus girls now play there. My feelings as to the most realistic theory comes from the well-known satirical play of the same name by Nashe and Johnson (1597) whereby anyone forced to live on it was guaranteed "a dogs life". Samuel Pepys also named it "the unlucky Isle of Dogs".

The club's blue shirts are a homage to its Scottish roots as it essentially began life in 1885 as the works team of JT Morton, an Aberdeen preserve manufacturer who opened a canning plant on the banks of the Thames in 1872. Millwall dropped the Rovers from their monicker in 1889, becoming Millwall Athletic. They had four different grounds on the Isle of Dogs before settling at their iconic Den stadium which was flattened following the clubs' switch to the New Den in the summer of 1993. The Old Den is now a housing estate in an area known as Little Millwall.

The borough of Millwall itself is famous for the launch of Brunel's SS Great Eastern in 1858 which due to its size had to be launched sideways.

Totally unconnected with the abusing of El Hadji Diouf in November I'm sure but in 1993 Millwall made history when the far-right British National Party won its first ever council seat following a by-election. Councillor Derek Beackon swept to power on the back of a "rights for whites" agenda with a majority of just seven votes. Nevertheless this sparked an outcry from mainstream society. Beackon however lost his seat the following year and disenchanted with the BNP has since switched his allegiances to the National Front.

Famous Millwall fans include broadcaster Danny Baker, Boxer David Haye, actors Tamar Hassan and Blake Harrison, darts player Andy Fordham, journalist Rod Liddle and legend has it singer Morrissey was spotted wearing a Millwall top in Los Angeles in 2008 with "mobster" printed on the back and even enquired about tickets for a then forthcoming clash against....Leeds United.

Photo: Action Images



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