Southampton travel to Millwall for a pre season friendly following our late win in the Championship a little over 11 months ago, but with Portsmouth playing at Charlton it could have some issues for those going by train.

Millwall is a safe place to visit these days as long as you keep a low profile and don't go looking for trouble, in fact it can be one of the safest grounds to visit if you go by coach and even by train it can be safe enough, although its advisable not to wear colours, even away from the stadium itself such as around London Bridge Station, as there is still an unsavoury element who can appear at some of the games.

This game also has the added issues that Pompey are playing a little down the line from London Bridge at Charlton, whoever thought this was a good idea is a little deluded, however with Saints game kicking off at 1pm and the Charlton V Pompey fixture at 3pm, it should ease things after the game at least.

The Stadium

If you think the current Den is intimidating then you should think yourself lucky that you never visited Millwall's former home, also called the Den that was situated just a little walk away, that took the phrase intimidation to a different level, it had been that way since Victorian times and had a reputation attached to it that reached legendary status in the 1960's through to the early 1990;s when in 1993 it was replaced by their current home.

Initially called the New Den, it has been changed to just simply the Den at some time in the last decade, it consists of four separate but vaguely similar two tiered stands, giving a total capacity of 21,146. Although this capacity has never been quite reached, possibly because of the need to isolate the away fans.

This capacity has rarely been tested as Millwall haven't had an average attendance of over 15,000 since they moved to the ground 20 years ago and the highest League attendance registered, again due to the need to segregate is well short of the 21k at 18,905, although this was recorded in the opening League home game this season, possibly due to the fact that due to violence lessening over recent years that the police are allowing bigger away support numbers.

The lowest crowd has been around 12,500 giving an average of around 15,500., with 3,000 Saints fan there on Saturday this has the potential for their record League gate at the ground.

Our last visit in the League last November resulted in a 1-0 win courtesy of a last minute goal from Ryan Fraser, prior to that our last League visit was in 2012, when a Rickie Lambert hat trick including another last minute winner gave us a 3-2 victory, since then we visited in the League cup in 2014/15 when goals from Jack Cork & Graziano Pelle gave us a 2-0 victory in front of only 6,014 fans.

Getting There

By car

This is in many respects the last option you should choose given not only the stop start nature of getting around the streets of South London, but the limited parking in the area near the ground makes it a nightmare, there is some street parking but literally no large car parks nearby so its pot luck, an easier option would be to park up near a station on the lines near the ground and complete the journey by train.

By Train

Perhaps the most simple trip by rail to a London ground for us, get off at Waterloo and then walk across the bridge to Waterloo East station taking a train one stop to London Bridge, alight there and then another quick journey to South Bermondsey.

There are other nearby stations that can be used, such as New Cross & New Cross Gate (1.1 mile), although tube stations at Bermondsey (1.6 miles) or Canada Water (1.2 miles) might be more convenient.

As mentioned though with Pompey at Charlton and also going via Waterloo and London Bridge, this could have the potential for unrest, although Pompey are a later kick off at 3pm as opposed to our 1pm, both sets of supporters could be around the two London stations around noon.

So I would advise anyone going to err on the side of caution whilst travelling to the ground, although it should be easier afterwards.

Drinking Eating Etc

In the ground there is the usual fare including alcohol, but near to the ground there is little for away supporters, the few pubs nearby are usually home fans only and slightly unwelcoming.

London Bridge is a nice option, but certain pubs are frequented by Millwall after the game and the attraction of Pompey fans being in the vicinity might be an added attraction for them, however there are several nice bars on the river there which although a bit touristy should be safe.

The Bermondsey Beer mile is virtually a London tourist attraction now and should offer a relatively peaceful and quiet option for those who appreciate a decent beer and craft lagers.

Capacity: 20,146 (all seated)
Address: Zampa Road, London SE16 3LN
Telephone: 020 7232 1222
Fax: 020 7231 3663
Ticket Office: 0844 826 2004
Pitch Size: 105 x 68 yards
Pitch Type: Grass
Club Nickname: The Lions
Year Ground Opened: 1993

Photo: Action Images

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