The Den

This article is about the stadium opened in 1993. For the original stadium it replaced, seeThe Old Den.For other uses, seeThe Den (disambiguation).

The Den(previouslyThe New Den) is afootballstadium inBermondsey,south-eastLondon,and the home ofMillwall F.C..The Den is adjacent to theSouth London railwayoriginating atLondon Bridge,and a quarter-of-a-mile fromthe Old Den,which it replaced on September 30, 1993.

The Den

View from the north stand in 2009
Former names	The New Den Senegal Fields The New London Stadium
Location	Bermondsey London,SE16
Coordinates	51°29′9″N0°3′3″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(1993-08-04)
Construction cost	£16 million
Tenants
Millwall F.C.(1993–present) Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.(2015–2019)

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.

The Den is the sixth stadium that Millwall have occupied since their formation in theMillwallarea of theIsle of Dogsin 1885. Previous grounds includeGlengall Road(1885–1886),Lord Nelson Ground(1886–1890),The Athletic Grounds(1890–1901),North Greenwich(1901–1910) andThe Old Den(1910–1993).

History

The New Den, as it was initially known to distinguish it from its predecessor, was the first newall-seater stadiumin England to be completed after theTaylor Reporton theHillsborough disasterof 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.

South LondonrivalsMillwallandCharltonplaying in front of the Cold Blow Lane Stand at the Den in December 2016

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 byJohn Smith,the leader of theLabour Partyand ofthe Oppositionat the time, on 4 August 1993 prior to a prestigious friendly againstSporting 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 (1993–94) saw them finish third in Division One—their highest finish since relegation from the top flight four years earlier. However, their dreams ofPremier Leaguefootball were ended by a defeat in the playoffs and they were relegated to Division Two in 1996, not winning promotion from that level until 2001. They again came close to reaching the Premier League in 2002, finishing fourth, but once again losing in the playoffs. The Lions reached theFA Cup finalfor the first time in 2004, and despite a 3–0 defeat byManchester Unitedthey qualified for European competition for the first time in their history. Millwall has been relegated twice since then; going down in 2006 and 2015, but have also won promotion in 2010 and 2017. However, the stadium has yet to host Premier League football—Millwall had played in the old First Division for two seasons from 1988 during their final few years at their previous stadium.

In September 2016Lewisham Councilapproved acompulsory purchase orderof land surrounding the Den rented by Millwall, as part of a major redevelopment of the "New Bermondsey" area. The plans are controversial because the developer, Renewal, is controlled byoffshore companieswith unclear ownership, and is seen by the club and local community to be profiteering by demolishing existing homes and businesses as well as Millwall's car-park and the highly acclaimed and well recognised Millwall Community Trust—to build up to 2,400 new private homes, with no council housing and less than 15% of 'affordable housing'. Millwall had submitted their own plans for regeneration centred around the football club itself, but the council voted in favour of Renewal's plans.Original plans submitted in 2012 would have seen the stadium demolished for redevelopment.

In December 2016Private Eyereported how Renewal had been founded by a former Lewisham Council leader and senior officer, suggesting potential bias, and that the decision to approve Renewal's plans may have been made as long ago as 2013 despite the fact that no due diligence had been able to be carried out byPricewaterhouseCoopersdue to "poor" and "limited" access to information and management at Renewal, which is registered in theIsle of Man.

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,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.

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 stationis planned to service the area.

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 ofThamesdockers.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.

A panoramic view of The Den from the Dockers Stand. Directly opposite is the Barry Kitchener Stand, to the left is the Cold Blow Lane Stand and to the right is the North Stand.

A panoramic view of the Den from Block 31 in the Barry Kitchener Stand. The image shows the new scoreboard and Huski Chocolate sponsorship.

Average attendances

EFL Championship 2023–24:16,540 2022–23:14,767 2021–22:12,970 2020–21:174 2019–20:10,748 2018–19:13,624 2017–18:13,368

League One 2016–17:9,340 2015–16:9,108

The Championship 2014–15:10,902 2013–14:11,330 2012–13:10,559 2011–12:11,484 2010–11:12,438

League One 2009–10:10,835 2008–09:8,940 2007–08:8,669 2006–07:9,452

The Championship 2005–06:9,529 2004–05:11,656

Division One 2003–04:10,500 2002–03:8,512 2001–02:13,380

Division Two 2000–01:11,442 1999–00:9,463 1998–99:6,958 1997–98:7,022 1996–97:7,753

Division One 1995–96:9,559 1994–95:7,687 1993–94:10,100

International matches and other events

In 1994, abo xingmatch was held at the Den. Local boyMichael Benttlost hisWBO World Heavyweight ChampionshiptoHerbie Hide.The fight was Bentt's last after being rushed to the hospital and told he could never fight again, after suffering brain injuries in the loss.On 1 May 2006, the Den hosted theFA Women's CupFinal betweenArsenal L.F.C.andLeeds United L.F.C.Arsenal Ladies won the Cup 5–0. Four international matches have been hosted at the Den.England Women0-1Germany Women(8 March 1998),Ghana1–1Senegal(21 August 2007),Jamaica0–0Nigeria(11 February 2009) andAustralia3–4Ecuador(5 March 2014). Former Millwall playerTim Cahillscored two of Australia's goals, becoming the country'sall-time top scorer.On 5 September 2015, the ground hostedRugby leagueasWigan Warriorsdefeated theCatalans Dragons42–16 in aSuper LeagueSuper 8s match in front of a crowd of 8,101.

Celebrity Soccer Sixes

The Den hosted theSamaritansCelebrity 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.Babyshamblesfailed to retain the trophy, losing 3–2 to dance actFaithless.The winners of the women's trophy wereCansei de Ser Sexy.Around 150 celebrities took part includingMcFly,Tony Hadley,Amy Winehouseand ex-Millwall fan favouriteTerry Hurlockto raise money for the charity.

In drama

The Den doubles as The Dragon's Lair, home ground ofHarchester Unitedin the TV seriesDream Team.It also appeared in an episode of theITVshowPrimeval.The Baseis often used by the TV and film industries. It was used to filmThe Billepisode ofGun Runner: Kick Offfeaturing their home game againstLeyton Orientin March 2008 (aired on ITV in July 2008). Sportswear giantNikefilmed theirTake It to the Next Leveladvertistment over a period of three days and nights at the Den, also in March 2008. In 2010,Kit Katmade their own 'Cross your Fingers' advert using clips fromArsenal,West Ham,Oxford Unitedand also Millwall's Den.

Transport and access

View of the Den fromSouth Bermondsey railway station

The Den is served by theNational RailstationSouth Bermondsey,which is a five-minute walk away from the ground. Away supporters have their own walkway link, which is available to them on match days. There are no official car parking facilities for supporters. TheP12bus stops closest to the ground in Ilderton Road, just a two-minute walk away. The21,53and172buses all stop on theOld Kent Road,a ten-minute walk away from the ground. The closest tube station to the Den isCanada Water(on theJubilee line), which is a 20-minute walk away. The former East London Line stations ofSurrey QuaysandNew Cross Gate(now part ofLondon Overground) both are a 15-minute walk from the stadium.

Construction ofNew Bermondsey railway station,a London Overground line adjacent to the Den, began in 2012 but then stalled as plans for a major development were delayed. The June 2021 Renewal plans for its housing development included completion of New Bermondsey station.

TheQuietway 1cycle route runs around South Bermondsey station and past the Den. However, the route is closed and diverted in the vicinity of the stadium on Millwall match days.

See also

• Football in London
• Lists of stadiums

External links

• Millwall's official site
• The Denat Football Ground Guide
• Picture Gallery Denon londonfootballguide