Millwall's 20 Questions

Last updated : 23 September 2004 By Bigrich.....

Who are you; where are you from and how long have you supported your club?

Neil Andrews, Editor of Millwall-Mad and long-suffering Lions fan (until last year, I guess). I’ve been going to The Den since the age of four and this is my 28th season.


What was your first game?

Millwall vs Colchester United in the League Cup, in August 1976. We won 2-1.


Describe the most memorable and worst game you've seen and why?

The FA Cup Final, AWS Shield Final and our first game in Europe last week are all up there for different reasons but I always remember a Third Round FA Cup tie in 1991 at home to Leicester City on a cold January Saturday.

Leicester went 1-0 up after three minutes and for the rest of the game it was all Millwall. Just when it looked like we were out, Teddy Sheringham equalised in the 89th minute and straight from the kick-off Paul Stephenson scored the winner. Leicester then had two players sent off! Talk about a cup-tie.

Worst game? Too many to mention. The 6-0 home defeat at the hands of Darren Byfield and co a couple of seasons ago was pretty dire but the 4-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace the season we went down after being top at Christmas was probably worse.


Who do you consider as your current local rivals, and why?

We have three – West Ham United, Chartlon Athletic and Crystal Palace. The rivalry with Palace and the Addicks is more to do with locality than anything but the Hammers games have a bit of history and was once voted the second fiercest derby in Britain after Rangers vs Celtic.


Who are the best and worst players you have seen?

Over the years, we’ve had our fair share of crap at The Den. Players like David Sinclair, Pat Cuff and Paul Sturgess live long in the memory for the wrong reasons. Goalkeeper Cuff was particularly bad and looked like Freddie Mercury.


On the plus side, we’ve also seen some cracking players such as Teddy Sheringham, Alex Rae, Kenny Cunningham and, more recently, Tim Cahill. If I had to pick one, I’d go for Alex Rae – which may surprise some – but he could turn a game on its head when he was on fire and was leading goalscorer at The Den for about three seasons on the trot despite playing in midfield.


Which current or former Rotherham player impressed you most?

Being biased, I would go for former Lion Tony Towner, who helped get Rotherham United promoted way back in the early 1980s but that would be

Mike Pollitt
cheating.


I think Mike Pollit has been a decent signing for The Millers and remember him impressing over the years – going back to the days when we were both in Division Two. Solid goalkeepers who perform consistently are hard to come by.


How did you fare last season?

Missed our appearance in the FA Cup Final last season, did you? Joking aside, we should have made the play-offs and could have gone up automatically but once we beat Sunderland in the semi-final, the players visibly shifted gear. Still, FA Cup Finals don’t come along too often for clubs like ours, let alone trips to Hungary in the UEFA Cup, so last year was arguably our best ever.


How do you think you'll do this season?

Hopeful of a play-off spot, but I don’t think we’re going to win the UEFA Cup.


What's the local drink and snap?

Tea and pie mash (although I hate the stuff personally).


If Millwall were a TV personality, who would it be and why?

Des O’Conner. I’ve yet to meet anyone who admits to liking him but he doesn’t seem to care…


So what do you think of Rotherham?

I quite like Rotherham – simply because you pipped Reading to the runners-up spot when we won the Second Division Championship. You also serve as a reminder of where we once were, and I must admit, I was rather pleased when you stayed up but you seem to be in a bit of bother at the mo.


Is your manager barking mad?

No, he’s a cheeky chappie.


Are you happy with your Chairman/Backroom staff?

Despite our recent success, the Chairman has come in for some severe criticism recently. He won’t shell for players and as a result we’ve missed out on the likes of Neil Clement and Stan Lazaridis in the summer. Millwall also couldn’t organise a drink-up in a brewery and always get it wrong when it comes for selling tickets for the big occasions.


As for the backroom staff, Dennis leads by example and really has given this club a winning mentality that didn’t seem to be there before. The only downside is, all the players are now “out-crabbing” Ray Wilkins with their passing…


Which team do you want to beat the most this season and why?

West Ham United. Defeat is not an option.


What sort of line-up can we expect from you?

An attacking diamond, solid at the back, disjointed in the midfield and clueless up front.


Predicted score?

3-3. Don’t ask me why. Just a feeling.


Who's going up?

Wigan Athletic

Leeds United

Maybe Millwall


Who's going down?

Nottingham Forest

Gillingham

Maybe Millwall.

MillersMad would like to thanks Neil, his site is www.Millwall-Mad.co.uk