Cass Pennant, a former leader of West Ham's Inter City Firm, has called for away fans to be banned from matches between Millwall and West Ham. In his book You're Going Home in a F***ing Ambulance: Hooligan Wars – The Inside Story, the former hooligan wrote that the two clubs should never meet and that banning away supporters is the only solution.
Rivalry beyond most football derbies
Pennant, who had a film made about his life, wrote: "Final word on these two teams and their supporters is simply that they should NEVER meet, and the only way you can solve that is to ban away fans. There is a fierce rivalry that is beyond the rivalry of most football derbies."
He added: "Today, the West Ham and Millwall clubs' fan bases are beginning to change, much like the game itself has in recent years, so don't think it will ever be as bad as the past experiences shared with with you here when the divide really was just the River Thames, but football can only hope whenever there is another cup draw or a promotion / relegation that has them in the same league or in a cup competition these two clubs aren't drawn out of the hat together because for some there will always be scores to settle, just as there were for their forefathers."
Violent history and tragic incidents
The two clubs meet this weekend for the first time in 14 years, with Millwall hosting West Ham at The Den in a Championship clash. The last meeting was in 2012.
One of the last matches in the 'Dockers derby' came in 2009 when Millwall travelled to Upton Park in the Carabao Cup. The game was marred by three pitch invasions, and before the match a 44-year-old Millwall fan was stabbed.
Former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green told The Athletic: "I was in front of the Millwall fans, they'd ripped up the chairs and started throwing them on the pitch. But then they started pulling out the metal framework that held the seats in. That's when I realised, 'S***, this is going to be a long night.' It was venomous hatred."
Green added that "nothing about that game felt safe", while former Millwall goalkeeper David Forde remembered: "That night was just extreme hooliganism."
Deep-rooted bad blood
Pennant, now a film producer and author, wrote: "If England is the motherland of football hooliganism then a Millwall–West Ham game is the mother of all hooligan derbies. The bad blood has always been there between east and south of the river. You can go back to your forefathers. When those two teams meet it goes beyond football. The atmosphere is a feeling of genuine hatred and uncertainty; other clubs' rival fans have long said both Millwall and West Ham have the hardest firms in England."
The two clubs both originate in London's East End, but after Millwall moved further south the rivalry never went away. During the 70s and 80s, when hooligans caused chaos on the terraces, it was heightened further.
Tragedy struck in 1976 when Millwall fan Ian Pratt died after falling under a train during a fight with West Ham fans at New Cross. Shortly after, leaflets were handed out at Cold Blow Lane, showing a picture of Ian alongside the words: "A West Ham fan must die next week to avenge him."
More tragedy struck 11 years later when Terry Burns, a 19-year-old West Ham fan, was stabbed to death by suspected Millwall fans at Embankment Station.
As for this weekend, West Ham will start the game sitting top of the Championship, with Millwall four points behind in 11th. Fans can watch the game for free on Saturday on ITV1 or stream via ITVX, and the 12.30pm kick-off is also being broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event.
