Millwall-West Ham triggers record police operation
Millwall-West Ham triggers record police operation
Mark LudlowSat, September 19, 2026 at 12:06 PM UTC
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Police outside the stadium before the start of the match at the The Den, London - PA Wire/Steven Paston
Police have established the largest-ever exclusion zone for a football game in London as West Ham and Millwall fans descend on south London for their first match since 2012.
The Metropolitan Police assembled 400 officers, more than four times the usual for a Championship game, for the local derby at Millwall’s home ground, known as “The Den”, on Saturday afternoon.
The rivalry between West Ham and Millwall dates back to the 1890s when workers from competing companies in London’s East End founded clubs on either side of the Thames.
The rivalry peaked with football hooliganism in the 1970s and 1980s, as hard-core fans from both clubs – West Ham’s Inner-City Firm and the Millwall Bushwackers – openly clashed on London streets.
A Carling Cup tie in 2009 between the two rivals at West Ham’s old home ground, Upton Park, descended into violence with one man stabbed.
Some 400 officers are out in force on Saturday - PA Wire/Steven Paston
Riot police struggled to maintain order inside and outside the ground, with play suspended briefly when home supporters invaded the pitch following a West Ham goal. (West Ham eventually won the game 3-1.)
The Met has moved to avoid a repeat of violence in today’s local derby, which will be the 100th competitive match between the two London rivals.
There will be a five-mile dispersal zone in south London, stretching along the Thames from Tower Bridge in the west as far as Greenwich in the east, and then south to Ladywell Station.
The Section 35 dispersal zone in place for Millwall vs West Ham - Metropolitan Police
West Ham fans were advised to only exit at South Bermondsey station to attend the game at The Den.
The Met warned any disruption from fans from either side will be dealt with quickly.
Normally there are only 50 to 60 officers for Championship games, but the Met said there would be 400 officers on duty for this game, saying any disruption from fans will be quickly dealt with.
“We want fans to enjoy the match safely and have worked with both clubs to help this happen,” the Met said on X ahead of the match.
“As with any fixture, the Sporting Events Act 1985 is in place, which means entering or attempting to enter a ground while intoxicated is strictly prohibited.
“A Section 35 dispersal order will also be in place, allowing officers to remove anyone causing disorder.”
Apart from the large exclusion zone in South London, the City of London has also introduced its own covering the Square Mile and several bridges across the Thames, to prepare for the crowds of fans before and after the game.
It will be in place from 8am on Saturday until 8pm.
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The rivalry between Millwall and West Ham is one of the most notorious in English football.
But until this season the two teams have played in different divisions, with West Ham playing a constant presence in the Premier League since 2012-13.
Police on horses patrol the outside of the stadium on Saturday - Getty Images/Richard Pelham
By contrast, Millwall have not played in the top tier of English football since the 1989-90 season.
But that has not dulled the rivalry between West Ham and Millwall which borders on genuine hatred.
Sometimes the fans have been more interested in clashes off the pitch.
There have been two documented deaths directly attributed to historical clashes between Millwall and West Ham United fans.
In 1976, Ian Pratt, an 18-year-old Millwall fan, died after falling under a train during a violent clash between two sets of supporters at New Cross Station.
A decade later in 1986, Terry Burns, a 19-year-old West Ham fan, was stabbed to death near Embankment station following an altercation between the rival hooligan groups.
In March 2004, there were police horses on the pitch when West Ham fans rioted and ripped up seats during a 4-1 defeat at The Den.
Police in riot gear marshall fans outside Upton Park during a West Ham vs Millwall match, Aug 25, 2009 - PA Wire/Dominic Lipinski
Julian Dicks, a former West Ham defender who recalled being pelted with a brick when he played at The Den as a 19-year-old in 1988, said they knew what they were in for when they crossed south of the river to play Millwall.
“I enjoyed playing them and those type of games rarely needed an impassioned team talk. The fans would wait at the training ground just to remind you that you had to win,” Dicks told The Athletic.
“You could feel it in the air and the atmosphere was often volatile because of the hatred between both supporters.”
West Ham are at the top of the table in the Championship and eyeing a quick return to the Premier League, while Millwall sit in 11th position.
The last time the two London rivals played on Feb 4, 2012 at Upton Park – West Ham’s home ground from 1904 to 2018 – the Hammers also won, 2-1.
When asked about the reasons for the Section 60 authorisation for the Millwall vs West Ham game, a Met spokesman said there was “no new intelligence” about planned fan violence before or after the game.
“This is part of plans to provide visible reassurance and to keep ticket holders and the wider public safe,” the spokesman said.
Source: “AOL Sports”
