Millwall Secure Convincing Derby Victory

Millwall Secure Convincing Derby Victory

By Football Club Forums | January 25, 2026

Millwall produced a dominant display at The Den to thrash local rivals Charlton Athletic 4-0 in a thrilling Southeast London derby, boosting their push for a Championship play-off spot under manager Alex Neil.

The Lions were clinical from the outset, taking control early and never relinquishing it against a Charlton side struggling for consistency this season. The victory not only provided local bragging rights but also moved Millwall firmly into contention as the second half of the campaign intensifies.

Goals came from a variety of sources, showcasing the squad's attacking depth. The opening strike arrived midway through the first half when a precise move down the right flank ended with a low cross converted at the near post. Before halftime, a second followed from a set-piece, with a towering header leaving the Addicks goalkeeper helpless.

The second period saw Millwall continue their relentless pressure. A swift counter-attack led to the third goal, finished with composure, while a late fourth sealed the rout as the home fans roared in approval. Alex Neil's men demonstrated discipline, intensity, and quality throughout, limiting Charlton to few clear chances.

Post-match, Neil praised his team's performance: "I thought the performance and the result was a fair reflection of the game. We were clinical, controlled the key moments, and showed what we're capable of when everything clicks. It's a big three points in a derby—those always mean more."

The win comes at an important time for Millwall, who have been active in the January transfer window to strengthen their squad. Recent additions, including the confirmed signing of experienced midfielder Allan Campbell, have added depth and quality to the midfield engine room. Rumours continue to swirl around potential loan deals, with links to goalkeeper Anthony Patterson from Sunderland and other targets as Neil looks to build momentum toward the play-offs.

Fans at The Den were treated to more than just football, as Hollywood stars Sir Gary Oldman and Sir Daniel Day-Lewis were in attendance, adding extra glamour to the occasion. The club also announced plans to host the 2026 'Jimmy's Day' event during a future Charlton fixture, continuing their strong community ties.

With the Championship table tight, this result strengthens Millwall's position and sends a message to rivals. Neil's side now turns attention to upcoming fixtures, determined to maintain their form and challenge for a top-six finish. The Den faithful will hope this derby demolition is the catalyst for a strong second half of the season.

Millwall's next challenge sees them travel to face tough opposition, but confidence will be high following this emphatic showing. The Lions are roaring once more.

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Home of Millwall FC

Opened 1993

Capacity 20,146

History (from Wikipedia)

The New Den, as it was initially known to distinguish it from its predecessor, was the first new all-seater stadium in England to be completed after the Taylor Report on the Hillsborough disaster of 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.[3]

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 by John Smith, the leader of the Labour Party and of the Opposition at the time, on 4 August 1993 prior to a prestigious friendly against Sporting Portugal, 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 of Premier League football 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 the FA Cup final for the first time in 2004, and despite a 3–0 defeat by Manchester United they 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 2016 Lewisham Council approved a compulsory purchase order of 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 by offshore companies with 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.[4]

In December 2016 Private Eye reported 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 by PricewaterhouseCoopers due to "poor" and "limited" access to information and management at Renewal, which is registered in the Isle of Man.[5]

In October 2019 Lewisham Council terminated the conditional land sale agreement with Renewal. This allowed Millwall to prepare their own development plans,[6] 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.[7]

Things to do near the stadium.