October 17 2010

Selhurst Park

It is five years now since Millwall "graced" (or should that be "disgraced") Selhurst Park. Still, nobody likes them and they still don't care, reports Jamesey.

October 16 was a day of emotion for me - my 69th birthday and a home game with Millwall; two events which didn't exactly make me froth with glee.

I had a certain feeling of inevitabilty about the game. Despite some impressive Palace play in the first half, we seemed to disappear for large chunks of the second period and their single goal won them the match.

In my experience, at least in recent years, whenever the Wall come to Selhurst, they seem to want the result more than our players. The miserable loss to our greatest rivals was not helped by yet another sending-off for Claude Davis.

My opinions of the Boys from Bermondsey will always be clouded by experiences at the Old Den in the 80s and 90s. I once narrowly escaped severe cranial damage by a "Millwall brick" (ask your dads, young ones) when walking innocently out of the away supporters area.

On another occasion I again fortunately avoided the loss of my front teeth when a gang of Wallies infiltrated the Palace away pen and, on cue, punched everybody in sight (before the days of CCTV and careful ticketing control this was quite routine).

On the other hand, I have worked with and known quite a few extremely pleasant Millwall supporters and our support of rival clubs always provoked some enjoyable banter.

But I think what really gets my dander up about Millwall is the glorification of mindless thuggery. The more they are criticised the more the hard-core element like it and they represent that bone-brained faction in most football fans' eyes.

Before the hostilities commenced at 3 o'clock, we sadly gave a minute's applause to the late Malcolm Allison, a great Palace hero. I prefer a minute's silence myself but on this occasion it would only have been spoiled by jeering and abuse from the away area.

I was also intrigued by the tarpaulin ripping incident when a covered area of seats was invaded in the Arthur Wait, presumably to get nearer to the Holmesdale lads. They seemed to make heavy weather of the affair. Well, I suppose tarpaulin removal is quite an intellectually demanding activity when your IQ is a minus figure.

The Millwall roar is still being used extensively. To emit a long unison roar, of course, needs far less brain power than the formation of words.

At the end of the day (thanks, Glen Hoddle), we should thank 5,000 Lions fans for filling our coffers with a few more quid and despite my disappointment at the result (and other recent results) I was heartened to read our co-chairman Steve Parish's (posting as CPFC2010) sentiments on our own message boards.

Steve is obviously as downhearted as most of us at being bottom but one in the league but he calls for patience and support until things go right (which he is sure they will). It's hard not to be angry and worried but I'll do my best, Steve.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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