Millwall 0 - Reading 2

My first visit to the New Den.

A pleasant(?) stroll through Surrey Quays before getting lost and hastily asking a policeman the way. I had a quick tour of the exterior of the stadium before realising that Away fans were supposed to get the train to South Bermondsey and be marched into the Away End passing through all the high metal fences. I imagine it wasn't quite like this in the days of "Harry the Dog" !

Plenty of fireworks before the game probably due to the arrival of Peter De Savary as chairman. Colin Lee spent some time at Reading during Mark McGee's rein, and McGee also used to manage Millwall. What would have happened if they hadn't both buggered off to that "big club" Leicester in 1995 ....

Fairly even game, brilliant strike from Steve Sidwell opened the scoring and then the game changed following the sending off of the young Millwall defender making his debut. Kitson missed the resulting penalty Reading then carved open a number of opportunitiers - Little & Convey both going close - until finally Doyle made a great run to make it 0-2.

And so we were then marched back to South Bermondsey station ... many making brave noises to the Millwall fans through the metal fences ... and finally we got the train to London Bridge where there was lots of chanting as the victorious fans marched through the station and off we all went home.

I continued to imagine it wasn't quite like this in the days of "Harry the Dog" !

Interesting Links
Nice little story about Harry from 1987 - see the postscript after the "Lawrence revives Millwall" story