Millwall 4-1 BFC, Saturday 6th January 2018

‘You’re fackin’ s***, you’re fackin’ s***, you’re fackin’ s***’

Welcome to ....

It’s been a while since I’ve walked home from a game.  About 35 years to be precise.  So it was with some amount of joy that I trotted home from The New Den to my place in Peckham.  Course, to fully enjoy this walk, one’s team has to have won, and one must like walking through an elongated industrial estate and traveller encampment.  (I don’t mind ‘travellers’ per se, but I do mind folk who never go anywhere being referred to as ‘travellers’.  How about ‘caravan dwellers’  - as opposed to ‘home owners’?  I digress, but I know of at least three of these sites around Millwall/Peckham…)

Where it all started today....(the award winning) Peckham Library.

It’s been three months since we last played Millwall away, a game I thoroughly enjoyed, through a) winning, b) a few drinks in a cidery on the Bermondsey Beer Mile and c) after match beers on home turf in Peckham.  What I can deduce from today’s FA Cup capitulation is that a game at Millwall is so much the better for us WINNING.  Being knocked out t’cup before it’s even started is a bad blow by anyone’s standards, especially against a side who always let us win.

Match action in front of literally...dozens.

Having enjoyed the beer mile last time, we vowed to go on more of a crawl.  This is great in theory, especially as brewery Head Brewery Honcho Loko can get us some free beers, but in January, what this means is drinking a variety of beers in a variety of cold railway arches.  Chilly.  I actually thought the last place would involve a pub, given it involved a 10 or 15 minute walk.  But no, it just meant we were nearer to the ground and in a different railway arch with more chipboard furniture than the rest.  I have no qualms over the beers, btw.  I’m just bitter that I haven’t had time to simmer down following the debacle on the pitch…

Moor Beer Company

We took the lead.  True, not much was happening, but then a ball is laid out, Hammill crosses and some guy runs in and buries it high into the net.  It’s only Potts!  Y’know, that bloke who everyone slates for being a bit s*** (he probably is) but outscores every other midfield player we have.  Great finish.  Time for a few rounds of ‘It’s happening again…’.  Will this be our 6^th or 7^th victory in a row against this bunch?  I forget.

The path to the away end; not an away fan in sight.

Luckily, the squad misread the script.  Lindsay failed to deal with a cross and Millwall score, despite Davies’ best efforts.   (Someone else said it was Davies’ fault, so I look forward to seeing a replay).  It was good to see it wasn’t a fluke though, as Lindsay gifted Millwall a 2nd just after half time.  Ok, ‘gifted’ may be harsh.  Perhaps ‘tediously slow to react’ could be more accurate, as he’s unable to turn and deal with a cut back.  I’m still annoyed.  It was the only place the Millwall fella coulda put the ball.

No-one outside either, save for a steward.

Of bigger worry is the seemingly bizarre decision to swap our fullbacks.  Who does that?  Is Heckingbottom some tactical genius who ‘thinks outside the box’?  He must be, cos at half time it was one-all and 61 minutes in we’re losing 4-1.  Course, no-one can legislate for Williams’ ridiculous challenge (actually, we can, cos we know he likes to put a foot in) and we’re now 2-1 down, away from home, and we only have 10 men.  I don’t fancy our chances.

There ARE some away fans...

Still, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having Williams’ #1 fan in front of me (Loko – Marius still watching it on TV in Norway).  It’s true, Williams does make a tackle, and does occasionally find a red shirt, but finally (FINALLY) even Loko can vouch for Williams losing the ball 3 times in dangerous positions in ONE HALF.  Two of these were simple passes made bad, while the 3^rd was being tackled while strolling out.  Dangerous Brian O’Callaghan territory.  I’m sorry, but I don’t quite see the maestro everyone else sees.  Maybe 3 matches off will focus our midfield…

The full bit.  Behind the home dugout.

Course, maybe Williams is (or will be) a great player.  He’ll certainly never be as bad, or as anonymous, as Gardner’s younger brother, Gardner.  I’ll have to admit ignorance here, cos while chanting ‘There’s only one Craig Gardner’ I presumed no-one joined in cos he’s s***, not cos I had the wrong brother’s name.  He’s still s*** though.  Good job we’ve punted out Kay and McGeehan on loan, while giving every chance to other teams’ players.  Grrrrrrr.

Let me cheer myself up again.  Hawkes Cidery, Bermondsey.

I cannot remember Millwall’s 3^rd and 4^th.  Suffice to say their forwards play neat little give and go’s, other players move…and it ends with goals.  Cheats.  We stand around and hope Messi will run past 6 players and lay it on a plate.  Can you spot a problem there?  Outclassed by Millwall.  F***ing Millwall.  About the only positives from today are a) it’s only the cup (only!?) and b) Fulham lost.  Our game at home to the Cottagers goes ahead on 4^th round day and The Captain’s decision to purchase rail tickets doesn’t look so bad a judgement.

Just checking. It IS 4-1 isn't it?

At this point, I must sound very angry and bitter.  And I am.  I am currently watching a different programme to everyone else.  In the pub (sorry, railway arch), ‘will we stay up?’…I got 3 responses of ‘absolutely’ and a tentative ‘yes’ (A. Reed).  We have midfielders with no creativity, wingers who can’t beat a player, forwards who can’t make their own chances (Bradshaw) or who shoot from anywhere without reward (Thiam), a keeper who can concede from anywhere, fullbacks who DO give the ball away (whatever McCarthy’s chant) and centre halves who….well, they’re inconsistent at best.  I realise I’m seen as a bit negative (!) but I think I live in this world called ‘reality’.  Truth will out, I guess.

*** No-one.  Nice Guy Chris asked me who my favourite Reds player is.  Well, at the mo, problies ‘No-one’.  He certainly makes himself known on a regular basis of late.

** No-one.  Does the work of two in this team. 

* Potts.  Scored, and it annoys everyone else.  Apparently we’re s*** cos Potts is in the team, which ignores our poor run when he WASN’T playing. (PS, didn’t he return to our team for our 1^st win in 11 at Sunderland?)

Does what it says on the stand.

Despatches:
Where to start? How about up front?  Guess what? Bradshaw battled hard, spent the match with his back to goal and never looked like scoring.  Thiam meantime buzzes around, gets the ball, and shoots from anywhere, ignorant to the result of this.  Mamadou, let me tell you – Matches: too many. Goals in open play: f*** all.  Did someone say we’re paying him a fortune?  F***.  We’re stuck with him, then.  Isgrove played.  Allegedly.  Ditto Gardner, who at least offered some amusement with a 20 yarder which he dragged wide in slow motion.  Didn’t he do this at home to Dirty Leeds? Or was it Derby?  Basically, a central midfielder who can’t shoot, can’t head, doesn’t run with the ball, never tackles, doesn’t pass a ball forward…basically, we are paying someone else’s player to keep the team’s shape.  Surely that is the LEAST a player can do.  I blame the manager.  Hammill played too, but I only noticed him when the right winger laid the ball back…to Hamill.  Christ, I thought Hammill WAS the right winger.  The fullbacks were average, though having read reports about Toby (Cavare) I wonder what the fuss is about.  The best I can say is that he blends in with the rest.  And McCarthy hasn’t been the same since being dropped for being good.  That’ll teach him.  Pinnock looked alright, classy.  But that was at 1-0.  Nowhere when they were scoring.  And I've done Lindsay.  At least Jackson's back training, I read.

Anyway, I didn’t want to go to Wembley (again).

Onwards and upwards!

Drink du jour: all sorts, though a brand new experimental apple pale ale at Hawkes Cidery was my highlight.

Away: 414 (advance sales).  Whatever they claim about today’s attendance, it can’t have been more than 3000, including not many of us.  

The Damage:
£15 ent
= £15


I may have bought a programme had I seen one.  Apparently they were sold out. Sold out?  How many did they print?  50?

The Tunes:
OX4 – The Best of Ride (Ride)
Hippopotamus (Sparks)

I should have turned back here.

The New Den panorama.