The Old Den

The Old Den, known while in use as the Den, was the fifth football stadium occupied by Millwall F.C., located in Cold Blow Lane, New Cross, London. Millwall moved to the Den from North Greenwich in 1910, the location of their fourth and final grounds on the Isle of Dogs in the 25 years since their formation as a football club. Tom Thorne, the director in charge, sought the help of architect Archibald Leitch and builders Humphries of Knightsbridge. The estimated cost of the Den was 15,000 pounds. The first match was on Saturday 22 October 1910 against Brighton and Hove Albion, the Southern League Champions who spoiled the celebrations by winning 1 to 0. Millwall's first Football League match at the Den was on 28 August 1920, beating Bristol Rovers 2 to 0. In that year, Millwall scored 83 goals at the Den, which is still a Football League record. Being in close proximity to the Surrey Commercial Docks, the Den sustained severe bomb damage during the Blitz, and a German bomb hit the North Terrace on 19 April 1943. On 26 April, a fire destroyed the Main Stand. The club accepted offers from neighbours Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and West Ham United to stage games. On 24 February 1944 Millwall returned to the Den to play in an all-standing stadium, achieved in part with considerable volunteer labour by the Lions fans. After the war, rationing continued and Millwall were refused permission by the Ministry of Works to construct a new two-tier stand. They had to wait until 1948, when permission was granted to build a smaller, single-tier stand two-thirds the length of the pitch. Millwall established a record of 59 home games without defeat at the Den from 22 August 1964 to 14 January 1967. The Den hosted a full England international match against Wales on 13 March 1911, which England won 3 to 0. The Den also hosted an England B international, with England beating Yugoslavia B 2 to 1 on 12 December 1989.

The Old Den, known while in use as the Den, was the fifth football stadium occupied by Millwall F.C., located in Cold Blow Lane, New Cross, London. The ground opened on 22 October 1910 and was the home of Millwall for 83 years. Designed by renowned architect Archibald Leitch and built by Humphries of Knightsbridge at an estimated cost of 15,000 pounds, the first match was against Brighton and Hove Albion, who spoiled the celebrations by winning 1 to 0. The ground boasted a record attendance of 48,672 against Derby County in 1937. Millwall played a total of 1788 games at the Den in all competitions, winning 976, losing 360 and drawing 452. Being in close proximity to the Surrey Commercial Docks, the Den sustained severe bomb damage during the Blitz, with a German bomb hitting the North Terrace on 19 April 1943. On 26 April, a fire destroyed the Main Stand, and the club accepted offers from neighbours Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and West Ham United to stage games. Millwall returned to the Den on 24 February 1944 to play in an all-standing stadium, achieved in part with considerable volunteer labour by the Lions fans. Millwall established a record of 59 home games without defeat at the Den from 22 August 1964 to 14 January 1967. The Den hosted a full England international match against Wales on 13 March 1911, which England won 3 to 0. The Den also hosted an England B international, with England beating Yugoslavia B 2 to 1 on 12 December 1989.