While it might seem like a long shot, Millwall`s chances of getting promoted from the Championship are still alive as they head into the final games and playoffs. This club, unlike almost any other in English football, has a fanbase that thrives on being disliked. Imagine them in the top tier – the 2025-26 Premier League season would be truly unique.
It`s still an uphill battle, but after Easter Monday, the possibility seems more real. Coventry City and Bristol City, who were in playoff spots, both lost to teams fighting relegation. Middlesbrough also had a fruitless trip to Sheffield Wednesday. However, Alex Neil`s Millwall team held up their end, bouncing back from a tough loss to Blackburn with a strong 3-1 victory at Norwich.
They still need some luck. With only two games left, they are three points outside the top six and have a worse goal difference. They need either Coventry or Bristol City to stumble in both of their remaining matches. Even if Middlesbrough wins their remaining games, Millwall would need both fifth and sixth place teams to collapse. All of this while Millwall needs to win against Swansea and Burnley in their own final games.
Impressive Victory Over Norwich
Based on Monday`s game, winning against those teams isn`t impossible. Millwall has won five of their last seven games at a crucial point in the season where momentum is incredibly important in the Championship. Their performance against Norwich naturally makes people wonder what could happen if they reach the playoffs and then win at Wembley.
`Their playing style is like raw, passionate football at the highest level,` notes CBS Sports analyst Nigel Reo-Coker, who understands how difficult it is to play away at Millwall. `They would bring an incredibly charged atmosphere and an underdog spirit. Like their fans sing, “no one likes us, we don’t care.” They are a club from a less privileged background and they embrace it.`
`They love being the underdog, facing challenges, and feeling like they are against everyone. The atmosphere in every Premier League game would be absolutely electric, beyond words – you`d have to experience it in the stadium.`
From a purely football perspective, Millwall would offer an interesting contrast to many other teams in the league. While many teams focus on tactics like inverting full-backs, ball-playing center-backs, and prioritizing possession, Millwall reminds us that a team`s identity can be built on more than just fancy passing and coordinated plays.
They might be capable of playing a possession-based game, but it wouldn`t truly be Millwall. On the pitch, they reflect their club`s history and character. The old stereotypes of hooliganism are outdated, but the Lions are proud of their old-school approach, going against the norm and getting under the skin of their opponents.
When everything clicks, The Den stadium roars.
Norwich had the second-highest average possession in the Championship before this match. Millwall`s strategy was straightforward: if you want the ball, keep it. We won’t need it for long. Get the ball to the tall forwards, send it out wide, and win your individual battles. When it works as well as it did against Norwich, Millwall`s style of football is exciting to watch and a nightmare to play against.
Their high-pressing forwards forced a mistake from Norwich within the first eight minutes, a careless pass that you wouldn`t expect to see in Millwall`s training drills. Crosses were then sent into the Norwich box, one of which hit Femi Azeez and then seemed to deflect off an unsuspecting Mihailo Ivanovic. The Den didn`t care, cheering for their `big Serbian` loudly. They know what they appreciate in their players. It wouldn`t be the last time they showed their admiration for the 20-year-old from Novi Sad.
Despite Norwich`s possession, they struggled to break through Millwall`s defense, not even getting a shot on goal until Josh Sargent`s wide curler after half an hour. A Shane Duffy header from a set piece offered them some hope just before halftime, but they were never likely to win a set-piece battle against Millwall. Ultimately, that would be Norwich`s only shot on target. The impressive Azeez had scored a corner earlier, and then the 6ft 2in Ivanovic scored a second for himself and Millwall`s third in the second half.
As news of other match results came in, the atmosphere at The Den grew with anticipation. Two more wins, and who knows, maybe a return to the top flight for the first time since a brief period between 1988 and 1990.
What Would They Bring to the Premier League?
Given the reputation of Millwall`s away fans, some Premier League clubs might be worried. However, it’s important to note that Millwall has worked hard to distance itself from the worst elements of its fanbase and to connect with the communities in South London that would have never considered going to The Den in the 70s or 80s. Their community outreach program is award-winning and actively promotes inclusion in Southwark. The club has evolved along with its Bermondsey neighborhood; the streets leading to The Den might seem intimidating, but once you are there, you`ll find the same mix of craft beer spots, burger joints, and generic pop music playing outside.
Still, the club hasn`t completely lost its edge. As Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who was not only kicked in the head by goalkeeper Liam Roberts but also subjected to harsh chants afterward, can confirm, Millwall`s humor can be brutal. On Monday, every Norwich throw-in was met with loud jeers, and a misplaced pass drew almost as much joy as a goal. Few stadiums revel in the misfortune of others quite like this one.
In the Premier League, this atmosphere might become even more intense, especially when West Ham visits. Their rivalry with Millwall is one of the fiercest in English football, dating back to the days of dock workers competing for business as well as football results. At its worst, like the 2009 riots where 20 people were injured, the game itself feels secondary. However, those who have played in this derby don`t see it that way.
`I remember a lot of police, a raw and electric atmosphere, and a deep, passionate rivalry – one of the biggest in English football,` says Reo-Coker, whose West Ham team lost 1-0 at The Den in 2004. `It`s a game of pride, even hatred. Both clubs would probably say they don`t care about the rest of the season as long as they win this one game. The pressure on the players to perform was immense, everyone knew it.`
`Of course, it`s heavily policed and segregated because of the intense hatred.`
The noise was constant, non-stop singing. It was like passionate, grassroots football at a professional level. Every tackle, every throw-in mattered. It was emotionally charged, an electric energy for 90 minutes where nobody wanted to be on the losing side.`
The Metropolitan Police might not have such fond memories of this derby, nor would they be excited about another season with Millwall playing Leeds – a match known for its historical animosity dating back to the hooliganism of the 1980s. The last Chelsea vs. Millwall game in 1995 required mounted police intervention. Crystal Palace`s next visit after the Mateta incident would also be highly charged.
Millwall in the top flight would certainly bring complications, and for now, it remains an unlikely outcome for the 2024-25 season. But if it were to happen, the Premier League would definitely experience something completely unique with Millwall.
Dominic Ashworth