Millwall | Club | History | History

Millwall History 1

Posted on: Mon 24 Oct 2011

Where it all started. Mortons Jam Factory on the Isle of Dogs......

Millwall has produced many great players since it's humble beginnings back in 1885, many of whom went on to become national as well as local footballing legends. Click on any of the links below to view a short video of some of those great names in action.

Millwall Rovers were formed in the summer of 1885 by workers at Morton's Jam Factory
on the Isle of Dogs. The majority of the workers at the factory were of Scottish extraction
and consequently blue and white became the club's colours. Millwall inhabited four
separate grounds on the island and changed their name via Millwall Athletic to plain
Millwall, before relocating across the river at The Den in 1910.

(Photo -Jasper John Sexton, the first Secretary of the newly formed Millwall Rovers. His father ran the
Islanders beer shop in Tooke Street, the premises of the fledgeling club used as their headquarters and
dressing room.)

   Having become The Lions, Millwall reached the Semi-Finals of the F.A Cup in 1903 whilst still a Southern
   League side, losing 3-0 to Derby County in front of 40,500 fans at Villa Park. The Club remained in the
   Southern League for a decade following their move to New Cross but in 1920 became founder members of
   Football League Division Three, beating Bristol Rovers 2-0 in their opening League game at The Den.
   (Coincidentally Rovers were Millwall's last League opponents at that ground
   in 1993).

    (Photo on right: The uncovered North    Terrace during the 1922 FA Cup second    round
     replay against Crystal Palace on    february 1st 1922. A large crowd of    38,800 watched
     the game.)

    In 1928 The Lions won promotion to the Second Division as champions of
   Division Three (South). The previous year 42,250 saw Millwall beat
   Middlesbrough 3-2 in an F.A. Cup tie at The Den. In 1932-33 they achieved
   their highest League placing to date, finishing seventh, but after manager Bob Hunter died The Lions failed to
    win any of their last eight games and were relegated the following season.

   The Second World War intervened just as Millwall were beginning to assemble a very strong side. In 1937 they
   became the first Third Division team to reach the Semi-Finals of the F.A. Cup. A crowd of 62,813 were at
   Leeds Road Huddersfield to see them lose narrowly to Sunderland 2-1. A year later Millwall won the Third
Division (South) championship again, winger J.R.Smith played twice for
England and Tom Brolly became a Northern Ireland international.

(Left: Millwall were drawn against the mighty Manchester City in the sixth round, on the
way to the 1937 FA Cup semi-final. Here, Dave Mangnall is seen heading the winning
goal in famous 2-1 victory. A crowd of 42,474 turned up for the match.)

As war was drawing to a close Millwall made their first Wembley
appearance in the Football League (South) Cup Final losing 2-0 to Chelsea.
The immediate post-war years were a struggle for The Lions. In 1948 they
were relegated back to Division Three and a decade later they became
founder members of the new Fourth Division. HRH George IV

    (Right: HRH King George VI being presented to the Millwall team on their very first
    ever appearance at Wembley for the Football League South Cup Final against
    Chelsea on 7th April 1945. The Lions lost 2-0.)

   There were embarrassments and heroic exploits in the FA Cup during
   this period, the most notable of which saw the mighty Newcastle United
   beaten 2-1 in the 4th Round in 1957 before a 45,646 crowd.