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.)
 

 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.

  (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.
 

 The sixties witnessed a revival at Cold Blow Lane. Promoted as Champions in
 1962, it was to prove a false dawn as relegation followed two years later. But
 the resurgence began immediately, as Millwall finished Runners-Up in Division
 Four in 1965 and then won promotion for the second successive season to
Division Two in 1966. The Lions were formidable at The Den during this period,
setting a record of 59 home League games unbeaten in December 1966.

(Left: Millwall's Captain Bryan Snowdon leads  out the 1965/66 promotion-winning team to the applause of the Mansfield players. This was the last home game of the season and the final appearance as a Lion for Alex Stepney.)
 
 Manager Benny Fenton was building a side capable of challenging for First
 Division status around Lions legends such as Barry Kitchener, Harry Cripps,
 Keith Weller and Derek Possee.

 Millwall fans thought their team had achieved its goal after beating Preston 2-0
 in the last game of the 1971-72 season. Reports of the scoreline from the
 Birmingham v. Sheffield Wednesday game proved to be inaccurate and City
 went on to clinch the second promotion spot by beating Orient a few days
 later.
 

 As Fenton's side disintegrated Millwall began the slide which led to relegation
 in 1975. The Lions were immediately promoted at the first attempt (finishing
 third in Division Three) but were relegated again two years later.

 The arrival of three key figures at The Den in the early eighties signalled
 another up-turn in the club's fortunes. In 1981, Keith Stevens made his League
 debut against Oxford United and went on to play over 550 senior games for the
 Club, a total bettered only by Barry Kitchener who
 made his 602nd and final appearance for Millwall
 in 1982.

 George Graham took over as manager during the
 1982/83 season, and after saving the club from
 relegation set about a major rebuilding project.

 (Right: Teddy Sheringham came through the youth
 ranks and signed professional forms in January 1984)

 A young striker named Teddy Sheringham (right)
 made his debut the following year and in 1985
 Millwall were back in the Second Division after finishing as Third Division
 Runners-Up once more.
 

 Graham's departure for Arsenal proved only a temporary setback, as new
 manager John Docherty guided his side to the Second Division championship
 on an unforgettable afternoon in Hull on May 2nd 1988, and First Division
 football for the first time in the Club's history.

 A potent strikeforce of Sheringham and Cascarino led The Lions to the top of
 the League with a 3-2 win over Q.P.R at The Den on October 1st 1988.
 Ultimately Millwall finished tenth in their first season in the top flight.

(Left:Tony Cascarino scores the first of two goals against QPR to put Millwall top of the First Division in 1988.)

Sadly, it all went badly wrong the following season, when after topping the
table once more following a win over Coventry in September, The Lions failed
to win any of their last twenty League games and were relegated. New boss
 Bruce Rioch almost led the Club back to the top flight via the Play-Off's, but
 they lost out to Brighton in May 1991. Teddy Sheringham set a new club
 goalscoring record with 38 before leaving for Nottingham Forest.
 

 Within ten months Rioch's spell in charge was over, his resignation paving the
 way for Mick McCarthy to take over in 1982. In May 1993, Millwall played their
 final game at The Den after 83 years and moved to a 20,000 all-seater stadium
 a quarter of a mile away from Cold Blow Lane at Senegal Fields. The £16
 million New Den was opened by the late John Smith MP on August 4th 1993
 prior to a prestigious friendly against Sporting Lisbon.

(Left: Wednesday 14th August 1993. The first game at The New Den against Bobby Robson's Sporting Lisbon.)

McCarthy guided The Lions to third spot
in the newly constituted 'First Division', only for his side to lose out in the Play-Off's once again, this time to Derby County in May 1994.

 Expectations for another promotion push in 1994/95 remained unfulfilled with
 Millwall finishing in 13th spot. However, there was plenty of excitement in Cup
 competitions that year with Premiership giants Nottingham Forest, Arsenal
 and Chelsea all falling victim to The Lions on their own grounds in the two
 major competitions.
 

 Mick McCarthy's achievements at The Den increasingly aroused speculation
 that he would succeed Jack Charlton as manager of the Republic of Ireland.
 When Millwall shot to the top of the First Division again in the autumn of 1995
 these rumours grew stronger. Unfortunately, the speculation appeared to have
 an unsettling effect on the side, and by the time McCarthy eventually departed
 for the Republic job, The Lions had begun to slide out of contention.

Worse was to follow, however, as his successor Jimmy Nicholl was unable to arrest the decline and Millwall dropped into the bottom three for the first time that season following the final game at Ipswich and were duly relegated.

(Left: Mick McCarthy joined The Lions as a player and was appointed boss in1992. He left in 1996 to manage
the Republic of Ireland.)

 By May 20th 1997 a rescue package was in place and new chairman Theo
 Paphitis appointed Billy Bonds as his first manager.  There was no immediate
 upturn in fortunes on the field, however, and after another bright start to the
 campaign the season ended with the side flirting with the relegation zone
 before finishing 18th. The chairman decided that
 another change was necessary and Bonds was
 replaced by Lions stalwart Keith Stevens in May
 1998, with Alan McLeary becoming his assistant.

 (Right: Millwall legend Keith Stevens skippered
 Millwall during their first games at The New Den,
 before his playing career was ended through injury.
 He took over as Lions Manager in 1998, through to 1999)

 The task of the new managerial team was to
 recreate the success they enjoyed as players with
 Millwall during the late eighties. In their first
 season at the helm resources were tight, and after
 bringing three new faces in on free transfers during the summer of 1998 the
 squad remained unchanged throughout the campaign with the exception of
 keeper Ben Roberts who came in on loan from Middlesbrough.

 Increasingly youth was given its head, with no fewer than nine players still
 eligible for the Under 19 side appearing at first team level. Under the
 circumstances a 10th place finish was a creditable start, and there was the
 bonus of the club's first official Wembley appearance in a recognised
 competition when 47,000 Lions fans saw their side beaten 1-0 by Wigan
 Athletic in the Auto-Windscreens Shield Final on April 18th 1999.

 During the close season Alan McLeary was elevated to the position of joint-
 manager alongside Keith Stevens, and in the first week of July the playing
 staff was swelled with the acquisition of experienced campaigners Paul
 Moody, Sean Dyche and Michael Gilkes.
 

 
 The upturn in fortunes continued as Millwall mounted a sustained promotion
 push at the turn of the millennium following a slow start. Neil Harris bagged 25
 League goals, the first Millwall player since Teddy Sheringham to pass the 20
 mark, but defeats in key games at Preston and Burnley meant that Millwall
 had to settle for 5th spot.

 For the third time, they failed to reach the Play-Off Final, losing out 1-0 on
 aggregate to Wigan Athletic after dominating the second leg at the JJB
 Stadium.

 The 2000/2001 season, however, saw 
 The Lions make a triumphant return to
 Division One as Champions of the
 Second Division.

 (Right: Mark McGhee took over in 2000 taking
 The Lions to the 2nd Division Championship in
 his first season.)

 Mark McGhee had taken over from Keith Stevens and Alan McLeary as
 manager during September 2000, and by Christmas Millwall were top of the
 table. They were not to drop below second spot for the remainder of the
 campaign and promotion was achieved at Wrexham on April 28th. A 5-0 win
 over Oldham on the final day of the season guaranteed the Championship with
 a total of 93 points.

 The team kept a remarkable 14 clean sheets in their last 19 games and Neil
 Harris finished equal top scorer in the Division with 27 League goals.

(Left: The team celebrate after clinching the 2nd Division Championship against Oldham at The Den.)
 
Millwall's return to the First Division during the 2001/2 season was a case
of so near and yet so far as The Lions came within a whisker of reaching the Premiership. With virtually the same squad of players that had clinched the Second Division title, boss McGhee's
 youngsters did superbly to finish the campaign in fourth, chalking up notable
 doubles' against WBA, Crystal Palace and a memorable 1-0 win against high-
 flying Wolves.

 However, Millwall's season ended in heartbreaking style when, having secured
 an excellent 1-1 draw at Birmingham City in their Play-Off semi-final first leg,
 an injury-time effort from City's Stern John fired Steve Bruce's side into the final
  - and ultimately the Premiership.
 

 
 Expectations were high going into the 2002/3 campaign, but long-term injuries
 to key personnel, in particular Tim Cahill, Richard Sadlier and Steven Reid
 thwarted Mark McGhee's plans. The loss of TV revenue meant there was no
 cash to strengthen the squad although Dennis Wise and Mark McCammon
 arrived for no fee during the course of the season, following Andy Roberts who
 returned to his first club in the summer of 2002.

 Millwall ended the season as the form team in
 Division One, winning six and drawing one of their last
 eight games to finish in a creditable if disappointing
 ninth position.

 (Right: Steve Claridge, a great favourite with the
 Millwall fans, left the club in the summer of 2003.)

 During the summer Steve Claridge left the club to take
 up the manager's position at Weymouth. Assistant
 manager Steve Gritt also departed to be replaced by
 Archie Knox.
 

 
 It was a mixed start to last  season, and a series of uninspiring displays
 culminating in a home defeat against Preston on 14^th October 2003 led to the
 departure of Mark McGhee along with his assistant.

Dennis Wise was placed in temporary
charge of the team, with Ray Wilkins
coming in as his right hand man. Two wins and a draw in the next three games
persuaded all parties that the situation should be made permanent, and the
team began to make real progress over the festive period.

 A run of just two defeats in 22 outings saw The Lions up into the Play-Off
 positions and on the brink of an historic achievement.

 That 1-0 Semi-Final victory against Sunderland at Old Trafford on 4^th April 2004
 saw Millwall through to their first Final in the club's 119 year history, having
 narrowly failed to make it through in
 their three previous attempts. As an
 added bonus, a UEFA Cup place
 awaited.

 (Right: The Millwall team line up before
 the start of their first ever FA Cup final
 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, 2004.)
 

 The Cup Final proved to be a momentous occasion for everyone connected
 with the club and the result scarcely tempered the celebrations. In the end,
 injuries and the unavailability of key players undermined The Lions' Play-Off
 push as they finished 10^th in Division One.
 The 2004/5 campaign was another eventful one, although once again high
 hopes were ultimately unfulfilled with another 10th place finish in the League.
 The Lions gave a good account of themselves in their first European tie (UEFA
 Cup 1st Round), going down 3-1 to Ferencvaros in Budapest after holding the
 Hungarian Champions to a 1-1 draw at The Den.
 The announcement by chairman Theo Paphitis that he would be stepping down
 at the end of the season after eight successful years was a blow, and his was
 to be one of several high profile departures.
 Manager Dennis Wise resigned after the last game of the campaign against
 Burnley, followed shortly by skipper Kevin Muscat who returned to his native
 Australia. Senior players Paul Ifill, Darren Ward, Peter Sweeney and Danny
 Dichio also moved on during the summer. In late June, new chairman Jeff
 Burnige appointed former player Steve Claridge as the successor to Wise, but
 then less than a fortnight later resigned from his position. Claridge was then
 replaced by Colin Lee shortly before the start of the campaign.
 Having managed the team under difficult circumstances up until Christmas
 2005, Lee was then appointed Director of Football with his assistant Dave
 Tuttle taking over the manager's role, assisted by goalkeeping coach Tony
 Burns. Two wins and two draws over the Festive period brought renewed
 optimism that The Lions could claw their way clear of the drop zone in 2006.
 The turning point was the controversial defeat in a key relegation battle against
 Sheffield Wednesday - a loss from which The Lions never really recovered.
 Alan McLeary took temporary for the final two games of the season, during
 which a number of promising youngsters were introduced to the side.
 During the close season Stewart Till was appointed as the new chairman of
 the football club, with Peter de Savary remaining as chair of the holdings board.
 Heather Rabbatts also arrived in the capacity of Executive Deputy Chairman as
 Millwall laid the groundwork for their forthcoming League One campaign,
 strengthened by the raising of some £6million through a share issue.
 The Lions also named former Liverpool, Chelsea and Rangers player Nigel
 Spackman as new manager, with the backroom staff further bolstered by the
 arrival of one of the most experienced coaches in the country in the shape of
 ex-Scottish international Willie Donachie.
 Unfortunately, the team made a poor start to the 2006/7 campaign, picking up
 just five points from their opening 10 League fixtures. The alarm bells began to
 ring again and the board took the difficult decision to part company with
 manager Spackman less than two months into the season.
 Donachie was elevated on a caretaker basis, and as results began to improve
 he was given the job until the end of the season. Going into the Boxing Day
 clash at Brentford, Millwall knew that defeat would see them drop to the
 bottom of the table, but a resounding 4-1 success kick-started a remarkable
 upturn in fortunes. With striker Darren Byfield restored to fitness after a
 lengthy absence through injury, midfielder Dave Brammer proving a shrewd
 signing from Stoke in the January transfer window along with the return of the
 legendary Neil Harris from Forest, The Lions began to play like promotion
 contenders. After the turn of the year, only Scunthorpe, Bristol City and
 Blackpool, all of whom would gain promotion, could match Millwall's run of
 form. Harris made club history on 20th January by beating Teddy
 Sheringham's League goalscoring record as Donachie's men finished the
 season in the top half of the table (10th).
 Off the field, major new investment came through American consortium
 Chestnut Hill Ventures, led by new company chairman John G Berylson.
 Having taken four points from the opening two fixtures in 2007/8, the pre-          season optimism soon began to fade and following a crushing 4-0 defeat at Carlisle The Lions were bottom of the table with ten games played. Manager Willie Donachie paid the ultimate price, and after Richard Shaw along with Colin West had steadied the ship during a brief caretaker spell in charge, Kenny Jackett was recruited to the Den hot seat from Manchester City.
The club were plagued by an horrific injury list throughout the campaign and the new boss ultimately hauled Millwall to League One safety following a 3-0 demolition of, ironically, Carlisle in the penultimate game of the season.
The summer of 2008 saw chairman John G. Berylson and the board embroiled in an AGM battle with former majority shareholder G.F. Lacey, with the shareholders ultimately backing the board. Meanwhile manager Jackett bolstered his squad with the additions of goalkeeper David Forde, defender Tony Craig, returning permanently after a loan spell having left for Palace 12 months previously, young striker Ashley Grimes and midfielder Nadjim Abdou.
The new boss's first full season in charge so nearly yielded the promotion everyone was hoping for.
After a faltering start The Lions were soon up amongst the front-runners and held a top six spot for most of the campaign.
Promotion favourites Leicester City and Leeds United were both beaten before Christmas, but stuttering home form after the turn of the year threatened to undermine the team's progress.
However, a record six away wins on the spin served to maintain the momentum, and although the push for a top two finish ultimately faded, Millwall secured fifth spot and a place in the Play-Offs.
Leeds were the semi-final opponents with a Neil Harris goal in the first leg enabling Jackett's men to take a narrow lead to Elland Road. Jimmy Abdou's late equaliser rewarded a battling display in West Yorkshire and Wembley beckoned.
Sadly, in spite of a wonder strike from Gary Alexander at the national stadium, a 2-1 half-time lead was surrendered to Scunthorpe United who won the Play-Off final 3-2.
It took a while for The Lions to find their form again as the 2009/10 campaign got underway. Injuries to key players were a factor, but by October Millwall were upwardly mobile and up amongst the front runners.
Steve Morison, signed during the summer from Stevenage Borough, began to find his feet at League One level, and the home form sustained the promotion push.
However, by the turn of the year, automatic promotion looked out of the question but a storming run of form, with just one defeat in 19 outings, saw Kenny Jackett's side gradually begin to close the gap on Leeds United in second spot.
After completing the double over the Yorkshire outfit in late March, that gap had closed to a solitary point where once it had been in excess of 20. Two defeats and a draw in the last five games hampered further progress though, but The Lions still entered the final day of the league campaign as one of five teams who could still clinch promotion.
A 3-2 win over Swindon proved not to be quite enough as Leeds also won to clinch the runners-up spot, and once again the Play-Offs beckoned after a third place finish.
Huddersfield were the semi-final opponents, and after a 0-0 first leg draw, goals from Paul Robinson and Steve Morison at The Den secured a return trip to Wembley.
This time there was to be no heartbreak as Robinson's solitary goal was enough to see off Swindon Town and clinch promotion for the first time through the Play-Off lottery.
The Championship awaits once more.