Alan Dunne anticipates the visit of Mighty Leeds
Last season’s relegation strugglers Millwall have been granted the best possible reward for their achievement in avoiding the drop back into League One. Despite the undoubted attraction of a local derby against ex-Premier League Fulham in the season’s second week, it is the visit of Leeds United on the opening day of the campaign that has the Lions salivating. There’s nothing like a Cup Final to bring out the fans, and Millwall will confidently be expecting a bumper attendance for what is the biggest home fixture for any club in the Championship.
Millwall veteran Alan Dunne – sent off a record nine times in his Lions career – happily confirmed that the opening game simply could not have been any bigger for the tiny London outfit. “To start with a game at The Den against Leeds is exciting,” the defender said. “It’s the perfect opening day game. The fans will be there in numbers so it promises to be a cracking atmosphere. As a player you look to all the really big games.”
It’s an attitude that Leeds United will need to be wary of, having slipped to defeat at the New Den last season, despite the fact that Millwall proved themselves over the course of the league programme to be one of the weaker teams in the division. A tendency to slip up against inferior opposition was a hallmark of United’s failure to make any impact on the promotion race and, along with the lesser Yorkshire clubs, the Pride of Bermondsey have long been a thorn in Leeds’ sides – passionately encouraged by a small but violent following for whom a victory over the Yorkshire giants counts as Christmas, a few birthdays, a knees-up with Mother Brown and a first date with a close relative, all rolled into one.
Taking into account all the factors that normally affect this fixture, Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything will predict the following: a score draw at best for the travelling Whites to open the seasonal account; at least a dozen grinning apes proudly wearing the shirt of a club in Turkey which is Millwall’s broad equivalent in terms of sickness and violence; Millwall club officials standing by and doing nothing while this goes on, as the illiterate hacks in the local press turn a blind eye also; and lastly, Millwall’s highest gate of the season as early as this opening day, with a steady decline thereafter as the Cup Final recedes into memory.
Leeds for their part will hope for a win in what should be one of the easier away fixtures on the calendar, but as we have seen, other factors come into play. A point would be a decent haul, especially as a routine victory can be expected in a St. Valentines Day massacre of an Elland Road return, where the brave Neanderthals who so faithfully follow their team around the country can be expected to muster no more than a dozen or two, against a chorus of the usual excuses about “bubble” fixtures.
So, a new season draws that bit closer – and, even while the World Cup is still being played for in Brazil, thoughts at home are already turning to the league battles ahead. Just ask Alan Dunne, who simply can’t wait for the massive Leeds United game – and perhaps a chance to hit double figures in his red card tally? Time alone will tell.
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
I predict a huge amount of piss taking over our appointment of timmy mallet as head coach and no doubt ross, smith, byram & Murphy heading to pastures new.
Dreading next season, all ready getting loads of shit off fans of other clubs.
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I think we should ignore the pisstakers from other clubs – they’re only bothering because we’re Leeds – and give the new guy a chance.
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I will always back the team.
but I’m not backing cellino. His only good points are…
1 not bates
2 not gfh
3 not krasner consortium
People keep banging on about him keeping cagliari in the top flight for 20 years, but its his home town club. I suspect he’s here to milk our brilliant support just like almost everyone else who’s ran our great.
When will we have a decent chairman again? I’m sick of it. Don’t know why I bother parting with my hard earned cash, I haven’t been going for the football for years, its our great fan base that gets me down LS11. Still be going like all the other mugs though, once Leeds is in your blood you have no choice.
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At this moment in time timmy mallet seems a better appointment. But I agree give him a chance. If he screws up we could go for the chuckle brothers
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Having to drive to a service station to be herded around by the local filth to collect a stub has made a number of fans not attend in protest. Shame as the atmosphere was brilliant for the play off at Elland Road. Its down to Yorkshire Police. If you all had to drive to Watford Gap for the privilege sure your attendance at the Den would dwindle. We also only get 1000 ticket allocation.
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New season beckons – nicely warmed up insults [that should be Muvver Brown, by the way] – and an opening game that will give Dave Who a taste of what he’s taken on and what we are going to have to put up with. After that its…. Accrington Stanley! We’ll see how it all pans out …. At the very least we will have your blog to keep us laughing Rob! We may desperately need it….
MOT
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Accrington will finally be able to get past the milk advert.
Dave hockaday, who’s that, eggzackly
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Rob your obsession with having ago at smaller clubs like millwall only highlights the sad state that Leeds are in… I’d have money with you that holloway will finish with millwall above Leeds next season….
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Clueless, but at least polite – so it survives moderation. Take note, you abusive morons out there – it’s only your own time and effort you’re wasting.
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Looks to me like Cellino wants someone with the required coaching qualification, so that he can play the manager himself, without going through the bother of earning the qualifications himself.
And of course if it all goes pear shaped, he can blame and sack the coach, get someone else with coaching tickets in, and have another go.
The ultimate football manager game. great if you can afford it.
M.O.T
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Yep thats the exact scenario.
He wants to be the main man. Hence no mcallister, hence sacking the legends.
Wouldn’t be suprised if his sons ended up “managing” the youths and reserves or his daughter was busy designing our new kit.
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No doubt millwall magistrates court will be busy the following Monday.As for the new coach im all for giving someone the chance Rob but have you seen his record at forest green, im scared (shit scared) for next season.
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It remains to be seen what will happen under Mr. Cellino and the new “coach” but there is little point in crying about it before a ball is kicked. You never know, we might actually play better football under this new guy (despite his obscurity and lack of experience) which in itself would be a major improvement and, if he turns out to be useless, well, Mr. Cellino has ways of making you walk.
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Hes a 56 year old bloke we’ve never heard of, that got sacked by a mid table conference side and that learnt coaching “the watford way”. More importantly the players and potential players will gave never heard of him either.
We ain’t going to be playing pretty football
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Well well well . Little old Millwall 1st game. Can’t wait for their pathetic chants about us losing two of our own and chavvy teenagers waring their galatasary shirts . I forgot they scraped staying up. At least the away end will be full unlike the return fixture when they use the excuse that they have to pick there tickets up from the services… B….cks , never stopped us from going to Cardiff under the same conditions. What’s the phrase ‘soft southern bastards’ .
As for Hockaday , I’m with you Rob , if it is him ? give him a break . We are supporters ! no not just supporters , Leeds supporters , so lets stop all the ‘well that’s it , I won’t be going anymore’ attitudes and support the new man and team . We’ve not exactly got anywhere with proven championship managers over the last few seasons. I for one will be there home and away giving the lads all the support I have in me along with all the other diehards. Come on Leeds !!! M.O.T
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Hear, hear
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Politeness was drilled into me with my education I’m afraid … Clueless… Maybe a bit harsh … I was born millwall as you are born Leeds and not really much I can do to change it.. Nor as you I’d expect… But maybe you should not judge all of us as stereotypes. And you as a Leeds fan should understand that more than most…..
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At the risk of damning you with faint praise, I will say you’re the best of the Millwall bunch to have commented here. Than again, I don’t tar all with the same brush. I just refer to the arse end of your support, which seems capable of worse excesses than most other clubs’ lunatic fringe (we all have them). And to the childish idiot who’s now offered to meet me at a game to “sort it out” – trust me mate, you wouldn’t want to. And you’d probably bring your mummy anyway.
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You probably don’t realise that you’re actually paying us the biggest compliment you could by always going on about us.
Tally ho
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That would be the case, if I WAS always going on about you – but a cursory examination of my blog would reveal, even to a thick Miwwwaww fan, that any such claim is utter bollocks.
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We can also look forwards to a visit from the sheep botherers and their flying piss bottles this season.
Mind still happy they got relegated.
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Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Forest Green ha ha LMFSO give it a break Rob good luck. Good to see your still obsessed you closet Lion. Odds on you’re going -10 before the end of the season. Best of luck see you down the Den.
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2001: Leeds United, AC Milan, David Batty, Madrid and Champions League could be mentioned in the same sentence. 2014: Leeds United, Accrington Stanley, Dave Hockaday, Millwall and Cellino. Nuff said
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Scumwall and our unfriendly West Yorkshire rivals along the A62, seem to be getting excited and wetting themselves already, in anticipation of playing their Cup Finals against Hockaday’s mighty whites.
The away fixture against Scumwall is always a “basket case” game, which normally sees a lawless, low-life, sub-normal scum, dressed in Galatasaray shirts and the Millwall officials and Police amazingly both turn a blind eye for 90 crazy minutes, in a Bear Pit of hatred.
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Very worrying development Rob.
How the hell are we supposed to attract some quality players with a manager er sorry coach that nobody has heard of?
Perhaps Cellino has a plan but so far he is not implementing it.
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the set up next season looks like Cellino and Carboni managing and Hockaday coaching to their instruction, with his head on the block if it goes wrong,my only worry with that is Hockaday was with big boot Ady Boothroyd
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