The result was acceptable, well done City, but the game was a shocker. Simply awful and forgettable. Attacking play and ideas just weren't good enough, defences were totally dominant. That alone killed the game as a spectacle but it was made worse with the over-fussy whistle happy ways of ex-Premier ref Andy D'Urso. The man had the rare talent of infuriating both teams and their sets of supporters with his constant interfering and stopping of play.
It was bereft on quality, both sides had only a couple of chances each. Millwall found Neil Alexander and central defenders Glen Loovens and Darren Purse in top form, City just never got any forward momentum and never had a shot until the final 15 minutes. Six players were carded, none made a bad challenge with free-kicks seemingly awarded whenever the slightest contact took place, often when nobody other than D'Urso saw any offence. Jody Morris came off worst, red carded in the final moments for his second yellow - brilliant entertainment and a sense of justice for City fans after his antics with Cardiff last year - but so so harsh.
It annoys but it doesn't surprise that Millwall was a 'bubble' coach-only travel match. It surprises a little bit more that The Met were happy to declassify the game but the club weren't so keen. Maybe it was for the best, some may argue otherwise. I hope it's not always like this but those who went certainly enjoyed the day.
Our bus - the Cardiff pub special! - picked up form the Lansdowne and Robin's Bar in Canton then The Muni on City Road - and was away early - starting out well before 8pm. The usual standard of coach, dvd didn't work, the radio had awful reception, the toilet soon looked like a swimming pool and it offered outstanding views of the M4 road surface through the gear box but we had a top driver who looked after us well. Punk's Greatest (and Worst) Hits were on the cd player (that was thankfully working) and spirits were high. More so, when we decided to search for a pub around opening time but, at that point, we were near the leafiest and some of the most exclusive Surrey suburbs.
Fortunately we got into West Byfleet and found a pub a little wary as 100 City fans piled in at opening time but so happy with us, the way we behaved and the money they made, we've been invited to return any time we like. We also enjoyed the best entertainment of the day as The Carling Cup draw took place on tv with 100 now very merry City fans. Every time a top name came out, up went a huge cheer, when someone else got pulled to play them, there was a huge sigh. When Grimsby or Doncaster came out, up went "oh sh*t, we're going to get them" groans, the cheers were even louder when we knew that we hadn't.
Someone then worked out the numbers allocated were in alphabetical order and shouted out that Cardiff were number 8. Just after that, out came number 9 Chelsea who were home to number 8. Up we all jumped, celebrating like mad and probably shaking West Byfleet before we realised that number 8 were Charlton. Bugger. It went on for an eternity, City came out right at the end and were home, we went mental. Home to Bloody Leicester, we weren't mental anymore. Disappointing, a good chance though but that draw will live with me for a while.
Back on board, we made our way through South London. Quite picturesque too as we snaked under police escort through Blackheath Common. Then we dropped into Blackheath and Bermondsey, it's life Jim but not as we know it.
Funniest of all, were how all the locals on the street abused us and gestured at us even though none of them appeared to be Millwall fans. In fact, we got more abuse of them than the Millwall fans in the ground. Rumours were that coaches had to stop half a mile from the ground and the coach park at the ground was under reconstruction and we'd be marched through the mean streets of Bermondsey, it seemed a little exciting, However maybe the prospect of that, doubled everyone's efforts to sort it out as we were driven into the ground and behind the away end. Our vouchers exchanged for tickets at the turnstiles. Instead, there was already a good atmosphere. Millwall had the bars open, policing and stewarding was low key and friendly from all I saw, good to be treated civilly and with respect.…
7
Team news was that City dropped all six given a chance in midweek against Macclesfield in the cup, none having staked a claim, so DJ's side were the same who earned back-to-back Championship wins the week before with a couple of players recovering from small knock and minor illnesses. It was Alexander, Weston-Purse,Loovens-Barker, Cooper-Ledley-Whitley-Koumas, Jerome-Ricketts. Subs were Margetson-Ardley-Cox-Lee-Parry.
Millwall had the worst possible summer losing two managers with Dennis Wise resigning and the hasty appointment of Steve Claridge being a bad choice by him and club, they parted company before any game was played. A change in the Boardroom saw a Chairman resign leaving Theo Paphilitis back in charge, a little reluctantly so by all accounts. Also finding himself unexpectedly in charge was Colin Lee, Claridge's coach, falling into the manager's chair but, like Dave Jones at City, with a huge job as several 'stars' were sold.
So much upheaval caused mayhem on the pitch as The Lions were bottom with one point and six defeats in the first 7 games but faced City on the back of three consecutive away wins at Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves in the Championship then Yeovil in the Carling Cup. They had however not won and lost three of four Championship home games before this one, a record that got little better with this result.
Their side were Marshall, Vincent-Phillips-Williams-Ifil, Livermore-Wright-Morris-Dunne, Hayles-Asaba. The best known probably being their "pensioner" forwards of Karl Asaba and Barry Hayles (pensioner as their combined ages are 65) with the controversial midfielder Jody Morris. Controversial to us not just because as his often bad boy in trouble antics but for the unacceptable way he treated City last summer, passing a medical in Cardiff and staying in a luxury hotel, before taking off to sign for Leeds without the decency of telling anyone. City had a few chants for him and it's been perversely gratifying to see him fall further and further down but, without doubt, he was the best player on the pitch today showing how good he can be and running the midfield show on his own.
This is the bit where I tell you all about the match but, honestly, there's so little to report or recount so I'll keep it as brief as I can. The first half was dreadful. City never got near Millwall's goal and until near half-time, Millwall weren't doing anything to ours. They did however have the possession but had no clue themselves and resorted or long ball or high balls and with the understanding and personal performances of Glenn Loovens and Darren Purse getting better each week, it was bread and butter stuff for them, they shone. Loovens in particular seems to have settled and adjusted to the game here. He's no nonsense, he wins the ball, he gets it away and he does it time and again, just what we need.
Millwall did however threaten to break through before the interval but Neil Alexander made two fantastic saves from Barry Hayles when he seem set to score as he forced himself through on goal. Scotland's number 1 did brilliantly and also did likewise with high and low crosses, his handling was excellent too.
The game was drab, the ref was even worse. In a game that had 0-0 all over it and was so drab, I don't think there was one bad challenge all match, he still found reason to book Rhys Weston, Jeff Whitley, Michael Ricketts and Jody Morris in a 15 minute spell, none of them seemed deserved. Do we really want football to be a no contact sport? Jeff Whitley's booking, his 5th of the campaign, means an imminent suspension beckons.
More memorable that the game was the banter and chanting between the fans. Millwall have four double-decker stands, their hardcore as near as possible to us in the top left tier, the other side of the corner flag. City fans taunted them with chants like "you couldn't fill one stand", "half of you are under 12", "you're not famous anymore", "you're not scary anymore" as well as the obligatory "where were you at Ninian Park?",and "Millwall ran from Cardiff"
The Lions responded with three of their spotty kids who presumably had been given the afternoon off by McDonald's banging on the advertising hoardings and the highly original ritual of getting out an inflatable sheep and throwing it around. How they laughed as the ingenuity. After all, we haven't seen that since last away game. "You've only got one sheep" came from the City end as well as hysterics as the Millwall boys didn't seem strong enough to throw it from bottom to top tier. One of their number did make us laugh though with his simulated sex with it. Trouble was, he didn't realise that he was holding it right and you have to stroke their ears to relax them, he failed to get a result! They also spotted Ozzy was back, a City fan with Ozzy Osbourne style hair, so picked on him for a while and he responded to them as well
In fairness to the Millwall boys, you have to respect them for supporting and sticking by their side when there's so many alternatives in London and they were fully participating in the noise and banter, although easily coming off second best, which made the afternoon far more entertaining and provided a good atmosphere. It just doesn't feel intimidating there anymore - inside the stadium anyway - that perhaps is far the better.
Half-time Millwall 0 City 0 ... ... and back to the bar for another pie and pint.
I'd like to say both sides returned with renewed ideas, vigour and a mission to entertain but it would be a lie if I did.
Millwall pushed forward, sent a few balls into and around the City box but there was no end product although Alexander again came to City's rescue making a hat-trick of excellent stops from Barry Hayles. That apart, Millwall fired high or wide and were comprehensively dominated by Purse and Loovens.
Worryingly, against a team who looked like they could be beaten had we showed real ambition or flair, we offered nothing. We have a midfield who work hard but just don't impress. The right side continues to look a problem with left-footed Kevin Cooper continuing to baffle many observers as to what he provides for City and his partnership with Rhys Weston does look a weak spot. Meantime, on the opposite side, we play Jason Koumas wide and fail to get him sufficiently involved. It's not balanced at all and collectively they provided little service or support to Jerome and Ricketts. Mind you, both of them had off days in their few moments in the game, Ricketts looking particularly poor. He laboured and put in a display that made you realise why he'd not scored for 20 months, a contrast to the revitalised player we've watched over the past fortnight.
It was no surprise Alan Lee replaced him for the closing 17 minutes and, with that, came not just City's best spell of the game but our only spell. Lee came on to huge cheers and we all adopted the Alan Lee song which, if you don't know, to the tune of Agadoo goes;
Alan Lee Lee Lee
Won't you score a goal for me
Alan Lee Lee Lee
Won't you score a goal for me
With your right with your left
With your head or with your knee
Alan Lee Lee Lee
Won't you score a goal for me
Simple but effective, it caught on and it was sung continuously until the end. Lee was inspired and sent in City's first shot of the afternoon with less than 15 minutes to go, a left footed volley from the wide angle of the area which flew not too far wide of Andy Marshall's post. A couple of minutes after that, Jeff Whitley had a go from 25 yards, Marshall tipped it over from under his bar. He went out of his way to make it look spectacular and more difficult than it was. Koumas had a free kick 20 yards out, raising hopes of a repeat of Tuesday's spectacular winner but floated a ball in that was cleared.
There were a couple of crosses and corners as City, for once, finished the stronger but having conceded so many late goals, we weren't able to score one and 0-0 it was but not until, seconds before the finish, D'Urso had one last act in him and flashed a second yellow then red at Jody Morris for a challenge from behind on Koumas. Not a bad one, a talking would have done but how enjoyable it was to wave cheerio and paying respects to Jody.
That was it. The players got a great ovation at the end, that's from those of us who managed to stay awake to watch those 90 tedious minutes. Dull game but right result, any point away from home is a good one. Darren Purse came right over to us, applauded and ayatollahed. Purse, a boyhood home and away Millwall fan, then waved to his dad in the top tier of a stand. Good to see the Millwall below abuse him as he did, like it.
We were soon back on coaches and away fairly swiftly too. More great abuse on the streets with the Millwall kids particularly funny. As soon as we hit Blackheath, the police disappeared and we were on our (very) merry way but not merry enough for some of us.
Shortly after this, I realised we'd all had a right good bevvy. The clincher was when we put the dodgiest of free newspaper cd#s on and were singing along with Shirley Bassey. There was no way we were coming straight home.
As if leafy Surrey wasn't enough coming up, we decided to stop on the way back for 90 minutes more entertainment, this time in exclusive looking Hungerford. No sooner had we arrived in the pub than police turned up to say hello, apparently having had reports of football fans running on top of cars. Quickly however they realised we were no danger and directed to pubs and food outlets, the outlets being a kebab van and a Chinese takeaway van. The kebab won it for me, after a few beers worth of preparation. We got back to Cardiff about 10:30pm, Lloydey and myself finishing off the evening with more beer in The Lansdowne - 20 is never enough!
About 4am Sunday morning, as the dodgy van kebab wreaked full revenge, with a banging hazy headache, I realised, despite the poor quality football entertainment, a day like this on the road with City and your mates is still something to savour. This was one of the best of recent times, results always help but, ultimately, it's always the fans who make it most special. I love it.
The Cost of Being A City Fan:
Ticket: £20
Coach: £15
Car to Cardiff: £ 4
Programme: £3
Coach scratchcard: £ 2
Food and drink: £70 - yikes, a lot of beer, buying a round, a couple of pies and a kebab, some other nosh, a go on the fruit machine. A heavy day, no wonder my head was banging all Sunday!
Total Cost: £103
Cost for season to date: £695.
Report from FootyMad
Cardiff stretched their away unbeaten run to four games by holding 10-man Millwall to a dour stalemate at The Den.
In the week which Millwall director Theo Paphitis lauded the Championship as the league for entertainment, fans would have had a right to feel short-changed by the action on offer.
Cardiff, who earned a point in their last away outing in a six-goal thriller against Burnley, were solid in defence but landed just one shot on target against Millwall.
Their best chance fell to defender Jeff Whitley in the 77th minute when he fired in from the edge of the area only for keeper Andy Marshall to palm it over the bar.
And although Millwall, who are enjoying a mini-revival after a dire start to their campaign, looked the more likely to score, they were let down by poor finishing.
David Livermore should have handed the home side the lead with eight minutes on the clock but hacked the ball over the bar from just five yards out.
Barry Hayles was the most dangerous player for the home side and he should have scored in the 36th minute after he beat Darren Purse to fire in from close range.
Three minutes later he drew Cardiff keeper Neil Alexander into a point-blank save but the goal wouldn't have counted anyway as referee Andy D'Urso had already blown for a foul.
Just past the hour mark he sent Alexander diving with a rising drive that went just wide of the far post before he sliced a shot wide late on.
Livermore came close to breaking the deadlock just after the break with a curling free-kick from just outside the area which went into the side netting.
Carl Asaba highlighted Millwall's problem with finishing when he shot over the crossbar after Jamie Vincent had put him through with a ballooning long ball.
D'Urso was eager to reach for his whistle and his card pocket - booking four players before half time.
But one player who bizarrely escaped his attention was Purse, who stuck out an elbow to send Jody Morris sprawling into the dirt in the 33rd minute.
Morris was furious at the decision and made it clear to the referee who booked him for voicing his disapproval.
He was sent off in second-half injury time for a second yellow card.
Matt Lawrence managed to raise a cheer from the sparse crowd when he came on in the second half for his first Millwall appearance since suffering a knee ligament injury five weeks ago.
Extrenal Reports
Wales On Sunday
Western Mail