In MFW’s latest encounter with Nick Hart – creator of the brilliant Achtung! Millwall podcast – we have sensibly put the ball entirely in his court and asked him to give us the lowdown on how things are going down at the New Den.
What follows is enlightening enough for us to allow Nick’s opening remarks about the inverted ageism present on our beloved site to stand, even if only for the reason that he’s spot on in his observations 
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Older readers of this website [and I am going to guess that they are mostly older readers, apologies Martin, it’s just a feeling that I get…] may remember a regular cartoon series of their 1970s youth called Dick Dastardly – Stop That Pigeon. [Oh gawd, Nick’s right. I remember Wacky Races too – Martin]
The basic premise of the show was that the moustache-twirling Millwall-style panto villain Dastardly – accompanied by his endlessly sniggering canine sidekick Muttley and their accompanying ‘Vulture Squadron’ – would engage in First World War style aerial combat with the Premier League’s promotion messenger, the clean-cut Yankee Doodle Pigeon.
Always just on the brink of success, Dick Dastardly would find the promotion pigeon prize elusive. Various aircraft parts would fall off, machine guns would fire the wrong way or biplanes crash into each other at critical moments of aerial fisticuffs.
In the same manner, Millwall’s season has been a slow burn of developing potential toward the top six of the Championship, while various first-choice squad members have fallen by the wayside with injury.
Club captain and defensive lynchpin Shaun Hutchinson has recovered from injury but it remains the treatment room for midfield dynamo Billy Mitchell, attacking left-sided threat Mason Bennett and on-loan utility man Calum Styles.
With a small squad which is such as the Lions’ limited resources can afford, these would [you’d think] be heavy body blows to the club’s promotion hopes. But as is the way of the Lion from Cold Blow Lane to now Zampa Road, we’ve proved to be never more dangerous than when backed into a corner.
Last week saw us take four points from a possible six with a titanic home win over Sheffield United; and then a deeply satisfying late draw against Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, the best [and most dislikeable] side in the league.
On Saturday the lads enjoyed the trip to the romantically named Bet 365 stadium in Stoke where an early goal from Zian Flemming was enough to take all three points. The midweek game against Luton Town saw us pegged back after taking a 2-0 lead, which makes eight points in our last four games.
So buckle up for one of those huge Den atmospheres on Saturday – the visit of Norwich looks like being a big Den occasion!
And it would be the most Millwall-thing-in-the-world to serve up the dampest of damp squibs after the heroics of the last fortnight!***
Truly we are the world’s best underdogs and worst favourites…
I’m pleased to say that after three years of relationship therapy-style ‘finding out about each other’, Gary Rowett and the Millwall support seem to have reached a state of mutual respect.
The scenes in which Rowett took the applause of the travelling support at Loftus Road after our recent win at QPR were heartening to see.
Maybe we’re finally ‘getting’ his cagey and defence-first style of football. Maybe.
Maybe he’s finally ‘getting’ the unique weapon that the Millwall support represents. Maybe.
Players that you should watch out for?
Well, there’s no secret that Zian Flemming has been a creative talisman for us since signing from Fortuna Sittard at the start of the season. Also combining well up front [lately anyway] have been our German forward Andreas Voglsammer and top scorer Tom Bradshaw.
Truth is though that if we’re still in the hunt by 5pm on Saturday March 4, then it will have been a team effort – because we don’t bring the financial wedge to the table for it to be any other way than via hard graft, collective commitment and the raw power of The Den when it’s in full cry.
Can Dick Dastardly’s Millwall Vulture Squadron truly catch the Premier League pigeon?
Can the EFL/PL/Sky military-industrial complex keep their product from the huge bird-dropping splat that Millwall landing in the Premier League would represent?
Can we keep our wings, engine, and sufficient fuel in the tank to avoid the traditional mid-air collision that the Lions traditionally cause?
Tune in tomorrow and find out…
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*** We have those too Nick. We call them Along Come Norwich moments or ACN for short. This trait even has an NCFC fansite named after them!
Thanks for your help as always mate.
This is the Millwall choir in full voice during a game against local South East London rivals Charlton Athletic. Yes, they were the away team that day!
And for the benefit of any younger Norwich supporters who have stumbled across MFW by accident, this is Dastardly and Muttley in full effect:
Marty, I preferred Dick and Muttley‘s dastardly deeds in Wacky Races but then that would cast us as Penelope Pitstop who didn‘t win as regularly as the pigeon. Either way those nasty Millwall Lions have cleaned up their act as the poorman‘s Leeds (of old) and now rely on a less brutal and more skilful style of football. Which makes them more difficult to handle. I think the result will depend on who scores first, we will let in a silly goal at some stage of the game, hopefully after we‘ve taken the lead, so score first we draw or win, otherwise we lose.
Hiya Cutty
I think you’re quite right about Millwall – without having seen every game, I don’t think anybody has had an easy time against them so far this season.
That silly goal is bound to happen and Millwall will be ready to snap it up.
btw I had you down as more of an Arkansas Chuggabug man meself 🙂
Cheers
With our American connections, we could have been the Arkansas Chutterbug.
Hi Bernie
At least Attanasio doesn’t appear to have redneck credentials!
Cheers
Hi Martin.
Dick Dastardly true identity Terry Thomas, Cold Blow Lane always sent shivers down your spine as an away supporter back in the 70’s and every team that was visiting knew what they were infor the real Good, Bad and Ugly guys of the NF.
Currently owned by an American who isn’t short of a few green backs but like our owners prefer to keep them in his pocket and wants the lub to be self financing and with Gary Rowett he has a manager who’s use to working in a tight financial area and sustaining the championship ideals.
Could Millwall go up just maybe? Could they do a Wimbledon and the crazy gang or turn out to be the next Brentford, Gary Rowett could possibly build a Premiership team given time, and as we all know that league doesn’t give you time.
Hopefully, I might find the game somewhere to view it but will not hold my breath, but as the doom predictor one David Prutton say below city will not take the points.
Norwich are lurking over their shoulders. They have impressed in spells under David Wagner, but I feel like they’re going to come up a little short at The Den.
Prediction: 2-1
Hi Alex
I think many of us will be rooting for Millwall if they somehow DO manage to go up.
Like you say Rowett has played a good hand with what he’s been dealt and there’s no reason to believe our £££ circs will be any better than Millwall’s in the summer.
*Thanks* for telling us all what Prutton reckons. He might well be right on this occasion but I never voluntarily read what he has to say.
Cheers
I’m not sure who we’ve got to ‘play’ Mutley but we’ve seen a few Dick Darstardly’s in our time. Loved the clips, Muttley’s laugh still priceless! Thanks for the memory Martin.
I’ve always had a reluctant admiration for Millwall F C probably born out of their local fan base and a feeling of ‘Us against the world’ mentality. In my mid to late teens, early 70’s, they had 2 players who for some reason I liked, Derek Posse & Barry Bridges. anyone remember them? I also went to the old Den, (an unforgettable experience).
IMO any points gained on Saturday will be a bonus, contrasting styles for certain. We are six games unbeaten against them, lucky 7?
I remember Bridges, Colin, he was a Norfolk boy who played for Chelsea, and played for England in the run-up to the ’66 World Cup.
Possee, I’ve heard the name but can’t remember the player.
We’re going pretty well, any points gained on Saturday will be deserved, and will be the result of the team being efficient and taking their chances,
I remember Possee and I think his midfield partner in crime back then was one Keith Weller?
Keith Weller yes, we’re he and Posse both ex Tottenham players?
They sure were. I had a quick Wiki and both were Tottenham trainees who played about 20 times each for Spurs before being sold to Millwall around 1967.
Hi Colin
I’m the same as you in that I respect Millwall too for exactly the same reasons.
As Nick H wrote I cannot think of a better club than them to upset the PL applecart and I would love the elite to have a new club to hate instead of us!
Incredibly I don’t think they’ve lost at home since September, which kind of shows the magnitude of our task.
I know David Wagner has a dog, we’ve got a Patterdale and a Russell who would make good DMs, Don Harold has an experienced border collie who could run the show and Bernie Owen has three Chihuahuas in the family for a bit of Latin flair.
Whether any of these would be any good at playing Muttley I somewhat doubt!
Cheers
I suspect Iwan the Pit-bull chuckled in Mutley fashion as he walked away after ‘paying back’ the Muscat all those years ago🤣.
Barry Bridges, one of our own, though never played for us. Chelsea and England as well as Millwall, he was my milkman when I moved back here from Harlow in 1978. I believe he later went on to run a newsagent in Earlham. Just shows the difference between then and now – can’t see Harry Kane doing a milk round!
And for Nick Hart’s information, some of oldies on MFW were way past our teens when Dastedly and Muttley hit our screens in the 70s (but I did enjoy the program just the same!)
Hi Jim
Barry Bridges’ newsagents was indeed in Earlham, actually in the Earlham Centre itself. I’ve not been there for about 10 years but the shop was still trading under that name then.
I’m not sure but I think he might have had the shop bang on top of Carrow Road too for a while [the one near the locksmiths].
Cheers
Hi Martin a tough game tomorrow as always there tomorrow would take a point now but such is the fragile state of our defence sort of expecting a 20 loss but you never know . I see we are taken a healthy 3000 tomorrow great turnout see there are no trains tomorrow hope that doesn’t mean the windscreen people are busy especially if we do nick a win keep well mate .
Hi Kev
Yes 3,000 fans are showing great dedication in the face of serious transport issues.
Millwall had just a few tickets left this morning so as befits such a game it looks likely to be sold out.
I’d take a point too, believe me.
Cheers
Hearing the EFL/PL/Sky described as a “…military-industrial complex…” has given me a long, deep inhalation of breath, although its not difficult to imagine those three organisms in that manner given the way most clubs in the land have seen their fixture lists decimated to suit them.
Norwich are good box-office when we’re ‘on the up’, and Millwall have put some very good shifts in this season, this would have been a good match for one of the afore-mentioned to cover.
Millwall always get that little club billing and yet they discovered the immense talents of Cascarino, Sheringham, Cahill, and played host to that cheeky chappie Dennis Wise when he eventually left the big time behind.
I think we can do well at the New Den and against Sunderland if we bring out our ‘A-game’. Effectively both teams are playing for a top six position, so it should be a very competitive match!
COYYs !
PS – lets hope Millwall play Wily Coyote to our Roadrunner!
Or Tom to our Jerry 🙂
Hi Kev
*Hearing the EFL/PL/Sky described as a “…military-industrial complex…” has given me a long, deep inhalation of breath, although its not difficult to imagine those three organisms in that manner given the way most clubs in the land have seen their fixture lists decimated to suit them.*
Nick H sure does have a way with words!
Bizarrely my first thoughts when I first read his comment were of the film Metropolis and the music of Rammstein ad I still haven’t changed my mind.
Cascarino and Sheringham bring a few memories for me too, but I’d completely forgotten that Dennis Wise played for them.
Cheers
😂 us old wags at the EDP used to call a certain former NCFC director Dick Dastardly.
Hi Chris
I’ve got a pretty fair idea which one !!!
Cheers
🙂