West Ham United and Millwall share one of English football’s oldest London rivalries, with roots stretching back to the industrial communities of East London at the end of the 19th century.
The rivalry has become particularly notable because competitive meetings have been rare in the modern era.
That changes in 2026/27.
West Ham travel to The Den on Saturday 19 September 2026 at 12.30pm, before Millwall visit London Stadium on Sunday 21 February 2027 at 12 noon.
The September fixture will be the first competitive meeting between the clubs since West Ham’s 2-1 Championship victory at the Boleyn Ground in February 2012. West Ham have confirmed the away game will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, ITV1 and ITVX.
Last updated: 3 September 2026
When do West Ham play Millwall next?
The next West Ham vs Millwall match is:
Millwall vs West Ham United
Competition: EFL Championship
Date: Saturday 19 September 2026
Kick-off: 12.30pm BST
Venue: The Den
UK TV: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, ITV1 and ITVX
West Ham’s allocation of 1,774 away tickets has already sold out to eligible Bondholders, Away Scheme Members and Season Ticket Holders with sufficient Priority Points. The club has also confirmed there will be no official coach service for the fixture.
The return match is scheduled for:
West Ham vs Millwall
Date: Sunday 21 February 2027
Kick-off: 12 noon
Venue: London Stadium
Supporters can follow all confirmed dates through our West Ham fixtures and results Page.
Why are West Ham and Millwall rivals?
The rivalry developed from the clubs’ shared East London industrial roots, geographical proximity and frequent early meetings.
Millwall were founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885 by workers from J.T. Morton’s canning and preserve factory on the Isle of Dogs.
Ten years later, Thames Ironworks FC, the club that eventually became West Ham United, was formed around the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company in Canning Town.
Both clubs therefore emerged from working communities close to London’s docks.
West Ham’s official history records that Thames Ironworks were already attracting large crowds for matches against Millwall by the end of the 1890s. Around 13,000 watched an FA Cup meeting during the 1899/1900 season, while another 12,000 attended a league match between the clubs.
That is important because it shows the rivalry was established very early in both clubs’ histories.
Millwall later moved south of the River Thames, eventually settling at The Den in 1910, but the competitive and supporter rivalry remained.
Is the West Ham-Millwall rivalry really about dock workers?
The industrial background is real.
Both clubs originated around working communities connected to the Thames and London’s docks.
However, some of the more dramatic explanations repeated online about individual dock strikes or specific groups of workers creating the rivalry should be treated carefully unless they are backed by reliable historical evidence.
The stronger historical explanation is simpler:
two nearby football clubs with industrial East London roots began playing each other regularly at a time when local football rivalries were developing rapidly.
Those repeated matches, geographical identity and generations of supporter rivalry gradually turned West Ham against Millwall into something much bigger than an ordinary London fixture.
Our broader West Ham history Page covers the origins of Thames Ironworks and the club’s development into West Ham United.
West Ham’s first years against Millwall
The rivalry actually predates the West Ham United name.
Thames Ironworks faced Millwall before the club was reformed as West Ham United in 1900.
West Ham’s official history records that when the new West Ham United began its first season in September 1900, one of its earliest matches was an away game against Millwall Athletic.
West Ham lost 3-1 in front of around 10,000 spectators.
The clubs continued meeting frequently in the Southern League.
These early fixtures helped establish a rivalry long before either club became associated with modern league football.
Millwall were West Ham’s first opponents at the Boleyn Ground
One of the most important matches in the rivalry came on 1 September 1904.
West Ham had just moved into the ground that would become known as the Boleyn Ground.
Their first opponents there were Millwall.
West Ham won 3-0, with teenager Billy Bridgeman scoring twice in front of a crowd of 12,000.
West Ham now lists the match among the greatest games in the club’s history because it marked the beginning of more than a century at the Boleyn Ground.
That connection gives Millwall an unusual place in West Ham history even beyond the rivalry itself.
How often have West Ham and Millwall played each other?
Much more frequently historically than in recent decades.
West Ham and Millwall were regular opponents during their Southern League years and later met repeatedly in the old Second Division.
The fixtures became far less common as the clubs spent long periods in different divisions.
Historical databases can produce slightly different overall totals depending on whether they include the Thames Ironworks era, early Southern League matches and particular competition classifications.
For that reason, this Page should avoid presenting one unexplained all-time number as definitive.
What is certain is that competitive meetings became extremely rare after the early 1990s.
Recent West Ham vs Millwall meetings
The most recent competitive meetings before 2026/27 came in the Championship and League Cup.
| Date | Fixture | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb 2012 | West Ham vs Millwall | Championship | West Ham 2-1 Millwall |
| 17 Sep 2011 | Millwall vs West Ham | Championship | 0-0 |
| 25 Aug 2009 | West Ham vs Millwall | League Cup | West Ham 3-1 Millwall AET |
| 16 Apr 2005 | West Ham vs Millwall | Championship | 1-1 |
| 21 Nov 2004 | Millwall vs West Ham | Championship | Millwall 1-0 West Ham |
| 21 Mar 2004 | Millwall vs West Ham | Division One | Millwall 4-1 West Ham |
| 28 Sep 2003 | West Ham vs Millwall | Division One | 1-1 |
The historical match record shows just how unusual the 2026/27 meetings are compared with the early years of the rivalry.
West Ham’s last win over Millwall
West Ham’s most recent competitive match against Millwall came on 4 February 2012.
It produced one of the more memorable modern victories in the fixture.
Kevin Nolan was sent off after only nine minutes, leaving Sam Allardyce’s side to play more than 80 minutes with ten men.
Carlton Cole nevertheless put West Ham ahead just before half-time.
Liam Trotter equalised for Millwall after 66 minutes, but Winston Reid scored the winner three minutes later to secure a 2-1 victory.
The result kept West Ham top of the Championship and Allardyce described it afterwards as one of the best victories of his managerial career.
West Ham eventually won promotion through the play-offs that season.
What happened at The Den in 2011?
The first Championship meeting of 2011/12 finished 0-0 at The Den.
West Ham had chances to win, including a major opportunity for David Bentley late in the match, but neither side found a breakthrough.
The attendance was 16,078.
That means West Ham’s September 2026 visit will be their first competitive trip to The Den in 15 years.
That should make the fixture one of the biggest Championship matchdays of West Ham’s season.
The controversial 2009 League Cup meeting
West Ham and Millwall were drawn together in the League Cup in August 2009 after several years without a competitive meeting.
West Ham eventually won 3-1 after extra time at the Boleyn Ground.
The football itself was overshadowed by serious crowd disorder inside and outside the stadium, including pitch invasions and violence around the ground.
It remains one of the most widely remembered modern meetings, but it should not define the entire rivalry.
The rivalry existed for more than a century before that match and has a much deeper football and social history.
There is little value in romanticising disorder when discussing why the fixture matters.
Why are West Ham vs Millwall matches so rare?
Simply because the clubs have usually played in different divisions.
West Ham spent much of the modern era in the Premier League, while Millwall have predominantly competed further down the Football League structure.
That removed the annual league meetings that maintain many other London rivalries.
Cup draws occasionally provided a route back to the fixture, as happened in 2009.
West Ham’s relegation into the Championship for 2026/27 has now reunited the clubs in league competition.
That makes this season unusual.
West Ham and Millwall will play twice in the league for the first time since 2011/12.
How does Millwall compare with West Ham’s other rivalries?
West Ham have several significant London rivalries.
Tottenham and Chelsea have been far more regular opponents during the modern era.
Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Brentford, Charlton and QPR also form part of West Ham’s wider London derby history.
But Millwall is different because of:
- the age of the rivalry;
- both clubs’ industrial origins;
- their early geographical connection;
- the rarity of modern meetings;
- generations of supporter history surrounding the fixture.
Our broader West Ham rivalries Page compares Millwall with Tottenham, Chelsea and the club’s other London opponents.
This Page should remain specifically focused on Millwall.
West Ham vs Millwall tickets
Tickets for this fixture should always be checked through official club channels.
For the September 2026 game at The Den, West Ham received 1,774 tickets.
The allocation sold out to Bondholders, Away Scheme Members and Season Ticket Holders with 36+ Priority Points.
Away prices ranged from £36 to £38 for adults, depending on the tier, with concessionary prices available.
Because ticket arrangements can change significantly between fixtures, this Page should link to our permanent West Ham tickets guide rather than attempting to become a complete ticketing resource itself.
How to watch Millwall vs West Ham in September 2026
The Championship game at The Den has been selected for live television.
It will be available in the UK on:
Sky Sports Main Event
Sky Sports Football
ITV1
ITVX
Kick-off is at 12.30pm BST on Saturday 19 September.
A separate match-specific TV article should still be published closer to the fixture because that targets the immediate Millwall vs West Ham TV channel query.
This evergreen Page should simply retain the confirmed current information.
West Ham vs Millwall FAQ
Why do West Ham and Millwall hate each other?
The rivalry developed through geographical proximity, the industrial East London origins of both clubs, frequent early matches and generations of supporter competition.
The historical relationship is more complicated than any single incident or story.
When did West Ham first play Millwall?
The rivalry dates back to the Thames Ironworks era before West Ham United was formed in 1900.
West Ham United itself faced Millwall during its first season in 1900/01.
When did West Ham last play Millwall?
Before 2026/27, the most recent competitive meeting was 4 February 2012, when West Ham won 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground.
When do West Ham play Millwall next?
West Ham travel to The Den on Saturday 19 September 2026 at 12.30pm.
Millwall then visit London Stadium on Sunday 21 February 2027 at 12 noon.
When did West Ham last win at Millwall?
West Ham’s historical record includes numerous victories at Millwall, but the Hammers did not win on their most recent trip in September 2011, which finished 0-0.
The September 2026 match will therefore provide the opportunity to record the first away victory in this fixture for many years.
What was the last West Ham vs Millwall score?
West Ham won 2-1 in February 2012.
Carlton Cole and Winston Reid scored for West Ham after Kevin Nolan had been sent off early in the game.
Is Millwall West Ham’s biggest rival?
Many West Ham supporters regard Millwall as the club’s fiercest historical rivalry, although Tottenham and Chelsea have been much more frequent modern opponents.
Our wider West Ham rivalries guide examines those relationships separately.
Why 2026/27 revives the rivalry
For an entire generation of younger supporters, West Ham against Millwall has existed largely through stories, old footage and family memories.
That changes this season.
The two clubs will meet twice in competitive league football.
The first is at The Den in September.
The second will be the first West Ham-Millwall competitive match at London Stadium when Millwall visit in February.
For West Ham, those fixtures also matter beyond the rivalry.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are trying to win promotion back to the Premier League, so six Championship points are ultimately at stake.
The history makes the occasion unusual.
The promotion campaign makes the result important.
