The Dockers Derby between West Ham and Millwall is a game like no other.

Unparalleled to any other rivalry due to its certainty for extreme violence, a match between these two London clubs is safely regarded as one of the biggest football derbies in the world.

The animosity between the two sets of fans is quite incredible as genuine hatred is obvious.

The Den is a well known ground because of its history and hostility, and that’s without playing West Ham.

In a bid to understand the true meaning of what it is like to travel to The Den from a West Ham fans perspective, season-ticket holder Matt recalls his trip to Millwall in 1990 as a teenager…

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On a Saturday afternoon in 1990, Millwall hosted West Ham in what transpired to be a typically feisty affair on and off the pitch.

As a young fan going to his first Dockers Derby, Matt firstly recollected “the sound of glass smashing house and car windows” and that despite the police presence being huge, fans had “overturned a Police van” and began jumping up and down on it in celebration.

As he and the 8,000 other travelling West Ham fans made their way into the Den, Matt spoke of the atmosphere being “electric”.

“Inside the ground, the atmosphere was electric. Every time we (West Ham) received the ball, loud boos rang around the ground, which made it a really intimidating atmosphere and one certainly not for the faint hearted for either players or fans.”

The game itself, was an exciting one as well. After Millwall took the lead through Paul Stephenson midway through the first half, West Ham fans really made themselves heard trying to support their team on towards an equaliser.

When the Hammers did get back into the game through Frank McAvennie, Matt describes the away end “erupting”.

“All fans surged towards the fence which was only a couple of meters away from the pitch.

I saw a fellow fan trying to find his glasses which had been crushed in the melee. He eventually found them and even though both lenses were missing, he didn’t care!”

The game finishes 1-1, a favourable result for the police and taking into consideration that  West Ham were losing, the result was a reasonable one for Matt as well.

It was then over an hour later until the away fans were let out of The Den, before they made their way to the train station.

“As I am walking through the street to return to the tube station, the police are only allowing so many fans to enter the station. After moans and groans, a small crush ensues on a wall just before the station. At this point, I am crushed against the wall thinking at least, I’m going to break my leg, before I someone managed to wriggle out!”

Once on the platform, it was a Green Street type scene that Matt described, with the two sets of supporters on either side of the tracks as the songs and taunts then resumed…