132-568: Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional football manager , pundit and former footballer . He was most recently the head coach of Blackpool . McCarthy began his playing career at Barnsley in 1977, and he later had spells at Manchester City , Celtic , Lyon , and finally Millwall , retiring in 1992. Born and raised in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland , for whom he earned 57 caps and played at UEFA Euro 1988 and
264-516: A Football League War Cup final at Wembley Stadium against Chelsea , but because it was a wartime cup final it is not acknowledged in the record books. With the war in Europe in its last days, the number of spectators allowed to attend games was relaxed. The attendance was 90,000, the largest crowd Millwall have ever played in front of, which included King George VI , whom the team were introduced to before kick-off. The loss of so many young men during
396-434: A rampant lion since 1936, which was also introduced by Charlie Hewitt. There have been many variations of the lion; the first was a single red lion, often mistakenly said to be chosen because of the club's Scottish roots. The lion bore a striking resemblance to signs used by pubs named The Red Lion. From 1956 to 1974 Millwall's crest was two leaping red lions facing each other. Former chairman Theo Paphitis brought back
528-653: A 0–0 draw in Georgia , followed by defeat in Switzerland, left Ireland needing a win at home to Denmark to secure a top two spot. A 1–1 draw saw the Irish needing to win the play-offs to qualify. On 4 April 2020, amid the global coronavirus pandemic , McCarthy stood down as manager and was immediately replaced by Stephen Kenny , who had been in charge of the nation's under-21s , for the play-offs. McCarthy joined Cypriot First Division club APOEL as manager on 2 November 2020; he signed
660-482: A 0–2 defeat. After two narrow failures to qualify for the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 , McCarthy took the nation to the 2002 World Cup held in South Korea and Japan after a 2–1 play-off aggregate win against Iran . Before the tournament, McCarthy was involved in a very public and bitter spat with star player Roy Keane , who was sent home the day before it began. The conflict occurred after Keane had questioned
792-559: A 1–0 win for Millwall at the Valley. Since their first competitive game in 1921, Millwall have won 37, drawn 26 and lost 12. The Lions are unbeaten in their last twelve games against Charlton, spanning 24 years, where they have won seven and drawn five. The Addicks last win came in March 1996 at The Valley. The Lions last played against fellow South East London club Crystal Palace in the 2021–22 season in an FA Cup tie at The Den, which resulted in
924-554: A 1–0 win in the 2010 League One play-off final against Swindon Town , securing a return to the Football League Championship after a four-year absence. Millwall's first game back in the Championship was a 3–0 away win at Bristol City . The game had been much hyped due to City's signing of then-England goalkeeper David James . Only days after the defeat, Steve Coppell resigned as City manager. The Lions celebrated
1056-578: A 3–1 home defeat to Cardiff the previous day. He achieved two wins in his 14 games in charge, losing nine of them, which left the club in 23rd. "With results on the pitch not improving in recent weeks, the decision has been agreed by both parties that a change is needed," the club said in a statement. McCarthy's brother-in-law is Robert Elstone , formerly Chief Executive of Everton . Barnsley Manchester City Celtic Individual Sunderland Wolverhampton Wanderers Individual Manager (association football) In association football ,
1188-664: A 4–0 win at Sheffield Wednesday , the Lions' largest away win in the second tier for 22 years. After a 2–0 home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday, and just four wins in 19 games, Edwards was sacked by Millwall on 21 February 2024. He was replaced by former player and record club goalscorer Neil Harris , his third spell in charge of the Lions. On 15 June 2024, the club's first-choice goalkeeper Matija Sarkic died while on international duty with Montenegro . Millwall's traditional kit has predominantly consisted of blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks throughout their 125-year history. For
1320-474: A 4–2 away defeat to Russia and a 2–1 home defeat to Switzerland . Under mounting pressure, McCarthy resigned from the post on 5 November 2002. During his 68 games in charge, the Republic of Ireland won 29, drew 20 and lost 19. On 12 March 2003, McCarthy was appointed manager of struggling Sunderland as an immediate replacement for Howard Wilkinson , who was sacked after six successive Premiership defeats left
1452-474: A Football League record, which they hold jointly with York City and Reading . Millwall became known as a hard-fighting Cup team and competed in various memorable matches, notably defeating three-time league winners and reigning champions Huddersfield Town 3–1 in the third round of the 1926–27 FA Cup . In the 1927–28 season Millwall won the Third Division South title and scored 87 goals at home in
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#17331148600331584-677: A better playing surface for the 1886–87 season, at the rear of the Lord Nelson pub and it became known as the Lord Nelson Ground . In November 1886, the East End Football Association was formed, along with the Senior Cup Competition. Millwall made it to the final against London Caledonians, which was played at Leyton Cricket Ground . The match finished 2–2 and the teams shared the cup for six months each. Millwall won
1716-484: A contract until 2022. He was sacked by the club on 5 January 2021 following a run of 2 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats in his 8 games in charge. On 22 January 2021, McCarthy was appointed as manager of Cardiff City , following the sacking of Neil Harris . He signed a contract until the end of the season. His reign started with games against two of his former teams from his playing-days; Barnsley and Millwall – both of which ended as draws. His first win as Cardiff manager came in
1848-505: A crowd of 45,646. Millwall suffered the ill fortune of becoming a founding member of Division Four in 1958. While initially suffering from this reorganisation, the de-regionalisation of Third Division North and Third Division South opened up the way for promotion via the runner up spots. Millwall won the Division Four Title in 1962 with the help of 23 Goals from Peter Burridge and 22 from Dave Jones . They were relegated again in
1980-533: A fierce rivalry with Leeds United . The rivalry between the teams is intensified by both clubs' passionate fans and association with football hooliganism . The clubs' two hooligan firms , the Leeds United Service Crew and the Millwall Bushwackers , were notorious in the 1970s and 80s for their violence, being called "dirty Leeds" and "the scourge of football" respectively. From 1920 to 2003
2112-477: A former captain of West Ham United , their biggest rival . Club record goalscorer Neil Harris returned to Millwall for a third time as a coach on 23 June 2013 after retiring as a player through injury. Millwall sacked Lomas on 26 December 2013, after winning only five of his first 22 games in charge. Harris and youth team coach Scott Fitzgerald took over as joint caretaker-managers. The club appointed Ian Holloway as their new manager on 6 January 2014, with
2244-464: A further two seasons, with the option to extend until 2020. McCarthy led Ipswich to a 7th-place finish in his third full season at Portman Road. McCarthy's fourth full season in charge ended in a 16th-place finish. On 29 March 2018, Ipswich Town announced that McCarthy would be leaving the club at the end of the 2017–18 season on the expiry of his contract, along with assistant manager Terry Connor, after talks with owner Marcus Evans. His final season with
2376-470: A goal for the first time since the 1925–26 season . Millwall made it to the League One play-off final at Wembley for the second successive year, after beating Scunthorpe United 3–2 in the semi-final. They were promoted back to the Championship following a 1–0 playoff final victory over Bradford City , thanks to an 85th-minute winner from Steve Morison , his 86th goal for the club. In Millwall's return to
2508-424: A half years at the club, managing 248 games. On 21 October 2019, Harris was replaced by former Stoke City boss Gary Rowett . Rowett inspired a dramatic upturn in form; losing only two matches of his first 15 league games, which saw the 2019–20 season end in an 8th-placed finish, just two points off the play-offs. Rowett guided the club to a mid-table 11th place in his second season in charge. This season marked
2640-639: A manager after a 1–1 draw at his hometown club Barnsley . He won the Championship Manager of the Season Award at the conclusion of the campaign, his side having led the table for 42 of 46 games. The following season, McCarthy kept Wolves in the Premier League, his first success at this level in three attempts. The club assured safety with two games to spare, eventually finishing 15th, their best league finish since 1979–80, and their first ever survival in
2772-435: A manager. He took the club to the play-offs in 1993–94 after a strong third-place finish, but they lost out to Derby County in the semi-finals. During the 1995–96 season, McCarthy became the prime candidate for the vacant Republic of Ireland manager's job, after the resignation of Jack Charlton . After a protracted period of speculation, McCarthy was officially appointed on 5 February 1996, two days after his resignation at
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#17331148600332904-588: A person may fill both these roles. While the first team coach in football is usually an assistant to the manager who actually holds the real power, the North American–style general manager and head coach have clearly distinct areas of responsibilities. For example, a typical European football manager has the final say on in-game decisions (including player line-ups), and off-the-field and roster management decisions (including contract negotiations). In North American sports, those duties would be handled separately by
3036-405: A player, selling George Saville to Middlesbrough for £8 million. On 3 October 2019, Neil Harris resigned as Millwall manager with the club sitting in 18th place with two wins from their first ten Championship games. Harris led Millwall to Wembley twice, with one promotion, and to two FA Cup quarter-finals during his tenure. He was the Lions fifth longest-serving manager, having spent four and
3168-518: A poor season and with the club 16 points from safety with only 10 games remaining, he was dismissed on 6 March 2006. On 21 July 2006, McCarthy was appointed manager at Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers , replacing Glenn Hoddle who had resigned a fortnight earlier. He signed a 12-month rolling contract The team managed to make the promotion play-offs in his first season, where they lost out to local rivals West Bromwich Albion over two legs, losing 3–2 at Molineux and 1–0 at The Hawthorns . In
3300-566: A television pundit and commentator , including for the BBC and Virgin Media Television . Born in Barnsley , Yorkshire , McCarthy made his league debut for then-Fourth Division Barnsley on 20 August 1977 in a 4–0 win over Rochdale . He spent two years in the basement league, before the club won promotion. Two years later, the team again went up to the (old) Division 2. A strong central defender, he
3432-462: A tie blighted by crowd trouble. McCarthy resigned to take charge of the Republic of Ireland national team on 5 February 1996, shortly after Millwall had been knocked off the top of the Division One table by Sunderland, following a 6–0 defeat. Jimmy Nicholl of Raith Rovers was appointed as McCarthy's replacement, but could not reverse the slump in form which saw Millwall relegated at the end of
3564-744: A timberyard. Millwall Athletic reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1900 and 1903 , and were also champions of the Western Football League in 1908 and 1909. On 10 October 1910, Millwall played their last game as an East London club against Woolwich Arsenal in the London Challenge Cup. Millwall won the game 1–0 in front of a crowd of 3000. Millwall moved to a new stadium, named The Den , in New Cross , South East London in 1910. The club had previously occupied four different grounds in
3696-583: A two-year contract following some progress in the latter half of 2006-07 which had seen the club climb to 11th place in the league. Before Donachie took charge, Millwall had taken only six points from their first ten games. In the 2007–08 season Millwall sat bottom of the table at the beginning of October. Donachie was sacked on 8 October, with Richard Shaw and Colin West becoming caretaker managers. In March 2007, Chestnut Hill Ventures, led by American and future chairman John Berylson , invested £5 million into
3828-517: A working relationship with the new chairman. Former Millwall striker Steve Claridge was announced as the new player-manager of Millwall. However, when Burnige then stepped down just two months after taking up the post, it was announced on 27 July that Claridge had been sacked after just 36 days, without ever taking charge of the team in a competitive match. Former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Colin Lee replaced him but lasted only five months in charge of
3960-464: Is almost exclusively used in British football . In other European countries and rest of the world in which professional football is played, the person responsible for the direction of a team is awarded the position of coach or "trainer" is known as head coach . For instance, despite the general equivalence in responsibilities, Lee Carsley is referred to as the manager of England , and Julian Nagelsmann
4092-484: Is described as the head coach of Germany . Germany also has a team manager role that is subordinate to the head coach and is currently held by Rudi Völler . The responsibilities of a European football manager or head coach tend to be divided up in North American professional sports, where the teams usually have a separate general manager and head coach (known as a field manager in baseball), although occasionally
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4224-418: The 1963–64 season , but were to bounce back by winning back-to-back promotions as runner up. This is the last time Millwall played in the fourth tier. Later in the decade, Millwall established a record of 59 home games without defeat (43 wins and 16 draws) from 22 August 1964 to 14 January 1967. During this spell, Millwall played 55 different teams, kept 35 clean sheets, scored 112 goals and conceded 33. This
4356-577: The 1990 FIFA World Cup . McCarthy managed Millwall and then the Republic of Ireland. He guided the country to the knockout stage of the last 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup . He later managed Sunderland , Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town . McCarthy began a second tenure as manager of the Republic of Ireland national team in November 2018, leaving after having guided the team to a UEFA Euro 2020 playoff place. He then had brief spells at Cypriot club APOEL , Cardiff City and Blackpool. He has also been
4488-406: The 1995–96 season in 22nd place. Just five months earlier they had been top of Division One, but now Millwall found themselves in the third tier for the 1996–97 season . The club experienced severe financial difficulties that resulted in them being placed in financial administration for a short time. Nicholl was relieved of his duties and John Docherty returned on a short-term basis to stabilise
4620-466: The 1999 Football League Trophy Final with a golden goal win against Gillingham in the semi-finals, and a 2–1 aggregate victory over Walsall in the regional final. They faced Wigan Athletic in the final but, while playing in front of 49,000 of their own fans, lost 1–0 to an injury-time goal. Millwall finished 5th and lost 1–0 on aggregate to Wigan in the Second Division play-off semi-finals of
4752-485: The 1999–2000 season , their third play-off semi-final loss. Mark McGhee was named as Millwall's new manager for the 2000–01 season in September 2000, and eight months later the club won promotion as Division Two champions. They finished with 93 points, a club record, with striker Neil Harris winning the golden boot with 27 league goals. Winning the first match of the 2001–02 season 4–0 at home to Norwich City set
4884-409: The 2004–05 UEFA Cup , Millwall lost 4–2 on aggregate in the first round proper to Hungarian champions Ferencváros , with Wise scoring both Millwall's goals. In 2005, Theo Paphitis announced that he was stepping down as chairman of the club with Jeff Burnige to replace him from May 2005. At the end of the 2004–05 season , manager Dennis Wise announced that he was leaving as he was unable to form
5016-498: The 2007–08 season he took the club to within a single placing of a successive play-off finish, ending seventh, losing the coveted sixth place to Watford by a goal difference of only one. The campaign had also seen him linked with the international positions of South Korea and his previous post as Republic of Ireland manager. The 2008–09 season started well for McCarthy as he won the August Championship Manager of
5148-668: The 2008–09 season ; where the teams were vying for promotion to the Championship , culminating in Millwall knocking Leeds out of the League One playoffs at the semi-final stage . In 43 games between the two clubs since 1931, Millwall and Leeds are tied with 19 wins each, with five drawn. Millwall are closest in proximity to Charlton Athletic , with The Den and The Valley being less than four miles (6.4 km) apart. They last met in July 2020,
5280-490: The Football League Group Cup in 1983 , and were Football League Trophy finalists in 1999 . Millwall's supporters have often been associated with hooliganism , with numerous films made fictionalising their notoriety. The fans are renowned for their terrace chant " No one likes us, we don't care ". Millwall have a long-standing rivalry with Premier League side West Ham United . The local derby between
5412-464: The Isle of Dogs in 1910. From then until 1993, the club played at what is now called The Old Den in New Cross , before moving to its current home stadium nearby, called The Den . The traditional club crest is a rampant lion , referred to in the team's nickname The Lions . Millwall's traditional kit consists of dark blue shirts, white shorts, and blue socks. Millwall was one of the founding members of
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5544-564: The Millwall area of the Isle of Dogs in London's East End in 1885. J.T. Morton was founded in Aberdeen in 1849 to supply sailing ships with food, the company opened their first English cannery and food processing plant at Millwall dock in 1872 and attracted a workforce from across the country, including the east coast of Scotland, primarily Dundee . The club secretary was 17-year-old Jasper Sexton,
5676-505: The Second Division play-offs . Rioch left Millwall in 1992 to be succeeded by Irish defender Mick McCarthy . McCarthy guided Millwall to third place in the new Division One at the end of the 1993–94 season . This was their first season at a new ground, at first known as The New Den (to distinguish it from its predecessor) but now called simply The Den , which was opened by the Labour party leader John Smith on 4 August 1993. The new ground
5808-518: The Southern League in 1894. They competed in it for 22 seasons until 1920, claiming the title twice in 1895 and 1896 . Since joining the Football League in the 1920–21 season , the club have been promoted 11 times (five times as champions in 1928 , 1938 , 1962 , 1988 , and 2001 ) and relegated nine times. They have spent 91 of their 98 seasons in the Football League yo-yoing between
5940-419: The manager is the person who has overall responsibility for the running of a football team . They have wide-ranging responsibilities, including selecting the team, choosing the tactics, recruiting and transferring players, negotiating player contracts, and speaking to the media. In professional football, a manager is usually appointed by and answerable to the club's board of directors, but at an amateur level
6072-411: The 125th anniversary of the club on 2 October 2010, which was the closest home game date to the first fixture Millwall ever played against Fillebrook on 3 October 1885. Millwall drew 1–1 with Burnley and wore a special one-off kit for the game, made by manufacturers Macron , which bore the names of every footballer who had played for the club. Prior to the start of the 2011-12 season , Neil Harris left
6204-528: The 1970s. Millwall's fiercest rival is West Ham United. It is one of the most passionately contested local derbies in football. The two clubs have rarely met in recent years due to them playing in different leagues; the majority of their meetings happened before the First World War, with some 60 meetings between 1899 and 1915. The clubs have played 99 times since the first contest in 1899. Millwall have won 38, drawn 27 and lost 34. Despite violence between
6336-652: The 1990 tournament. In total, McCarthy won 57 caps for the Republic of Ireland; scoring two goals, one against Yugoslavia in April 1988, the other against the United States in May 1992. McCarthy became player-manager at Millwall in March 1992, succeeding Bruce Rioch . In his first full season (1992–93), he was still registered as a player, but made only one further appearance (in the Anglo-Italian Cup ), before he became solely
6468-540: The 25 years since their formation in East London ; limited expansion space on the Isle of Dogs meant The Lions had to move to boost support and attendances. The estimated cost of The Den was £10,000. The first match played at the new ground was on 22 October 1910 against reigning Southern League champions Brighton & Hove Albion , who won 1–0. Millwall, who had now also dropped "Athletic" from their name, were invited to join
6600-423: The 3–2 away win against Crewe Alexandra with his 112th goal for the club. After a play-off final defeat in the 2008–09 season against Scunthorpe United and losing out on automatic promotion on the last day of the 2009–10 season to Leeds United by one point, Millwall made it back to Wembley, finally breaking the play-off hoodoo run of five successive failures in 1991 , 1994 , 2000 , 2002 and 2009 , with
6732-564: The CPO. However, it was later reported to be taking legal advice regarding other avenues of securing the CPO, and Council cabinet members will decide how to proceed after a "review". Private Eye reported that Millwall are continuing to explore relocation options in Kent. On 9 May 2024, Millwall secured a 999-year lease for The Den from the council, after approval from the Mayor of Lewisham . The new lease secured
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#17331148600336864-506: The Champions being promoted, Millwall found themselves stuck in the third tier despite averaging crowds of over 20,000. Millwall then suffered a down swing in fortunes with a number of bottom-half finishes. One highlight of the period was one of the biggest giant-killing upsets in the Fourth Round of the 1956–57 FA Cup on 26 January 1957, when Millwall beat Newcastle United 2–1 in front of
6996-505: The Championship in the 2017–18 season the team went on a club record 17-game unbeaten run; their longest streak in the second tier, which surpassed a record of 15 set in 1971. During the undefeated run they won six consecutive away games, equalling a club record set in the 2008–09 season. In the 2018–19 FA Cup , Millwall reached the Quarter-finals for an 11th time in their history, losing to Premier League side Brighton on penalties. In
7128-567: The East London Senior Cup at the first attempt. The club also won the cup in the following two years, and the trophy became their property. In April 1889, a resolution was passed for Millwall to drop "Rovers" from their name, and they began playing under the name Millwall Athletic , inspired by their move to their new home The Athletic Grounds . They were founding members of the Southern Football League which they won for
7260-538: The FA Cup quarter-finals and gained promotion to the Second Division , going unbeaten at home again in Division Three, winning 18 games and drawing five. In the FA Cup they were beaten 1–0 by First Division Luton Town at Kenilworth Road. The match is remembered for all the wrong reasons, after hooligans rioted at the game . 81 people (including 31 police officers) were injured in the disturbances. Graham's replacement
7392-456: The Football League in 1920 for the 1920–21 season , along with 22 other clubs, through the creation of the new Football League Third Division . The Southern League was shorn of its status, with almost all its clubs deciding to leave—Millwall followed suit. Millwall's first Football League match was on 28 August 1920 at The Den, and they were 2–0 winners against Bristol Rovers . In the 1925–26 season Millwall had 11 consecutive clean sheets,
7524-503: The Lions lost 3–1 to Barnsley. In the 2016–17 FA Cup , Millwall reached the Quarter-finals for the tenth time in their history, knocking out Premier League opposition in three consecutive rounds: Bournemouth in the third round, Watford in the fourth round, and reigning Premier League champions Leicester City in the fifth round. On 28 February 2017, Millwall beat Peterborough United 1–0, increasing their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions, and going nine games without conceding
7656-507: The Lions primary away colours. They have also played in red and black stripes, all grey, all orange, all red, and green and white stripes. Millwall wore a special one-off camouflage kit to commemorate the centenary of the First World War against Brentford on 8 November 2014. It went on sale to fans, with proceeds going to Headley Court , a rehabilitation centre for injured members of the British Armed Forces . The club crest has been
7788-545: The Millwall Community Trust facility to build up to 2,400 new private homes, with no social housing . The club contemplated the possibility of having to relocate to Kent . Millwall had submitted their own plans for regeneration centred around the club itself, but the council voted in favour of Renewal's plans. In December 2016 Private Eye reported how Renewal had been founded by a former Lewisham Council leader and senior officer, suggesting potential bias, and that
7920-581: The Millwall Dock Company who wanted to use it as a timberyard. They relocated in 1901 to a location near their second home, which became known as North Greenwich . They remained an east London club for a further nine years, with the last game played on the Isle of Dogs on 8 October 1910 against Portsmouth , which Millwall won 3–1. On 22 October 1910, Millwall crossed the river to South East London, moving to Cold Blow Lane in New Cross. The fifth ground
8052-619: The Month Award , after seeing his side reach the top of the table, eventually going on to match Wolves' record start to a season (equaling the 1949–50 season). Wolves maintained their position at the top of the table over the following months, and McCarthy again won the Manager of the Month Award for November. After maintaining top spot since October, McCarthy's Wolves secured promotion to the Premier League by beating QPR 1–0 on 18 April 2009. The following week McCarthy clinched his second Championship as
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#17331148600338184-644: The Second Division. Millwall were one of the most financially wealthy clubs in England. The club proposed plans to improve the Den and signed international players. Winger Reg 'JR' Smith was capped twice, scoring two goals for England in 1938. The Lions were pushing for promotion to the First Division toward the end of the decade, but one week into the 1939–40 season , World War II broke out and Millwall were robbed of their aim. On 7 April 1945, Millwall appeared in
8316-734: The Second World War made it difficult for clubs to retain their former status. This was especially true for Millwall, who appeared to suffer more than most. From being one of the country's biggest clubs before the war, Millwall were reduced to one of its smallest afterward. The Den sustained severe bomb damage on 19 April 1943, and one week later a fire, determined to have been caused by a discarded cigarette, also destroyed an entire stand. The club accepted offers from neighbours Charlton Athletic , Crystal Palace and West Ham United to stage games at their grounds. On 24 February 1944, Millwall returned to The Den, to play in an all-standing stadium. This
8448-412: The badge in 1999, where it was used for a further eight years. The current crest is a leaping lion, which first appeared on a Millwall kit in 1979. It remained until 1999 and was re-introduced again in 2007. The club mascot is a giant lion called Zampa, named after Zampa Road, the road The Den is located on. The team nickname is The Lions, previously The Dockers. The original Dockers name arose from
8580-403: The board allowing McCarthy to spend just £12 million it seemed inevitable when McCarthy was sacked as Wolves manager on 13 February 2012 after a run of poor results, culminating in a 5–1 home defeat to local rivals West Bromwich Albion . On 1 November 2012, McCarthy was appointed manager at Championship side Ipswich Town on a two-and-a-half-year contract. McCarthy's appointment came in
8712-452: The club announced the death of owner and chairman John Berylson, who died in a car accident. The 70-year-old was driving in Falmouth, Massachusetts , lost control of his Range Rover and hit a tree. He died at the scene. A club statement remarked "Under John's passionate leadership and guidance, Millwall Football Club has enjoyed tremendous success and stability. Since first becoming involved in
8844-491: The club facing near-certain relegation. The following season, after relegation, he took Sunderland to the First Division promotion play-offs, but lost in a penalty shoot-out to Crystal Palace after Palace had scored a stoppage-time equaliser. McCarthy completed the turnaround of the club in the 2004–05 season. The Black Cats returned to the Premier League as Football League Championship champions, amassing 94 points. After
8976-406: The club finishing in 9th place. On 30 June 2014, McCarthy and Terry Connor agreed a new three-year deal with Ipswich. The following season he led the club to their first appearance in the Championship playoffs in ten years with a sixth-placed finish, before losing out to rivals Norwich City in the semi-finals. During the 2015–16 season McCarthy and assistant Terry Connor renewed their contracts for
9108-405: The club for the 2003-04 season . In his first season in charge Wise led the team to finish four points off of the play-offs, and to the first FA Cup Final in their history. Millwall played Sunderland in the semi-final at Old Trafford , with Tim Cahill, who finished the season as Millwall's top scorer, scoring the winning goal, to set up a final against Manchester United . When Millwall took to
9240-430: The club for the second time, departing as Millwall's all-time top goalscorer with 138 goals Kenny Jackett celebrated five years in charge of the club in November 2012, with a 4–1 victory away at Nottingham Forest. After a strong start to the 2012–13 season , including a 13-game unbeaten run and flirting with the play-offs, Millwall finished poorly, with only five wins in the last 23 games, narrowly avoiding relegation on
9372-643: The club in 2006, he has presided over some of the greatest moments in Millwall's history, and his influence in providing the platform for those was immeasurable...any success moving forward will be in his memory and honour. It will be his legacy." His son, James, was named as his replacement as chairman. On 18 October 2023, the club announced it had mutually agreed to part company with first team manager Gary Rowett with assistant manager Adam Barrett taking over as interim manager. On 6 November 2023, Millwall confirmed England under-20s manager Joe Edwards as their new Head Coach. In his debut game, Edwards led Millwall to
9504-420: The club sitting 21st in the Championship table. He was given the priority of maintaining their Football League Championship status, which he achieved. Millwall went unbeaten in the last eight games of the 2013–14 season and finished in 19th place, four points above the relegation zone. The following season, Holloway was sacked on 10 March 2015 with the team second from bottom in the Championship, and Neil Harris
9636-491: The club started to recognise its unique link with London docks by introducing Dockers' Days, and archiving the club's dock roots in the Millwall FC Museum. Dockers' Days bring together past successful Millwall teams who parade on the pitch at half-time. Supporters who were dockers are allowed to attend the game without charge. In 2011, Millwall officially named the east stand of The Den as the 'Dockers Stand' in honour of
9768-405: The club was marred by a fractured relationship between him and the club's supporters, with many supporters voicing their dissatisfaction with McCarthy's defensive style of play and McCarthy branding them as "numbskulls". He left the club earlier than expected on 10 April 2018, shortly after a 1–0 home win over Barnsley. On 25 November 2018, McCarthy was appointed manager of Republic of Ireland for
9900-437: The club's former nickname. For the 2013–14 season , Millwall chose the charity Prostate Cancer UK to sponsor their shirt for free. Millwall began life on the Isle of Dogs and inhabited four different grounds in the club's first 25 years. Their first home was a piece of waste ground called Glengall Road , where they only stayed for one year. From 1886 to 1890 they played behind The Lord Nelson pub on East Ferry Road, which
10032-493: The club's longest serving player, Barry Kitchener . They missed out on promotion to Division One by one point. By remaining unbeaten at home in Division Two for the 1971–72 season , Millwall became the only club to go through an entire season without losing a match at home in four different divisions 1927–28 Division Three South, 1964–65 Division Four, 1965–66 Division Three and 1971–72 Division Two. In 1974 , Millwall hosted
10164-542: The club. Millwall came out of administration, and new chairman Theo Paphitis appointed ex-West Ham United manager Billy Bonds as manager. The 1997–98 season was not a successful one, with the club hovering close to relegation to the fourth tier. Bonds was sacked and replaced by Keith "Rhino" Stevens , with Alan McLeary as his assistant. McLeary was later promoted to the role of joint-manager alongside Stevens. Stevens and McLeary led Millwall to their first ever official appearance at Wembley Stadium . The Lions reached
10296-417: The club. On 21 December, with the club bottom of the Championship, he became the club's Director of Football and was replaced as manager by 32-year-old player Dave Tuttle , on a short-term contract until the end of the 2005–06 season . Millwall experienced a tough season, having had four managers. Their 13 goals scored at home was the second worst in Football League history. Their relegation to League One
10428-523: The club. Millwall appointed Kenny Jackett as new manager on 6 November 2007. Over the course of the next two seasons, Jackett led Millwall to two top six finishes in League One, in fifth and third place respectively. He won the League One Manager of the Month award three times while in charge of the club. On 13 January 2009, Harris broke Teddy Sheringham's all-time goal scoring record for Millwall during
10560-407: The club. Despite sitting a comfortable 14 points clear from the relegation zone at the time of his departure, Millwall would go on to suffer the drop (by virtue of goals scored) after McCarthy's departure. His loan signings of the underachieving Russian internationals Sergei Yuran and Vassili Kulkov from Spartak Moscow , who each received a £150,000 signing-on fee and were being paid five times
10692-463: The clubs future in London and removed restrictions on developing the area surrounding the stadium, also giving Millwall development rights to build new homes, leisure and community spaces in New Bermondsey. A tradition at The Den is the playing of the official club song "Let 'em Come", by Roy Green, as Millwall and the opposing team walk onto the pitch. It was specifically written for the club and
10824-601: The decision to approve Renewal's plans may have been made as far back as 2013 despite the fact that no due diligence had been able to be carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers due to "poor" and "limited" access to information and management at Renewal, which is controlled from the Isle of Man and British Virgin Islands . In the face of mounting community opposition and media scrutiny, the Council said in January 2017 it will not proceed with
10956-605: The drop though as he moved to Celtic in May 1987. He picked up his first silverware at the Scottish club as they won the league and cup double in his first season. The following season McCarthy again won a Scottish Cup winners medal, although the club had to settle for third place in the league. McCarthy again moved onto a new country, as he joined Lyon on a three-year contract in July 1989. McCarthy returned to England on loan with top-flight Millwall in March 1990. He signed permanently in May 1990 for £200,000. His appearances in
11088-412: The end of the 1989–90 season . Just before relegation was confirmed, Docherty was sacked and replaced by ex- Middlesbrough manager Bruce Rioch . Striker Teddy Sheringham, who later played for England and was the highest-scoring player throughout the Football League in the 1990–91 season , was sold to Nottingham Forest for £2 million after Millwall's 6–2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in
11220-661: The field at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 22 May 2004 they were only the second team from outside the top flight to play in the Cup final since 1982 , and were the first team from outside the Premier League to reach the final since the foundation of the top tier in 1992. The club was missing 16 players from their squad due to suspension or injury, but kept the score at 0-0 until 1 minute before half-time when Gary Neville 's cross
11352-416: The first 50 years, up until 1936, they played in a traditional navy blue, similar to the colours of Scotland national team . This colour was chosen because it paid homage to the Scottish roots of the club, with the nucleus of the first Millwall Rovers squad being from Dundee. In 1936, newly appointed Millwall manager Charlie Hewitt opted to change the kit colour from navy blue to a lighter royal blue, and
11484-427: The first Wolves manager in thirty years to maintain the club's top flight position for two successive seasons. The 2011–12 season began well for McCarthy and, after three games, his team topped the Premier League with 7 points. However, results tailed off and by January they had once again entered the relegation zone after nine games without victory. That same season Wolves sold £15 million worth of players and with
11616-465: The first game to be played on a Sunday against Fulham . The Lions reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup in 1974 , and again in 1977 . George Graham managed Millwall from 1983 to 1986, and during that time he guided the club to a Football League Group Cup win, beating Lincoln City 3–2 in the final in the 1982–83 season . The 1984–85 season was particularly successful, Millwall reached
11748-471: The first time in Millwall's history that they played more seasons in the second tier (44) than the third tier (43) . The following 2021–22 season saw an improved 9th-place finish, missing out on the play-offs on the final day of the season. Millwall went close again in 2022–23 . Millwall required a win on the final day of the season to secure a play-off spot but gave up a 3–1 lead, losing 4–3 to Blackburn Rovers and eventually finishing 8th. On 4 July 2023,
11880-496: The first two years of its existence, and were runners-up in its third. During this period the club was invited to join the Second Division of the Football League but the committee turned down the opportunity, partly due to the expected increase in travel expenses but also to stay loyal to the Southern League. They were forced to move to a new ground North Greenwich in 1901, as the Millwall Dock Company wanted to use their land as
12012-431: The following game, a 2–0 win against Bristol City . After making an unbeaten start to his reign at the club, a run that included a six-game winning streak, McCarthy signed a new two-year deal with the club on 4 March 2021. Cardiff finished the season in 8th place. Despite losing just one of their opening six matches at the start of the following season, a poor run of results followed which saw Cardiff drop as low as 21st in
12144-522: The ground by playing a friendly, which The Lions lost 2–1. In September 2016 Lewisham Council approved a compulsory purchase order (CPO) of land surrounding The Den rented by Millwall, as part of a major redevelopment of the "New Bermondsey" area. The plans were controversial because the developer, Renewal, is controlled by offshore companies with unclear ownership, and is seen by the club and local community to be profiteering by demolishing existing homes and businesses as well as Millwall's car-park and
12276-524: The head coach and general manager, respectively. Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club ( / ˈ m ɪ l w ɔː l / ) is a professional football club in Bermondsey , South East London , England. They compete in the EFL Championship , the second level of English football . Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the Millwall area of
12408-447: The job of many of the club's supporters in the early 1900s. The club did not like the nickname and changed it after press headlined Millwall as 'Lions of the South', after knocking Football League leaders Aston Villa out of the 1899–1900 FA Cup. Millwall, then a Southern League side, went on to reach the semi-final. The club adopted the motto: We Fear No Foe Where E'er We Go . In the 2000s
12540-567: The last day of the season. Their poor league form coincided with reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup for the fifth time in their history. They played Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium on 14 April 2013, losing 2–0 to the eventual cup winners . Kenny Jackett resigned on 7 May 2013. He was Millwall's fourth-longest serving manager having managed 306 games. After a month of searching, Millwall appointed St Johnstone boss Steve Lomas as their new manager on 6 June 2013. His appointment provoked mixed emotions among some supporters, due to him being
12672-412: The league, an English record which still stands. Matches against Sunderland and Derby County saw packed crowds of 48,000-plus in the 1930s and 1940s. Their 1937 FA Cup run saw Millwall reach the semi-finals for the third time, and a fifth-round game against Derby still stands as Millwall's record attendance of 48,762. Millwall were the 11th best supported team in England in 1939, despite being in
12804-529: The lyric "welcome to the lion's den...". Status Quo 's cover version of " Rockin' All Over the World " is played after every home win. Millwall were listed eighth out of a list of 92 Football League clubs with the most rivals, with West Ham United , Leeds United , Crystal Palace , and Charlton Athletic considering them a major rival. Portsmouth , Everton and Gillingham also share minor rivalries with Millwall, with hooliganism between their fans dating back to
12936-401: The lyrics represent old London culture, such as eating jellied eels and having a glass of beer before going to the game. The song ends with all home fans standing, arms raised (usually in the direction of the travelling fans singing the last line, "Let 'em all... come down.... to The Den!" A television drama about a Millwall supporter and ex-docker, starring David Jason , featured a lyric from
13068-401: The majority of the 2010–11 campaign mired in the relegation zone, yet managed to defeat the likes of Manchester City , Manchester United , Liverpool and Chelsea . A final day loss to Blackburn put them in danger of relegation, but results elsewhere meant they narrowly survived in 17th place, one point ahead of relegated Birmingham and Blackpool . This gave McCarthy the distinction of being
13200-533: The manager may have total responsibility for the running of a club. The manager's responsibilities in a professional football club usually include (but are not limited to) the following: Some of the above responsibilities may be shared with a director of football or sporting director , and are at times delegated to an assistant manager or club coach. Additionally, depending on the club, some minor responsibilities include: These responsibilities are more common among managers of small clubs. The title of manager
13332-438: The modern Premier League. However, in the process of keeping the team in the top division, Wolves and McCarthy were fined £25,000 for fielding a weakened team for a fixture at Manchester United and thus breaking the Premier League rule E20. The Premier League also stated that the club had failed to fulfil its obligations to the league and other clubs in the utmost good faith and was therefore in breach of Rule B13. The team spent
13464-552: The national team drew 1–1 away to Denmark , before defeating Gibraltar once again, this time by 2–0, at the Aviva Stadium ; four days later, McCarthy guided them to the top the Group D table, having taken ten points after four games. On 5 September 2019, McCarthy's side once again came from behind to draw 1–1 with Switzerland , which enabled them to remain at the top of their qualifying group, with three matches to play remaining. However,
13596-472: The next two seasons were often limited by injuries and he effectively retired from playing when he took over as manager of the club in 1992. McCarthy, the son of an Irish-born father, Charlie, is an Irish citizen since birth. He made his Irish international debut in a goalless friendly against Poland on 23 May 1984, McCarthy soon became a first-choice player and featured in all three of Ireland's games at UEFA Euro 1988 . He went on to become captain, leading to
13728-468: The nickname "Captain Fantastic", as per the title of his autobiography. The highlight of McCarthy's international career was the second-round penalty shoot-out win over Romania in the 1990 World Cup finals. This led to a crunch tie with hosts Italy in the quarter-final, where Ireland's first ever appearance in the finals came to an end, losing 1–0. McCarthy was the player who committed the most fouls in
13860-471: The previous round they knocked out Premier League side Everton , to equal Southampton's FA Cup 'Giant-killings' record, having knocked out 25 top-flight teams when not in the top flight themselves. This season Millwall broke their club transfer fee record twice, firstly buying Tom Bradshaw from Barnsley for £1.25 million, and then a week later buying midfielder Ryan Leonard from Sheffield United for £1.5 million. They also broke their record received for
13992-627: The quality of the preparations and facilities the team were using. Despite this furore, McCarthy's team reached the second round but were eliminated by Spain in a penalty shoot-out (after having already missed and scored a penalty in normal time). In spite of this, the Keane issue remained, with the proportion of blame undecided. Many in Ireland sided with Keane – particularly following a televised interview in which details of poor preparation were revealed – and demanded McCarthy's resignation both during and after
14124-439: The relegation zone. McCarthy's Ipswich stopped Millwall's 13-match unbeaten run with a 3–0 home win on 8 December. On 2 February 2013, McCarthy's assistant Terry Connor took charge of a 4–0 rout of Middlesbrough while McCarthy was ill. McCarthy then guided Ipswich to safety, finally finishing in 14th place. Prior to the 2013–14 season, McCarthy had signed 10 new players. McCarthy's first full season in charge of Ipswich ended with
14256-565: The second and third tiers. The club had a brief spell in the top flight between 1988 and 1990, in which they achieved their highest ever league finish of tenth place in the Football League First Division in 1988–89 . Millwall reached the 2004 FA Cup Final and qualified for UEFA competitions for the first time in their history, playing in the UEFA Cup . The club have also won two League One play-off finals in 2010 and 2017 ,
14388-503: The second time in his career, replacing Martin O'Neill . Robbie Keane , a legend for the national team, was appointed as one of McCarthy's assistant coaches, alongside Terry Connor , who had previously assisted McCarthy at both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town . In March 2019, McCarthy won his first two games in charge, by defeating both Gibraltar and Georgia , in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers in Group D , by 1–0. In June 2019,
14520-430: The sides met just 12 times; competing in different tiers for the majority of their histories, and neither considering the other a rival on the pitch. Since Leeds were relegated from the Premier League in 2004 , the teams have met 28 times in 16 years. The rivalry began in League One during the 2007–08 season , with disorder and violent clashes between both sets of fans and the police at Elland Road . It continued into
14652-533: The son of the landlord of The Islander pub in Tooke Street where Millwall held their club meetings. Millwall Rovers' first game was an away fixture held on 3 October 1885 against Fillebrook, a team that played in Leytonstone . The newly formed team were beaten 5–0. Millwall's first home game was on a piece of waste ground on Glengall Road against St Luke's , on 24 October 1885, which they won 2–1. Rovers found
14784-655: The song in its title, Come Rain Come Shine . The song was played on repeat at Wembley Stadium after Millwall gained promotion to the Championship in 2010. The song "Shoeshine Boy" by the Mills Blue Rhythm Band was played as the entrance song before "Let 'em Come". Other songs that have been regularly played at The Den over the years in the build-up to a game include " London Calling " by The Clash , " No Surrender " by Bruce Springsteen , " Town Called Malice " by The Jam and " House of Fun " by Madness , which features
14916-412: The table. On 23 October 2021, after suffering a club-record eighth successive loss of the season at the hands of Middlesbrough , McCarthy left the club by mutual consent. On 19 January 2023, McCarthy was appointed head coach of the Championship's second-bottom placed club Blackpool on a short-term contract until the end of the season. On 8 April 2023, McCarthy left Blackpool by mutual consent, following
15048-439: The team played in this colour for the best part of 74 years, with the exception of 1968–75 and 1999–2001, in which the team played in an all-white strip. Their kit for the 2010–11 season celebrated the 125th anniversary of the club, with Millwall adopting the darker navy blue of their first strip. The club has retained this colour since. As for change colours, white shirts and blue shorts or yellow shirts and black shorts have been
15180-521: The team up well for a good year, in which Millwall finished 4th and qualified for the Division One play-offs , but lost to eventual winners Birmingham City 2–1 in the semi-finals. Millwall finished 9th in the 2002–03 season , but McGhee left Millwall by "mutual consent" in October. In October 2003, Dennis Wise , ex-Chelsea and England player, became caretaker, and subsequently permanent player-manager, of
15312-577: The tournament. An independent inquiry into the organisation's handling of the squad's preparation later commissioned by the Football Association of Ireland created a damning report, leading to general secretary Brendan Menton tendering his resignation. Criticism of McCarthy in the media became increasingly intense after a poor start to Ireland's qualifying campaign for Euro 2004 . In particular, his persistence with several players and tactics that some perceived to be inadequate did him damage, as did
15444-495: The two sets of supporters and calls for future games between the clubs to be played behind closed doors , they last met in the Football League Championship in 2011–12 with no outright ban on either set of fans, and no repeat of crowd trouble. The rivalry between the sides, specifically the clubs' two hooligan firms has been depicted on the big screen several times, in films such as Green Street . Millwall share
15576-546: The two sides has been contested almost 100 times since 1899. Millwall also share a rivalry with Leeds United , and contest the South London derby which can also sometimes be referred to as the South East London derby for geographical reasons with local rivals in the district Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic . The club was founded as Millwall Rovers by the workers of J.T. Morton's canning and preserve factory in
15708-416: The wage of the rest of the first team, would later be cited as one of the main reasons Millwall were eventually relegated under Jimmy Nicholl , although it cannot be proven. In February 1996, McCarthy became the new manager of the Republic of Ireland football team following the resignation of Jack Charlton . His first game in charge was a friendly international against Russia on 27 March which finished in
15840-510: The wake of Paul Jewell 's departure by mutual consent. McCarthy won his first match in charge as Ipswich manager on 3 November 2012, away at Birmingham, 0–1. This broke a 12 match winless run in the league, 13 matches in all competitions. McCarthy guided Ipswich past Burnley on 10 November – the first home win since March after a late DJ Campbell winner. The match ended 2–1. With a win against Nottingham Forest in late November, his sixth game in charge, McCarthy had successfully guided Ipswich out of
15972-415: Was Glaswegian John Docherty . In his second season as manager, Millwall won the Second Division championship and gained promotion to the top flight of English football for the first time in the club's history. Starting the 1988–89 season strongly, Millwall topped the league on 1 October 1988 having played six games (winning four and drawing two) and rarely slipped out of the top five before Christmas. This
16104-516: Was a virtual ever-present for his home town club, but departed in December 1983 for fellow Division 2 club Manchester City . The Maine Road club won promotion in McCarthy's first full season and he finally had the chance to play at the highest level. His first season in the top flight was steady enough as the club reached mid-table, but relegation struck the following year. McCarthy himself would not face
16236-470: Was achieved with considerable volunteer labour by Lions fans. Millwall's fortunes fluctuated in the immediate post war years, they were relegated to Division Three South in 1948 and had to apply for re-election to the league in 1950 after finishing in the bottom two. An upswing in fortunes saw Millwall finish 5th, 4th, and then runners up in Division Three South in 1952–53 season ; but with only
16368-494: Was also notable for the appearance of Frank Peterson on 30 November 1968 in an away game at Portsmouth, Peterson was the first Black player to represent the club. In the early 1970s, the Millwall team included many notable and memorable players, now remembered by some fans as "The Class of '71". This was a team that included; goalkeeper Bryan King , defender Harry Cripps , goalscoring midfielder Derek Possee , Millwall's most capped international player to date, Eamon Dunphy and
16500-474: Was called The Den , built at a cost of £10,000 by noted football ground architect Archibald Leitch . The first game played there was against Brighton & Hove Albion, which Brighton won 1–0. Millwall remained there for 83 years, until moving to their sixth and current ground, at first known as The New Den but now called simply The Den, on 4 August 1993. The ground has an all-seated capacity of 20,146. A Sporting CP team, managed by Bobby Robson helped open
16632-409: Was confirmed on 17 April 2006 with a 2–0 loss against Southampton . In the closed season Nigel Spackman was appointed as the new manager, but he lasted only four months after a string of bad results. In September 2006, Theo Paphitis (chairman from 1997 to 2005) ended his nine-year association with the club after a year-long spell as a non-executive director. On 19 March 2007, Willie Donachie signed
16764-495: Was headed in by Cristiano Ronaldo . Millwall eventually lost the 2004 FA Cup Final 3–0. As United had already qualified for the UEFA Champions League , Millwall were assured of playing in the UEFA Cup . Midfielder Curtis Weston , substituted for Wise with one minute of normal time remaining, became the youngest Cup final player in history at 17 years 119 days, beating the 125-year-old record of James F. M. Prinsep . In
16896-402: Was known as the Lord Nelson Ground , before being forced to leave by the landlady, who received a better offer for its use. They moved to their third home, The Athletic Grounds , on 6 September 1890. This was their first purpose-built ground, with a grandstand that seated 600 people and an overall capacity of between 10,000 and 15,000. The club was forced to move on again though, this time by
17028-451: Was mainly due to Tony Cascarino and Teddy Sheringham , who scored 99 goals between them in three seasons playing together. Millwall's first top division season ended with a tenth-place finish, which was the lowest place occupied by the club all season. The following season, they briefly led the league for one night in September 1989 after beating Coventry City 4–1, but won only two more games all season and were relegated in 20th place at
17160-433: Was reinstated as caretaker manager until the end of the season. He was unable to ensure survival, however, as Millwall's relegation to League One was confirmed on 28 April with one game of the 2014–15 season still to play. Harris was confirmed as Millwall's permanent manager the next day. In his first full season in charge, Harris led Millwall to a fourth-place finish in League One and a play-off final at Wembley, which
17292-569: Was thanks largely to managers Billy Gray , who laid the foundations, and Benny Fenton , a former player who continued to build on Gray's side. All the players, which included winger Barry Rowan , goalkeeper Alex Stepney , defender Tom Wilson and strikers Hugh Curran and Len Julians , were presented with a commemorative gold cigarette lighter by the Football Association . The record was eventually broken by Liverpool , who were unbeaten for 63 games at home between 1978 and 1981. This era
17424-558: Was the first all-seater stadium to be built in England after the Taylor report on the Hillsborough disaster . The Lions knocked Arsenal out of the 1994–95 FA Cup in a third-round replay, beating them 2–0 at Highbury . They also reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup in 1995 . Millwall lost 5–1 on aggregate to Derby County in the play-off semi-finals that same 1994–95 season , in
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