Away-day guide

Millwall

The Den, south Bermondsey.

awaydayhubReviewed 2 weeks ago

Quick takeaways

Always a popular away day
Close to central London for food and drink
Public transport is the best way to get there

About the place

The Den is in Bermondsey, just under 5 miles from central London.

Having moved from the former Den on Cold Blow Lane, it opened in 1993 as the New Den. Over the years it's simply become The Den again.

It's distinctive for its aesthetics, and its atmosphere, with four steep two-tiered stands.

Due to its proximity to multiple railway lines, the walk to the ground takes you through a series of railway arches and tunnels — again, one of the most distinctive in English football.

Away fans are housed in the North Stand, accessed via Bolina Road.

Club info

Website: millwallfc.co.uk
Phone: 020 7232 1222
Email: ticketadmin@millwallplc.com
what3words: ///donor.shield.upper
Address: The Den, John Berylson Way, London SE16 3LN

Section 02

Getting in & out

By train

Train

The easiest way to get to The Den is by public transport.

South Bermondsey5 min walk· 0.25 mi
Surrey Quays15 min walk· 0.75 mi
Canada Water25 min walk· 1.25 mi

Overground

The closest Overground station is South Bermondsey. This is the quickest route, but also the busiest. Connect at London Bridge (which is both an overground and underground station) for trains to South Bermondsey. Once you get off, follow signs for away fans, as there is a dedicated walkway from the station to the away turnstiles. It's a 5-minute walk.

Underground

The closest Underground station is Canada Water on the Jubilee Line. From here it's 25 minutes on foot. However, you could connect onto the Windrush Line (Overground service) from Canada Water to Surrey Quays, which leaves you only 15 minutes from the stadium. This route works if you want to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Car + park and ride

CarPark and ride

Parking around The Den is extremely limited, so our advice is to avoid trying to park close to the ground and treat Millwall as a park-and-ride away day.

From the North

If you're driving from the Midlands, the North or the north side of London, a simple option is to park the car at Stanmore Tube Station, at the north-west end of the Jubilee line, then take the Tube to London Bridge and change there for the short hop to South Bermondsey. From South Bermondsey, The Den is only a short walk away, and this route keeps your car on the right side of London for the journey home.

If Stanmore doesn't suit, other north London Tube options can work on the same principle. Canons Park gives you a similar Jubilee line route, while Cockfosters may be useful if you're approaching from the A1 or north-east side of the M25.

From the West

If you're approaching London from the West, you could park at Osterley Tube Station and take the Piccadilly Line to Green Park, and change onto the Jubilee Line for London Bridge.

From the South

If you're approaching from the South, you could park at Morden Tube Station and take the Northern Line to London Bridge.

For most away fans, parking on the outskirts of London and finishing the journey by Tube and train will be far less stressful than hunting for spaces around Bermondsey.

By boat

Boat

The Uber Thames Clipper is a riverboat service that gives you a chance to take in the sights on the way to the game. The best place to get off is Greenland Pier (near Surrey Quays). It keeps you on the right side of the Thames and gives you a walkable route through Surrey Quays towards South Bermondsey and The Den.

If you're making a day of it, you could get off at London Bridge Pier and head to London Bridge/Borough Market for food and drink before the game, before taking the train to South Bermondsey.

Section 03

Parking

Parking options

There is no bookable matchday parking at The Den.

Surrey Quays Shopping Centre has free parking, but note that there is a 3hr maximum stay, enforced by ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition). It's not impossible to do, but it's risky once you factor in the walk and any queues to get in/out of the stadium. Throw in 8 minutes of added time and you might need to be heading for the exit before the game is finished.

8 accessible bays are usually available, often free of charge. Contact slo@millwallfc.co.uk to book, or go through your own club system.

A designated drop-off point is available in front of the West Stand.

Other options

The best options for parking nearby may be private car parks / driveways, sold via apps such as JustPark etc.

Matchday road closures

Ilderton Road

While usually open, traffic on Ilderton Road gets very congested.

Depending on the match, police frequently implement rolling blockages or short-term closures near the junctions of Rotherhithe New Road and Verney Road to safely escort away supporters or clear stadium foot traffic.

Post-match traffic

Ilderton Road, Rotherhithe New Road, and Bolina Road experience immediate gridlock from the final whistle. It typically takes 45-60 minutes to get moving.

It's worth spending some time on the concourse before leaving!

Worth considering

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

Note that you'll still have to pay the ULEZ charge, even if you're parking at the end of a Tube line.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) covers the entire Greater London area. It operates 24/7 (except Christmas Day).

If your vehicle doesn't meet the required emission standards, you'll have to pay £12.50 per day to drive within the zone. You can pay by midnight on the third day following the journey or up to 90 days in advance.

Check your vehicle, view the zone map, and pay the charge at: tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone

Section 04

Food & drink

It's London — so the world is your oyster. Many fans choose to eat and drink in central London, before travelling out to the ground.

Pubs near The Den are home-only, so away fans tend to stick to central London or London Bridge.

Closer to the stadium

Borough Market

London SE1 9AH

If you're heading via London Bridge, Borough Market is just 5 minutes away. This is a famous spot and has a wide range of food and drink options.

Maltby Street Market

Arch 46, Ropewalk, Maltby St, London SE1 3PA

Just off Tower Bridge Road. Outdoor market underneath 19th century railway arches, with independent food and drink outlets. Less crowded than other markets. You can eat your food at the market bars, which is a bonus.

Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf has developed into one of London's better food destinations, with options ranging from street-food-style lunches to restaurants overlooking the docks. Around Jubilee Place, Crossrail Place and the waterfront, you'll find burgers, pizza, Asian food, cafés and independents alongside the familiar chains — all in a setting that makes the most of the dockside location. Whether you're after a quick pre-match bite or making a day of it in London, it's well worth the visit.

The Shipwrights Arms

88 Tooley St, London SE1 2TF

Close to London Bridge station.

The Pommelers Rest (JD Wetherspoon)

196-198 Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2UN

Just South of Tower Bridge.

The Barrowboy and Banker

6-8 Borough High St, London SE1 9QQ

On the south side of London Bridge.

The Market Porter

9 Stoney St, London SE1 9AA

Right by Borough Market.

Inside the ground

At the stadium, there's an outside concourse with a couple of food outlets (burgers, hot dogs, dirty fries). There's also a dedicated bar — The North Bar, as well as an EBar (self-service beer machine).

Section 05

The away end

The North Stand is accessed from Bolina Road, through a gateway that takes you around the Lions Centre to the away entrance. The away ticket office is there if you need to pick tickets up.

Through the turnstiles, you hit the inside concourse. There's nothing in there except toilets — the food and drink is outside.

The away end at The Den is in the Upper Tier of the North Stand behind the goal. You get a great view of the action from here. Safe standing has now been introduced in part of the away section, with rail seating installed in designated blocks of the North Stand Upper. Standard seating remains available elsewhere in the stand.

The visiting supporters gateway by the Lions Centre at The Den, with the Millwall lion mascot greeting fans — The away entrance, by the Lions Centre — Away Day Hub

Away fans gathered on the outside concourse at The Den, next to a street food van — The outside concourse — Away Day Hub

Section 06

Our visits

A Saturday 3pm KO in London is always something to look forward to. A day full of endless possibilities. We managed to persuade the boys' mum to come with us, with the promise of a boat trip down the Thames.

We left early and parked at Stanmore station car park again, arriving at about 10am. This is our default London parking plan — it's 5 minutes from the M1 and the Jubilee Line gets us into central London in about 40 minutes.

Having done this trip a few weeks before, the boys were excited to act as tour guides for their mum. They remembered the way from Westminster tube to the Pier: "follow us, mum". Love that.

If we wanted to take the boat to the nearest pier for Millwall, we would have alighted at Greenland (Surry Quays).

However, we wanted to stop for lunch along the way, so we hopped off at Canary Wharf, which is a shopping and dining destination on the Isle of Dogs.

We were spoilt for choice: award-winning burgers from Black Bear Burger, Crispy Tacos from Taco Collective, shish kebabs from Le Bab. But we couldn't agree. Our eldest held out for Nando's, so Nando's it was.

We took the tube back one stop to Canada Water, and connected onto the Windrush Line for the overground train to Surrey Quays. This was quick and painless.

From Surrey Quays, we walked. Within minutes, we were out of the residential streets and walking through the railway arches.

We arrived at the stadium via Senegal Road and headed into the stadium grounds, walking through the Millwall fan zone. It had good music, beer and a variety of food options.

During the week, we'd checked Google street view to see where the away entrance was. However, we couldn't get in where we thought we would — instead we were directed further down Bolina Road and entered the stadium via a gateway.

We picked our tickets up from the away ticket office, and hit the outside concourse for a drink. We were there quite early, so there were no queues. But it filled up while we were there. There's a self-serve beer machine as well as a bar.

The view from the away end was great — one of the best due to being in the upper tier behind the goal.

After the game, we had a decision to make about feeding the kids and getting back on the road quickly. We didn't want to wander around looking for somewhere, or add a load of time onto the journey by taking a detour.

So, we went back out onto the concourse and grabbed burgers. It did the job. The lovely lady who served us gave us free chips.

We walked back to Surrey Quays for a connection to Canada Water. From there we took the tube all the way back to Stanmore. A quick stop-off at the Esso/Tesco Express, and we were on the M1 in five minutes.

Tower Bridge and the London skyline seen from the back of the Uber Thames Clipper riverboat — The boat trip — Tower Bridge from the Thames Clipper — Away Day Hub

The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf seen from the riverside at Canary Wharf pier — Canary Wharf pier — Away Day Hub

Fans walking through the railway arches on the approach to The Den, with the sun setting above the brickwork — The walk through the railway arches — Away Day Hub

Street food van on the outside concourse at The Den selling gourmet burgers, big dogs and dirty fries — Burgers, hot dogs and dirty fries on the outside concourse — Away Day Hub

The floodlit stands of The Den at night, seen from Senegal Road over a graffiti-covered fence — The Den from Senegal Road — Away Day Hub

The lamplit walkway leading away from The Den at night, heading back towards Surrey Quays — The way back to Surrey Quays — Away Day Hub

If you've got more time

Take the Uber Thames Clipper for a more exciting journey to the game
Take in the views at Horizon 22 — London's highest free viewing platform. Tickets are free but you must book ahead. It closes at 5pm on Saturdays, so it's a pre-match option.
Head over to Canary Wharf for food & shopping

Take a punt

Millwall quiz.

5questions, multigenerational. Some you'll know, some only a long-time fan would. No timer, no leaderboard — just for the fun of it.

Reviewed by Andy · 2 weeks ago