A season to remember – Millwall 1988/89
Millwall had reached the big time. This was their first ever season in the top flight and they were going to enjoy it!
With the help of their strike partnership Tony Cascarino and Teddy Sheringham (who shared 24 goals between them), the Lions would finish this season in an impressive 10th position. This was all the more incredible as they were favourites for the drop before the season started.
Two new signings were brought in during the summer of 1988.
Right back Paul Stephenson came down from Newcastle and signed for £300,000 and Ian Dawes came across London to join Millwall from Queens Park Rangers for a little over £100,000.
Both were hardly exciting signings, but necessary ones all the same to add some strength and depth to the Millwall squad.
The season began with a trip to Villa Park and Millwall came away a credible 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Derby County were the first visitors to The Den but left empty-handed, a goal from Teddy Sheringham gave Millwall the win.
Charlton and Everton were the next opponents and The Lions took maximum points from the games. A draw at Norwich meant that Millwall ended September still unbeaten after five games.
A 3-2 win at home to QPR on 1st October was a landmark victory as it put Millwall top of the First Division. This was to be the last time that they lead the League and Millwall’s fans must have thought that they were in dreamland!
Draws against Coventry City and Nottingham Forest were followed by a trip to Middlesbrough. Millwall left empty-handed as they were beaten 4-2, their first defeat in the league.
Millwall were unbeaten in the whole of November, with two wins and two draws.
One of those draws was an impressive 1-1 draw at Anfield against reigning champions Liverpool.
December was to be the Millwall’s worst month of the season to date with three defeats out of their five games, the most significant of them being a 1-0 home defeat to fierce local rivals West Ham.
Millwall ended 1988 in a very commendable third position, surely exceeding all of their fan’s expectations in the summer.
The first match of 1989 brought another win, this time Charlton Athletic were swept aside in a 1-0 win, the winner coming from David Thompson.
A trip to Old Trafford was next on the fixture list and Manchester United won the game easily 3-0.
Exciting times were ahead as the TV cameras came to The Den for the visit of Norwich City.
Things started very badly with Norwich going 2-0 up early in the first half but a rallying performance from the home team got the game back to 2-2 before the interval.
Robert Fleck grabbed a fantastic late winner for Norwich City after a breakaway and Millwall had lost their first home game of the season.
January also saw Millwall knocked out of the FA Cup at the Fourth Round stage. Luton were beaten 3-2 at The Den in the Third Round but Liverpool were to luckier, beating Millwall 2-0 in South London to progress to the Fifth Round.
Of the five games in February, Millwall only lost the one, in a 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal. This match was chosen for a television documentary about referees and the referee for the game, David Elleray had a microphone put on him. Sadly for Arsenal, they forgot to tell their players about this! I have added the video above.
March started well with two wins against Luton Town and Aston Villa but this was as good as it got.
The Aston Villa win was to be Millwall’s last victory of the season with ten games to go. Below is the episode of Saint & Greavsie, the weekly football show broadcast on Saturday lunchtimes shown hours before the 1-1 draw at Everton. The review of Millwall’s run-in until the end of the season is at the 6:42 mark.
In the remaining nine games of the season, Millwall lost six and drew the other three.
Tottenham won 5-0 at The Den and Millwall were unable to avenge their earlier defeat in the season to West Ham as they lost 3-0 at Upton Park.
It really was a disappointing end to the season but Millwall exceeded all expectations over the course of the season. They were rewarded for all their efforts by finishing tenth in the First Division.
The following season Millwall were relegated after finishing bottom of the First Division, having managed to only win five of their 38 league games. Their time in the top flight was over but the memories of that first season there in 1988/89 will always be remembered fondly by those at The Den.
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