Millwall vs West Ham LIVE: Police statement and huge dispersal area as fears of violence rise

Welcome to Mirror Football’s LIVE coverage of the Championship clash between Millwall and West Ham, amid fears of violence in the capital.

The Lions will host the Hammers at the Den on Saturday afternoon, with kick-off scheduled for 12.30pm between the two London rivals.

This is the first time that Millwall and West Ham have faced each other since 2012, with the Hammers now competing in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

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With the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, the Metropolitan Police have already issued a statement giving advice to supporters heading to the stadium for the match.

Police have also issued a Section 35 dispersal order, which will be in place on Saturday because of the match between Millwall and West Ham, and will impact a large percentage of London.

The atmosphere is beginning to build with little over an hour until kick-off. Fans will soon be arriving at the ground ahead of the clash.

Millwall boss Alex Neil is expecting a lively atmosphere at The Dean and says the game means 'absolutely everything'.

"It should be a brilliant atmosphere. It means a lot to our fans and everybody connected with both clubs." he said.

“For me and the players, it means absolutely everything because it’s such an important game for everyone. It’ll be interesting to see how West Ham handle The Den and different things like that, and hopefully the atmosphere’s very good.

There is a dark cloud over Millwall and West Ham's meeting in the League Cup in 2009. There were 13 arrests on that occasion, three pitch invasions, and a 44-year-old Millwall fan was stabbed in the chest just minutes away from Upton Park.

West Ham won 3-1 but were subsequently fined £115,000 by the FA following two charges of crowd disturbance.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has spoken about the rivalry between the teams, but emphasised that matters will be played out on the pitch.

"All of us have experienced matches like this, they are so special for the clubs," said the Portuguese manager. "I've been involved in many rivalries in my career, many of our players also - and we know everything is inside of the pitch.

"Inside of the pitch is where things happen, what dictates the games. It's not the noise, it's not the 40,000 or the 20,000, it's inside the pitch. Of course, it's a special game and we're aware."

Former hooligan Cass Pennant wrote in 2022 that the two sets of fans should never meet, even as their fanbases have changed since a violent past.

There is a significant dispersal order in place for the game, which is now less than two hours away.

Thanks for joining us. It's a match that many will have looked for when the fixtures were released, given their historical rivalry.

Today11:21 BSTWest Ham XIContent cannot be displayed without consentScott Trotter

Today11:20 BSTMillwall XIContent cannot be displayed without consentScott Trotter

Today10:32 BSTAway accessThe Met have also offered some information to West Ham supporters as they hope to avoid disruption to the wider public.Away ticket holders can access the ground from South Bermondsey Station, via London Bridge. This will minimise disruption to the wider public and give @WestHam fans a clear, easy route to follow with a significant police presence. After the fixture, away fans will likely be guided to South Bermondsey which means the station may be closed to home fans for up to an hour. Please make appropriate arrangements and allow longer for your journey to be completed.Scott Trotter