STEVE LOMAS has no regrets about managing Millwall but admits he should never have set foot in the place.
Brave Lomas, 52, breached one of football’s most ferocious divides when he managed Millwall after spending eight years across the River Thames at despised West Ham.
West Ham legend Steve Lomas has no regrets about managing Millwall Credit: Arfa Griffiths – The Jattvibe
Lomas admits he should never have set foot in the place Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Fans of both clubs burn with an overzealous mutual dislike that has spilled over into crowd trouble. The relatively few matches between the local rivals have been overshadowed by large-scale disorder.
West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League last season means they must visit The Den on Saturday for a game that will have the Metropolitan Police on high alert.
Sign up for the Football newsletter
Thank you!
It’s an anxious enough day out for the 1,700 Hammers supporters who will make the trip to “bandit country” in south London.
Try doing it on a daily basis when you’re considered one of the enemy and you’re up against it trying to turn a club around in the face of fierce animosity.
STRIKE IT RICH
Ex-England and I’m A Celeb star selling £5million mansion with swimming pool
KANE IT
How Millwall & West Ham lined up last time they played with Kane and Prem boss
Lomas told JattvibeSport: “From my point of view looking back, the timing wasn’t great. Even forgetting about the West Ham issue, which was a problem.
“In hindsight, I should really have left it. Not from the point of view of it being Millwall, but from a football point of view. The squad wasn’t good enough.
“We were signing free transfers and people that other clubs didn’t want. I should have ducked it. We had too many people over 30 on decent money. We were just stale and were on our way down.
“They just about stayed up the season before I went there. The squad was aging and needed freshening up, but there just wasn’t any money.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
“That year Bournemouth signed Callum Wilson for a £2.6million fee. I had about £1.8m of wages to try to turn our squad around. No money to actually buy anyone.
“There were about 18 boys already signed and about 13 of them were out of contract in my first year. I didn’t want half of them but needed them to try to keep us up.”
Four defeats in the opening six league games will pile the pressure on any new manager. But Lomas’ eight years as midfielder and captain of hated foes West Ham turned the screw quicker and tighter.
The Northern Irishman said: “It was very difficult. We had people down at the training ground. There was abuse.
“After one game we had somebody sent off after about ten minutes. It was against Derby and we got beaten 4-1 and the fans were waiting for me outside.
“But I learned more about myself as a person and a manager in those six months than I did at St Johnstone when we were flying and doing well. I learned about crisis management.
“After six games we had two points then we won four on the bounce. I nearly won manager of the month. That’s how mad it was.
“At times I worried about my safety. There’s a nasty element down there but I have never been one to be bullied. It was hairy a couple of times. I was told I had to stay behind in the ground after one game.
“Even when the crowd was dispersed there were still a few boys hanging around. But there are a lot of good Millwall people too.
“I had hundreds of letters from people telling me I must be mad to take the job because the squad was awful. That it wasn’t the DNA of a Millwall squad.”
Lomas is one of the few brave enough to cross the divide between West Ham and Millwall Credit: Action Images – Reuters
Lomas and fearless Hammers legend Billy Bonds braved the chasm between West Ham and Millwall as managers.
The bitterness between the two sets of fans triggered a full-blown riot at West Ham’s old Upton Park ground in 2009 with one Millwall fan stabbed in the chest.
West Ham were eventually fined £115,000 for failing to control their fans while their south London visitors were exonerated.
Lomas lasted less than half a season before being sacked but holds affection for both clubs and believes the two sets of supporters are more similar than many wish to admit.
He said: “The fans of both clubs want the players to leave everything on the pitch. From that point of view they are 100 per cent similar. They will give a lot if you give everything on the pitch. That is the common denominator.
“They love their clubs and will defend for what it’s worth. Some of the times it oversteps the mark at both clubs. Hopefully that is a bygone thing and the best team wins on the pitch.
“At the old ground you had to walk out into the car park and there was just a chicken wire fence separating you from the fans. You had to get out of the car park and turn left onto Green Street,
“You had to sit in traffic and go past the Boleyn pub. That was a bit of a gauntlet if it wasn’t going well, trust me. And they were OUR fans!
“I was a West Ham player so I will be rooting for West Ham in the game but that’s not to say I don’t look out for Millwall and if they are doing well it is good for them and good for London.”
