The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 140: Angels and Demons

The roar of astonishment erupted from The Den before fading into complete silence. Everyone's gaze turned towards the left wing of Millwall's half.

Aldrich had just complained to the fourth official, unable to see what had happened, but when he looked over, he found the young starter, Neil, on the ground clutching his leg and screaming in pain, one hand pounding the grass.

Not far from Neil, West Ham striker Ian Dowie had just gotten up and was about to move closer when he was suddenly pushed down. Southgate rushed over, fiercely shoving Dowie and leaning down to roar at him. "You were definitely aiming for his legs, weren't you? That's simply criminal! Fuck you!"

Seeing Dowie pushed down, West Ham players immediately rushed over, and Millwall players followed suit. A massive confrontation seemed inevitable.

Keeper Keller dashed over, protecting the fallen Neil and shouted at the doctor rushing onto the pitch, "Hurry up!"

Jensen approached Aldrich with a grave expression, covering his mouth to inform him of what had just happened.

Neil had received the ball on the flank when Dowie charged over for a vicious sliding tackle. Neil jumped to evade it, but Dowie's foot came up and slammed right into Neil's knee.

If Neil hadn't jumped and thrown his body off balance, he probably would have suffered a broken leg!

However, the situation now was dire. Keller gestured for a substitution, knowing full well he could see that Neil couldn't continue, which reflected just how severe Neil's injury was.

Aldrich instructed Zambrotta to start warming up before pivoting to face the West Ham bench, pointing at Redknapp and furiously cursing.

"Redknapp, is this how you teach your players to play? Do you have no moral boundaries? If you want to fight, we can meet in the boxing ring! You have the gall to call Millwall a thug team? You guys are the real beasts, thugs, and vermin!"

Redknapp's face changed color, knowing he was in the wrong. He was reluctant to engage in a verbal confrontation, even shying away from any physical contact.

However, Aldrich's furious approach made it seem like he wanted to tear Redknapp apart, shocking everyone on West Ham's bench and surprising Millwall's coaching staff. Bob and Craig rushed in from both sides to hold Aldrich back.

"Calm down, calm down, Aldrich! You can't go over there!"

The fourth official also positioned himself in front of Aldrich, warning him not to act irrationally.

"Damn it, referee crew, your officiating today is worthless! How could the FA let you referee this game? With all the fouls earlier, if that idiot Barry Knight had issued a few yellow cards, West Ham's thugs wouldn't have gotten so reckless! My player has been severely injured, suffering damage beyond the rules of football! You are complicit! Complicit!"

Aldrich's agitation grew as Craig quickly had to cover his mouth to silence him.

The situation was escalating perilously; players from both benches were on their feet, the tension palpable. If Aldrich continued to taunt the referees, it would surely harm Millwall's chances.

At that moment, Aldrich truly lost his cool. He was fed up with the opponent's continual rough play, the referees' indifference, and now, with one of his players having been maliciously injured, he couldn't contain his fury.

Referee Knight and the linesman managed to separate the players, then quickly ran to the sidelines. Without saying a word, Knight issued Aldrich a red card.

This prompted Craig, who had been covering Aldrich's mouth, to snap. He rushed up to Knight and, clenching his teeth, said, "Did you take a bribe? Is this how you officiate games? Are you set on destroying Millwall?"

The situation on the sidelines rapidly spiraled out of control.

After Aldrich received his red card, it seemed to snap him awake. He then pulled Craig back, but Craig, still angrily denouncing the referee's poor officiating, also received a red card. Jensen, watching from the sidelines, sarcastically clapped at Knight before he too was red-carded.

Aldrich confronted Knight, who wore an impassive expression, and said, "You should be ashamed of your performance today! This isn't Millwall's disaster; it's yours!"

With that, Aldrich waved his hand on the sidelines, signaling an attack. The players surrounding Neil saw it and were outraged, fully understanding what their boss meant.

Destroy West Ham.

Not with fists.

But with offense!

In a clear and honorable way, through football!

Aldrich, along with assistant coach Jensen and first-team coach Craig, exited the field. They waited in the tunnel for the doctor, who, with the help of staff, had already taken Neil on a stretcher.

Aldrich would accompany Neil directly to the hospital.

Another team doctor returned to inform him of a conservative estimate that dealt a heavy blow to Aldrich.

Torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus.

Accompanied by sprains and joint dislocation, and further examination would reveal if it was torn or ruptured. If it was the latter, a major operation would be necessary.

When Neil was being carried away on a stretcher, he was already wearing an oxygen mask, his face pale and cold with sweat, unable to speak, and close to unconsciousness.

The immense pain was unbearable for this 18-year-old prodigy.

Aldrich, Jensen, and Craig accompanied Neil to the hospital. As they got into the ambulance, Aldrich couldn't help but weep.

Due to his mental age, he viewed his players more like younger siblings. Seeing Neil, drugged and unconscious with a deathly pale face and his leg grotesquely contorted and secured with a splint, pierced Aldrich's heart.

He was just 18 years old!

Would this end his future?

Would this destroy his career?

Aldrich had no idea. He felt lost and helpless.

He couldn't demand that everyone be like Larsson, who after breaking his leg at Celtic managed to stand strong again and maintain a high competitive level even at 35.

When Aldrich thought about how to face him upon waking, he felt responsible for Neil's injury, as Neil called him "Boss."

From the moment the conflict erupted, The Den was filled with uproar as Millwall fans grew increasingly furious. They were never the type to submit quietly.

No one likes us, and we don't give a damn!

But if someone hurts us, we will never let it slide!

Chaos quickly erupted in the stands. The West Ham supporters were caught between assaults from Millwall fans, while security and police struggled to maintain order, encircled by layers of fans, protecting West Ham in the middle and resisting the onslaught of Millwall supporters.

Yet many fans were injured from projectiles thrown their way, and quite a number suffered injuries, while riot police rushed into the stadium to escort away the wounded and the most agitated fans.

The game remained suspended for nearly twenty minutes before order could be restored.

Commentators Tyler and Gray didn't know what to say into their microphones, and Sky Sports abruptly cut to commercials, avoiding the chaotic scenes.

This was clearly not a positive image of the Premier League.

Millwall had indeed become a combination of angels and devils.

Before the match resumed, referee Knight issued two additional red cards to Soutgate and Dowie.

Dowie's dismissal was clear-cut; though he tackled head-on, it was a malicious infringement. Soutgate was sent off for irrationally shoving Dowie, which sparked the player conflict.

Yet both sides felt aggrieved.

West Ham claimed that during the stoppage of play, numerous Millwall players had assaulted them, with Trezeguet head-butting Michael Hughes.

Millwall, angrier still, had received four red cards from Knight.

This was The Den, Millwall's home ground!

We don't expect you to favor the home side, but at the very least, be damn fair and stringent!

At this point, Knight likely regretted his earlier decisions. To ensure the match was back under control, his officiating suddenly turned around completely, becoming very stringent. Just before the first half wrapped up, he handed out three yellow cards, all directed at West Ham, due to their excessive fouling.

Throughout the conflict, Nedved played peacemaker, helping the referee separate both teams.

But that didn't mean he wasn't angry inside.

He understood better what the team needed: victory. Only victory would render the opponent's filth even more disgraceful and foolish.

Millwall wouldn't back down in the face of violent tactics!

In the entire second half, Nedved's performance was impeccable. He single-handedly organized the offense, with precise passing, sharp breakthroughs, and timely, powerful shots.

In the 57th minute, he set up Larsson for the opening goal, and three minutes later, his breakthrough led to West Ham's Williams receiving a second yellow and being sent off.

In the final thirty minutes, Millwall firmly took control, with Nedved scoring twice to secure a 3-0 victory. After every goal, he refrained from celebrating, quietly returning to the center circle for the kick-off.

His teammates followed suit, walking back to their half without celebration.

They not only sought to win; they aimed to score more goals to humiliate West Ham.

Redknapp substituted two defensive players to bolster the backline but could see no hope of winning at The Den. Millwall had remained unbeaten at home for nearly 50 matches since last year!

As the game concluded, massive clashes erupted outside The Den, far worse than during the first half of the season. The injuries were more extensive, with over 90% of the injured being West Ham supporters.

Although the distance from Millwall to West Ham is just across the Thames, it seemed nearly impossible for West Ham fans. Without police assistance, they would hardly find their way home, with rival Millwall fans lurking in surrounding neighborhoods to ambush them. Stranded West Ham fans had to hurriedly strip off their jerseys to avoid attacks.

Meanwhile, Millwall fans residing in the club's area were shocked to discover the intensity of the chaos was beyond their imagination.

Groups of strangers with clear intentions for violence emerged in the streets; those Millwall fans unwilling to engage formed small circles, whispering and pointing at the unfamiliar figures seemingly seeking out fans of the Hammer.

Most of the older, law-abiding Millwall loyalists solemnly informed the youth: those outside are the real football hooligans, hailing from all over the country, simply looking for a fight today.

Such events were common in the 70s and 80s, and now that chaotic scene of hooliganism had returned to East London.