After the meeting yesterday with Neil I have discovered a deeper respect for Millwall fans. It was with regards to him speaking about the loyalty he has for the club even though he has now begun to view his loyalty almost as a chore.
Millwall's notorious reputation has been a huge burden to the fans over the past four decades so to me it seems incredible that a club which receives such bad press probably has the most loyal fans in London, maybe even England.
I know that this project held a personal connection to me due to the geographical location and my father's heritage but it was refreshing to hear Neil say yesterday that even if there was no match being played he would still go to "the den" to socialise and be a part of the atmosphere and scene. The attraction to a football match for me had no relation to the football aspect but wholly to the atmosphere and the unifying of different groups of people for 90 minutes every week.
This project thus far has shown me so many different and unexpected aspects of Millwall FC and the people who we have made contact with have been amazingly helpful and incredibly willing to help our project succeed.
I would say that even if an event was not to develop as a result of our research what we have discovered, the people we have met and in my case the connections I have made have been rich and fulfilling. This project is turning out to be completely rewarding and hugely enjoyable.
