The good thing – or bad – according to your viewpoint, about relegation is that for the first time since February 2012 West Ham United and Millwall will face off against each other both home and away within the same division. The intense rivalry has probably come a long way since the infamous days of the 1970’s and ’80’s but for many it will still shine as a ‘high point’ in their season.
For a fixture which used to take up a whole lot of column inches and a lot of Metropolitan Police resources, the 2026/7 fixture list will be awaited with huge excitement amongst the more – erm- lively portions of the fan base and with resignation amongst the planners within the authorities responsible for crowd control of the two games.
What is clear is that on the pitch at least, the rivalry will renew on a most unequal footing.
As footballleagueworld.com point out;
“The Lions achieved their promotion push with a total wage bill worth £308,250 per week, which ranked 14th highest in the division. The South London outfit’s highest paid player for this season has been Joe Bryan, with the 32-year-old earning£32,500-a-week.
West Ham ranked 13th in the Premier League this season for the size of their total weekly wage bill, as they paid their squad £1.4 million.
However, it’s been reported .. that the club have negotiated 50 per cent pay cut clauses into their players’ contracts, which will half that total. Their highest paid player in the Premier League was Jarrod Bowen, with the forward earning £150,000 per week, but that will be reduced to £75,000 as a result of their drop to the Championship.”
So whilst the two may be about to lock horns within the same division, West Ham’s starting eleven looks on paper as if it will be earning more than double what other sides within the Championship are receiving.
Which could well make them targets for ‘very special’ attention from Championship sides – Millwall amongst many – eager to leave a gentle reminder on their cosseted former Premier League millionaires that they’re in a whole new world now.
WHU need financial rivalry as well as rivalry on the pitch anything else is a distraction. My hope is that our True Irons will keep their focus on our needs, that is ownership reform, management improvement, tranfer delivery and value. This next season now becomes more important than the last. The improvement in the last half season can’t be wasted. The fans will play a massive part again. Financially our cost should drop with the loss of our wanted and disposable contracted players.