Millwall’s season has proved that fortunes can shift very quickly at Championship level. Thankfully, the 999-year lease for The Den should provide the club with a solid foundation going forward.
The Lions were teetering just above the relegation zone in February. Three months later, a string of impressive performances has brought fans an unexpectedly comfortable mid-table finish. Millwall have enjoyed relative stability since being promoted in 2017. But this season was a reminder that the drop is never far away.
The Championship is often described as the most competitive league in the world and the margins separating glory from disaster are wafer-thin.
So if Millwall are to make a real push for promotion, as we all hope, it needs a self-confident business model that brings in the revenue needed to compete at the top level.
The 999-year lease secured this month should do that. By allowing housing developments in the area, it paves the way for the club to capitalise on brand-new revenue streams.
And while cynics sniff at the thought of 34,000 fans piling into The Den this week, this season’s record-breaking attendance figures should keep the naysayers quiet.
South Bermondsey is on the cusp of transformation and Millwall FC deservedly wants to be at the centre of that change. For a time, it looked like Lewisham Council had forced the club to up sticks. It’s great to see differences have been set aside as the fans, and the local area, would only have suffered.
Big changes are happening at the top, with Millwall FC expected to appoint a new Chief Executive, and other key roles being filled with new faces. Football is a topsy-turvy world but the club, and its home, look secure.