Former West Ham player Don Hutchison speaks on what it was like leaving for the club for Millwall.

Very few British rivalries come close to the pure hatred that’s shared between West Ham and Millwall fans. With how little the two have actually played each other over the years, the rare occasion they do get to meet is always fiery.

Unsurprisingly, a player who’s joined from one of the clubs will have a lot to prove in order to win fans over. If they fail to impress, things can turn ugly very easily, as former Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison learned when he left the Hammers for Millwall in 2005.

“I think they’re a club that’s unique, and my experience wasn’t a good one because I left West Ham and went straight to Millwall,” he explained. “So the rivalry is like off the scale and they hated me for it, which was absolutely fine. I totally get that and I sort of respect them for it. And I lasted about six months before I literally got sent to Coventry. I think it would be very interesting [if they were promoted to the Premier League].”

“I know a lot of people behind the scenes are trying to change the culture. Theo Paphetis was the chairman when I was there for a short period, he was trying to change the whole hooligan culture.”

“They’ve still got a little bit because it’s natural. The guys that were sort of a lot younger 20, 30, 40 years ago are getting that a bit older so they’ll sort of fade away and the new generation will come through, but still they’re a passionate fan base. They’re a great set of fans to play for even though they hated me.”

In some ways though, Hutchison seems to respect the rivalry that led to him being mistreated at Millwall.

“They’re the only ones, but because the rivalry from West Ham and Millwall is so toxic and so bad, and I mean that as a compliment because I still think there’s a place for that in the game as long as obviously nothing sort of oversteps the mark.”

“I couldn’t understand it because I was trying my best for Millwall. I was scoring goals and I was getting booed and I was having fans standing by my car going, ‘Get out of this club, you West Ham this and West Ham that!’ I’d say, ‘I’m trying my best, lads. I’m trying to get you three points.’ I was like, right, I think I need to go.”